September Vacation

Knowing that our time in this area is limited, the Outer Banks has been at the top of my must-see-before-we-leave list.  In September we were able to make it happen. 

We left on a Saturday, right after soccer games.  Daddy is always on the hunt for more pressed pennies, so we made a few unscheduled stops like this one: 

We stayed the night in Richmond, then proceeded south the next morning.  We stopped in Norfolk at the Nauticus museum.  We almost had the place to ourselves!

We also got a shot with Grave Digger (still looking for those pennies.....)

The kids' first view of the Atlantic Ocean.  The weather was nice for most of our trip.  Sunny, high 70's.  The wind was constant (there's a reason the Wright Brothers chose Kill Devil Hills for their flying experiments), and after the first few days the seas became fairly rough.  But not bad enough to keep us away!

We visited the Roanoke site, learning about the Lost Colony.  

And saw most of the famous lighthouses.  

Bodie Island

Cape Hatteras

The kids also learned to Boogie Board

Currituck Lighthouse

 And of course, we had to visit the Wright Brother's Memorial.  

It was so cool to learn about their process, to walk the path of their first 4 flights, and to see the reconstructed workshop.  I also did not know that this is one of the only national memorials where one of the people it is dedicated to was actually at the opening ceremonies (Orville).  

The details: We stayed in Kill Devil Hills in a condo I rented online.  It was wonderful!  We had plenty of space, and the beach was a short walk across the street.  The condo was equipped with a full kitchen, washer/dryer, board games, books, beach chairs, sand toys - everything we needed.  We spent time at the beach each day, but also explored the surrounding area.  Because we visited after school was back in session the crowds were very manageable.  Still plenty of people on the beach, but it wasn't "crowded".  It was a 4 star family vacation!