There were still a few hours of daylight left when I finished the tour of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, and so, (I reasoned) why not - ride Cape Hatteras, to end of the Cape? It seemed, that it would be a shame not to more fully explore the famed "Outer Banks" favored as presidential retreat.
They climb mountains - "Because it's There." And in the same way, I felt compelled to travel to the end of Cape Hatteras - just, "Because it's There."
Along the way, the drift fences placed in the dunes to halt the advancing sands, were now, save all but the very tops of the fences, buried by the sands relentless onslaught. For me, the rolling dunes and the drift fences when combined with the sprouts of reed grasses, presented a scene reminiscent of the paintings which are so often favored by watercolor artists. Several times I stopped to capture the scene with my Nikon camera; but each time, after snapping several photos, I left feeling disappointed by my inability to do - just that.
Actually, there was, one more "ulterior motive" for wanting to go to end of the Cape; and that was to find out what it would take to get to Ocracoke Island. Why (you ask) the interest in Ocracoke Island? It was, in an inlet to Ocracoke Island where on the morning of November 21, 1718, that one Edward Teach, the notorious "Blackbeard the Pirate" was killed and beheaded.
It was only 100 miles ride to end of the Cape. Even so, it was twice as far as I had anticipated, and once I got there it seemed like - it's more less like the rest of the Cape.
It was now early evening, and thus, too late to think about boarding the ferry (the access to Ocracoke Island) with out provisions for staying the evening. And so, now there was nothing left to do, but - "go back to whence I came."
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