Southern Shores, NC – The Outer Banks

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We spent a glorious week on the Outer Banks with family we don’t see very often.  The time we had visiting, playing games, kayaking, laying by the pool and walking on the beach was precious.  We laughed and enjoyed catching up.  One of the great things about vacationing after the busy season is the deserted beaches and manageable traffic.  Once the little ones get older, school will come first and our off-season trips will be no more.

 We had two beautiful days, one with rain and the rest were cloudy and cool.  The Outer Banks are very windy and as my nephew pointed out, this is why the Wright Brothers chose the area to pilot a motorized airplane for the very first time in 1903.  North Carolina – first in flight!

I am drawn to the unique flora we don’t find in Virginia.  The tall grasses just seem to dance in the wind.

The landscape is surprisingly dense but I imagine that’s natures way of surviving a hurricane.

 The Atlantic Ocean can be very rough.  It’s hard to tell in the photos but these are some pretty big waves.

We found strange, and wonderful, seeds and pods along the beach.

Some days the surf was very rough causing the red flag to fly.

We took an afternoon to visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island.  The kids loved seeing the sharks, turtles and even river otters.

My son Patrick and daughter-in-law Callie checking out the sharks.  It’s hard to believe but it was on a trip to OBX three years ago that they got engaged.  They are still so cute!

 Love this sculpture and fountain.

 The kids … Daughter Allie, son-in-law Josh, grandson Isaac, son Patrick, daughter-in-law Callie, my nephew’s wife Kendra, great-nephew Connor and my marathon running nephew Eric.   Cousins – how fun!

 The northern end of the island is home to about 150 wild Spanish mustangs.   The horses have lived on the island for about 400 years and are fiercely protected by a non-profit group that patrols the area.   We drove up into the 4-wheel drive area to try and get a peek at a horse or two and found these two hanging my the water.    If you don’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle you can book an excursion with one of the off-road tour companies.

 Our son and daughter-in-law rented their own beach front home about 3 miles from our rented house.

 The bungalow was adorable and decorated with original artwork painted by the owner.

How soothing to hear the roar of the waves right outside your back door.

We had the chance to visit the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in historic Corolla Village, NC.

We didn’t pay the $8 per person to walk to the top – heights are not my thing – but I bet the view is gorgeous!

This lovely house is actually a wonderful store with unique gifts and area souvenirs.

And what would a family vacation be without a shot of my grandson getting ready to swim in the pool?  It was a little cold but he was ready. Love this boy!

Please stop by next week – we’re going to have a giveaway with 4-winners to help celebrate 4 years of blogging and the launch of my new site.  Thanks so much for reading about our vacation and for stopping by!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Tricia