Ocracoke Island

And I'm back!

School is out, parties are through, and summer has arrived!!  There is a yummy pot roast via the pioneer woman cooking away in my oven, the children are playing quietly (at least for now) and I have just a few minutes on this lazy summer afternoon to throw together another little post from our coast vacation.

Oh the memories - made even better with the sweet aroma of roasting carrots and meat!  Awww....take me away.

So after leaving Charleston we headed north up the coast, crossing over this huge bridge as we made our way to Myrtle Beach!!



The sand was white and soft and rolling.   I wish we would have had more time to spend on Myrtle's beaches - but we needed to pick up my dad from the airport - and I had other dreams to follow.   Like seeing Ocracoke Island.   And riding a ferry.   LOL.   So we drove on... but not before we played for a bit.  The girls LOVED it.  Running barefoot in the soft sand, collecting shells, chasing the surf - Bella's ultimate vacation activities.



So we drove.  And we drove.  And we drove.

I guess we didn't realize how long it would take us to get up to North Carolina and the Outer Banks.  One way in and one way out.  LOL.  The GPS was quite confused too - trying to take us through a few lakes and forests, but eventually we figured it out.  After many laughs and more than a few re-routes we made it to the ferry.  (I was kind of obsessed with riding it.  I remember doing it as a kid with my parents, and loved it.  Driving the car onto the boat - feeling the sway - crossing the ocean with your car on a boat?! What could be cooler?!)  The girls loved it just as I thought they would.  The only downside was that the ferry passage to Ocracoke was long!  We ended up pulling into the Island (that you can only get to by ferry) right around sunset!



Papa was only with us for a few hours before he was bit.   He's great to have around - the bugs always go for him first.   It's like human bug spray!

 

The views from the ferry were incredible!!! Loved the sailboats and rustic coast vistas.
 

Once back on land, we hurried to the cute little lighthouse and were able to see it with the last few minutes of daylight pouring over the horizon.  Beautiful!



It was such a fun and memorable day! One I think the girls will never forget.

THE BEST PART OF THE DAY though was after dark!!!

Papa is always good for making us do crazy things and on this trip he didn't disappoint!!   After it got dark he proposed driving the car down a lonely, sandy road to the beach so that we could collect shells!!  This island's shells are the best because there aren't that many people to collect them.   You basically have your pick - and the shells that wash up are huge! 

We all agreed that it would be pretty fun so we mapped out a spot and started driving the car onto the sand.   Well, in true Noorda fashion, we got stuck.   LOL.   Luckily it was only for a couple of minutes and after getting unstuck, we decided to ditch the car and walk the rest of the way to the beach on foot.   Using the light from Nate's cell phone we made our way to the water's edge.

We were alone on the beach and it was very dark.  Within seconds of beginning our hunt, both girls had found HUGE shells and all was well.   Then quite suddenly there was a big lightening bolt and for the first time we all looked up to see a looming storm front heading our way.   Now if you know my dad he's the adventure seeking, lover of danger, laugh in the presence of fear kind of guy.  Then you probably know my mom as well, non-adventure seeker, lover of all things safe, and run as fast as you can from fear kind of gal.  Interestingly enough, Bella takes after Grandma.

Those two took off running in the direction of the car screaming!  In the dark.  By themselves.  By the time we reached them they had been standing my the car for a few minutes egging each other on!  LOL.  The world was ending.  We were all going to die.

I think BOTH were a little traumatized!  So funny.  Later Bella told us that the whole experience was her favorite thing about the trip.  Making memories, I guess.  Any way we can!  LOL.

We ended up making it to the car just before the rain started to fall.  And then in turn made it onto the ferry to Hatteras.  Good times!

Now time for that pot roast.  Yum yum yum!