Vacation: Picture Pages

Believe it or not, I did not take a tremendous amount of photos when we were in Emerald Isle. I typically would have 200+ and I barely hit 90. It was a good and restful week with my family on one side of the house and Aubrey's on the other. I was deep into the languid southern way by the time we hit Emerald Isle after our time in Ocracoke. Most of our time was spent just being - on the beach morning noon and night, watching the sky and chasing the light, rocking on the porch, reading, enjoying the quiet and the shrieks of Lola Jean as she followed her cousins around. And fishing 24 hours a day for MFD except the day the guys all golfed.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever fully shared photos from the last time we were in Emerald Isle two years ago, aside from on my weekend posts. It must be a just be place.

Happy 40th to our BFF Evan today. Love you! And we need a new photo together. Also, if you yourself need photos, Evan is your man. Check out Evan Leslie Images on facebook and follow him on Instagram.

Ocracoke

Along the shore:

Gorgeous, empty beaches. Best place to watch the sunrise in the summer is on the ocean side right at the Hatteras Ferry terminal. I wish more people reported in on where the best place to watch the sunrise is. Lots of awesome treasures on these shores. Warm, very swimmable water. Gentle and nice until the tide started coming in on Thursday...then MFD went from four pieces of fishing equipment at the water's edge down to two then to zero. The ocean is a cruel mistress. After much hand wringing and pacing through thunderous punishing surf, all four pieces were recovered. 

Flora & fauna:

Green, blue, and riotous flowers. Grateful for large shady trees on hot days. I always forget how wet the south is until I am under its blanket of humidity. 

Spotted:

Library parking, inviting porch at The Flying Melon, looks like America's open, feminist book spread at Books to Be Red, shark swing, markers next to the British Cemetery, July 4 leftovers at Books to Be Red, porch at Magic Bean, Ocracoke Lighthouse

Good food:

Fish tacos from Eduardo's Taco Stand

Fried green tomatoes with a shrimp topper at The Flying Melon Cafe

Sweating glasses of sweet tea everywhere, no regrets

Egg sandwich with prosciutto and manchego cheese on a buttermilk biscuit + apple pancake from Dajio

Solid grilled chicken sandwich at Jason's

Fresh shrimp + fries at the Jolly Roger

Fresh grouper with mango sauce + key lime pie at Back Porch

My kind of people: 

I met a few strong female proprietors and people on my wavelength. 

Animals:

Pelicans everywhere. I love those big gallumps. Ghost crabs skittering over the dunes at dawn. MFD rescuing a turtle on the main road. Ponies in pens. Duck family at our hotel. Lincoln the dog at Magic Bean. The Ocracoke Coffeehouse dog. 

Where we stayed: 

Ocracoke Harbor Inn - Great location, nice people, fine price, great view. We could also rent bikes right there, which is how we got around the village. 

How we got to and fro: 

Drove from home down through Hatteras and took the ferry over, then took the ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar Island and drove another hour and a half down to Emerald Isle, NC. To:

Fro: 

Videos:

Ferry Hatteras to Ocracoke 7/5

Ocracoke beach 7/6

Lightening over the harbor on 7/6

Ocracoke dirt road bike ride (wobbly, not for those with motion sickness)

Verdict:

We both loved this laid back, magic little unicorn of an island. People loaded up in the back of pick up trucks riding around; languid afternoons; the low hum of struggling air conditioners; the fresh seafood; the Strathmere on an island a few hours down the coast from the Jersey shore; the wild, salty, lawless feeling live and let live land. 

What do you do when it rains on vacation? Blog about the first part of your vacation.

Thursday Thoughts - Observations from the road

1. My neighborhood facebook page has been on fire over fireworks the past week. I live in a section of Philadelphia where a random Wednesday night at 11 pm seems like a good time to set off fireworks. This happens all year, not just in the summer. But the past week has been vicious and people with dogs and babies and those who fear having their deck or car catch on fire from debris (true story, one neighbor's deck caught on fire) rail against illegal fireworks and everyone else is all you're pussies they're fun get a life (pretty much a direct quote). So that battle has been raging, and I kept the dogs at the shore with me Sunday night to avoid the fireworks. I could not avoid them on the third and Fourth and Mae was berserk which I did not feel like dealing with before a long, early drive. So I feel like taking illegal fireworks and shoving them up someone's fucking ass right now.

2. The drive was good. It was fine. Is it weird that I barely remember it even though it was a few hours ago? Writing this on Wednesday night with this view from our room in Ocracoke. It's dark now of course but still just lovely.

