Outer Banks Good Bye

It was getting dark and it was looking like this here - thunder storms were approaching this morning. That was the reason why we left the Outer Banks up to the main land again.

I like to capture pictures from the same spots, but driving back the same way where we came in - the pictures look always different :)

Pretty sand scenes and pretty water colors

Vacation homes located close on/in the water in Nags Head

After driving many hours on country back roads trough National Nature Refuge, pretty little fishing villages, we arrived in New Bern. And I felt suddenly - as a Swiss of course - my heart beating faster...LOL... After seeing New Glarus in Wisconsin I have seen now New Bern...unbelievable! But, what has this New Bern to do with the Capitol of Switzerland: the real BERN? Read the answer under the next picture please...

New Bern's "flag" is a bear - of course!

New Bern
is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 23,128 as of the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2006 was 27,650. It is located at the convergence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers, 87 miles (140 km) northeast of Wilmington. New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina and served as the capital of the North Carolina colonial government and then briefly as the state capital. It is the county seat of Craven County and the principal city of the New Bern Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally a Swiss settlement, the city is named after the capital of Switzerland, Bern and shares its flag. The Swiss connection (just as the Dutch in New Amsterdam, and German immigrants in Pennsylvania Dutch) with England was established by Marian exiles and marriages of the Royal House of Stuart, important people in the history of the Calvinism. New Bern is commonly known as the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

Hi my friends,

You all are so great!! You made my day with all your kind comments and wonderful compliments on my blog, thank you so much! :)

We are sitting somewhere in the deepest woods on a campground - every one is sleeping already around us - it's late - only me and my laptop are "working"...LOL.. it was a beautiful day today and a little bit also sad, that we couldn't stay longer at the Outer Banks, but now we are here, heading up to the cool hills of NC...

The 4th of July is a special day for all you Americans, I know - and I'm so proud to be here and to have the opportunity to see all the beauty of this exciting country! I met a lot of wonderful people allover the 27 States we have visited in this soon 6 months on the road and driving more than 15'000 miles already. I have enjoyed every single moment!

God bless you all and a Happy 4th of July !!

Susanne

On the 5th I have a special day coming up....LOL... smile... :)

The Way out to the Outer Banks, NC

We had to cross over two long bridges to get to the Outer Banks - this was the first one...

...and this was the 2nd one - the white stripe there on the horizon are sand dunes

A friendly sign at the visitor center welcomes you to the Outer Banks

We had to make a quick decision - which way to chose :)

We entered the National Seashore Park on Cape Hatteras

We've visited the Bodie Island Lighthouse:

The current Bodie Island Lighthouse is the third that has stood in this vicinity of Bodie Island on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and was built in 1872. It stands 156 feet tall and is located on the Roanoke Sound side of the first island that is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The lighthouse is just south of Nag's Head, a few miles before Oregon Inlet. It is currently not climbable by the public, but plans are in place to make it safe for climbing.

I love this sometimes scurrilous but stunning architecture in these beach houses that you can see all over the island. And the cars are parked in the sand beside the street.

Hi my friends,

thanks for all your visit to my blog and all the wonderful comments. :)

We will be leaving tomorrow, heading back to the cool mountains of NC with a lot of fresher air than here on the beach...LOL.. is this a sign of getting older - or what...?...LOL... it's way to HOT for us here and the mosquitoes are eating me up like crazy - it's no fun....!

Stay with me.... see you there! :)
Susanne

The House in the Dunes

We arrived today in a pretty fishing village in the Outer Banks, close to Nags Head, at the beautiful and HOT Atlantic Coast of North Carolina
(more pictures will follow).

The Outer Banks

is a 200-mile (320-km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States. They cover approximately half the northern North Carolina coastline, separating the Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Outer Banks is a major tourist destination and is known for its temperate climate and wide expanse of open beachfront. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has four campgrounds where visitors may camp.

The Wright brothers' first flight in a powered, heavier-than-air vehicle took place on the Outer Banks on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills near the seafront town of Kitty Hawk. The Wright Brothers National Monument commemorates the historic flights, and First Flight Airport is a small, general-aviation airfield located there.

The English Roanoke Colony—where the first person of English descent, Virginia Dare, was born on American soil - vanished from Roanoke Island in 1587. The Lost Colony, written and performed to commemorate the original colonists, is the longest running outdoor drama in the United States and its theater acts as a cultural focal point for much of the Outer Banks.

The treacherous seas off the Outer Banks and the large number of shipwrecks that have occurred there have given these seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located in Hatteras Village near the United States Coast Guard facility and Hatteras ferry.

Hi my friends,

We made it! We arrived today in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina.

It was also a long dreamed dream of mine to see this pretty strings of narrow barrier islands, out in the Atlantic, many miles off the shores. I'm not sure if I can see the wild mustangs, they are located on another, separate island. It's not possible to drive there with our RV. But I have some shots made from some of the lighthouses here and I will show you them soon. I'm a big fan of lighthouses!

And of course, I'll watch out for "the message in a bottle" on the shores of the blue Atlantic... smile.... you never know... :)

I'm happy you liked my last post, your comments and compliments are very appreciated!

Stay with me, you'll don't regret :)
Susanne