It would have been fun to do a lighthouse tour, but we decided to only visit the one down on Cape Hatteras. The drive down there was very interesting. It is hard for the road crews to keep the roads open with the continual moving sand. The sand was piled high on the sides of the road like snow after the snowplows go through.
Sand , NOT SNOW, piled high along the sides of the road.Sunny and I enjoying a sunny day at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is the home of the lost colony. This was so interesting to us. We never knew that the first attempt to establish an English Colony was in the late 1500ās on the outer banks with its extreme weather conditions. A small colony had been set up and group of colonists was left on the island while the ship returned to gather supplies. When the ship returned a year later they had all vanished leaving only a few clues as to where they might be. They were never found.
Captain Roger waving from the Elizabeth II replica.Looking out the Porthole of the Queen Elizabeth.On no, I was in trouble, but Roger said that my smile got me out of my predicament!
Fort Macon built after the war of 1812 to help protect our coast.
Bird Sanctuary on the Outer Banks, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. A ranger was counting swans just before we made our way up this viewing platform. 561, if your interested!!!! Plus ducks, pelicans, and many other migratory birds.
We loved the amazing over 400 acres of sand dunes here at Jockey Ridge State Park! We hiked through a little forest area and on to the dunes. It felt like we were entering another world! Roger said that we had just stepped into the Sahara Desert! The wind and sand were blowing and the clouds in the sky were gorgeous!
Sunny says, āhurry up and take the picture! I wanna get out there and run!āWhere did Sunny go? Oh, wait! Here he comes!šA bit windy here! Two of us have hair blowing…Wild and Free! Mr. Whaley, not bad for a 67 year old!
Take a one minute hike with us and experience what it was like to exit forest and enter 30 million tons of sand dune!
We really enjoyed seeing where the first powered airplane flights took place in 1903 by the Wright Brothers. We had a great ranger tour guide who shared the history of Wilbur and Orvilleās pursuit of their dream that man could fly!
We were told some trivia about this amazing photo. The brothers asked a local resident, John T Daniels, to take pictures the day of their first successful flight. Mr. Daniels had never used a camera before that day. They told him to get ready, look through the lens, and squeeze the bulb when the plane was in the air. After the excitement, Wilbur asked him if he was able to capture Orvilleās moment. Mr. Daniels told them that he did not know if he had squeezed at the right time. The brothers had to travel back home before they could have the film developed. What a wonderful surprise it was for them to see this, now iconic, picture that had captured this historic event!Sundance sits on the spot Orvilleās first powered flight of 120ā had landed.The spot where the first four powered airplane flights took off.Sunny standing guard where the Wright Brotherās many gliding flights took off!The hill where the Wright brothers started out their quest for flight first using gliders.Jeanie and Orville lifting off!
Roger cheering us on as we lifted off with statues of the actual witnesses. WOW!
We left the wooded areas of North Carolina behind and headed for the coast. Iāve read lots of novels over the years that mentioned the Outer Banks, the chain of islands off the coast of North Carolina, so I was happy to go there! We camped at Oregon Inlet among the sand dunes. (Perfect for us Oregonians). We had an easy 10 minute walk to the beach. Except for a few fishermen, the beach was empty this time of year which made it perfect for long walks and letting Sunny off leash so he could run like the wind! We loved seeing beautiful sunrises in the morning and sunsets in the evening from our campsite. BOTH ARE OVER WATER, so that was a new experience….There was a lot to explore in this unique area and most days we drove out oto see the sights. We are so glad to experience the uniqueness of the Outer Banks. MORE TO COME.
Oregon Inlet circled on mapIt looks a bit barren , but there was lots of rugged beauty here.Sunny was very content to lay outside our Alto and soak in the sunshine,This is a picture of a sand burr on our table. These are nasty little buggers that imbed themselves in everything they touch! I first learned about them when I sat down on a sand dune to rest. Ouch! I had to carefully(they are sharp) to remove them one at a time. Poor Sunny got them in his paws, another ouch! We stepped on them inside Light Chaser because these nasty buggers doing their way into our carpet, a third ouch on bare feet! Ouch, ouch and ouch š£!Sunny, on top of a sand dune, says, āItās cold in this wind! How long do I have to pose this time?āThereās a new day dawningšThrowing a stick for SunnySunny runs like the wind!Lots of fishing boats here.The end of another beautiful day!
We left Tallahassee and headed to Mocksville North Carolina to have a special shade put on our Altoās Big Front Window ( You got it, referred to the BFW by Alto owners). On the way, we camped at Lake Sinclair in Georgia for 1 night. It was our 4th time there because it is a convenient stopping point on our way to and from Tallahassee. Itās now a familiar place and we know the best campsites in that campground!
After a few weeks with a houseful of our wonderful grandchildren to play with Sunny is back on the road with us. He and Roger are concentrating on the road ahead! Thank goodness for this copilot.
Pisgah National Forest
Curtis Creek Campground-Old Fort North Carolina
Getting better at using the atlas. Using a magnifying glass has helped my old eyes immensely! Yellow is the road traveled on.
We camped for 3 nights at Curtis Creek Campground. The weather was sunny but a bit chilly. Great hiking weather . Not too hot and not too cold. Just right!
Crisp air, crunching leaves underfoot, a few fall colors still on the trees, the sun creating sparkling diamonds on the water, the calming sound of a gently flowing creekā-ahhh! Nature is so rejuvenating to the soul.The sounds and sparkles of our hike. Can you tell Iām enjoying this beautiful day?Sunny has trekked many miles with us! He is the BEST traveler!Roger says, āI see evidence of bears in these woods!ā š³Always nice to get back to camp, rest our tired feet and EAT!
After leaving our friends Ken and Sharon In LA, we took a train from LA to San Diego and got off at Solana Beach. Rogerās childhood friend, Duane, picked us up and took us to their house. It was kind of like coming home since we stayed at their house for 3 weeks last May while Duane and his wife Denise traveled across the country. Thanks to our friends we got to see some places we hadnāt seen before! Thanks for your hospitality Duane and Denise! It was soooo great to see Leo, again and to meet your other grandsons, Mark, Brady, and Ryder.
Oceanside
The fog was THICK as Roger and Duane ventured ahead of me on the 1/3 mile long Oceanside Pier. Hello there Mr. Pelican
San Clemente
Enjoyed watching the surfers. Of course it made me miss out surfer son, Micah.Very glad to leave the fog of the Oceanside pier for a a stroll on sunny San Clemente pier.āļøThe traveling trio! Denise, we missed you while you were making those big bucks….Clam chowder with my sweetie and Duane. Three is not a crowd this time! Drove up high for a nice viewBuddies for a really long time!
Del Mar Beach
Beautiful Sunny November lunch at the Poseidon. Yogurt Parfait anyone?
Top of Mr. Aās
Fabulous sunset that just kept getting better.
Back to Tallahassee
We flew from San Diego back to Tallahassee to pick up Sundance and our Alto. Our little house is feeling more like home, and we were excited to be back and start our next adventure exploring the coast of North and South Carolina.
The kids are enjoying the Florida sunshine. Itās a big change from their 3 years in Alaska! They got to go for a beach vacation with mom and dad the last part of October. Love these kiddos!
We flew from Santa Fe and again met up with Ken and Sharon for a quick stay in Phoenix. After the cold weather in Santa Fe, the WONDERFUL warm sunshine felt heavenly! It does cool down at night. however, and the highlight of Phoenix was celebrating Sharonās birthday at an outdoor restaurant next to a cozy fireplace. The restaurant, of course, was located by tour guide Sharon, herself. š
Thanks Ken for capturing a cozy moment.How can you not love this amazing woman? We were honored to share in the birthday celebration! š
Lake Havasu Arizona
We traveled from Phoenix to Lake Havasu and stayed at a beautiful resort. Sharon knows how to pick great places to stay and how to negotiate great prices! Thanks for being such a great travel guide, Sharon. š
We stopped along the way for some of this REALLY GOOD JERKY…it was also REALLY EXPENSIVE JERKY!We had to cross London Bridge to get to our hotel. It was built in the 1830s and formerly spanned the River Thames in London, England. It was dismantled in 1967 and relocated to Arizona. Roger remembers the relocation being in the news when he was 15 years old. . So, he was thrilled to see it. Having fun by London Bridge. We were glad it wasnāt falling down as it was in our childhood song!šGorgeous sunrise over Lake Havasu. Itās always worth it to shake off the sleep and embrace the new day by welcoming the sun. āļø Love being where there are palm treesš“. It was fun to catch the reflections while relaxing by the pool. Loved the colorful reflections across the lake.Watching the cheery moon as we were eating dinner by the lake.
Roger and I drove out to some BLM land to look for future camping spots, The rock formations were pretty cool. We just might be back.
Palm Springs California
We drove to Palm Springs to and enjoyed the Joshua Trees along the way. We didnāt have time to see the Joshua Tree National Park this time, but Roger and I will be back.
Roger had to jump out for this photo op next to this beautiful specimen. He repeatedly informs us that the Joshua Tree is not really a tree, but in the Lily family. Okay! Our highlight in Palm Springs was taking the Tram up to Grubbs View Point. The tram was huge(80 person capacity) and had a slowly spinning floor. Burr it was cold up high!We had all read the book, MOUNTAIN STORY by Lori Lansens about lost hikers above Palm Springs. As we looked out over the rough terrain we imagined what it was like to see the lights of the city below but be unable to find a way to get there.š³
Traveling down at sunset!
10 minute ride condensed to 30 seconds. Thanks Roger for the awesome time lapse video. Roger loved the changing vegetation from top to bottom. A short lecture about ecotones, if I recall.
At the end of our 3 day driving tour, we drove from Palm Springs to LA and dtopped off Ken and Sharon at the train station to catch their train to Portland, it was sad to say goodbye to our dear friends. We are so very happy to have shared an adventure with them and canāt wait for the next one!
Ken texted us this photo of Sharon at the train station right after we dropped them off.An hour later we were back at the train station to catch our train to San Diego. We had fun re-enacting Sharonās pose!
We had a conference to attend in Santa Fe, so we parked our Alto in our daughterās driveway in Tallahassee.and hopped on a plane. Sundance stayed behind with his new little buddies-our grand kids! He is happy that there is always someone to play fetch!š
Lotās of kissesš š³
Santa Fe
This is our 3rd time attending the ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) conference in Santa Fe. Many years ago now, we were part of an abusive cult like church, This conference has helped us understand the dynamics of our experience which allows us to identify with and help others who have similar experiences.Weāve always attended with our good friends and fellow survivors, the Garretts. Meeting Ken and Sharon this year was especially sweet as weāve been on the road and missing our dear friends! We extended our time and traveled together for a week exploring some new places!
This beautiful church, San Miguel Chapel, is next door to the hotel we stayed at and sets itself apart as being the oldest church in the continental United States. We heard the chimes many times during the day!Santa Fe is such a great place to visit with itās adobe architecture The Founding of Santa Fe. Don Pedro de Peralta. 1610A nice passerby took our photo. He told us to be careful not to sit too long because the dog has been known to do something every hour!š³ We didnāt think he meant chiming. Here kitty kitty! This sculpture looks so real!
Breakfast in a local cafe before catching our Uber to the airport. We loved looking at the broken plate design in the background, but managed no mishaps that would have added to the collection. š
Late lunch in the warm sunshine . I LOVE eating lunch in the woods.Rain was on the way, so we headed off for a relaxing evening hike. RAIN FOLLOWED:)Each forest trail is so unique (I donāt know what my photo captured up there in the treesš¤)Weāve been very fascinated by the interesting trees we find a long the way, especially Mr. Nurseryman…..We always say, āIf only these trees could talk. Weād love to hear the stories they could tell us.ā
We left our cozy dry Lightchaser and headed close by to Helen, Georgia for a Saturday night dinner. It was pouring rain. We thought for a second that we were back in Oregon.š The town was celebrating Octoberfest, so it was quite a hopping place! We found a little German restaurant in this cool German themed town and totally enjoyed our waitress, Haley as we each shared stories about our lives. We connected well with each other and received unexpected hugs as we said goodbye. She sent us home with plenty of their dinner rolls along with butter and jam. š³. Our dinners for the next few days were enhanced with German style rolls.
