The Outer Banks, North Carolina

It is hard to believe that we are already well into the month of August! Children will be going back to school here in Colorado in the next week or so, and I have already felt a few cool breezes that remind me autumn will soon be here. We are having a very enjoyable second summer living in Colorado, and my husband and I have been doing quite a bit of things here that I will be showing soon, but first I will be taking you to the Outer Banks region of North Carolina, where we had a wonderful family vacation, and special occasion, in July.   I took many photos there, and to save space and your time I have placed many into photos collages for this post--please click on the collages to enlarge them for easier viewing.

The Outer Banks (also known as OBX) is a 200 mile (320 km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina and a small portion of Virginia, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States. They cover most of the North Carolina coastline, separating the Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. They are a major tourist destination and known for its temperate climate and wide, an expanse of open beachfront.  We flew to the east coast and stayed a couple of days in our nation's capital, Washington,  DC--click here to see that post-- and then drove south through Virginia to North Carolina. After crossing the Wright Memorial Bridge, we head back north toward the town of Corolla located in the north portion of the Outer Banks.  At first glance, we could see the charm of this area.

We could also see the large luxury vacation homes both on the Currituck Sound side .....

....and the Atlantic Ocean side.

These homes are usually rented in one-week increments and can range from a three bedroom cottage to a house with 18 bedrooms!  A number of reputable vacation rental management companies serving the area, so there is generally a wide selection of homes to choose from.

We were vacationing with my son and his family, his mother-in-law and father-in-law, and our daughter and her family. so we needed a larger house to accommodate us all. My daughter-n-law and her sister and parents often vacationed in the Outer Banks when they lived in Virginia, so we knew they would be able to find a rental that would be perfect for all of us, as it was!  Our house had wonderful wrap around decks, a large kitchen with a long dining table that could fit many, comfortable king and queen size bedrooms, bunk beds for the children, a large family room, game room, outside pool, and hot tub and bar area.

We were a short boardwalk away from the beach, and we hit the beach running with excitement to see the ocean again!

We had all pre-rented chairs and umbrellas so we were all set for our days in the sun and surf.

It was fun to see our grandsons get re-acquainted with the ocean.

Pure joy!

Even our granddaughter's first look at the ocean was a success!

We enjoyed many happy beach days!

What a beautiful beach it was! Looking north...

...and looking south.

Hurricane Arthur had passed by the Outer Banks the week before we arrived, but we did not see any signs of damage in Corolla.  I was hoping that the storm would have stirred up the ocean bottom and bring many shells and sea glass to shore, but where I did see shells they were mostly broken pieces and not a piece of glass to be found.

I did enjoy seeing the shoreline crabs coming out of their homes to look for food from time to time.....

...and watching the graceful flights of many flocks of brown pelicans skim the shoreline in search for fish.

Speaking of fish, we enjoyed many wonderful seashore dinners in many of Corolla's and nearby Duck's restaurants.  One evening we prepared a clam bake at home.  My mouth is watering again as I look at all the delicious fresh shrimp, scallops, lobster, clams, crab, corn and potatoes we enjoyed that evening!

It was fun to share time together and relax. When not on the beach, we shopped at some of the pretty in town boutique stores, swam in our house's pool, sat in the hot tub, made smores and roasted marshmallows, sat by an outdoor fire, barbecued, watched DVD's inside, did arts and crafts with the children, and even saw a firework's show that was delayed a week by the hurricane.  All in all, it was a wonderful extended family vacation!

I was also enthralled by all the magnificent sunsets we were fortunate to see over Currituck Sound, both from our deck and from a nearby nature preserve.

We also took many trips and outings to see lighthouses, wild horses, dolphins, the place the Wright brothers took first flight with an airplane and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. I will show highlights of all on my next blog post. But I'll end this post with the most special family occasion and the reason we all vacationed in the Outer Banks as an extended family was to celebrate my son and daughter-in-law's 10th wedding anniversary and the renewal of their vows!

As luck would have it, it was the only day we had intermittent thunderstorms!

We weren't sure the beachside ceremony they planned and hoped for, would be able to occur...

..... but we decided at the last minute to take a chance and headed for the beach

The minister kept looking up at the stormy sky, but performed a beautiful vow renewal ceremony, amid occasional thunder and lightning.  My son and daughter-in-law and grandsons were all in good humor and enjoying the moment!

My son and daughter-in-law wrote their vows again and recited them to each other, and my son placed a beautiful antique ring on my daughter-in-law's finger.

The children and parents then blended different colored sands together in a jar to show they will forever be joined as a family.......

It was such a special ceremony and it made us all so happy that we were able to share it together with them!

The skies opened up at this point and we rushed back to the shelter of our rental house.  We were all full of laughter and joy! We had pizza and cake and enjoyed many reminiscences as we ended this most memorable day as a family on our Outer Banks vacation.

Please come back soon to see my next post to see all the other sights we saw in the Outer Banks, both scenic and historic, and why this beautiful area attracts thousands of visitors every year!

