Lighthouses of The Outer Banks

64 Comments / Places to see /

Lighthouse Series- North Carolina 

 "Tonight wandering sailors pale with fears,
Wide over the watery waste a light appears,
On the far-seen mountain blazing high,
Streams from lonely watchtower to the sky".
   (from Homer's Odyssey)

The Outer Banks of North Carolina

I want to give you a brief background about the Outer Banks, which lie off the coast of North Carolina. The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of sandy barrier islands about 70 miles from the mainland. The currents that built the islands also tend to push ships too close to them, which has resulted in disaster for at least 2,300 major vessels, giving this area the nickname, “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. You can visit a museum showing artifacts from these shipwrecks at Hatteras, North Carolina. Museum

A 70 mile stretch of the Outer Banks, from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, is also known as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and is managed by the National Park Service. The Outer Banks is an absolutely amazing and beautiful area of my state! If you like lighthouses, I think you should add this to your “bucket list”.

  U.S. National Park Service (http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/cape-hatteras-map.jpg)

Outer Banks Lighthouses

North Carolina had a total of 23 lighthouses at one time. Many of those lighthouses have been destroyed or demolished. Today there are seven lighthouses still standing, five of which are on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

  1. Currituck Beach Light
  2. Bodie Island Light
  3. Cape Hatteras Light
  4. Ocracoke Light
  5. Cape Lookout Light
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Our RV on a campsite

Is Camping a Good Option during the Pandemic?

64 Comments / Camping /

Misinformation or the Truth?

As the news about the coronavirus seems to get worse, I think it’s important to keep a clear head and try to separate panic & misinformation from the truth. It’s definitely not time to panic or load up on toilet paper and bottled water. As far as I know, we will be able to find toilet paper and our water supply will not be cut off. My water is from a well so I think we’ll be ok.

I understand that many people have been asked to stay home if possible and avoid crowds. This sounds like good advice to stop the spread of this virus. We have my 88-year-old mother living with us, so we are isolating her as much as possible. People can also be “carriers” without showing symptoms, so I have to keep my distance from my Mom. I use Lysol spray and wipes and wash my hands often.

Truths

  1. The symptoms of the coronavirus are; a cough, high temperature, and shortness of breath. Simple measures like washing your hands often with soap and water can help stop this virus from spreading. It’s not known exactly how this virus is spread from person to person but like other viruses, it could be by cough droplets.
  2. It is spreading quickly across our country and across the world.
  3. We have been asked to avoid large gatherings.
  4. Large events are being canceled, sporting events, concerts,
  5. Schools and churches are being closed
  6. Some businesses are asking employees to work from home
  7. The stock market is taking a hit
  8. We don’t know what the long-term effect will be on our economy
  9. A vaccine is being developed
  10. It is unknown if the virus doesn’t like the heat of warmer weather and will subside in the summer

UPDATE: We now have answers to these questions. When I first wrote this, it was early in the Pandemic.

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Is Camping a Good Option during the Pandemic? Read More »

A Jurassic Adventure at the Museum of Science!

56 Comments / Places to see /

Last Saturday we wanted to find a place close to home to explore. We decided to check out N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, which is only about 1 hour from home in Raleigh, North Carolina(the state’s capital). It was a chilly morning so going to a museum was a good idea. The museum has 4 floors and tons of interesting information, and the best news is that it is FREE(although donations are welcome). The museum is located at; 11 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC. We found parking right on the street and it was also free. Read more to find out what surprised us!

Globe at entrance to Museum
At the entrance to Museum
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A Jurassic Adventure at the Museum of Science! Read More »

History of the Lighthouse

56 Comments / Places to see /

Lighthouse Series-History

Definition: A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other types of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.

History of the Lighthouse

Lighthouses stand as guiding lights to help those out to sea find their way back to shore. They also serve as a warning against hazards, such as; shallow water, reefs, and rocks. The history of the lighthouse goes back to Rome and the 5th Century BC. The first lighthouse is said to have been at Piraeus connected to Athens and was essentially a small stone column with a fire beacon. During the middle ages, most Roman lighthouses fell into disuse, some remained functional like the Tower of Hercules. The Tower of Hercules(Galician and Spanish: Torre de Hércules) stands (180 ft) tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of Spain. The structure, built in the 2nd century and renovated in 1791, is the oldest lighthouse in use today.

Alessio Damato / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
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History of the Lighthouse Read More »