3. From 4:30 am to 5 pm yesterday, the only things I ate were my Mom's chocolate chip cookies and a slim jim. It did not occur to us to have a proper-ish car lunch so MFD hustled me over to the closest restaurant as soon as we checked in because he has been on the receiving end of my hanger enough times to know to cut the head off the ugly beast before it gets going. We did stop to pee a few times...like at Pea Island. Have I mentioned how much I love bathroom stall graffiti?

4. We also did a quick drive by of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. I always forget about how wet the south is until I am solidly under its blanket of humidity. We did not climb the steps. Also, I think MFD might actually be using Instagram on this trip. Follow him here.

5. I also have a picture of a unicorn poop candy that's on MFD's phone. I'll let you imagine what that looks like until I get the photo and insert it here.

6. I'm trying to disengage over the next week but seriously LOfuckingLing and WTFing all over the place forever because people thought NPR tweeting the Declaration of Independence to mirror what they've done on air for 29 YEARS (they read it on July 4) was propaganda or calling for a revolution. Most quite simply did not recognize the tweets for what they were. Maybe the lack of familiarity with the Declaration of Independence or Constitution is how we got to this place. For anyone not familiar, while they are connected in spirit, they are two separate, distinct documents.

7. It's about that time, my friends. Remember to join Jenn on Saturday in the 4th Annual Worldwide Day of Awareness and use #JennsVision in your social media sunglass selfies. If you have a minute, check out Jenn's (facebook or YouTube). Follow/tag her on Instagram as well.

8. Readers! Bloggers! Show Us Your Books is Tuesday.

9. Reminder:

10. E-card of the week. 

Emerald Isle

We spent last week nine hours down the coast in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. A quiet, pretty little beach town, the perfect place in which to relax. Picture heavy post ahead (apologies for duplicates from FB or Instagram), starting with my favorite thing about vacationing on the beach: the opportunity to see the sun rise and the light play off of the water. I got up at 5:30 every day except one to see it. I got dressed quickly, grabbed some iced coffee and a chair, and crept down to the beach as the light crept up. 

I also like the sunsets and Magic Hour in particular, but they were only good Sunday and Tuesday. There were some spectacular moonrises as well. 

There's nothing like staying beach front, something which is much more affordable down south rather than in Jersey. We had some sweet flyovers too due to the proximity of Camp Lejeune.

Emerald Isle has a cool pier, the Bogue Inlet pier. Carol and I walked down one morning and MFD and I went out on top of the pier Thursday night. It was swaying in the wind then and I beat feet off of that pier so fast. Panic at the disco. 

MFD and I joined my Dad & Carol on a tourist shopping excursion that included lunch at a roadside dive that was awesome.

We also checked out Swansboro one morning. I liked the cute little towns that were a quick drive off of the island.

You can't talk about vacation without talking about food. Monday - seafood feast (crab legs, steamers, scallops prepared two ways, shrimp prepared three ways); Tuesday - taco Tuesday, guacamole, salsa and cheese with chips; Wednesday  - pulled pork, sauteed green beans, roasted potatoes, cole slaw; Thursday - MFD and I went out to Kathryn's and split a soft shell crab. I had a great ribeye. Vacation cereal, I rarely eat it at home. Us northerners bring scrapple with us on vacation. An awesome berry tart in Swansboro. Reese's s'mores dessert. Fabulous ice cream from the Sweet Spot. If you're ever in the area, go to Big Oak in Salter Path and get the shrimp burger and fried pickles! Our friend Julie recommended it and it was awesome.

But of course the main attraction was the beach - and the company. It was great to spend the week with my family with Stephen's friends from college in town as well. We did a lot of swimming, no sharks in sight. Top two pics are MFD catching a wave and my Dad. Thanks to Carol for the bottom two pics of me on my float with Stephen assisting to keep me from being carried away.

I did a lot of reading (thanks to Carol for the standing pic), finishing 6.5 books and starting a seventh on the way home.

And of course we did a lot of relaxing and picture taking and laughing and talking. 

Beach scenes 

 I love the restorative and rejuvenating powers of being next to the sea. 

A little symmetry in the beginning and the end...

It's been five years since MFD and I spent a week at the beach mostly in relax mode. I mean, I was in total relax mode. I forgot how awesome it is to do that. If I was any more relaxed, I would be dead. MFD was in work mode except for the times I forced him to be in relax mode...I appreciate that his business is demanding but I will always push relaxation on him. We all need it, am I right? We loved it so much we already decided to go back to Emerald Isle with my family in 2017. See you then, sleepy seaside town. 

Linking up for Wanderlust Wednesdays with Kate, Emily, and Kerri