On the way out of town, we stopped at The Wright Brothers Monument at Kill Devil Hills. We walked up to the top of the hill where they first tested their glider controls. Then we walked down to the flat where they built the rail where they launched their first powered flights. We toured the visitor center which had exhibits and plaques that explained the backstory and many details. Their parents encouraged their imagination and experimentation and commitment to their dreams. I learned a lot!

The brothers chose the site in the Outer Banks not only for the consistent, strong winds, but also because of the sand, which offered a soft landing. They had to have a bicycle mechanic build an engine with an aluminum block, because no auto maker would accept the challenge. They used a lot of trial and error, persistence and calculated risks, in addition to the scientific method. For instance, they learned that the two propellors had to spin in opposite directions for better stability. As an engineer, Hank was fascinated. 

​ Arrived late afternoon at the beautiful home of Angie's friend, Alex, who lives in the Croatan neighborhood across the street from the Ocean. Her wide driveway was easy to park in. Alex graciously offered us a downstairs suite in her home for our three-night stay when our original host, Betsy, came down with COVID.
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We joined two of Angie's girlfriends, Kris and Barbara, at the Mermaid Winery in Chix Beach for happy hour. Then we moved down the road to Froggy's Bar for drinks on the deck and live music. Another of Angie's friends, Lissette, joined us at Froggy's, which was founded by a retired Navy Seal (frogman).

Angie had a large circle of girlfriends (eight women) during her 16-years of  residence in Virginia Beach. Between her wonderful friends and her fond memories of the area, Angie felt quite homesick for Virginia Beach.

Hank rose early to walk the dogs around the campsite. Then we drove all the way to the end of the Southern Beaches at the town of Corrolla. Angie drove her truck about a mile up the beach and parked it. 
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On a warm overcast day, the dogs enjoyed playing in the surf and chasing other people's kites. We walked about six miles on the beach. We saw a herd of wild horses on the beach on the way back. We were happy to make it back through the deep sand to the paved road. 

​Rose early to take the dogs on the beach and to see if they ocean had returned our floating toy, as it approached low tide. No joy. Went to a coffee shop to work on catching up on our blog. Met Hank's high school stoner friend, John, who grew up to become a pastor after retiring from the coast guard and a electrical contracting company he founded and operated until the death of his wife of 30 years. 

John is happily remarried now for three years, but we didn't get a chance to meet his wife, Judy. Nevertheless, we had a great time reminiscing with John and exploring Nags Head and Manteo on Roanoke Island. We are very grateful that John drove two hours to meet us in Nags Head and spend the day with us.

Later, Hank and Angie attended a performance of "The Lost Colony" at an outdoor waterfront musical theater performance on Roanoke Island. With a cast of more than 60, there were great costumes, music and dancing, including scenes with Queen Elizabeth and her court, as well as a Native American warrior dance. Really fun night!

​Over 300 miles of driving took us finally across the wide Alligator River and Roanoke Island to the Outer Banks National Seashore, where we camped at Oregon Inlet. Our campsite is just a short walk over the dunes to a beautiful wide beach and Atlantic surf. The dogs enjoyed romping in the water, but we had to be careful not to lose them to the rip current. We didn't lose a dog, but the Ocean claimed one of our floating toys.

This is a dry campsite so we bought a DC-powered fan to help cool the trailer without air conditioning. But we didn't need it the first night, as there was a steady breeze all night long.

​We anticipated a short drive, so we spent a couple of hours in the base food court using the WiFi to work on our itinerary planning and blog updates. We underestimated the drive, though, and arrived about an hour late to Locust to visit my second-oldest brother, Roger and his wife, Rose. We had intended to park in their driveway, but found it to be impractical given a combination of challenges:
- narrow width of driveway
- narrow street in front of the house
- heavy neighborhood traffic
But my resourceful brother found an excellent alternative - he got permission from a neighbor to use their gravel driveway and hard-packed yard to access an easement along the fence behind Roger's house. He threw an extension cord over the fence to keep our fridge and freezer running overnight, while Angie and I enjoyed the comfortable hospitality of their home.

