Atlantic Florida to Atlantic N.C.

Wednesday April 18 to Monday April 23, 2018                                                               Most Recent Posts
Fort Clinch State Park to Oregon Inlet Campground,                                                    Sweetwater Confusion
Fernandina Beach, Florida to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Nags Head, NC     It’s All About the Sink Filling Up

On Wednesday David went for an early clinic appointment so we could be checked out from the campground on time at 1:00.  

Luckily, we only had to drive 115 miles.  This is our kind of travel.  It was an easy drive up Fl-441 to FL 331 to FL 301.  All of these are nice easy roads through towns in mid state.  From 301 the rest was interstate highway.  I-10 for a short bit and then I-275 around Jacksonville to I-95 north.    The worst part of the drive actually was the 15 miles on Fl-200 between I-95 and the park.  It’s been under construction for the past two years with cones and barricades.  What a mess.

In spite of it all, we pulled into our site and ran the necessarily longer water hose and electric cord under the coach to the utilities which are set up for a back in.

This view is why we want to pull in.  We don’t have a window in the back like 5th wheels and this is for sure the view you want out of your picture window.

Just a little relaxing before heading down to the beach.  I could get really used to this. Wish we could stay longer than 3 days but I was lucky to get anything at the last minute I booked it.

Time to head down to the beach.  The boardwalk is like a lollipop stick from Cumberland Sound to the campground.    No site is very far from it.

You can tell how late in the day it is by the length of my legs!

Gentle waves on the sound usually. 

I’m surprised to see the wave marks in the sand unmarred by footprints.  Guess high tide wasn’t long ago.

These large rocks line the area where the pier was before Matthew took it out.  The mouth of the sound at the Atlantic is straight ahead.

Over on the ocean side the sea birds are congregating.

Somebody put out the word.  They are coming in droves.

Mostly various types of gulls and terns.

There are some loners as well, walking in the water rather than gathering in groups.

Plenty of shells.  I’m no longer a collector of anything but pictures.

The sun is setting behind me over the dunes.  Fort Clinch is another one of those scarce but wonderful places that I love where I can see both the sunrise and sunset without driving anywhere. 

Walking back along the sound to the campground  I have a better view.

Once the sun is down the colors rise and then fall in intensity.  I love the golden reflection in the waters of this cove on the sound.

As I turn toward the boardwalk back to the campground movement catches my eye.

The sun is down and the sliver of a crescentmoon is in the sky.  It’s just 3 days after full and has begun its waxing cycle again.  When ever I see the moon in a phase of its waxing it reminds me of one of Carrie’s favorite childhood books Wait Till the Moon is Full by Margaret Wise Brown.

It’s a nice spot indeed.

 

The next morning there isn’t much of a sunrise.  The clouds don’t allow it until it’s already up in the sky.  But this is what we see out our window.

I pull up a chair at my hidden ring side seat.  I wonder if she’s the local I saw last night at dusk?

She startles me by making  a dash toward the coach.

But she thinks better of it and continues with whatever sort of grazing she’s doing.  Doesn’t look like there is much to eat out there.

Finally she turns on a dime and runs off.  She must not be too frightened since she didn’t wave the white flag.

The rest of Thursday was very hot.  I was surprised at the heat in mid April.  Of course there is no shade anywhere except under your awning IF it’s facing the right direction.  We did get out on the beach around 5 for a nice walk but  most of the day was just relaxing and reading.

Friday  is our last day here and boy do we get dumped on by Mother Nature.  Can you say windy starting at 4am.  28-32 mph winds with gusts over 40.  We had to bring in the slides and put everything outside away or tied down.

Needless to say we were inside nearly all day.  I wanted to get out for some pictures of this power and could hardly push the coach door open.   The plants were bowing low.   If you’d like to see a video which shows the campground and the winds blowing the trees and grasses, click this link.  My commentary is drowned out by the winds for most of it but that’s not much of a loss.

This is the calm gentle Cumberland Sound today.

Took this selfie facing into the wind and could barely keep my eyes open.  That’s the boardwalk and campground behind me.  I can’t even imagine what Hurricane Matthew must have been like.

I pressed on around to just the edge of the ocean and zoomed in for these  pictures.  There is so much spray in the air, I can’t keep my lens clean.

I do love the fury of the sea.  We spent another night with the slides in.

Thankfully we didn’t have to drive in those gale force winds of Friday.   I must have said how grateful I was a million times.

By Saturday the winds had cut back enough  that we could leave and drive up I-95 199 miles to a Walmart in Walterboro, SC.   If you’ve never done Walmart docking here’s what you are missing.  We arrived “early” as in 3pm.  There were many many more rigs here by dark.

The next day, Sunday, after a marathon 285 miles we docked at Walmart in Rocky Mount North Carolina.   Our motto is why pay for a campsite if you are only going to pull in, sleep and pull out again.   Thanks Walmart!

We arrive at our destination on Monday, Oregon Inlet Campground in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, after a 149 mile trip.  More my style.  Still we seldom drive 3 days in a row and were pretty sick of driving by the time we got here.

We set up but without the awning.  Not sure we’ll be able to put it out at all with the winds that seem to be a permanent part of the forecast on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

I think we can handle this for a while.

Nice living room views.

And pretty fine scenery out the bedroom window as well.

From Corolla on the North near the Virginia State Line to Ocracoke Island on the south, which though it is an island is still considered part of the Outer Banks, it is a total of 124  long skinny miles.  Lots of things to see and do here. 

In our previous life we came down at least once a year and stayed in a cottage so I’m pretty familiar with the historic sites all around including Lighhouses, the Wright Brothers Memorial, The Lost Colony.  This is the first time we’ve “camped” on the Outer Banks so I’m sure there are new things like the Native American Museum which weren’t here those many years ago.  So if you know of something we absolutely must not miss, do let me know.