Wednesday, May 8, 2008
Virginia Beach, VA.
First Landing State Park
Odometer:
Today we went to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA. http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/fir.shtml We rode around the park and chose a site but the ranger at the office was really-really cranky and she told us we could not pick a site because they had many reservations and the park was full. She finally gave us a site but told us we could only have it for one night. That site was right over the dunes from the ocean.
We walked the beach and enjoyed the sounds of the ocean. It rained later that evening but only enough to make everything messy. First Landing State Park is an historic site designated as such because it was the first English landing site.
On Friday morning we drove over to Fort Story to check out the Point Henry Lighthouse. http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=448 We didn’t realize that the lighthouse is on the Fort Story Base. It is an active military base so we were subject to a very detailed intense search before we were allowed to enter the base. We felt like criminals but I guess it is all part of homeland security.
The lighthouse is over 200 years old and was commissioned by George Washington. The walk- up included a round trip of 532 stairs. The view from the top was breathtaking and worth the trip and search.
We also toured Virginia Beach but it was difficult to see the ocean for all the high-rise hotels and three story condos.
Captains BLOG
Wednesday, May 9-11, 2008
Cape Hatteras, N.C.
Cape Hatteras, KOA
Odometer:
It was on to Cape Hatteras http://www.nps.gov/caha/ this morning. The ride was beautiful and the weather great – or so we thought. Before we left Virginia we watched the morning news and learned that two tornadoes had touched down in Williamsburg and in the Jamestown area. We were there only twenty –four hours previous. Both caused significant damage and one fatality.
After settling in at the KOA we took advantage of the great sunshine and headed for the beach. The air was cool but comfortable and we again enjoyed the ocean and the sound of the waves.
Back at the RV we watched the news and were surprised to learn that a huge band of storms spawning multiple tornadoes and damaging lighting storms were marching across the middle of the country heading in our direction. Since we would be here for another night all we could do was monitor the storms and plan an exit route on Sunday that would be safe for us.
We drove to Roanoke Island http://www.roanoke-island.com/ to tour the lost colony. The lost colony was a group of 117 men, women and children who had set up a small village on Roanoke
Island. The Theories 
http://www.coastalguide.com/packet/lostcolony-croatan.shtml.%20During their time on the Island an infant by the name of Virginia Dare was born. She was the first to be born in the new America. Her Grandfather, John White was an artist and was the first Governor of Virginia. During their stay here there were many conflicts with the Indians and food and supplies were running short. Everyone in the colony determined that John should return to England and bring
back needed supplies for survival. He left but was unable t return for three years because of the conflicts with the Spanish. 
The English government would not commission a ship or supplies to the New World while in the middle of battle with Spain. When he did return there was no evidence that the peoples of the colony in Virginia had every existed. John White never saw his family again and to this day no one really knows what happened to that 111 people. All that is left at the site is the moat around which a small fort had stood.
Today is Mother’s Day so first order of business was to call both Moms and wish them a Happy Mother’s Day. Both Kelly and Tom called me today as well.
We left around Noon today in an effort to wait out the storms in the Myrtle Beach area (our next stop). The plan is to get out of Hatteras before the storms reached here –projected beginning at 2 PM.
We have 328 miles to Myrtle Beach and Ron planned a route that would keep us on the edge of the storms. We did well until we ran into a squall while passing over a bridge. The sky got very black and the wind picked up with the rain coming at us sideways. The RV was swaying and all we wanted was to get to the other side of the bridge and out of the path of the storm. It was scary for a couple of minutes and Ron admitted he was concerned we might be encountering one of the many tornadoes in the area.
Drove around 275 miles and will be spending the night at a Walmart Supercenter. Directly across from where we parked was a gas station – Regular gas - $3.63 per gallon. That is the best price in the area so will be filling up in the morning.
Captains BLOG
Wednesday, May 12, 2008
Myrtle Beach
Huntington Beach State Park
On Friday morning we drove over to Fort Story to check out the Point Henry Lighthouse. http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=448 We didn’t realize that the lighthouse is on the Fort Story Base. It is an active military base so we were subject to a very detailed intense search before we were allowed to enter the base. We felt like criminals but I guess it is all part of homeland security.
The lighthouse is over 200 years old and was commissioned by George Washington. The walk- up included a round trip of 532 stairs. The view from the top was breathtaking and worth the trip and search.
We also toured Virginia Beach but it was difficult to see the ocean for all the high-rise hotels and three story condos.
Captains BLOG
Wednesday, May 9-11, 2008
Cape Hatteras, N.C.
Cape Hatteras, KOA
Odometer:
It was on to Cape Hatteras http://www.nps.gov/caha/ this morning. The ride was beautiful and the weather great – or so we thought. Before we left Virginia we watched the morning news and learned that two tornadoes had touched down in Williamsburg and in the Jamestown area. We were there only twenty –four hours previous. Both caused significant damage and one fatality.
