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South Carolina Vacation: Crepe Creation Cafe

We awakened on the morning of Saturday, February 25 to discover it had rained during the night. This was our first rain since arriving in Surfside Beach. It would be a cooler day, too, than it has been since our arrival. At 8:00 am it was only 56 degrees with showers. It was much better here than at home, though. At the same time, in Warren PA, it was 21 degrees with snow. According to Weather Underground, two inches of snow was expected.

Our friends Marge and Neil H. stopped by our Airbnb rental. Nanny & Pops, at 11:00 am. We visited for a while inside our cottage. Later we went for a walk in the neighborhood. We walked to Floral Lake and back home. The turtles didn’t disappoint. I counted 12 – 14 turtles that congregated below us, as we crossed over the footbridge.

Next we drove to Myrtle Beach, where we ate lunch at the Crepe Creation Cafe. All four of us ordered both a savoury crepe and a dessert crepe. Bob and I shared our crepes, as did Neil and Marge.

Our savory crepe was a Cresesadilla (Chicken, Bell Peppers, Onions, Cheddar, and Mozzarella served with sides of Sour Cream and Salsa).

Our dessert crepe was an Apple Turnover (Homemade Apple Filling topped with Caramel, Powder Sugar, and Whipped Cream and a side of Vanilla Ice Cream).

As you can see, the crepes are huge! Each crepe, sitting on two plates, equaled the serving for one person.

We returned to Nanny & Pops around 3:15 pm. Neil and Marge left straightaway, as they wanted to attend Saturday Mass.

Breakfast with Sue from Florida

Ten days ago, on the morning of September 3, I met my friend Sue for breakfast at Mama Janes Restaurant.

Sue and I became friends via Facebook. Our online friendship began in February 2013, when Sue became a fan of my Facebook photography page and my friend on Facebook as well. We attempted to meet each other in October that year, when Sue came to Warren to visit her family. That meeting did not happen. Five years later, in June 2018, we finally did meet each other in person. We met at Tim Hortons. Bob met Sue then, too, and we both met Sue’s husband Matt.

Since 2018 we have met up three other times — in November 2019 again at Tim Hortons, in November 2020 at Bob Evans Restaurant and 10 days ago at Mama Janes.

We didn’t remember to get a picture at any of our meet ups, until today.

I am looking forward to the next time we are able to get together. Until then, we will keep in touch via Facebook.

Year in Review 2020

Bob, Wickett and me at our house on New Years Eve

Amazon Photos made this Year in Review slideshow for me. Please click on “slideshow” to view the video. Keep clicking until the slideshow begins.

The slideshow features Bob and me, Stacey and our two granddaughters, my brother and his wife, three great nieces, a few of our local motorcycle riding friends, and some of our friends with whom we were fortunate to spend a week with in the Outer Banks, and lunch with friends in Salisbury MD on our way to Chincoteague VA.

What great memories to remind me that 2020, with all that was bad about it, still had good things!

Thanksgiving Week Vacation Day 2

Today, November 22nd, is the second day of our Thanksgiving week vacation. Breakfast was from 7:00 am-10:00 am today at our hotel — the Best Western North East Inn, located in North East, MD. We went downstairs for breakfast a little after 7:00 am. Because of COVID-19 breakfast wasn’t the hotel’s typical full hot breakfast, served buffet style. Breakfast was still good, though, with selections individually wrapped. I had a hot egg and bacon sandwich, applesauce, a banana, orange juice, a chocolate chip muffin, and a cup of tea. Bob picked up similar selections. We carried our breakfast to our room on a tray and ate there.

We checked out of the hotel around 8:40 am and began the last leg of our drive. Today’s destination is Chincoteague, VA. As was the case yesterday, the GPS is programmed to avoid highways.

We made a bathroom stop in Cambridge MD at the Dorchester County Visitor Center. A monument caught my eye.

This is the “Flying goose” monument fountain.

You can see the “Flying Goose” from several viewpoints or see it up close.

“Flying Goose” monument fountain

Returning to our car from the “Flying Goose” monument, we spotted a lighthouse off in the distance.

