Road Trip – Day 3 Wednesday, March 30th
We enjoyed a pleasant night in Virginia Beach and wondered if the resort was over-crowded in the summer. We enjoyed the Residence Inn’s free breakfast and checked out about 10:30. It was a pleasant drive south along Atlantic Avenue and then west across the bridge on Route 149. The weather forecast predicted rain for the next two days, so we debated the options. The Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras were exposed to the elements and were really outdoor places to visit. Neither of us wanted to “bail out” now, so we proceeded with our original plan to follow the coastal route south. We decided to go to the Outer Banks despite the gentle rain that was falling on the windshield. There was a more “interesting” route on the map, but it involved another ferry ride and we decided it would not be much fun in the rain.
Sunrise Over the Atlantic
Our journey continued on Princess Anne Road which went through a suburban area for about half an hour all the way to Route 168 South. We crossed into North Carolina just north of a village called Moyock. There was a Welcome Center at the side of the road and we stopped for a map of North Carolina. Armed with maps, printed information, and freebies, we continued south to Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We drove across the narrow bridge over the wide Intercoastal Waterway and onto the barrier island.
Desolate Beach Community
Here was another “beach community” but not like the other colonies we saw in New Jersey, Delaware, or Maryland. The houses were smaller and all of them were on stilts. They were not freshly painted, but were covered by dark “weathered” brown boards. The houses along the Atlantic Ocean side were nestled in the sand and seemed to be part of the sand bars, like driftwood cast along the high-water line on the beach. We wondered how the houses survived the constant winds and storms and hurricanes of this region.
A Beach House Overlooking the Atlantic
After another web-search of local hotels, we settled on a Hilton Garden Inn just north of Kitty Hawk. It was a clean and comfortable high-rise hotel located on the beach. Our room had a side-ways view of the sand and surf.
The weather deteriorated as the day progressed. By the time we were ready for lunch, rain was falling heavily. Jeff found a North Carolina bar-b-que restaurant across the street from the hotel and we drove there in the pouring rain. The lunch special at High Cotton was $5.99 for a meat entrée (pork or chicken), hush puppies, and two sides. The most interesting choices of sides were: chicken & pastry, collard greens, and Brunswick stew. Jeff quickly looked up the stew on his iPhone so we knew what it was.
North Virginia Dare Trail
According to Wikipedia, Brunswick stew is a traditional southeastern dish made up of a variety of vegetables (okra, corn, lima beans, tomatoes, etc) and meat: squirrel, rabbit, chicken, etc. I ordered it anyway. It was a veggie stew with a few chunks of meat. I didn’t ask what kind of meat! I thought since there weren’t many trees in the Outer Banks there probably weren’t too many squirrels. Jeff said it tasted like ‘possum. But what does he know? He’s a city boy from NY.
Life Saving Station
After lunch, I suggested that we take a ride north to Duck, North Carolina. It was raining very hard by this time and it was quite windy. The temperature had reached 44 degrees, so it was still cold. We drove for a little while, but then decided to return to the hotel to stay dry and warm. We hunkered down for the night, listening to the rain and wind, and were glad that we weren’t camping.