After settling in at the KOA we took advantage of the great sunshine and headed for the beach. The air was cool but comfortable and we again enjoyed the ocean and the sound of the waves.
Back at the RV we watched the news and were surprised to learn that a huge band of storms spawning multiple tornadoes and damaging lighting storms were marching across the middle of the country heading in our direction. Since we would be here for another night all we could do was monitor the storms and plan an exit route on Sunday that would be safe for us.
We drove to Roanoke Island http://www.roanoke-island.com/ to tour the lost colony. The lost colony was a group of 117 men, women and children who had set up a small village on Roanoke
Island. The Theories 
http://www.coastalguide.com/packet/lostcolony-croatan.shtml.%20During their time on the Island an infant by the name of Virginia Dare was born. She was the first to be born in the new America. Her Grandfather, John White was an artist and was the first Governor of Virginia. During their stay here there were many conflicts with the Indians and food and supplies were running short. Everyone in the colony determined that John should return to England and bring
back needed supplies for survival. He left but was unable t return for three years because of the conflicts with the Spanish. 
The English government would not commission a ship or supplies to the New World while in the middle of battle with Spain. When he did return there was no evidence that the peoples of the colony in Virginia had every existed. John White never saw his family again and to this day no one really knows what happened to that 111 people. All that is left at the site is the moat around which a small fort had stood.Today is Mother’s Day so first order of business was to call both Moms and wish them a Happy Mother’s Day. Both Kelly and Tom called me today as well.
We left around Noon today in an effort to wait out the storms in the Myrtle Beach area (our next stop). The plan is to get out of Hatteras before the storms reached here –projected beginning at 2 PM.
We have 328 miles to Myrtle Beach and Ron planned a route that would keep us on the edge of the storms. We did well until we ran into a squall while passing over a bridge. The sky got very black and the wind picked up with the rain coming at us sideways. The RV was swaying and all we wanted was to get to the other side of the bridge and out of the path of the storm. It was scary for a couple of minutes and Ron admitted he was concerned we might be encountering one of the many tornadoes in the area.
Drove around 275 miles and will be spending the night at a Walmart Supercenter. Directly across from where we parked was a gas station – Regular gas - $3.63 per gallon. That is the best price in the area so will be filling up in the morning.
Captains BLOG
Wednesday, May 12, 2008
Myrtle Beach
Huntington Beach State Park
Woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny day. Looked out the front window and that gas that was $3.63 last night was now $3.75. WOW – what a jump!!!! Needless to say we won’t be filling up here.
Drove into Myrtle Beach around 11 AM and we were surrounded by motorcycles,
hundreds of motorcycles then thousands of motorcycles – no exaggeration !!!!!! To our dismay this is Bike Week in Myrtle Beach. I guess no planning was bad planning on our part – very noisy and no places to stay for the night – No room even in the Walmart parking lot. What a Bummer.Soooo--- we continued to drive and were entertained by the masses of bikes and the variety of people on those bikes. There were the young, the old, the restless, the scary looking and the Mr. & Mrs Cleaver types on bikes ranging from small to oversized Harleys. One even had his wheelchair strapped to the back of his bike. All looked like they were having a great time.
Needless to say we did not stop in Myrtle Beach as planned but continued into a small town called Pawley’s Island some 20 miles South of Myrtle Beach. We stopped at a place called Brookgreen Gardens a National Historic Landmark in South Carolina.
In the early 1900’s Archer and Anne Huntington were looking for a few acres of land in South Carolina to use as a winter retreat. Ann suffered from consumption (TB) and her doctors felt it would be better for her to spend the winters in a warmer climate. http://www.huntingtonbeachstatepark.com/Atalaya.htm She was originally from Massachusetts and he from NY. Since they were incredibly wealthy their land purchase was that of four plantations totaling over nine thousand acres.
Anne sculpted and in 1903 created this non-profit outdoor museum. It houses over 800 original sculptures from both Anne’s work and other artists as well. The grounds, gardens and sculptures are magnificent. 
http://www.brookgreen.org/huntington.cfm There is a nature trail and Zoo within the complex. The park is so large and impossible to visit in one day so the entrance fee is actually a seven day pass. We were unable to see the entire park so decided to spend the night in the campground across the street.When we got to The Huntington Beach State Park campground http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1020.aspx we were told there were only two sites left. The bike rally folks had pretty much filled the park. We took a site the ranger offered paid and went to our site. Well – it wasn’t that easy. There was a trailer in that site. I guess the ranger told these people to pick a site do they did. They dropped their trailer and went back to the office to pay.
The rule at most state parks is usually first come, but first pay gets the site. They were also told there were only two sites left but got picky. When they went back to the ranger she told them they had to move.
Not only did they not get that site but the remaining site had been taken as well. The woman was very upset and a bit hysterical. I was willing to find another Walmart but Ron was not budging. When someone tells you there are only two sites left just take one and don’t get picky. 
We settled in but I still felt bad for those people. 
No comments:
Post a Comment