November 27-29, 2017 Belhaven to Neuse River, North Carolina

We are now camped at the Riverside Campground outside of Belhaven, North Carolina.

The bus at the campground. Most of the RV's here are weekend places for people who love to fish.

The river and area are swamp with that lovely black water (from the tannins in the plants) that reflects the colors so pretty.

I love the xmas decorations. A little trailer with santa in it. Sunset on the river. 

The latest masterpiece is coming along. The center is a piece of glass I Made with aspens and deer behind the aspens. Glass and shell beads. More to follow. Today we paddled on the Pungo River, which we are camped next too. Just put in at the campground.

Beautiful high 60's and sunny. John paddling ahead of me.We paddled 5 miles round trip. Saw lots of birds and jumping fish.

John took this shot of me reflected. The campground on the way back and beautiful clouds.

Sunset tonight. The bus at the Neuse River forest service campground outside of New Bern, NC.

Our campsite at Neuse River and the beach at the campground. The weather was in the low 70's, sunny and beautiful. There are tree frogs and it sounds like summer. 

The trail that goes around the campground and fall color with spanish moss. 

November 24-25, 2017 Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Cloudy and windy till about 2pm. We had turkey dinner lethargy. When the sun came out we headed to Nags Head to see Jennettes pier. The pier is 1000 feet long and is lined with fishermen on both sides. The views are great.

Surfer on the waves. The waves were really cool from the back side from the pier.

Waves looking south from the pier at Nag's Head. And north.  

Record Mako shark caught in North Carolina. Grackles and sea gull, Outer Banks, the mecca of east coast surfing. A map of the Outer Banks, fish you can catch here. I love this- Please do not drink or bathe -reclaimed water. Like anyone would drink or bathe in the toilet. What to do if you catch a sea turtle while fishing from the pier and the Fish rule, stop the lies and throw back the little guys. I like that it is a yard stick. 

 John a sea turtle sculpture on the pier. Sunset looking south on the beach.

Sunset looking south from the pier in Nag's Head.  Sunset looking west over the parking lot from the pier. It was spectacular today.

It was in the 60's, sunny and beautiful. We went to Nag's Head Woods Preserve and hiked 5 miles. The conservancy's office is on this pond covered with green duck weed. We hiked the Sweet gum swamp trail-which is designed for adventurous hikers. It climbs several steep dune ridges and leads through a variety of of plant communities and around numerous ponds. The colors were wonderful. 

Blue sky, red sweet gums and yellow maples, another yellow tree, pine needles and blue sky, evergreen sweet magnolia leaves and red sweetgums, a yucca looking plant, oyster recycling sign and oyster shells. A multicolored american holly trunk , holly leaves with pine needles dangling down from them and maybe a kudzu vine. 

 

Beautiful wooded trail, Notice firing range 300 yards east, but you are in no danger. . . 

At some point we went on the Blueberry Ridge trail which loops around  beautiful ponds and provides scenic vistas. 

And ended with the center nature trail.

  

 Back to the office over the pond. Then we hiked the Roanoke Trail which goes from the center to the sound side of the island. A whole different plant zone, we walked through a dense  live oak woods.

Through a salt marsh.

To a quiet beach on the Roanoke Sound.

November 20-23, 2017 Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

High 50's and sunny. Not too bad out.

The salt marsh at Bodie Lighthouse.

John on the boardwalk at the salt marsh by Bodie lighthouse. The sign said it was snake habitat. We stayed on the walk, kill deer, beach houses in Nags Head, the Duck Thru at the gas station and Duck Donuts.

We visited the Outer Banks Brewing. Their IPA's which is what John likes to taste were only available in cans. Little wierd. Here he is with an american pale ale. The beer and the food were pretty mediocre. Another beautiful day, 60's no wind. The wind shaped live oaks on the sound side of Cape Hatteras. 

The beach on the sound side of the island. The water is absolutely flat. The mainland is so far away you can't see it.  Remember ladies no wetsuits or waders in the bathroom at the lighthouse. Two crabs the first one is dead, but pretty big, the second one is very tiny and with my naked eye I thought he had sand on him he blended in so well, but in this photo I see his coloring just matches. Just the place I would want to eat, Dirty Dicks Crab Shack. Sea gulls on the beach near camp.

Cape Hatteras Light house was built in 1870. It is 198.5 feet tall and it is the world's second tallest brick lighthouse. This photo shows where the light house used to be and the shoreline that has been moving west for many years. When it got within 60 feet of the light house they tried to shore it up, but it didn't help, so in 1999 they moved the whole light house to the current location 2,900 feet inland to it's current location. 

Seagulls and fishermen. 

sand covered puffer fish,Area closed for bird use, lines in the sand, some kind of spine and windblown shells.  John smoked a yummy turkey breast for Thanksgiving. 

Another lovely sunset.