View of Choptank River Lighthouse from Dorchester County Visitor Center

We hopped into the car, drove 1 mile to Long Wharf Park and parked the car.

Bob and I with the Choptank River Lighthouse in the background

Choptank River Lighthouse

Choptank River Lighthouse

and one last photograph of the picturesque lighthouse

Choptank River Lighthouse

At 12:15 pm we met Tom and his girlfriend, Ellen, for lunch at Evolution Craft Brewing Company in Salisbury, MD. We sat outside and ate our lunch.

Lunch with friends at EVO Brewery in Salisbury, MD

Bob ordered a pulled pork sandwich with French fries; Tom ordered a brisket sandwich with French fries; and Ellen and I ordered Brioche French Toast with strawberries and whipped cream.

Brioche French Toast with strawberries and whipped cream

A little background … Tom graduated with Bob’s brother, John, who is 9 years older than Bob. When we got together for lunch, I believed that I had never met Tom and that Bob and Tom hadn’t seen each other since high school. During lunch Tom mentioned John’s 50th birthday, and I had a vague recollection of a photograph taken during John’s 50th birthday celebration. I found that photograph, upon our return home.

Photograph Taken on the Occasion of John’s 50th Birthday (October 2000)

Apparently in October 2000 Tom, his wife Anne (who died in May 2019), and Bob and I celebrated John’s 50th birthday together. The four of us are in the back row on the left.

… Fast forward to 2018 …

Bob and Tom became Facebook friends in August 2018. Tom and I became friends on Facebook a few months later, in January 2019. Tom likes photographs that I share on Facebook. He has left many complimentary comments over the years. We message each other occasionally too. It was via Facebook Messenger that we made plans to meet on our way to Chincoteague, VA. Tom, Bob and I believed an outdoor setting would be the safest way to meet, given COVID-19.

… Back to the present …

Our respective lunches were delicious, and we enjoyed our time with both Tom and Ellen (whom we met for the first time today). We hope to meet up again one day.

I think it was 2:30 pm when we left the brewery. We drove to Food Lion in Oak Hall, VA. We picked up a few groceries and then drove to Tranquil Shores, our Airbnb rental in Chincoteague, VA. We arrived at the rental shortly before 4:00 pm and got settled in. Tranquil Shores is home through Saturday, November 28th.

Our Airbnb rental was cleaned to COVID-19 standards. We could smell the disinfectant, when we walked into the house. The house was spotless. When we stayed here before, pre-COVID, the refrigerator wasn’t completely emptied out in between guests. The refrigerator was completely emptied, when we arrived today. The empty refrigerator, in and of itself, gave me that little extra feeling of safety.

Tonight’s dinner was Sloppy Joes, coleslaw and, for dessert, cheesecake. We purchased a small platter that contains 8 slices of cheesecake, four different flavors. We will enjoy cheesecake for a few days this week.

Outside is Safer

According to medical experts COVID-19 transmits more easily when inside closed areas, where there is less ventilation or room for airflow. Generally, your risk of contracting the virus is remarkably lower when you are outside. This is because there is more space to separate from others and there is more natural airflow.

Bob and I went for a walk in our neighborhood this afternoon. A neighbor’s backyard scene caught my eye.

What a great way to watch TV (golf in this instance) with friends!

The temperature was around 45 degrees. These two men look toasty warm, don’t they?

Our Outer Banks Vacation – Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands

[NOTE: I uploaded this blog post during the afternoon on October 10 but backdated the published date to September 29, the date of the day’s activities detailed in this post.]

The beginning of a new day

Bob, Jim, Sandy and I departed our Flight of Fantasy beach house at 7:00 am, en route Ocracoke Island. A little past Duck, two deer walked across N.C. Route 12. The deer are small here and darker in color than they are in Pennsylvania. We hopped onto U.S. Route 158 at Southern Shores.

We made two stops: one for fuel and the other for breakfast at McDonalds before leaving U.S. Route 158 and hopping back onto N.C. Route 12 to Cape Hatteras. We began our drive down this part of N.C. Route 12 at 8:03 am.