The dogs stayed in the trailer. It appears one of them tried to make an overnight exit through a window, because we found a torn window screen in the morning. We will add a new screen to our growing list of maintenance items, which now includes better cabinet hinge fasteners (the small screws keep falling out of the narrow press-board frame), levelling of our cantilvered dining table and replumbing of our outdoor shower connection, which leaks like a sieve everytime we try to use it.

Roger and Rose were gracious in their patience with our late arrival. We enjoyed a hearty meal of lasagna and salad before embarking on an auto tour of their town and surrounding communities. Roger is especially proud of his hometown of 17 years where he has been a city councilman for many years. Locust is experiencing explosive growth as a bedroom community for nearby Charlotte. Yet it is surrounded by rural farmland which is remiscent of Southcentral Pennsylvania.

Roger has been the driving force behind our family reunion (on my mother's side), which will celebrate it's 30th anniversary on June 25th. To Hank, this reunion represents a commemoration of God's miraculous healing of his mother Nettie's life-long alcoholism. As a result of Nettie's healing, relationships between Nettie and three of her estranged children were healed. And bonds have been formed between all seven of her children, from three different marriages and three different foster homes. We are so grateful for the love and inspiration that these new sibling relationships have added to Hank's life.

​We met Hank's oldest brother Douglas' family at their church, Calvary Chapel, which was the friendliest church we have ever visited. There must have been a half- dozen people that greeted us and made us feel welcome. We heard a great message, too, from John 5:1-15. Jesus can make you well, but it's up to you to stay well. Douglas' daughter, Becky, had chosen this church after an invitation by a friend to attend a women's retreat. 

Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious homemade lunch of pork chops, green beans and potatoes, prepared German style by Douglas' Berlin-born wife, Karen. We enjoyed a great visit in their cozy Summerville home, sharing many old and new stories. Karen made some iced coffees that were the equal to any Starbucks offering. It had been almost 25 years since Hank's last visit to Summerville and more than 10 since he had seen Douglas, Karen and Becky at a family reunion, so this was a very special day for him.

​We did a self-guided walking tour of Charleston that tooks us from the Visitor Center all the way to the Customs House and Market and back - about 13,000 steps. We had to stop early because the dogs were so hot and tired! The churches, mansions and rich history from the Revolution through the Civil War were fascinating. The mansions were influenced by Italian and French design and featured beautiful gardens, porches and balconies they call "piazzas" here.

We tried to get a table at a dog friendly restaurant, but were faced with a 30-minute wait. We decided to instead make an early stop at Red's Ice House on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant. This was a spot that Angie's sister, Theresa, and friend Kelly had raved about. It did not disappoint.

We got seats at the outdoor bar overlooking the active riverside dock. Pelicans flocked on the river and Dolphins frolicked by. The mid-afternoon crowd was abuzz. Boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders paraded by. Our favorite boat was a a circular floating tiki bar with an in-board engine. The skipper was also the bartender.

​Neither of us had ever visited Savannah, but had heard how unique it was. We stopped there for lunch and we were both charmed. The streets were lined with trees strewn with Spanish moss. The brick row houses had beautiful paint and architectural details. There were mansions, the state capital building, and an amazing waterfront along the Savannah River. The city appears to be home to many colleges and has an active art scene.

We were welcomed by more rain showers upon our arrival at the Air Base in Charleston. We had a quiet night and planned our next couple of days.

Upon arrival at the base campground, the maintenance guy warned us not to get our dogs anywhere near the large lake because it was mating season for the alligators. He also told us that the previous day, one guest found an alligator resting at the bottom of the steps to her trailer! We never saw a gator there, but we kept the dogs on a short leash after that briefing.

We got a lot of chores done and exercised the dogs in a safely fenced play area.

​Hard rain raised the level of the canal behind our campsite very fast. We watched it nervously, wondering whether we might have to evacuate. Luckily, the rain subsided, so we felt free to continue our visit with Rick and Jean. They gave us a tour of all the facilities and grounds at Tarpon Bay, followed by a walking tour of nearby Stuart, FL, a charming port town that is swarming with tourists in season. The night of our visit was quiet, though.