Images from Colonial Williamsburg

Our heavy travel schedule in the earlier part of the year prevented us from taking a few days off to celebrate our wedding anniversary, but that didn't stop us from exploring. We traveled to Williamsburg, VA hoping to spend the day in the old town. But temps near 90 degrees and a humidity level that surely matched quickly conquered us (no wonder Virginia is called the Old Dominion!) And a $36.00 admission fee per adult kept us from checking out what Williamsburg has to offer indoors.

I'm sorry, I refuse to pay $72 to see the interiors of buildings.

After visiting a few bookstores and sharing an anniversary dessert of Crème Brûlée at the Blue Talon Bistro, we walked around as long as we could, then headed home. But we managed to snap a few photos, of course. View the slideshow below, or click on the link to watch the Webshots full-screen slideshow.

We'll return--in cooler weather.

Click Here for Full Screen Slideshow (opens new window)

Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the Ponies of Shackleford Banks

My birthday was fast approaching, and my husband asked what I wanted. Some might have rattled off trinkets such as a diamond bracelet, a new car, furniture. And those are fine, but I'm a Carolina Adventurer and my riches run along another line. So how did I respond?

I wanted to see the wild horses of Shackleford Island.

In the past year, we tried to travel to Shackleford Island on two occasions. But since it's accessible only by boat, conditions have to be right. And in the past, the imminent threat of rain canceled our plans. With only a 30% chance on this day, we took a risk and traveled Downeast.

To my knowledge, one can catch a ferry to Shackleford and nearby Cape Lookout from Beaufort, NC, and Harkers Island. We tried Beaufort first. The operator I checked with had two options: a trip to Shackleford, where we would have been dropped off and picked up when we wanted, or a trip to Cape Lookout Lighthouse. I wanted both!

Since reservations were required for the Lookout trip, we headed to Harkers Island, to the Local Yokel ferry service.

Funny name, good service. While they also offered a trip to Cape Lookout, they travel on the sound side of Shackleford Banks. When I told them I wanted to see the horses, they said no problem.

Cape Lookout National Seashore and Shackleford Banks form a check-mark at the bottom of the string of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks. After paying the $15 per person (read the rest of this post before you dismiss that as being too costly for such an outing), we climbed aboard the ferry and began our journey across the Core Sound.

And what a journey it was! We flew across the sapphire water, skirting shoals that gave this area the nickname, Graveyard of the Atlantic. True to the ferry operator's word, we saw some of the Shackleford ponies on the way to our destination...

CAPE LOOKOUT

Sorry, but we'll get to the ponies in a minute. I waited a year, you can wait a few more minutes. It'll be worth it.

According to Lighthouses of the Carolinas, the present Cape Lookout Lighthouse was built in 1859, and the original keepers had to lug heavy containers of oil 163 feet up to keep the light burning.

Today, a 1st-order Fresnel lens guide mariners around the shoals, and the lighthouse keepers have been replaced by volunteers who donate their time greeting guests and manning the Visitors Center. We met two such volunteers, Mack and Alice, from Salem, Virginia, and spent a fair amount of time chatting with them about the lighthouse and the volunteers' role at Cape Lookout. I applaud them, and the rest of the park's volunteers for braving the elements to keep this treasured landmark running.

Mack and Alice at Cape Lookout's Visitors Center

We spent a couple hours exploring the area around the lighthouse, the sea-oat and flower covered dunes, and the Lighthouse Keeper's House:

FINALLY, THE PONIES

The ferry arrived on time, and we began the journey back to Harkers Island. As with the trip over, we saw a few of the magnificent Shackleford Island horses, whose origin on the island is unknown, grazing in the marsh. And this time, the dear fellow from Local Yokel (who, btw, is anything but) positioned the ferry to enhance the view:

This is yet another reason I cannot believe in evolution. Spectacular programs like that just don't write themselves.

What a sight. What a birthday.

For more information on Cape Lookout Lighthouse, go to www.nps.gov/calo/index.htm
For more info on Shackleford Banks, go to www.originaldowneast.com/shackleford.htm

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Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved. Do not use or distribute text or images without written permission.

Your Eyes Needed: Sea Turtle Hatchlings Stolen

My blog readers know I'm fond of sea turtles. Anyone who sees me driving around the state knows I'm fond of sea turtles--my license plate gives me away. So I was understandably upset when I learned someone stole hatchlings from a North Carolina beach.

Yes, someone absconded with baby turtles. Can you believe it?

For those who didn't know, sea turtles are endangered. It's illegal to steal, injure, or kill them, whether hatched or not.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has posted a reward for the capture and conviction of the thief. For more information, please read the article in Scientific American.

Thanks to the NC Zoo for spreading word of this crime via a Twitter "Re Tweet".

Topsail Beach

Topsail Beach (pronounced Tops'l by the locals) is located on North Carolina's coast at the southern tip of Topsail Island, below North Topsail and Surf City. It's a great place to visit, not only because the atmosphere is laid back and friendly, but because, located at the southern-most tip at the confluence of the sound and the Atlantic Ocean, is a long stretch of quiet, pristine shore, much of which is reserved for nesting wildlife.

