Mile 658

 After another very stormy night we prepare our stuff and head further north on the OBX to Kitty Hawk, NC - OBX.  We do not pay a visit to the Wright brothers in Kill Devils Hills, NC - OBX as we had visited the site and museum some years ago, but because of being Easter Sunday is is also closed when we passed by.  So we go on to Kitty Hawk, NC - OBX and continue Hwy-158 to Granbdy, NC.  Near Currituck, NC we pick up Hwy-168 and make our way to Virginia Beach, VA.

December 17, 1903 - NC - First in Flight

We stop at the Naval Aviation Monument, a tribute to the naval air men and women starting from the day of January 18, 1911 when Eugene Ely made the first landing on the platform on an armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay, spanning all the way to the present day.  I have to say this is next to the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA another one of my favorite Armed Forces Memorial.

Naval Aviation Monument, Virginia Beach, VA

Not an aviator, but a powerful fighter too

After that we pay a visit to the First Landing State Park and get some interesting history about the first settlers who landed here long before (13 years) the first settlers arrived in Massachusetts (Plymouth, MA on Dec. 18, 1620 with the Mayflower).  The settlers who landed here at Cape Henry on April 16, 1607 found that the land was not sustainable, it couldn't be defended (against the British), and did not provide what the settlers were looking for, so they continued up the Chesapeake Bay and founded upon May 13, 1607 in Jamestown the first English settlement in America.

The old and the new Lighthouse at Cape Henry

Admiral Francois Joseph Paul De Grasse

Beach at Cape Henry, military ground and off limits for us

Not having enough of history for today, we cross over to the Cape Henry Lighthouse and Memorial.  As the historic site is located at the military base, we need to check in at the JEB Little Creek Fort Stay Gate, deposit our ID for a military visitor pass, getting instructions of what is off limits and are then shuttled into the compound.  The currently in service lighthouse is the oldest steel tower lighthouse in the US and was basically constructed by mistake as a replacement for the old brick one.  When the wooden staircase in the old lighthouse was replaced with a steel one, engineers found some cracks in the building they thought they were structural.  So the new lighthouse was built.  Once completed, a second assessment on the old lighthouse revealed the cracks were none structural, and the integrity of the building was solid and sound, nevertheless it was decommissioned.  We also learn a little about the battle of the Capes of 1871 when the French Navy under Admiral De Grasse defeated the British Navy under Admiral Graves to provide help to George Washington who was fighting Cornwallis.  The French involvement in the last days of August and early September, and the surrender of Cornwallis in October 19, 1781 gave the America the opportunity it needed for independence.

After so much history it was now time to cross the Chesapeake Bay via the Bridges and Tunnels to find our campsite near the State Line to Delaware for tonight, and enjoy a nice hot shower we were longing for since days (the last three days were only cold showers or none at all).

"... I wish it was in my power to express to Congress how much I feel myself indebted to the Count deGrasse and his fleet ..." - George Washington, Oct. 19, 1781

"... I consider myself infinitely happy to have been of some service to the United States .... reserve me a place in your memory ..." - DeGrasse, Nov. 03, 1781

Mile 443

 After our first night in the roof top tent we start easy today as we only have a small trip.  We visit the Ocracoke Lighthouse, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the State, (since 1823) and the second oldest in the Nation (oldest is Sandy Hook Light, since June 11, 1764).  

The we continue along the beach to the north end and catch the ferry to Hatteras, NC - OBX.  Here we just have a short drive up to the Oregon Inlet for our next camp stop, and a relaxed afternoon at the beach.

Ferry to Hatteras, NC - OBX, Beaches of OBX

After a stormy night with gusts of 30 mph, we wake up to another sunny day, and some lesser winds.  We check our tent and car, no damages, everything is still at its place.  After breakfast we drive to Nags Head, NC to get a power adapter for the campsite outlet as all the 15 Amp outlets don't work, but it appears the 30 Amp do.  Worth a try, and $15 is a good investment for future campsites as well.  After that we turn around and make a coffee stop in Manteo, NC to take the scenic drive through the Alligator River N.W.R. over the Alligator River / Intracoastal Waterway through the swamplands to Columbia, NC.  Here we pick up SR-94 through the Pocosin Lakes N.W.R. and over Lake Mattamuskeet until we reach Hwy-264 which brings us back to Manns Harbor, NC and on to Manteo to our morning coffee shop (because of the WiFi connection).  Some planning for the next two days ahead with ferry booking and campsite reservations, and we are ready for a quick shopping at the supermarket for the evening.  