We arrived at the Herbert C Bonner Bridge around 8:10 am. One lane was closed due to bridge construction, but we were held up only a short time for the closure. Along N.C. Route 12 we encountered standing water in front of sand dunes and excavators moving sand. There was standing water and sand on the road, as we were driving through Rodanthe. There was standing water on the road in Avon. There was a lot of standing water at Hatteras Village shortly before the ferry terminal. We arrived at the Hatteras ferry terminal at 9:20 am.

Hatteras ferry terminal
We are in line to board the ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island.

Sandy and I went to the bathroom and ran back to our car, as it was moving toward the boat! We boarded the 9:30 ferry at 9:29 am.

Moving away from Hatteras Island

There are only five vehicles on our crossing.

Our ferry boat was not crowded.

We have ridden this ferry at least two times before. This is the least number of vehicles we have seen on a crossing. The ferry has always been full! By the way we planned for a 10:00 am crossing. Being able to catch the 9:30 am crossing was a bonus! The crossing wasn’t as smooth, as I remember. We were a bit more buoyant, with waves rocking us up and down. We were fortunate to catch a 9:30 crossing, as there was no 9:30 crossing on the N.C. DOT schedule that I looked at. A crew member told me they were on the fall schedule, which was not provided on the website.

Jim looks like he is enjoying the ferry crossing.

We arrived on Ocracoke Island an hour later. There was some sand on the road between the terminal and the town of Ocracoke. It is a 13-mile drive from the ferry terminal to the town of Ocracoke.

At approximately the halfway point between the ferry terminal and the town of Ocracoke we stopped to see the fenced-in Ocracoke ponies and the beach across the road. The ponies were at the barn, behind wooden railing. We took a walk on the boardwalk trail to another observation area, hoping to see ponies grazing in the open field.

Sandy on boardwalk trail to look for ponies.

There were no ponies in the open field. We did encounter several spider webs and a bird, while on the trail.

The bird sang a lovely song for us.

At the beach, located across the street from the pony enclosure, we enjoyed watching the shorebirds and found some pretty seashells.

Ocracoke Island shorebird

Ocracoke Island Shorebird

Ocracoke Island Shorebirds in flight

Ocracoke Island Shorebird

Jim and Sandy leaving the beach, walking back to our car.
Sandy has seashells in her hands.

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the seashells that Bob and I collected. We gave the seashells to our granddaughters, upon our return home from vacation.

A main form of transportation in the town of Ocracoke appears to be golf carts and bicycles. Both transportation methods were seen throughout the town.

While in the town of Ocracoke we visited the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse and the David Williams House Museum.

The Ocracoke Island Lighthouse is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse still in operation.

Ocracoke Island Lighthouse

The water under the boardwalk leading to the lighthouse was quite high.

While at the lighthouse we were greeted by a friendly cat.

the lighthouse cat

All four of us took turns petting the lighthouse cat.

Great balance, Sandy!
The lighthouse parking lot was somewhat flooded.

Leaving the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse, we drove around Silver Lake to the Ocracoke Island Visitor Center and the Ocracoke Preservation Society.

Ocracoke Island Lighthouse, as seen across Silver Lake

Ocracoke Preservation Society

The Ocracoke Preservation Society is located in the restored David Williams House. This was the first time Bob and I visited the Ocracoke Preservation Society. Admission was free; donations readily accepted. Inside is a museum that consists of permanent and changing exhibits depicting island life from days gone by, as well as a gift shop.

Before leaving the town of Ocracoke, we ate lunch at Jason’s Restaurant. We pulled into Jason’s Restaurant at 12:30 pm. Bob and I ate at Jason’s the last time we visited Ocracoke Island. We once again enjoyed great tasting food and excellent service.

We departed Jason’s Restaurant at 1:20 pm, en route the Ocracoke ferry terminal. I telephoned ahead of time to determine the fall schedule crossing times. The next ferry would be leaving at 1:30 pm, followed by a 2:00 pm crossing.

Ocracoke Island Ferry Terminal
We are in line waiting to board the ferry to Hatteras Island.

Hurricane Maria caused some road damage at the Ocracoke Island Ferry Terminal.

