A quick nap back in the room and then we headed to Duck Donuts to grab some famous sugary treats. These donuts are made to order and are served warm...VERY nice! Our next stop was the Bodie (pronounced Body) Lighthouse on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We really wanted to see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, but the power outage is still affecting that area and visitors aren't allowed that far south. Timed passes are given out for the lighthouse, so we ended up getting tickets for 4:10 pm. We walked around the lighthouse and went out on a boardwalk to an overlook before heading back to the car.
We spent our last afternoon at the beach. The tide was out a bit and the surf not quite as high. It made standing in it easier along with boogie boarding, but the rides to the beach were shorter. Unfortunately it appears my sunscreen application wasn't as good today as it was yesterday as I'm a little tender.
After a shower, we loaded back in the car and headed back down to the lighthouse. There are approximately 200 steps up to the platform and you have to climb in a way that only one person is on the section of spiral staircase between landings at one time. You kind of push each other along from a distance. This is the third lighthouse to be built at this spot and has been here since 1871. It was never designed to warn ships about the shore (it's located too inland for that), but rather it served (still does) as a navigational marker. The view from the top (and the breeze) was stunning and we could easily see the bridge construction where the power outage accident occurred. The staircase affords the opportunity for some really interested shots which can be dizzying to some extent.
We scooted over to Manteo for a quick bite of dinner before our sunset dolphin cruise on the Roanoke Sound. We boarded a jumbo pontoon boat with our captain and his assistant and off we went. After about a 45 minute journey, we came upon a pod of dolphins swimming and playing in the shallow water (2-5 feet deep). They gave us great opportunities for watching and photographing as they frolicked. One of our fellow passengers even had a drone he used to get some shots himself. As the sun began to set, we headed back towards Manteo and as we approached we were treated to THE best sunset all week, according to our captain. The sun appeared to melt right into the water and a perfectly placed sailboat gave us some great photographs. After returning to the dock, our group ventured over to a local ice cream shop for some evening treats. Tomorrow is Franklin's 9th birthday so once the kiddos were asleep crepe paper and balloons got hung up in our room so he'd have a surprise in the morning. We leave the Outer Banks tomorrow and head north to Washington DC. Have really enjoyed our time here, but the road is calling.
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