On the Way Home!

We got up early, finished packing the car. We left at about 6:10am. We were still going to try to get out to the Outer Banks before going home.  November 18

For the boy who never naps in the car, he was asleep fairly quickly.

Driving down the road ! Virginia is so pretty in the fall

We made it to Kill Devil Hills !! It was a fun drive, slow in places, but fun!

I checked the web site before we left,and it said that the Jr. Ranger program was available in the summer. Uh-oh, so I called. They did have the program and they were ready for Lon and had his booklet at the desk.  They took his picture for the web site, but we have not seen it yet.

Looking through the museum, I did not know that "the boys from the Life Saving Station" came to help the Wright brothers move the airplane around the dunes. We learned that from the movie.

The view from the top of the hill. I did not realize that it was that far! We had to go up there, Lon had to read the inscription on the monument and write down part of it in his booklet.

Lon is in front of the monument.  It was very large, and it was very windy!!

Reading about the future of flight.

Taking his oath for the badge.  This was a badge, not a patch this time. We really had a good time there. We do want to go back and explore more, but we did want to get moving.
I had looked at the map and there was no clear way to get from the Outer Banks down the coast. Roads meandered, and some just stopped.  It was actually looking faster and more direct, to go back to I-95.
If we did that we would pass another National Park.

 The bridge from the Outer Banks to Roanoke Island.

Elizabeth Gardens. I saved this for next time.

Reading about all that happened at Fort Raliegh.   Not only was it the place of the Lost Colony, other things happened out there through the years. A Civil War battle, and then a sanctuary for enslaved people during the war.  There were also some wireless innovations that took place here too!

Jr Ranger badge #40.  Lon earned 10 on this trip.  I was very proud of him for doing all the work required to get them done
It was getting late and we were going to be driving in the dark, but I just did not want to be driving too long in the dark.

Alligator river.  There was hardly anyone out on the road but us.

Beautiful fall colors

Fields of cotton!  We were almost back to I-95. It was a fun detour out to the Outer Banks. It was fun, even in November.  We want to go back and see more!