Today was jam-packed with excitement. After a quick in-the-room breakfast, we headed across the main highway to play some miniature golf. There are several courses on the island and this one seemed the most well-cared for. We even got to ride a mine train, which seemed a lot like a tractor pulling a wagon, to hole 1. Unfortunately, my putting game was off today and I lost to the other adults, but we all had a great time!
We next ventured down the road a bit to the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Here we traced the four flights the Wrights made in December 1903; the first lasting only 12 seconds and flying only about 120 feet. 3 attempts later and they were at 59 seconds and 852 feet. Until today, I hadn't realized that they had conducted previous gliding flights at this spot as well. I also didn't remember that they did four flights that fateful day in 1903. 25 years after the initial flights, a memorial was built on top of Kill Devil Hill where they had performed their gliding tests. From the base of the memorial, you can see the Atlantic and the sound along with the development that has taken place over then last 114 years.
Caroline found a great little sandwich shop for lunch (I had a wonderful Cuban sandwich) and then we came back to the hotel as the Atlantic was calling our name again. 2 minutes in, I saw a jellyfish (maybe the size of a restaurant drink lid), but other than that, no other marine life. We rented some boogie boards from the hotel (great price and convenient) and I'm proud to say that this 43 year old can still use the board and ride some waves. I caught about 3 really good waves, but tried several others. I can also attest that swimming in the Atlantic is a full body workout. The sand is constantly shifting and eroding under your feet; the surf is rough; and when you're boogie boarding, you are on the look out for "the right wave." We spent about 2 1/2 hours relaxing, having fun, getting beaten up by the water, but enjoying every minute.
The Jockey Ridge State Park is in Nag's Head, south of our hotel, and it's home to the tallest sand dunes east of the Mississippi. It's known as a place where folks hang glide and fly kites due to the constant wind. The sand has also been known to be about 30 degrees hotter than the air temperature, especially during the height of the afternoon. We purchased two kites on the way to the park and Caroline had brought a mega bubble wand and liquid from home. The dunes are a bit of a hike from the parking lot, through very soft sand. The view from the top is amazing and there were tons of people, and it's not even a weekend night! We reached the tallest dune and got the two kites up in the air; one was superior to the other. The kids got the bubble wand out and we very soon attracted a crowd. Other kids were gathering to try to be the one who popped the bubbles. Older kids and adults gathered to take pictures and videos. I'm fairly certain Lena has ended up in several Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat posts! As the sun began to set, clouds built off to the west, so we knew we wouldn't see the sun meet the water, but we still wanted to get one dune closer to the west to capture what we could. The colors tonight were mainly blue and orange with some pink mixed in by the end. All in all, today was outstanding, albeit jam-packed with adventures. Tomorrow we are getting up to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic. One more day here on the Outer Banks and then we finally head north.
