Blue Goose ~ Day 112

September 19, 2014 ~ Virginia Beach, VA to Nags Head, NC

The sun rose as I was driving to Pea Island, NWR. I entered the country of OBX, the Outer Banks, crossing over Currituck Sound to Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hill and Nags Head before reaching Pea Island. There were areas on the road where trucks were removing drifted sand. It was windy; I didn’t do any trails here at all but poked around the Visitor Center, looking at exhibits and reading history and not buying anything. The summer resident birds mostly have left and the migrating or winter birds haven’t arrived yet, but all these coastal refuges see a massive influx of geese and ducks in late fall. The refuge is 13 miles long and I drove to the town of Rodanthe at the southern end, which had hundreds of beach homes and condos, either on the ocean side or the sound side. Most have porches on the second and third stories and the ground level space is open and used for parking or storage. These barrier islands are not wide...often much less than a mile.  

Pea Island NWR - NC

There is an amazing contrast between protected and developed land. Most of the time, I couldn’t see the Atlantic as there were small dunes between the road and ocean, although I could have accessed the beaches via small paths through the dune grasses here and there. This route continues south to Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Ocracoke, but I turned around in Rodanthe, wandered through the marina at Oregon Inlet and stayed in Nags Head INTENDING to work. The Priceline-reserved motel was very marginal for the cost, and the WiFi/Internet connection too sketchy to work. I got a hot dog and milk shake and sat on the balcony reading. And walked across the street where the amateur Eastern Surfing Championships were happening at Jennette's Pier, a major attraction judging by the people fishing and by the historical photos and stories. For me, the coolest thing happened: I was watching the surfers and suddenly saw manta rays jumping out of the water. This went on for about a minute, and as I walked further out on the pier, I saw one gliding right below me, looking as big as a kitchen table! No one seemed excited; maybe this is no big deal here, but it was the only time I saw them, and I was there at least an hour. 

Amateur surfing championship - Jennette's Pier - Nags Head - NC

It was a middle class crowd with kids, grandparents, guys smoking cigars, people with cigarettes and coolers of bait, families and the intense parents of the surfers with their telephoto lens: “Go on Hannah, don’t go in yet; try again! you’re not finished….Oh, maybe you are….” Not that Hannah could hear her mom. 

Early the next morning I walked on the pier again. The sky was partially overcast, but it was warm, and the surfers were already out. 

I found the second ring of this trip. I now have one earring, a bracelet and two rings. Not much money though; just pennies.

KOA at Rodanthe - NC