OBX

We finally made a quick, exploratory trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina last month (or "OBX," as the locals call it).

For those who don't know, the Outer Banks are a grouping of very narrow barrier islands that stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean and run 200 miles along the entire length of North Carolina's coastline and up into the far southern end of the Virginia coastline.

For our nautically-minded readers, the Outer Banks are also known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," because there have been so many, many shipwrecks there over the last several hundred years on the shallow shoals during storms and in battles.  Even Blackbeard's pirate ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, ran aground on a sandbar near Beaufort, North Carolina in 1718.

We unknowingly planned our trip for the same weekend that Subtropical Storm Ana was headed for the South and North Carolina coasts (the first of the 2015 hurricane season).  Had our hotel rooms been refundable, we might have picked another weekend, but since they weren't, we threw caution to the wind (pun intended) and launched forth, figuring a tropical storm would just add to the adventure.

It was a soggy Friday evening slog from Northern Virginia to the beach.  Once we got off I-95 and were headed down the peninsula, the rain and winds were pretty terrifying exciting!  Yes, some big weather system was definitely coming.  We collapsed in our oceanfront room on the top floor of the hotel in Virginia Beach just before midnight and listened to the rain batter the windows much of the night.

We woke up the next day and could see that we would have had a spectacular view of the entire stretch of beach off our hotel patio, except the fog that had settled in overnight seemed determined to stay put for the day.  Bummer!

We took a long stroll on the boardwalk and checked out the sights and scenes of Virginia Beach, but because we were anxious to get to the Outer Banks and check into our hotel in Nag's Head before the storm really hit, we headed south in the late morning, promising ourselves we'd explore Virginia Beach more another day.

Much to our surprise, instead of getting worse as we headed south, the weather actually got nicer, and we ended up having spectacular weather for the rest of the weekend.  (Subtropical Storm Ana made landfall in South Carolina and worked its way up the North Carolina coast shortly after we departed--what luck!)

The first planned stop on our Outer Banks itinerary was to stop at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, just south of Kitty Hawk.  This is where, on December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright succeeded in making the first human flight, which measured 120 feet and lasted 12 seconds!  There is a monument erected on top of Kill Devil Hill that marks the site of the hundreds of glider flights the brothers took to learn about flight and prepare them for their first powered flight, which took place on the field below.

After checking into our hotel in Nag's Head, we headed out to the beach behind our hotel and plopped ourselves in the warm sand and sunshine for several hours, just taking it all in . . . gorgeous, peaceful, sunny and mild.  There were lots of shore birds, including brown pelicans, that kept flying back and forth along the beach.

Among the highlights of our exploration of the Outer Banks were our trips to see the iconic lighthouses. Bodie Island Lighthouse has been around since 1872, helping to keep sailors and ship captains safe as they navigated the shallow shoals and inlets nearby.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1870 and is just over 200 feet tall, making it the tallest brick lighthouse in the world.

We also went to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island, which is where, in 1587 (30 years before the Pilgrims!) Sir Walter Raleigh established the first "permanent" British settlement in American.  This is known as the "Lost Colony" because some members of their party returned to England for more supplies, and when they returned years later, the Fort they had set up was plundered and the people who remained behind were gone.  There are several theories about what happened to them, including that they went to live with the natives on Croatoan Island to the south, but no one knows for certain.

Stone erected in memory of The Lost Colony

The Oregon Coast still has our hearts, but the North Carolina Outer Banks are a close second as far as beaches go.  Can't wait until the next chance we get to do more exploring out there!

How Momma Got Her Groove Back

Sometimes you don't even KNOW you lost your groove . . . until you get it back!

The hubs and I had a rare opportunity to get away for an evening not too long ago, and we decided to do something we hadn't done in FAR too long.  We went to see DMB at the Jiffy Lube in Bristow, VA!

Gotta love the big screens that make you feel like you're in the front row.

I'm not sure if we were supposed to be taking photos, but hey, if we hadn't, we would have been the ONLY people in the audience NOT taking photos.

Once that music started, it didn't take long for this Momma to get her groove back.  ;)  See ya again soon, Dave!

A Call to Arms

Dispatch from the Field, Spring 1781
by our youngest Musket Company Recruit, First Virginia Regiment

A Call to Arms was the major engagement of large bodies of British and American forces at his Excellency’s fine estate of Mount Vernon.

It was a most hospitable abode and my father and I, along with the rest of our able companies encamped ourselves along the sloping lawns and awoke to a splendid view of the river and the General’s home.  It was a sight to behold!

After a morning breakfast of grits and coffee, our troops set to some drill and were then greeted on the green by our esteemed battalion commander.

It was a marvelous sight to see people, even from the western territories, out to fight for freedom.  Upon seeing the British camp down the hill, we knew battle would ensue without much delay.

The troops began to march to their battle positions with the riflemen taking a skirmishing position to the front and sides while the dragoons on both sides caused confusion and mayhem.



Soon after the British came up the road and deployed into line just out of range of our own.  Without much delay the lines closed in and began to fire.





After a failed British bayonet charge, the patriot forces ordered a counter charge that drove the “bloody backs” away, ending the first encounter with the enemy.





After a bite of lunch and a refilling of canteens and cartridge boxes our forces were again sent out to meet the “lobsters”.  Figuring we had whipped them last time our boys went in with confidence, but were first turned back trying to take a bridgehead and then routed by the main British body after an initial advance.

Candlelight walks were abundant and much in the way of feasting was had at both camps that first night.  Fireworks displays illuminated the skies while both sides indulged in good food and company for the night.

The second day saw some of the forces being drawn off for other campaigns on both sides with two more engagements to finish the day.  The “red coats” had the initial advantage by winning the first battle but our boys held up in the last engagement and turned them back.  Though it was not decisive, the main British objective wasn’t captured and both the 18th and 21st century gentleman and lady had a wondrous time.

Battle Impressions from Agent O1776:

The morning battle on the first day of the encampment was fierce!  Both sides were hammering at each other with artillery and musket fire.  There were also some brief cavalry skirmishes right in front of us!  

I met General Washington as he was coming out of the "necessary" (that means the bathroom), and he was kind enough to take a picture with me below, even though he had troops to inspect and other important things to do.  He also pointed us in the direction of the First Virginia encampment.  

All the time we were watching the battle, I had my ears covered with both my hands and my headphones (darn redcoats, they didn't seem to care that I have sensitive hearing, and they commenced to fire right in front of where we were standing!).  

My impression overall . . . the First Virginia rules!