On the way out of the harbor on the ferry to Cedar Island, I saw probably the only piece of contemporary architecture on Ocracoke. This very interesting house is surrounded on three sides by huge a screened enclosure. I understand it can be quite buggy here in the summer when most of these houses are in use.

Ocracoke light is visible from the Pamlico Sound as you are beginning to traverse 40 miles of water separating Ocracoke from the coast of North Carolina.
Seagulls seem to really get off on follwing the ferry. This group showed up when we were in the middle of the sound and could see no land in any direction. This last shot shows Cedar Island as we approached it after more than two hours crossing the sound. 

Hatteras is the tallest at 243 feet. The National Park Service is restoring the old Lightkeeper's house shown in the second photo.


Ocracoke Light is the oldest and shortest of the four. It is still in use today after 200 plus years. 

One of the really fun things we did on this trip was visit all 4 19th century lighthouses on the OBX. This one is Currituck--the northernmost.

When I get into photo mode, Abner has learned to simply lie down and wait it out.
This one is the Bodie Island light house, built one year after currituck and almost identical in detail but it is more isolated now and is painted black and white. 

These photos show the stone markers where the first four successful flights ended. When you walk this path and realize how little distance they covered and then are reminded inside the visitor center that it only took 66 years from this accomplishment to setting foot on the moon, it is pretty impressive.


 

 

Being the big fan of Deco architecture and art that I am, the doors and other details of the monument really appealed to me.

From the top of the hill you look out over the flat area where they landed the gliders and at the end you see where the powered flights took off and landed.
This is the bronze replica that was dedicated in 2003. 

The Memorial itself is a limestone monolith with engravings and bronze statues of the Brothers. It is austere and beautiful in a very deco design.


 

The Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills is bleak and beautiful at the same time. The first photo shows the buildings in which they worked and lived for the period of time over 3 years that they experimented with gliders and eventually powered flight on the sand dunes of the Outer Banks.



The next shot is of the approach to the memorial itself.
When you are up on the hill you can see this amazing bronze replica of the Wright flyer with Orville at the controls that was erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first flights. 

Leaving Ocracoke on a Sunny Sunday with temps at 70 degrees, it was hard to believe we had suffered through the storm only 5 days earlier. 

Beach days on Ocracoke were wonderful. The beaches stretch for about 15 miles and are some of the most unspoiled I have ever seen. Abner and Ivan had a field day each time we went. Having this huge expanse of beach with no other people or dogs to consider was a new experience for both and they really got into it. I think I still have sand in my car.

Winter seems to be here. It appears and disappears from day to day, but came in spades this week. We had one day when it got down to 15 degrees overnight and only made it to 33 during the day. Now we are back up into the mid to high 50s and on Monday are expecting the 60s again. But even when it is very cold, it seems to be achingly beautiful here. Days of brilliant sun and blue skies seem to be our norm. I know the statistics are that we get more than 300 days of sun per year but it is the winter ones that I seem to like the best. They are just so blindingly perfect.