Street mural in Columbia, NC

Bald Cypress at Pocosin Lakes N.W.R.

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Trail

Bodie Island Lighthouse

This is the third lighthouse built in this area.  The first, built 1848, stood 57 ft tall on an unstable foundations, which became unsafe and was razed.  The second lighthouse, built 1859 and 90 ft tall was destroyed by Confederate troops during the Civil War.  In 1870 construction was started on the lighthouse which stands here today, and completed on October 01, 1872.  This brick lighthouse stand 167.6 ft tall and holds a first-order Fresnel lens, electrically illuminated since 1932.

A very easy day, lots of nice country (swamps), uncountable turtles and pelicans (I like to watch them dive for fish), just what the doctor ordered.

"Buy me coffee and take me on a road trip." - unknown

Mile 185

 April 17th, 2025.  Today we get up early after a last sleep in a comfortable bed to start our tour.  After a hearty breakfast we ready the house and close the door.  That's it, no turning back now until something near a disaster is happening.

Our mule

Mosaic on fishery shop on Cedar Island, NC

Ocracoke, NC - OBX

Done for today

Today will be driving in our "backyard" as we weave our way around Wilmington, NC going North / East on Hwy-17 to Jacksonville, NC, picking up SR-12 / Hwy 70 to Morehead, NC to continue to the ferry terminal on Cedar Island.  Here we set sail to Ocracoke, NC on the OBX for our first stop.  We are pretty much back heavy, and the bike carrier is getting a couple of scrapes along the way entering parking lots or the ferry.  But I think this will change with time as we are going to get the loading changed as we go along, next to me being more aware of the changed driving behavior under this load.  After all it's only day one, plenty of time to improve.

All in all an easy day, nice country side, we always like the northern NC shores and the wet land around it, and a nice camp site right at the beach in Ocracoke.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu, 6th-century BC Chinese philosopher

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, ......, Getting Ready

The countdown has started, and we both are full of energy and excitement to start our trip.  We are in the process of emptying the fridge and freezer, only buying groceries on an as needed base so not to get stuck with too much fresh food to carry with us.  The first boxes are packed and stacked, and more will follow.  The trial and error of where to place what in the car to get to it when needed will play out most probably with some reshuffling in the first week or so, but we should very quickly find our system (so I hope).  

We decided for our way North to avoid the US Interstates as much as possible, so our way to the Northeast will most probably follow the eastern coast line along the shore of North Carolina into the Outer Banks, Virginia shore into Delaware, then into New Jersey or perhaps even into Connecticut, pending how we feel to make our way through New York and Manhattan or Brooklyn.

When you read this block, then you already know how to follow us here, but I also have created a link to track our travel on Google Maps with SpotWalla:

  https://spotwalla.com/trip/91e1-8fd3d42-cdae/view  

Hope you like it.

So now its back to sorting stuff and packing, and enjoying the last nights in a nice and cozy bed.  And then we will be on our way.

“Fill your life with adventures, not things.  Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”  - unknown

About 30 Days till Departure

The Weather, what will it be?  This same question arrises every time prior to a journey like we have planned.  At the moment we are very much worried that the pattern of too cold for the season is shifting our plans and may delay our move toward the North.  But we really have very little alternatives if we want to explore the East Coast and the West Coast the same summer.  And since the most places on our journey are situated in the West, to make the Northeastern loop first is almost a given.  Besides the point that the iceberg season in Newfoundland and Labrador typically runs from early spring to early summer, peaking in May and June, not necessarily a time when one is treated with warm temperatures and lots of sunshine.

So this is the balancing act we have to master, and with still some good four weeks to go, we hope for the best, and plan for the worst.

