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.