We rented a beach house with Mimi and Mormor in Waves, North Carolina in the Outer Banks over Spring Break. It was more than big enough for our group of 7. Below is a photo of it.
We were a few houses in from the beach on a quiet dead-end street. Derek and Mimi heading to the beach:
One of our excursions was to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. From Wikipedia: "The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse protects one of the most hazardous sections of the Atlantic Coast. Offshore of Cape Hatteras, the Gulf Stream collides with the Virginia Drift, a branch of the Labrador Current from Canada. This current forces southbound ships into a dangerous twelve-mile long sandbar called Diamond Shoals. Hundreds and possibly thousands of shipwrecks in this area have given it the reputation as the Graveyard of the Atlantic." The Outer Banks used to be a haven for pirates storing their loot because not many boats were willing to brave the shifting sandbars and risk shipwreck. This lighthouse was moved inland half a mile in 1999 to keep it safe from shoreline erosion.
The pool at the beach house was too cold! The kids and Nate did brave it one day though.
We also made a day trip of Roanoke Island Festival Park. It was the first English settlement in America and currently houses a living history museum and a replica of the Elizabeth II ship from 1587. Jamestown, which was established in 1607 was the first permanent English settlement, though Roanoke Island was established 22 years earlier. Roanoke Island became known as the Lost Colony due to the unexplained disappearance of its population when the English came back a couple years later.
The fate of the approximately approximately 120 colonists remains unknown. The cryptic word "CROATOAN" was found carved into the palisade, and many interpret that to mean that the colonists had relocated to Croatoan Island to live with the Native Americans after struggling with their own settlement, though no one knows for sure. I didn't know all this history, so it was really interesting to learn about it and explore.
The fate of the approximately approximately 120 colonists remains unknown. The cryptic word "CROATOAN" was found carved into the palisade, and many interpret that to mean that the colonists had relocated to Croatoan Island to live with the Native Americans after struggling with their own settlement, though no one knows for sure. I didn't know all this history, so it was really interesting to learn about it and explore.
On the replica ship Elizabeth II, we got to explore hands-on above and below deck, practiced tying ropes, lifting the anchor, etc.
There was also an English village and Indian village as part of the living history museum. The kids pretended to be in trouble locked up in the pillory. There were also blacksmiths, weaving, and other things to see or try out.
In the attached museum, we tried on some period clothes:
We also made it to the beach every day of course and loved the beautiful sand and water.
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At the KOA campground a street away from us, there was a stage to put on plays. Karina, Lydia, Derek, and Mimi put on some plays for me and Nate. All of their plays involved stealing treasure and rescuing it back, which worked out well since the stage was equipped with a pirate ship.
Also nearby in Kitty Hawk was the Wright Brothers National Memorial where after 4 years of scientific experimentation, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first successful airplane flights on December 17, 1903. The area is full of sand dunes which allowed soft landings for gliding and flying attempts. It is also incredibly windy, which is also why the Wright Brothers did their experimentation here and not in Indiana or Ohio where they were from.
This is a replica of the airplane they used for their first successful flight. We loved that people were allowed to climb on it and lay on it the way Orville Wright did when he was flying and steering it. The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Virginia has the original plane on display (and we have been there), but no one is allowed to touch that plane, so it is not as interesting, especially for kids.
In the background, you can see the monument to the Wright Brothers which is on Big Kill Devil Hill. That sand dune has been intentionally grassed over so it wouldn't disappear. The hills the Wright brothers experimented on are called Kill Devil Hills. We liked these names.
You can see the statue of Orville Wright behind Derek modeling the position he was in during flight. His position looks very precarious!
The kids did their science experiments for the school science fair while we were at the beach house. Lydia made a homemade rocket with baking soda and vinegar.
Shooting off the ground:
A successful run shot up to the 3rd floor:
Karina made potato/fruit batteries. She experimented with potatoes, lemons, tomatoes, carrots, bananas, and found that potatoes made the best batteries.
Derek (not pictured) used flour, sand, and water and made fossil imprints with shells and other things we found along the beach.
A view of one of the houses that collapsed into the ocean a couple weeks later:
Some more beach pictures:
We briefly visited the sound side of the barrier island, a few minutes walk from our house.
It was a fun and interesting trip!
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