The Three Bears

We spent the summer of 2011 in Glacier National Park in Montana and I did not see one bear!
We come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and we see this in the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge
just inland from the Outer Banks. Crops are planted there to attract and feed the wildlife.
This was the "mother load" of  wildlife!!!

This is another bear in the road.

Then we see yet another bear crossing the road on our way back to the parking lot!!
See the car just beyond the bear? That is how close he was to the cars.

Bodie (pronounced body) Island Lighthouse where Bernie worked this summer.
The building in the foreground is the Visitors Center.

This is a map of the Outer Banks from top to bottom in relation to where we lived and Bernie worked. We lived in Manteo and Bernie worked at Bodie Island Lighthouse. We visited (from top to bottom) Currituck Lighthouse, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Ocracoke Lighthouse. We had to take a free ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke. We did not go all the way down to Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

Every Tuesday morning is a program called "Crabbing with a Ranger".
Visitors were shown how to catch crab.
Visitors were advised not to keep the crab the caught during this activity so
that there would be a plentiful supply for subsequent crabbing activities.

Bodie Island Lighthouse before scaffolding was erected for renovations.

Bodie Island Lighthouse as it look now. Having a lot of work done this summer.

Bernie's walk on the beach during his off time. So relaxing being on the beach.

Pelicans on the beach.

Jet pack. Fun to watch.

Hang gliding on the dunes. Another fun thing to watch.

Listening to the news, when you hear the mosquito index along with the heat index,
you just know that the mosquito's are going to be bad!!! This is proof. I've never seen this service before.

Wedding on the beach. No one we know, it was just fun to watch.

Kite Flying Extravaganza

These kites were absolutely spectacular

Huge kite

These kites were flown at the dunes. This is where there is always
a great breeze or you could actually call it a gale wind.

Attention book club ladies!!!

Eat your hearts out--this is my favorite reading spot.

Other houses that are build in this area may have man-made canals to help
the get to the store a little quicker in a boat. Otherwise is a longer 4-wheel drive.

Many houses are built in the area but mostly have a 4-wheel drive to get to them.
If you ever shop at the Dollar Store, you are supporting this kind of lifestyle.
This home is owned by the dollar store people.

Tourists set-up on the beach for the day to enjoy.

More wild horses along the beach. These horses do not run away when you get close.
Speed limit is strictly enforces to 15 mph while going past horses and people.
Otherwise you can go 35 mph.

Wild horses along the beach section of route 12

We're ready to go

Wild Horses of Corolla Tour in Corolla, North Carolina
We took a 4 wheel drive adventure trip to see the wild horses. These horses are the descendants of Spanish Mustangs which survived early shipwrecks. Historical research records the horses here as early as 1523. Route 12 runs the stretch of the Outer Banks from the south (Ocracoke) to North (Corolla). The paved road portion of route 12 ends and the unpaved portion begins onto the beach in Corolla. Anyone planning to take a trip to the Outer Banks should make this part of their plans. It was spectacular! You will also see that vacationers will drive their vehicles (should be 4 wheel drive) on to the beach and set-up for the day to enjoy the area.

Another picture of the Ocracoke, NC lighthouse. Tourists are not permitted to
climb this lighthouse but Bernie and other Rangers were taken up as part of their training.
I could have gone up, since I was there with them, but when the volunteer said that
the upper part required us to climb a latter that had a very long drop-off—
I decided that was not for me!

This is the Ocracoke, NC lighthouse

This is the ferry that left just before us but is exactly the same as ours.

Bernie on the deck of the ferry

Driving on to the ferry

It was a bit of a wait so we decided to enjoy the great weather.

Waiting for the ferry

 Our Trip to Ocracoke, North Carolina

The island of Ocracoke is a part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It's one of the most remote islands in the Outer Banks, as it can only be reached by one of three public ferries (two of which are toll ferries), private boat, or private plane. Other than the village of Ocracoke and a few other areas (a ferry terminal, a pony pen, a small runway), the entire island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The ferry we took to get there from Hatteras was the free ferry. However, if you want to get off Ocracoke to the mainland of North Carolina, those ferries have a charge. We loved our day touring Ocarcoke.

Tour day on Saturday May 26

Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, NC
We climbed to the top (just under the light itself) 214 steps.
It was a beautiful day for viewing from the top.

Bernie at the top of the lighthouse

Lighthouse keepers house (restored) viewed from the top of the lighthouse

This is the light at the top of the lighthouse. We were able to climb just below this light.

View from the top of the lighthouse

Another view from the top of the lighthouse