First Stop: Washington DC

The White House

My family enjoyed a week in the Outer Banks of North Caroline in early July, to celebrate a special occasion, but we first flew into Washington DC to spend a weekend there seeing the sights. Washington DC is a very familiar city to us, as my son attended a university in DC for his undergraduate degree, and also lived there a couple of years afterward and was married in DC. On numerous trips from NYC to DC over those years, my husband and I began to feel as if DC was a second home. We enjoyed it's many cultural and historical venues and distinct neighborhoods. My son had many wonderful opportunities going to school in DC, as he interned for a Senator where he worked in the Senate building and had the opportunity to attend conferences at the Press Club and White House.  It was really a dream come true for him and gave him a wonderful background for the work he does today.  (All photos, including the photo collages, will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)

The back of the White House

After being away for over ten years, since 9-11, I did notice quite a bit of added security all through our nation's capital, but much of it is still open to public access.  It really is a city that every American should visit and enjoy with pride. My only suggestion is not to visit in July when the weather is very hot and humid!  On our visit the weather was oppressive, and as we walked and took sightseeing buses, we also took many breaks to seek shade and water.

Our first president. George Washington chose the location and placed the cornerstone of the White House in 1791  President John Adams was the first president to live in the house in 1800.  After being partially destroyed in the War of 1812, it was reconstructed and has undergone major renovations and additions since, including President Teddy Roosevelt's move of the executive office from the second floor to what is now known as the West Wing of the house.

Did you know the White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and six levels? You can take an interesting virtual tour of the inside of the public areas of the White House, to see its rooms. furniture and artwork at this link.

 US Capital Building

The US Capital building has housed the meeting chambers of the United State Congress--the House of Representatives and the Senate--for two centuries. Construction on the building began in 1793, with President George Washington laying its cornerstone,  and has gone through many construction phases since.  It stands today as a monument to the legislative branch of our government and as a centerpiece of Capitol Hill and the National Mall.  There is a new Capitol Visitors Center located beneath the east front plaza where all visitors now must now enter.

The beautiful Capital building dome.

As part of the Capital Dome Restoration Project a five-layer, 14,700 square foot safety canopy was placed in the Capitol Building this past April and soon scaffolding will be seen on the outside while restoring the cast iron dome which should be completed over the next several years.

The Washinton Monument.

The Washington Monument is open to visitors again, after being closed for a few years after the earthquake of August 23, 2011. There is an elevator inside that brings visitors to the top.

The National Park Service web site had this interesting information about the monument:

"The Washington Monument, designed by Robert Mills and eventually completed by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, honors and memorializes George Washington at the center of the nation's capital. The structure was completed in two phases of construction, one private (1848-1854) and one public (1876-1884). Built in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk, evoking the timelessness of ancient civilizations, the Washington Monument embodies the awe, respect, and gratitude the nation felt for its most essential Founding Father. When completed, the Washington Monument was the tallest building in the world at 555 feet, 5-1/8 inches."
If you look closely at the monument you can see lines of demarcation where the work on the Washington Monument stopped and then resumed, and then a different quarry was used to complete the top.

 The Lincoln Memorial

The beautiful Lincoln Memorial--dedicated to the United State's 16 President, is always a stirring sight to see! My father was a veteran of World War II and Korea, so we made a point to pay homage to both sites at that time.

"On May 30, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated, during an event witnessed by approximately 50,000 people. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Howard Taft led the ceremony with President Warren G. Harding and Dr. Robert Morton of the Tuskegee Institute." Designed by the architect Henry Bacon, the monument is designed after the Greek Parthenon, to symbolize the birthplace of Democracy. Read more about this monument to our President during the Civil War on the Monuments NPS web site at this link.

 World War II Memorial

We viewed the World War II Memorial from a sightseeing bus on this trip, but we were able to see it up close in its dedication year in 2004

Information from the NPS website:

"The World War II Memorial honors the service of sixteen million members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, the support of countless millions on the home front, and the ultimate sacrifice of 405,399 Americans. On May 29, 2004, a four day "grand reunion' of veterans on the National Mall culminated in the dedication of this tribute to the legacy of 'The Greatest Generation.'"

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

My brother-in-law and brother served during the Vietnam War, and my husband lost a cousin in the war, so a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is always on our agenda when we visit Washington DC. It is also a very emotional place to visit and see the sacrifice of so many. You can see my husband looking up his cousin's name in the record book on site so that we could find his name's place among the over 58,000 servicemen and women who gave their lives in this war. My husband's cousin was only 20 years old when he was killed on a helicopter that was hit by enemy fire in 1966. May he and all who served so bravely, never be forgotten!

If you'd like to search for a name on the wall, and see more information about the soldier and leave a comment to visit the "Wall of Faces" web site and do a search.

We enjoyed seeing the iconic sights of Washington DC on our quick weekend trip, so much so that I know we will return in the future for a longer visit to visit the new additions to the Smithsonian museums and new monuments.

Another reason for visiting Washington DC was to visit my husband's nephew and his wife who live nearby in Maryland.  He is a chef in a DC foreign embassy, and we were fortunate to take a tour of the professional kitchen in the ambassador's home on our visit. I thought you'd enjoy seeing our nephew's cookbook shelf, for what he uses when he needs inspiration for a new recipe. It may be that the ambassador's wife placed a few of her favorite cookbooks on to his shelf!

We had a wonderful barbecue at our nephew's house on the Fourth of July and saw the firework show that evening!

Nest stop and blog post: