Uncle Jack has always thought that October was prime time on the Outer Banks and his recent two-week sojourn in Nags Head did nothing to change his mind. The last two weeks were about as perfect weatherwise as one could hope for in these troubled meteorological times and he and Mrs. U.J. enjoyed almost every minute of their stay, the exception being their disappointment in the hushpuppies at Darrell's which didn't seem to be quite as delectable as he remembered them. (They will try again on their next visit---a hushpuppy is a terrible thing to waste). Baltimore has its charms (they wouldn't call it Charm City otherwise) but there's no place he would rather be in the month of October than the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
While they mostly hung around home and walked on the beach they did make a few excursions and took a few pictures, a few samples of which you will find below. Click on the pictures to make them larger if you wish.
The Currituck Lighthouse-Whalehead Club area has metamorphosed into a major (and lovely) tourist attraction since the last time we visited a few years ago. The Wildlife Museum was closed on the Sunday we were there but the entire outdoor complex is visually pleasing and the late-October crowd was thin enough to allow visitors to enjoy it. Deer no longer wander the lighthouse grounds but it's probably just as well, both for them and their tormenters. The keepers' houses, one of which is shown above, have been lovingly restored and the landscaping around them is a treat for the eyes.
It was a great day to climb to the observation deck from which a great view of the rampant over-development of the northern Outer Banks may be had. Uncle Jack's acute acrophobia saved him from that prospect but he later saw an aerial photograph by Eve Turek at Yellowhouse Gallery that covers the same ground. Unbelievable.
An oasis of peace and quiet at the foot of the lighthouse. That's the old keeper's house, now a gift shop, almost hidden in the lush vegetation.
We saw this woman swimming on our first beachwalk in Sonag. She was only one of many intrepid swimmers as it turned out.
Jennette's Pier is coming along nicely. The wind generators have been operating just long enough to produce the first complaints from nearby residents about how much noise they make when spinning at full speed. Sigh.
Two new structures have appeared at the base of the pier. The one on the left will be a bath house for users of the public beach and the other is a pumphouse for pushing wastewater across the street to a new disposal plant out in back of Sam and Omie's somewhere. There is a very impressive website about the Jennette's Pier project if you want to learn more. Google Jennette's Pier.
The condemned row of derelict houses fronting what used to be Seagull Drive remain in place. You could perhaps call them the Unpainted Aristocracy if the name were not already taken.
This "planter" might turn up on Craig's List one day.
The beach in South Nags Head was extremely wide during our entire visit. A great time to try to sell oceanfront property to the unwary.
What could be more fun than a trip to Ocracoke on a gorgeous fall day when you don't have to wait in line for the ferry for two hours?
A great place to sit in the sun for a couple of hours. The docks on Silver Lake never seem to change very much.
The venerable Island Inn was sold at a foreclosure auction the day before our visit but Uncle Jack doesn't know who bought it or for how much. Many island residents fear that it may be torn down.
From a distance Bodie Island lighthouse looks a bit fuzzy these days.
Up close you can see the scaffolding required for the two-year preservation project now underway. Your tax dollars at work in a worthy cause.
The gigantic wind-blown dune that nearly engulfed the old lifesaving station at Oregon Inlet a year ago has been removed and the building extensively refurbished. It belongs to the North Carolina Aquariums now but Uncle Jack is not sure what they have in mind for it.
Uncle Jack never did manage to get up early enough to take a picture of the sunrise but he thought this sunset over Sonag was rather pretty.
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