Outer Banks 2012 Vacation | The Beauty Around Us

Our Outer Banks Vacation: The Final Post

I have written that 14 of us vacationed together in the Outer Banks. Here are the 14 of us.

The majority of those with whom we shared the beach house are from Pennsylvania (Warren, Sheffield and Kane). Two couples are from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Ten of those with whom we shared the beach house are related. Bob and I and another couple are friends of those who are related. We had a great time in the Outer Banks and hope to vacation there again next year.

Our Outer Banks Vacation: South Nags Head Beach – Condemned Beach Houses

Not even a mile north of where we spent our Outer Banks vacation sat these beach houses on South Nags Head Beach, condemned by the city of Nags Head. From what I can glean from a small amount of research on the Internet, these homes were condemned after a November 2009 Nor’Easter storm.

Yes, my camera was level!

Our Outer Banks Vacation: A Whale’s Head Inn

Bob and I stayed close to our vacation home the last two days of our Outer Banks vacation (Thursday, September 20, and Friday, September 21). We went for walks on the beach, spent time with our friends, read and relaxed.

Our vacation home for the week was A Whale’s Head Inn, a luxurious and spacious oceanfront beach house.

We needed a spacious vacation home, as 14 of us spent a week together at the beach house!

I didn’t take photographs of each room of A Whale’s Head Inn; however, I did take pictures of the beach house from all sides.

Our oceanfront queen bedroom was located on the mid-level. You can see our windows to the right of the door on middle deck. To the right of our bedroom was a screened-in porch.

View of our beach house from our private boardwalk, which led to South Nags Head Beach

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Stay tuned! I have more photographs to share, a few at the beach house and quite a few on the South Nags Head Beach.

Our Outer Banks Vacation: Day 5

On our fifth day of vacation (Wednesday, September 19) we watched a small portion of the Eastern Surfing Association Easterns Surfing Championships, which was held at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, in the morning. In the afternoon we drove to Buxton, where we saw the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

I took several photographs of the surfers. This photograph is my favorite.

Driving south on Route 12, en route Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

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.

All that remains from the original location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Note the distance that the lighthouse was moved.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, as viewed from beach

Our Outer Banks Vacation: Day 4

On our fourth day of vacation (Tuesday, September 18) Bob and I went to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Dare County Mainland only a few miles from Roanoke Island.

Map obtained from Fish & Wildlife Service website

We had hoped to see a bear. All we saw was a turtle crossing the road, one great blue heron and lots of butterflies. Bob enjoyed the off-road driving. We decided to make our way back to U.S. Route 64 when we had no signal on our cell phones and the GPS didn’t show us on a road. What “roads” we did travel and were on the GPS looked like tractor routes through a hayfield!

Turtle crossing road (Bob took this picture)

The type of “roads” that we drove on

Could this possibly be Alligator River?

By the way, there are alligators in this wildlife refuge. I saw photographs of them on the Internet. We didn’t see an alligator in person though.

Our Outer Banks Vacation: Day 3

On our third day of vacation (Monday, September 17) Bob and I visited the town of Manteo, located on Roanoke Island, and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. En route Pea Island, we did stop at the Bodie Island Lighthouse but did not take any photographs. The lighthouse is in the midst of a restoration project, which was begun in 2009.

This is the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.
The lighthouse is located in the town of Manteo.

A major attraction in the town of Manteo is the Roanoke Island Festival Park. We did not visit the Festival Park this year; however, I did capture a photograph of one of its attractions.

Elizabeth II at Roanoke Island Festival Park

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

We spent most of our time at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge watching turtles. The little turtles were pushing this bigger turtle out of the way.

Our Outer Banks Vacation: Day 2

I awakened early enough on our second day of vacation (Sunday, September 16) to watch the sun rise. What a marvelous sight it was!

Later in the morning Bob and I drove north to Corolla,, to the Currituck Heritage Park where we enjoyed a walk in the park. Among the points of interest at the Currituck Heritage Park are the Whalehead Club, the Boathouse and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.