Virginia Beach

We spent a couple days here in Virginia Beach. The temperature is very different..in the 50's and very windy. A lot of places down here on the waterfront are still closed till later in the month or April. There is a really nice boardwalk with tons of cool sculptures.

This was something to do with aviation.

King Neptune-34 ft tall, weighs 12.5 tons
Dolphins are 17 and 15 ft
Loggerhead turtle is 11 ft long
Octopus is 8 ft

Virginia Beach law enforcement memorial.

This street sign  was interesting.

You can workout on the beach. If a person was so inclined. Not sure why you'd want to when there's so many other better things to do.

The peace pole links the community with people internationally.

There were no horses here today but I guess horseback riding on the beach is a choice

The Norwegian Lady stands here to wish all a safe return from the sea.

I loved this idea.

Famous Virginians were remembered here, such as James Madison, George Patton, Thomas Jefferson, Ella Fitzgerald, Alan Shepard, Pocahontas, Robert E Lee, Katie Couric, Woodrow Wilson, Edgar Alan Poe.

Great cake donuts.

Onward to the Washington DC area next.

Heaven in the Outer Banks of North Carolina

We spent 2 nights at The Clamdigger Inn in Pine Knoll Shores, NC. Our room on the third floor looked out to the ocean. The temperature was beautiful and we slept with the door cracked open both nights, feeling the cool breeze and listening to the waves. This is like heaven to me. The view, the sound, the proximity of the beach. 

This was after dark. The white spots are seagulls on the water.

Other things in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

We visited Cape Lookout National Seashore visitor center. This goose was sunning himself.

Look at these interesting clouds...

Saw this truck pulling a trailer hauling a porta potty. He had flashing lights on top of his truck. Guess that's to warn us of what he is hauling. ???

Big pirate in the middle of nowhere.

Cape Lookout had a contest for kids. Here are the winners.

That same morning I skyped with Lauren's class and read a story for Dr Seuss week.

We visited Ft Raleigh on Roanoke Island.

Searched out the lighthouses of the Outer Banks.

But my favorite thing has been seeing the adult Harp seal on the beach resting. He stayed for about 24 hours.

Most of the Outer Banks area is closed up till later in March so it's pretty dead. Hope to come back and stay in the summer sometime.

Wilmington NC

We started our short stay in Wilmington by taking a trolley tour of the historic district. I love the old houses and churches!

Then LW dropped me off so I could tour the Bellamy Mansion. Here are pictures of the intact slave quarters.

These are pictures from inside the mansion. The mansion was built just before the Civil War, has 22 rooms and 10,000 square feet. It was built by free and enslaved laborers.

These are pictures painted by the oldest Bellamy daughter, Belle.

This is Dr John and Mrs Eliza Bellamy. They had 10 children.

More pictures from inside.

There was a young slave girl who had the job to wave that fan over the food at mealtime to keep bugs away.  That's where the saying "shoo fly" might have come from.

The kitchen where Sarah the slave prepared the family meals. The Bellamy slaves were lucky in that they ate the same food as the family. Not with the family of course.

Pictures of the outside of the mansion.

The elevator bridge crossing the Cape Fear river.

The original brick streets are partially covered with tar in the historic district. People go out at night and chip the tar away in order to keep the original road.

Amazing ice cream...

The riverwalk.

Saw this plaque on the front of a renovated historical home.

Sunset and the Battleship North Carolina.

The pier at Wrightsville Beach.

Saw this at Wrightsville Beach. I think she was having her quincenera pictures. I tried to snap a picture without being noticed but her sister stepped in just as I took it. She looked beautiful.