Beach Day - Ocracoke Island, NC

I can't begin to explain how relaxing it is to have sand between your toes, whispers of ocean breeze play with your hair, and the sun kissing your skin. It's my idea of a perfect summer day!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Beach go-ers and Willets relaxing on Ocracoke Beach"][/caption]

Have you ever been to a beach where you can drive straight down to the water? Honestly, You will never want to tote your chairs, coolers, toys and what not down a mile long trail to the beach while your feet burn in the sand EVER AGAIN! All beaches should be like this really. It would make the beach experience that much better. I feel very fortunate to live so close to the outer banks. There's beach driving on several beaches within an hour or two of our home. I know it sounds silly for me to drive that far when I live blocks from the Chesapeake Bay Beaches and within minutes of Virginia Beach Oceanfront - seriously folks - those beaches are nothing in comparison.

Brian and I started our trip in Chesapeake; we would have gone the usual Caratoke Hwy way through Nags Head BUT- it was bumper to bumper with people heading to their beach rental homes or hotels. So, we decided to take the longer route down 17 and over to 64 through Alligator River and Manteo. We expected to get there an hour later than going the other route, but I think it may have been 20 minutes longer than taking our usual route. We stayed the night at Avon Hotel which online it's reviews are horrible, but people need to get off their high horse, nothing is perfect! If you pay a small amount for a hotel in an area where they are all very high, chances are its not going to be what you expected. It's an older hotel, with older TVs ect...but I love it! I love the OLD beach feel, oh and I like the price tag... because when I go somewhere the only time I spend in the hotel room is when I'm sleeping...so who cares!? Plus All the money we saved on the hotel, goes toward doing more fun stuff! whoo hoo!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="414" caption="Cape Hatteras Light House"][/caption]

In the morning we stopped at the best bakery ever. The Orange Blossom Bakery. If you happen to stop in there, you HAVE to get an Apple Ugly. They are amazingly delicious!! After getting breakfast we stopped at the Hatteras Light house ramps. We were really anxious to check out the beaches but the sand was really soft, so we turned around and went on our way to Ocracoke Island. I really wanted to be sitting in the sun!

We hopped on the ferry and scooted across the Pamlico Sound over to our destination. On the ferry ride to the island we saw lots of wildlife including dolphins, pelicans, and skimmers - one of my favorite birds!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="White Ibis struttin' his stuff after catching a small mud fiddler - Taken from the Ferry"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Spotted Sandpiper"][/caption]

Ocracoke is way too beautiful to describe. Its just miles of inhabited beach and sound. The water is absolutely Stunning! Brian and I could see our toes in the water!! The beaches I hang around have a sort of green color to them. This was simply amazing to see! we could see the shells in the water, even as the waves were breaking and huge crabs swimming by in the current. I felt like I was in Florida!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Ocracoke turquoise colored ocean"]/[/caption]

We sat on the beach and enjoyed the day relaxing and watching the birds. Right before we left, the Skimmers kept coming by....I felt like I could sit there for hours watching them delicately skim the wave break-line hoping to catch a fish or small crustacean.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Black Skimmer delicately skimming the waves for food"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Black Skimmer heading back down the break-line for more food"][/caption]

...and persistence pays off!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Black Skimmer with his catch!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="YUM! Did you know black skimmers have webbed feet but rarely swim in the water"][/caption]

Brian and I spent the entire day on the beach. It's so relaxing...I can't imagine life with out days spent on the beach. n our way home we stopped at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to switch drivers. I asked Brian if we could walk down the trail a bit and get a picture of the sun setting....on our way down the trail I could hear the loud call from an Eastern Towhee, a bird I hear often...but hardly see.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Eastern Towhee "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="Eastern Towhee singing his heart out in the sunset"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Pea Island Refuge Sunset"][/caption]