Whirligigs and Hatteras

I woke up and drove through Raleigh and into Lucama, NC to see the Vollis Simpson Whirlygig Park. Driving through farmlands was nice but the park was amazing. Much like Dr. Evermor’s Park but up in the air. Everything had a whirlygig park to move in the wind to it. I took a lot of photos of Simpson’s estate and and appreciated all the work and imagination he put into these. Then I drove out to Nag’s Head and Cape Hatteras. I secured a campsite at Oregon Islet and then toured Nag’s Head, a very touristy town, with new houses that all looked the same. The nautical quaint theme kept up but it was nice to get into the National Seashore parts where it was more wild and not commercial.

I drove down to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, the largest in North America. The drive there was beautiful with the dunes on both sides, the ocean to the east and the Pamico Sound to the west. I went to the top of the lighthouse for an amazing view and then hiked to the end of the point on the dunes. There were many fisherman who simply drove out on the beach with their trucks and had their hefty poles standing right in the water. The sun set and the views were wonderful. I talked to one of the fisherman and he said it was nothing like fishing for musky, after I told him I was from Minnesota.

That night I walked on the beach near my campsite and listened to the surf. I was completely alone. I slept in my tent on a sand dune. There were lightning flashes over the Atlantic Ocean.