We caught the 2:00 pm ferry to Hatteras. There were many more vehicles on this crossing than the one from Hatteras. We arrived on Hatteras Island at 2:55 pm. On our way to the Ocracoke ferry terminal I learned that Denise and Nic and Nancy and Donnie had also come to Ocracoke Island. They were eating lunch about the same time as us, across the street at Howard’s Pub. Denise said that she texted me to ask if we were still on Ocracoke Island. I never received that text, while on the island. I learned the next day that the sending of Denise’s message had failed. Internet service is a bit sketchy on Ocracoke Island.

On our way back to Corolla, we stopped at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The Circle of Stones

The Circle of the Stones used to sit in the exact spot where the lighthouse stood for more than a century before it was moved to its present location. The stones, each weighing 3,000 pounds or more, are engraved with the names of the 83 keepers of the lighthouse since it was originally built at Cape Point in 1803. The stones are arranged in a semi-circle to form an outdoor theater called Keeper of the Light Amphitheater.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has not always resided in its present location. In 1999, because of the threat of shoreline erosion, the lighthouse was relocated 2,900 feet from the spot on which it had stood since 1870.

In September 2012 when Bob and I visited the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, we drove over to the original location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Original lighthouse location (September 2012)

In September 2012 the Circle of Stones marked the location of the original lighthouse, before it was moved. Those stones now form an outdoor theater called Keeper of the Light Amphitheater. I shared a picture of the amphitheater earlier in this post. This article explains why the Circle of Stones was moved.

This year we once again drove over to the original location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. But for the informative sign in front of the beach area, we would not have known the location of the lighthouse before it was moved to its present site.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on the beach near where the original lighthouse was located.

Continuing our drive North, we planned to stop at the Inn at Rodanthe. The entrance road was flooded, so Jim took a picture of the house made famous by the movie “Nights at Rodanthe” from the passenger seat when Bob pulled on the berm of N.C. Route 12.

We planned an ice cream stop at Dairy Queen, while on Hatteras Island. The two Dairy Queens that we passed, though, were closed. We stopped at Dairy Queen in Kill Devil Hills, having our dessert before dinner.

We returned to our beach house around 6:30 pm.

Tonight’s dinner was hamburgers, baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad. For dessert we had cake and ice cream, in celebration of Brenda’s birthday. We sang happy birthday to Brenda, and she blew out her candles.

Video courtesy of Bob. If you are not able to view the embedded video, please click here for the direct link.

For Jim’s account of today’s activities, please click here.

Our Outer Banks Vacation – Bodie Island and Wright Brothers National Memorial

[NOTE: I uploaded this blog post during the afternoon on October 8 but backdated the published date to September 28, the date of the day’s activities detailed in this post.]

I appreciate the force of nature. The past two days we have experienced consistent strong winds and angry seas. Today, as I watched the sun rise while sitting on the beach, the wind was calm and the waves seemed almost normal. I haven’t seen one yet, but I heard that the pelicans are back.

The dawning of a new day

The wind is calm, and the waves seem almost normal.

If you are not able to view the embedded video, please click here for the direct link.

Bob took this picture of me sitting on the sand, capturing today’s sunrise.

The sun has risen!

What a fine day for sightseeing!

We were en route Bodie Island shortly after 9:00 am, arriving there around 10:00 am. For the next 45 minutes we admired the lighthouse from various vantage points.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

A boardwalk that leads to an overlook of the wetlands offers very nice views of the lighthouse.

Sandy is walking on the boardwalk toward the wetlands overlook.

Sandy and Jim on the wetlands overlook

Bodie Island Lighthouse, as seen from the wetlands overlook

Before leaving Bodie Island I heard a National Park Service employee say that the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry would begin crossings again at 1:00 pm today. This information was good to know, as we are planning a trip to Ocracoke tomorrow.

From Bodie Island we attempted to drive to Pea Island Wildlife Refuge, but the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge was closed until 1:00 pm to allow for time to remove sand and water from the roadway on Hatteras Island. We made a U-turn at the bridge and drove to the Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills.

After paying the admission fee of $7.00 each, we found parking in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center for the Wright Brothers National Memorial is closed for a renovation project. The visitor center has been closed since November 2016 and expected to reopen in late summer/fall of 2018. A temporary facility near the parking lot has an information desk where you can speak to a National Park Service employee, five small poster-style exhibit panels to learn more about the Wright brothers’ story, and a bookstore.

