...or the Outer Banks
...or the Great Atlantic Sandbar
...or Cape Hatteras National Seashore ...
How ever you want to refer to it, exploring this area just became another high point in my appreciation of the beauty and diversity waiting to be discovered in these United States.
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I approached the Cape by ferry at its South end...
...and landed on Ocracoke!
This tiny plot for a two-person cemetery has been respectfully cared for and fenced off by each of its compassionate next door neighbors. Note the wooden head"stones."
Ocracoke Lighthouse, the first of several on the Cape.
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I then boarded another ferry ...
...where one MIGHT be able to, MAYBE, slip a piece of cardboard between the ferry "wheelhouse" and the mail truck -- literally! Considering the variety of sizes and number of vehicles in line, it's extraordinary how perfectly those ferry guys and gals orchestrate the boarding operation.
In Hatteras, I happened upon "Day at the Docks," a festival that celebrates the rebuilding of Outer Banks' communities following the devastation of Hurricane Isabelle in September, 2003...music, food, dance on a glorious day. I didn't even have a problem finding a place to park. I must be living right!
Since when do fishing charters include barbering services? WOW! Pretty fancy, alright!!!
Oh! Exxxcuuuuse me! OK, now I just want to know who gets to sit in the chair?!!! Or is it really just a place to stash poles?!
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Bodie Island Lighthouse
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In this part of the world, folks don't outfit their trucks with gun racks; "fishing racks" are the accessory of choice. However, when I asked the owner of this vehicle if I could take a look, I discovered that the entire vehicle is outfitted for fishing expeditions -- a day, a weekend, a month -- it had EVERTHING one could possibly need to snag anything that swam! Lift the hatch, and the entire rear is filled with fishing gear. These people are SERIOUS!
SOAPBOX ALERT!!! Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, run almost the entire 70-mile length of the Outer Banks. There are frequent access points where driving (a horse or a vehicle) on the oceanside beaches is allowed, seasonally and with restrictions that take into consideration bird nesting areas and the fragile sea turtle environment. The Audubon Society brought a lawsuit against the Park Service alleging inadequacies in its management of protected and endangered species. The Park Service is now required to submit plans by the end of the year to correct the shortcomings and to that end, has put together a coalition of preservationists and sport fishing and environmental groups. Sounds like reasonable steps to me.
But apparently not an agreeable solution for a certain portion of the local populace!
My rejoinder would be: "Live with it and appreciate what you have"!
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