Day 10: Cape Hatteras, NC

By Molly [& Karen]

Today we woke up in the Cape Hatteras KOA and drove to the Cape Hatteras National Park to check out the campsites at Frisco Campground. We liked it so we decided to stay because of the view of the ocean and the breeze. [The KOA was a cramped motorhome/trailer village. It was loaded with amenities but we much prefer the quiet and bare campgrounds of national parks and state parks.] We had to wait for the Rangers to help us get our campsite because they had to help someone with a snake problem. [The Rangers successfully scared away a Copperhead snake for the campers. Upon which Patrick told us all about how deadly Copperheads can be since he did a school project on them this year.]

We then drove to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. We listened to a Ranger talk. [Interestingly, all Ranger programs on the Outerbanks begin with a lesson on rip tides. Apparently, the constantly shifting sandbars make for dangerous currents.] I learned that the lighthouse was moved in 1999 because it was too close to the shore. [Only 65 feet separated the lighthouse from the shoreline. Now the lighthouse is about 2700 feet from the shoreline. It is predicted that it will once again be on the water’s edge by the end of this century due to beach erosion.] The lighthouse is pretty with a black and white spiral painted on it and a bright red base. We got to climb the lighthouse. It has 257 steps to the top. There was a big wind at the top. I felt like I was the tallest person in the world!

After shopping at Conner’s Market, we went back to the campground to go swimming in the ocean. The ocean was cool. I liked jumping and floating over the waves. [We were taken aback by all the cars and trucks on the beach. The beach was only about 30 yards wide and folks basically park their 4-wheel drive vehicles near the shore leaving enough room to set up a few chairs.] Then we came back to the RV for dinner. After dinner, we went back to the beach and had a beach fire. [By now, most of the cars and trucks were gone – just us, a few night fishermen, lots of birds (seagulls, plovers, ospreys, and others) and a couple of horseback riders.] We roasted marshmallows and made s’mores. I like making and eating them.