During our visit we walked to the First Flight Boulder and Flight Line which mark the location where the Wrights first flew, peeked into the reconstructed Wright brothers’ camp building and hangar, walked to the top of Big Kill Devil Hill to the base of the Wright Memorial, and saw the 1903 Bronze Sculpture of the First Flight featuring a life size model of the 1903 Wright Flyer.

Wright Brothers Flight Line

The numbered markers mark the landing spots of the Wright Brothers’ first four flights on December 17, 1903.

First Flight Boulder

The boulder marks the spot from which the Wright Brothers’ first flight was made. The picture displayed above shows the flight path as well.

Sandy and the First Flight Boulder

Wright brothers’ camp building and hangar

Big Kill Devil Hill and Wright Brothers Memorial

Sandy stayed inside the car, while Bob, Jim and I hiked to the top of Big Kill Devil Hill.

Wright Brothers Memorial on top of Big Kill Devil Hill

The view from the top of Big Kill Devil Hill was spectacular!

Jim is photographing the view from the top of Big Kill Devil Hill.
We could see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Life size model of the 1903 Wright Flyer

1903 Bronze Sculpture of the First Flight
(Wright Memorial in the background)

This sign provides information about the first flight witnesses. I read the sign, but was more interested in recreating the scene shown on the sign. As I positioned myself to take a picture, other tourists began walking up to the bronze sculptures for a closer look. Getting the picture I wanted meant waiting until those people departed the grounds.

Jim, Bob and Sandy found the only shady spot to wait for me,
while I waited to take my picture.

I like to think that I am a patient person. My patience was just about running out, when the grounds were vacated. I had to quickly compose my picture, as I noticed more tourists arriving.

My recreation of the photograph of the first flight witnesses

We were glad that it was possible to drive to the base of Big Kill Devil Hill, as well as to the Sculpture of the First Flight. The three points of interest were spaced far apart!

Prior to leaving on vacation, Jim learned that a friend (another member of the Vulcan Riders and Owners Club of which Jim and Bob are members) would be vacationing in the Outer Banks at the same time as the four of us. “Rabbi” and his wife Vonna were vacationing in Salvo on Hatteras Island, until they were evacuated earlier in the week. We didn’t think we would be able to meet up with Rabbi and Vonna because they had gone home to Virginia. Jim received a message (today I believe) from Rabbi that they were back in the Outer Banks and staying in Kitty Hawk. Jim and Rabbi made plans for the six of us to meet for lunch at 1:00 pm at Mama Kwans Tiki Bar & Grill in Kill Devil Hills.

The first thing I noticed at Mama Kwans was the old van covered with stickers. I took a picture of Rabbi, Vonna, Jim and Sandy beside that van, after we had eaten lunch.

Sandy, Jim, Rabbi and Vonna at Mama Kwans

Rabbi attended at least one VROC motorcycle rally that Bob and I attended. That rally was the Wolfman Wandering Rally #3 held in Richmond, Kentucky in June 2009. Rabbi doesn’t recall meeting Bob or me at that rally; we don’t recall meeting him either. Rabbi is planning to attend the 20th anniversary of the Southeast Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (SEVROC) rally in May next year. Bob and I plan to attend that rally as well. So, we will meet again….

After lunch we returned to Flights of Fantasy (our vacation beach house), returning there around 3:00 pm.

Much of rest of the afternoon and evening was spent relaxing in (or sitting on a deck of) the beach house. Sandy and I did go for a short walk to beach access 7, a boardwalk that leads to the beach.

Sandy at the Beach Access 7 Boardwalk

The view from the end of Beach Access 7
The green house is our beach house.

Sandy at the end of Beach Access 7
The green house is our beach house.

Sandy and I returned back to our beach house just in time to see the sun set.

I photographed Brenda photographing the setting sun.

Tonight’s dinner was leftovers.

I retired to our bedroom around 8:30 pm, as many of my fellow vacationers were sitting down to watch the football game—Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers.

For Jim’s account of the day, please click here.