A boy and dog play in the waves
The other weekend I was able to visit the beaches of North Carolina. Again. I had been to Kitty Hawk and Nags Head as a smaller version of myself but this time I got to really experience it. As a spoiled bratty child, I was not happy about traveling through humid weather with an annoying sibling (no offense little brother, you aren't quite as annoying anymore!) Come to think of it, I was probably in my early teens when we visited North Carolina and that would explain it a lot better. Anyway, this second trip produced some deja vu moments; such as hanging out in a hammock shop and visiting the Wright Brother's National Memorial.
The trip to the Wright Brother's National Memorial was much more interesting for me this time around. I was able to understand the significance of such a triumph for modern man and appreciate it. A large field with four stone markers indicates the four attempted flights made by the Wright brothers on December 17th, 1903. The first and second markers indicate a flight time of 12 seconds and 175 feet, the third attempt at 15 seconds at 200 feet, and finally the fourth attempt at 59 seconds with a distance of 852 feet. The start of a revolutionary reality that man can fly.
The Wright brother's second attempt at flight
The Outer Banks of North Carolina are filled with beautiful beaches and tourist attractions as well as a huge variety of restaurants to choose from. One of the most amazing sights I unfortunatly did not get to see is the wild horses that inhabit Corolla beach. These wild mustangs were originally brought in by 16th century Spanish colonialists. If you would like to learn more about these wild horses or donate to conservation funds, visit the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.
Just a day in the life...
Under the pier
I thoroughly enjoyed a day of my feet in the sand and mildly cool water splashing over my jeans. I couldn't have asked for a better day. If you ever feel like you need some stress relief, a day just walking on a beach is a good way to calm yourself. There is something about the ocean that just makes everything feel right. Maybe it's the size of the ocean that reflects how insignificant small problems in life are, or maybe it's the noise of the waves that can put you in a meditative and reflective state. Either way...I think I'll visit more beaches more often.
Bird in flight
~K.P.