Schnitzel…. Soooooo gooood. The dinner was much better than this picture my spouse took!
Our last morning at Andrewās Cove, we woke up to sunny weather. We packed up ready to head back to Helen for the afternoon. A hiker had parked his car in a place that made it hard for us to maneuver our way out with our camper. Our sweet neighbors jumped in to lend us a hand and we managed to worm our way out!
Thanks Curt and Renae! We couldnāt have done it without you!
We loved the little city of Helen! It was Sunday, so we decided to attend the Presbyterian church service.We enjoyed the service and met a delightful couple we are now staying in touch with. We walked around town and had a delicious lunch before heading out on our next adventure.
Love adventuring with this guy. (He LOVES adventuring with her -RW)Lunch at the Troll Restaurant with music coming from the other side of the river. Our first time eating FRIED GREEN TOMATOES….. Good like the movie.
Falling in Love with Fall Creek Falls Tennessee
The crisp fall weather and light filtering through the fall colors made for a beautiful stay in this Tennessee Park.
See Lightchaser nestled in among the trees?This amazing stick bug showed up on Rogerās shoulder! We were careful as we deposited her near some fine sticks.Ah, fall! Love it. Canāt get enough of these colors.We took this picture right before the rain started and the clouds came in! We were amazed at the beauty in the mist.Sunny says, āItās raining! What ARE we doing?āāCome on! Letās go home! Canāt you see the rain dripping off my nose?ā
We took an early morning hike to the falls. The weather was sunny and the air was crisp. It was a PERFECT morning for a hike!
š¤Which way should we go?Sunny says, āIām not walking across this bridge.āSunny says, ā0k, Iām coming just go slow. This is scary.āReflections We found a good spot to sit and enjoy this beautiful refreshing morning.Good job reading the sign, Sunny.Finding beauty along the way.Great place to meander along through the forestInteresting area with sulfur smells.š¤Sunny loved relaxing in the warm sunshine.We would definitely return to this park!
Fort Rock State Park
We left Fall Creek and headed south toward Tallahassee. We found this state campground and pulled in for just a night. We had a great spot by a lake, and we decided to take a walk around the lake before dinner. The lighting was PERFECT and the colors reflecting in the lake were amazing!
We finished our time in the great Smoky Mountains with sun, color, cold and ice. WE WERE TRILLED TO HAVE CAPTURED SOME GREAT MOMENTS TO REMEMBER AND SHARE WITH YOU.
Newfound Gap
We got up early and drove to Newfound Gap for a beautiful sunrise. SUCH BEAUTIFUL MINUTES WATCING AVLove the red fall color in the early dawn.Always something special about watching the sun come up!Sunny posing on this beautiful morning.Just another selfie to prove we were there.š
We drove higher up to a view point called Clingmans Dome. On the way there we came around a bend in the road and were surprised to see ice covered trees glistening in the early morning sun. It was only at this particular spot and it was beautiful!
Love this early morning sky.Icy trees on the way to Clingmans Dome just after the sunrise at the lower Newfound Gap. We were so excited to have caught the fall color with the spectacular ice show due to the rain the evening before.I was cuddling up to Sunny trying to stay warm.
Clingmans Dome
We made it to the viewpoint! It was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing so hard I had to hang on to the truck door to keep it on its hinges!
Braving the cold to get a picture.I jumped out of our warm and toasty truck for a Sound of Music moment!
Balsam Mountain
We heard about Mile High Campground on Balsam mountain with fabulous views. Unfortunately it was too cold up high and they closed down for the season. We took a drive up there and had a little picnic on the old stone picnic tables our camp hosts told us about. It was peaceful up there with the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Sweet baby elk calf nursing from its momma.
Picnic lunch at the stone table. (This is not the stone table in the Narnia folklore, but Iām positive Roger will come up with an alluring story about OUR stone table)šHow can you not enjoy sharing lunch with this handsome dude!
Light Chaser 