I can't top that in words, so I'll show you in pictures:

THE TOWN:

Maritime forest coat lots and dunes around the island, protecting it from surges and storms:

Sand, brush, and Sun Blankets (wildflowers) occupy empty lots. I'm told past hurricanes have destroyed the buildings that once stood here.

But the vacant lots give the island an open feel. We stopped to take pictures several times, earning the attention of local law enforcement personnel. This happens more often than I care to admit. I just smile (for I'm fond of law enforcement personnel, and don't blame them for protecting their hometown) and show them the camera.

Topsail Beach is the home of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, which I covered in a post of that name:

The blue tanks are temporary homes for sea turtles recovering from injury or illness. One of these days, I hope we'll get to witness a patient's release:

Sun Blankets (aka Indian Blankets) grow on some of the dunes, stabilizing them:

THE BEACH:

Topsail has a great beach, and it stretches for what has to be a couple of miles. Below is the pier-which we've managed to overlook on all our visits:

Other beach scenes:


There should be a sign: Warning--Beaches are Patrolled at All Times!


Look closely along the horizon, you'll see the pier:

I took this shot for my blog banner:

This is the northern edge of the southern tip of Topsail Beach, where the pristine part begins:


The pier can barely be seen at this point. We're at least a mile away by now, if not further:

Kell poses for scale. Beyond him is the watery confluence:



Overall, a great place to kick back and relax.

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Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved. Do Not Distribute text or images.

A Tribute to a Carolina Soldier

Regular readers of this blog know I like to add bits of history in my post, where applicable. They also might know we often visit cemeteries during our outings. After all, they're three-dimensional history books.

Today we traveled to Wilmington to visit family who are new to that area. After visiting the historic district, we stopped at Oakdale Cemetery, where I happened on a grave that stole my attention, and my heart.

The name Ralph Waldo drew me closer. I strained to see the last name: Soverel Jr. Then I spotted the Captain U.S. Army Air Force. That led me to the date:

March 21, 1920
March 27, 1943

My mother's-heart tightened in my chest. Young Ralph died at the age of twenty-three, a soldier downed during the global fight for freedom and democracy. And then I saw the plane:

I had to know more.

The county library was closed by the time I thought to call them after my return home, so I turned to the web. It took awhile, but I found information on two unofficial sites that indicate Captain Soverel died one mile south of his base in Desert Center, California when his P-39F either stalled or spun out of control. I can only guess this young man entered the USAAF after his graduation from college, and was training for the larger battles in the Central Europe or Pacific arenas when a training accident ended his life.

He has not been forgotten, either by survivors in his family, and now, by my family, who took a moment to read what little information we had about his life now displayed on his tombstone, and to take in the enormity of his death. May this country remember his sacrifice as well as the sacrifice of Carolinians and others--including my daughter, son-in-law, and a family friend--who, to this day, serve at home and abroad, fighting for our freedom and democracy. And especially the sacrifice of those who have fallen. Thank you.

Follow Carolina (A Twitter Post)

I Twitter. I'm not immersed in it to the point I have no life (novel writing did that to me years ago) but for the past year, I've used it to keep in contact with friends and family. Recently, I decided to put Carolina Towns and Trails on Twitter so I could run fresh feed on this blog (see sidebar. You may have to scroll down.)

And I'm having a blast! I had no idea so many Carolina entities Twitter. I'm following the NC Zoo, the South Carolina Aquarium, Grandfather Mountain, Chimney Rock, Blue Ridge Country Magazine, WNC Magazine, Brookgreen Gardens and more. Good grief, why didn't I think of this before? I not only stay up-to-date on Carolina goings-on, I can ReTweet (RT) news they pass along, which, again, is instantly posted on this blog. Can you tell I'm thrilled?

If you'd like to "follow" the Carolinas on Twitter, I listed some of the Tweeters I've found so far. I'll add more as I go. And if you can suggest others, please do!

(I added the @ to the username to distinguish it as Twitter. Name of organization in parenthesis)

@SCaquarium
@GoGreensboro
@VisitNC
@CharlestonInfo
@GrandfatherMtn
@ChimneyRockPark
@tbrmdotcom (Blue Ridge Mountains)
@NCZooSociety
@NCFSP (Friends of NC State Parks)
@WNCmagazine
@BrookgreenSC
@SC_State_Parks
@TownofEdenton
@nature_org (Nature Conservancy)
@brp75 (Blue Ridge Parkway)
@BRCmagazine

Oh, and CT&T. For lack of a better name (CTT was taken), I'm @CarolinaTrails. You can find my profile page at http://twitter.com/CarolinaTrails.

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park Update

Several months ago, I wrote about a groundbreaking at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park that my husband and I were fortunate enough to attend. We'd hoped to be there for the grand opening, but alas, we missed it.

But you can read about the event on Sylvan Heights' blog (which includes a link to a video.) We'll run up there and get pictures as soon as we can.