We’re back!!!!!

We left our hotel with the great view a day early.  There is a fire in Eastern North Carolina, near the coast. The smoke is pushing bugs toward the Outer Banks and our hotel room became infested with gnats. I think they were fleas, but the hotel said they were gnats. Anyway, we decided to leave, go do our touristy things, and drive part way home before we got a hotel.  We did the first two things and then decided just to drive the rest of the way home.  The dogs were beside themselves with happiness when we pulled up. The cats would have nothing to do with us for many hours.   It was nice to wake up in our own house.

We were spoiled by Ocracoke.  We both loved seeing Nags Head and the rest of the Outer Banks, but is just t-shirt store after t-shirt store. The shock of the commercialization was even greater, I am sure, since we came from Ocracoke where there are many small shops and restaurants, but nothing from a chain.  The beach in Ocracoke is private compared to the Nags Head area with the planes flying the banners over the waves.  I am glad we saw it, but we do not need to see it again. We have already decided that we would go back to Ocracoke and Ocracoke only.  We would be happy to stay in the same little room we were in this time, too.

I did get a few really nice pictures while in Manteo, which is a quaint town on Roanoke Island. Andy Griffth lives there, but he did not invite us to visit.   That would be a nice place to stay, and I am sure expensive.

I had never seen a jelly fish before. I watched it swim in the shallow water for a long time. Amazing piece of nature.

We saw lots of crabs scurry across the sand while on the beach. I never could get a picture of those fast little buggers.  This one is taken through water, but at least I finally got a photo.

Manteo has a beautiful walkway along its shore. The top of this building is a light house light.

Our last three hours of driving were through a storm. This was the only rain we saw the whole week. At least I did not have to come home and water the yard!!