Outer Banks, NC. November 2020.
postcard from Outer Banks, NC
It felt like the whole world was holding its breath in November. I worked for the first time as a poll worker and experienced what it was like working at a poll station in the middle of a pandemic. In the days that followed, my anxiety level was at an all time high as I packed my bags for a road trip to North Carolina with a friend.
Some relief came when the race was finally called at the start of our trip. Inside the car, I watched the videos of people celebrating the victory around the city, and it reminded me a lot of the Obama victory 12 years ago when I was a freshman and new to the city.
Our drive to North Carolina took us through New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and then Virginia. We crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel right around sunset, and watched a ship cut through right in front of us over the tunnel. The Bridge Tunnel remained one of 11 bridge-tunnel systems in the world, and the first one I’ve ever been through. It turns out the current longest bridge tunnel system in the world is the one that connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau, so maybe I’ll be able to visit that later.
By the time we arrived in the Outer Banks it was already nighttime, and in the dark you couldn’t really tell how close you’re to the water (or how much water is surrounding you). We went to Mama Kwan’s Tiki Bar and Grill for an outdoor dinner before heading back to the airbnb.
Woke up in the morning and finally got a view of our airbnb. The deck faces out to the waterfront of Kitty Hawk Bay, and it was perfect for some morning yoga (yes I do that on vacation because it’s relaxing) or just hanging out on the lounge chair reading a book. Around lunch time we headed out towards the southern side of the Outer Banks area, and stopped for lunch at Diamond Shoals Restaurant. Little did I know this was just the start of our seafood culinary experience at the Outer Banks - their coffee, hot cakes and seafood omelette were delicious and left me and my friend with full stomachs as we headed over to the edge of the island. At the end of the Hatteras Island is the Hatteras - Ocracoke vehicular ferry that connects Hatteras to Ocracoke Island, crossing over the Hatteras Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary. I have never taken a vehicular ferry before, and on Google map it shows a driving route into the ocean…
Ocracoke Island
Once on Ocracoke Island it’s one long drive all the way to the other tip of the island, where you can actually continue the journey and take another vehicular ferry to the next island and continue to island hop. Half way down the road there is a pony pen on the right, where the last of the ponies on the island are housed. They are actually a smaller breed left on the island by Spanish explorers, likely left behind after shipwrecks in the area. The ponies have been cared for by the National Park Service since 1959 to protect them from the one and only highway on the island. On the direct opposite of the pony pen is a boardwalk leading to the beach, and it was nice to get the whole area to yourself in this slightly cooler weather.
In the main town area of Ocracoke Island we visited the Ocracoke Lighthouse, the first of many lighthouses we would see on the trip. The area is known for its lighthouses because of the dangerous conditions along the Outer Banks and the numerous shipwrecks (there is a Graveyard of the Atlantic museum in Hatteras), and the lighthouses were coined the Guardians of the Atlantic. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a lighthouse keeper, living in the quarters surrounding a lighthouse and “keeping a good light”
After grabbing a beer and a snack by the pier on their last day of the summer season, we headed back for the ferry but missed the hourly ride as it was already packed with cars. The sun was setting as we rode back to Hatteras, and on the way back to our airbnb we stopped by Blue Moon Beach Grill for a takeout dinner. Our dinner - the rockfish and a salad special, were delicious with the wine our airbnb host left us. I would not have guessed that the wine retails for $4.
Sunset over Ocracoke Island.
Hatteras Island and Bodie Island
The next day we went to a place called Sam and Omie’s right by Jennette's Pier and had more seafood. Despite it being Monday at lunch time the place was popping with locals and tourists. After our meal we drove down to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the famous black and white stripe daymark patterned lighthouse in the area. We also stopped by the beach where the original lighthouse was located and did some wave watching.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
Just before dusk we stopped by the Bodie Island Lighthouse (pronounced “Body”), another black and white striped lighthouse in the area.
Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Manteo
On our last full day in the Outer Banks we continued our seafood hunt and stopped at Fish Heads, a rustic waterfront pub at the Outer Banks Fishing Pier. The shrimp tacos were absolutely delicious and it was a perfect pairing with a nice cool local beer. It was a hot, humid day but we enjoyed sitting out on the pier and getting some sun since I did none of that in the summer. We walked down the pier where locals were fishing, and to our surprise there were tons of jellyfish surrounding the deck. I also caught a glimpse of the dolphins out in the Atlantic Ocean!
After our animal sighting we headed to Jockey’s Ridge State Park, home of the East Coast’s tallest dune. Its height varies from 60 to 80 ft above sea level, and after a short walk up the tiny hill, you’ll get a view of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Roanoke Sound from the highest point. It reminded me of what it was like in Dubai where you drive off the highway and you land yourself in the middle of a huge area of sand. There were others doing hang gliding but it doesn’t look like you travel a very long distance.
Our next stop was the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Kill Devil Hills is where the Wright Brothers first took flight in 1903. We went through the indoor museum and out to the area where historical 4 flights took place.
At the other end of the museum sits the memorial on top of a tiny hill, where test flights were made when the area was all sand dunes.
For our last sunset in the area we settled on the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo, and headed to Blue Water Grill by Pirate’s Cove for some oysters and tuna sashimi.
Corolla
On the last day on the Outer Banks we headed towards a town called Duck to try their famous, made fresh to order Duck Donuts. I’ve cut down on sugar intake particularly in the morning but that donut was worth it. After the “light” snack we continued towards Corolla for the last lighthouse tour of the trip, also the only lighthouse in the area open for climbing during covid. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse is left unpainted unlike the other guardians of the Atlantic, and it’s a red brick structure will become visible as you walk through the little garden. After climbing 220 steps, you get to a view up top that shows the Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Its gift shop, located in the 2-story building next to the lighthouse, is a great stop for souvenirs!
As we depart the Outer Banks area, we stopped at Currituck BBQ (located on the other side of Currituck Sound) for a nice, hearty lunch. I got the brisket burnt end sandwich with sides and I was full for a good 5 hours afterwards.
Virginia and Pennsylvania
Before concluding our road trip we stayed an extra 2 days in Virginia, visiting the Luray Caverns, the largest caverns in Eastern America. Discovered in 1878, scientists estimate the caverns to be about 450 million years old. Through the 1.25 mile long pathway, we went through the Dream Lake, which is a body of water that creates a perfect mirror reflection of the stalactites. Another one of my favorites was the Fallen Stalactite that became detached after a massive earthquake 7000 years ago, sitting sideways like a long column, parallel to everything else surrounding it. One of the coolest part of the coolest part of the cavern was the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the largest musical instrument in the world that uses the stalactites as tone sources. A little highlight towards the end of the tour was a memorable sight of the Fried Eggs, 2 stalagmites that were accidentally sheared during the enlargement of the tunnel. Compared to the sizes other grand stalactites and stalagmites at Luray Caverns, the Fried Eggs are much smaller than you would imagine, actually fitting into a fry pan if they were real eggs.
We originally planned to do the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and maybe some hikes but by early November the trees have all gone bare, after the rain from earlier. We made some stops on the overlooks and decided to cut our scenic drive short, heading instead to the next town for dinner at Edinburg Mill restaurant.
Just before driving back into the city we stopped by Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. I got takeout from Home 231, and we managed to make a stop at a local farmer’s market to get some fresh greens before heading back home, into quarantine.