In the meantime, having learned from some friends that camping without the right equipment is not worth the effort, we have added to our equipment one very important piece.  Bright red in color so one can find it in the harshest of storms, in the mist of a rainy morning, in the deepest of snow, the very essential stove top espresso maker.

        

       "Espresso Yourself"           Bicycle Cover w/custom made light strip

Last week we tested our bicycle cover, and with some small modifications it worked very well.  No idea how it will stand the test of 10,000 miles or more, but I figure with sufficient duct tape or tarpaulin repair kits we will be in good shape.  So with all the essentials together, just some fine tuning on one or the other thing, we are almost ready to go.  It's just the weather in the Northeast which has to cooperate a little more.

"There is no such thing as good weather, or bad weather.  There is just weather and your attitude toward it." - Louise Hay, American motivational speaker, 1926 - 2017

Just about 50 days till we start again

It is time again, the travel bug has bitten Elke and me again.

Elke and I have been busy the last couple of weeks with getting our ducks in a row as they say here in the US to ready ourselves for another big trip.  Besides some of the bureaucratic stuff which is due at the beginning of the year like renewing the car and motorcycle registration (here in NC we have to have a State Inspection done, not so in CT), getting insurances renewed, tax papers together for filing before the deadline, some doctor visits and much more, we are also occupied in organizing and checking our equipment for the approximately 8 month long trip.  We also will have no restriction anymore on how long we can stay outside the country as we both are since last year US citizen, and of course I’m retired now as well.  This time we will be traveling with our SUV with the comfort of having a rooftop tent to sleep in, and plenty of stow room in the car.  It will be a change going from two wheels to four as we will sit in an enclosure and are not beaten by the elements no more, but it will allow us to go off grid if we want and to stay in remote areas and explore because we should not have the restriction of a very limited food and water storage as we had on the bike.  We will also have the benefit of having an annex for our rooftop tent which we can unzip and leave behind, drive off with the car, come back, zip it on again and have an additional 130 ft2 living space with 90” headspace.  Quiet some luxury.

Small selection of the “stuff” piling up, but this is not yet “filtered”

As we have some unfinished business in the Northeast our plan is to make our way to Cape Breton to set over to Newfoundland, continue to Labrador, return to Quebec and Montreal, then cross over to the West for another visit to Alaska, before turning South to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, then sliding slightly East - Southeast to Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and who knows where the restless mind will drive us. There is only one set date we need to be back, and that is to catch in time a plane to Germany for my mother’s 90th birthday.

So for now its all getting the equipment checked out, last bits and pieces added, maps sorted out and the usual stuff separating the nice to have from the needed stuff.  More difficult then ever before as we have so much more room now, very tempting to sneak something in just for the comfort of having it with you.  But we still have about 50 days left to figure it out.  Can’t wait to have the car packed and head Northeast.

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” - unknown

Diagnosis, Surgery, and Recovery

 Today the patient was admitted to the Clinic at Harley Davidson of Hartford.  Once with the doctors, the diagnosis was that a small piece of metal had broken out of the front lifter and this part, and/or smaller parts of it went through the system. Cam shaft, lifters, cam casing bore, oil pump, lifter guides all damaged and scorching at major components.  Patient needs a new heart i.e. new engine.  It will be a one to one replacement, 255 cams as I don’t need the speed but the torque, and at least a 30 to 45 day wait till the new engine is factory built.

A little piece of metal, a maximum of damage.  Anyway, we will get a new engine and should be good for another 85k miles or so.  Just not this summer.  So in lieu the convertible will get some more mileage to it, after all, the second best to riding a motorcycle.

“Every time we fix something that broken, whether it’s a car engine or a broken heart, than an act of magic.  And what makes it magic is that we chose to create or help, just as we can choose to harm.”  - Charles de Lint, Canadian writer of fantasy fiction, urban fantasy, contemporary magical realism, and mythic fiction

“Broken things can be fixed and healed.  Nothing is too difficult or too dirty to clean.”  -  Marika McCoola, Massachusetts writer for children