Stop and Smell the People

Blue Ridge Traveler!

MilePost 86

Anna, Crowley and I have been taking day trips from our home in Roanoke to destinations in the Blue Ridge. Our most recent was literally on the Blue Ridge Parkway: Peaks of Otter. Which sounds like an alternative rock band but is really three mountain peaks with a lake between. The peaks are Sharp Top, Flat Top and Harkening Hill. The man made lake in the valley is called Abbot.

A very long time ago Thomas Jefferson thought the Peaks of Otter were the tallest mountains in America. Not even close. A couple of guys named Lewis and Clark found some slightly taller ranges farther west.

We had a great lunch overlooking the lake and Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Worth every dime!

Before lunch we took an ill advised hike to “The Johnson Family Farm.” Ill advised because we had a baby in a stroller and this was a dirt path made for horses and bear. But we made it! Sweaty. But good. It’s an old farm house where nothing in it has been altered since the early 1900s. It was beautiful, that’s for sure. And it gave us a truthful look at how hard life was for families in the country back then. I’m pretty sure i couldn’t have lived like that.

The National Parks Service owns and operates the farm.

The Johnson Family Farm

We had a great time. Save for the gnats. It was gnat hell at points. Know clue why but there were swarms attacking us. No idea how many I inhaled or swallowed. Good times. The Park Ranger said it’s been an unusual year for gnats. Perhaps it’s the recession.

Anyway you can learn more about the Johnson Family here.

Perhaps they were drawn to my organic deodorant… MR

The Natural(ish) Bridge

Summertime means adventure time for Crowley, me and my boyfriend, Bob. (By the way Bob is the best boyfriend I ever had: quiet, strong, great looking and carries the baby everywhere. I’ll admit he is a stroller, even so…he’s still the best.) Anyway, as I learn about Crowley’s busy little brain and how it works…I can tell he likes to keep moving. New environments seem to light a fire under the little man’s development. So, since we are working on the words for animals, I thought, let’s go see them. So off we went to The Natural Bridge Zoo.

Crowley making friends

It’s about 35 miles north of Roanoke in Rockbridge County. Privately owned, the zoo has everything from zebras, bears, tigers, monkeys, giraffes to elephants (Crowley said ‘elephant’ for the first time). His favorite animals, by far, were the baby goats.

Crowley's goats at The Natural Bridge Zoo

If you have kids and are in the vicinity, should you go? Why not? It’s $8 for an adult, Crowley was free. Is this how I would spend my free time if not teaching a child how to talk? No.  This is a place with tremendous potential but they don’t put a lot of effort into the exhibits or even educating you about the animals. That said, I am glad we went and Crowley had an up close encounter with so many animals. Friendly to off-roading strollers like Bob. He’s so dependable.

After we toured the The Natural Bridge Zoo, we headed down to the The Natural Bridge.. which is an enormous rock formation, carved out by a river to form a… well… a natural bridge.  Also privately owned, you’ll have to fork over a whopping $18 per adult to see the thing. It is handicapped accessible which means they load you into a rickety bus (think camp from your childhoods) and head down a bumpy, curvy road… bouncing all the way. Not a great idea to wear a low cut top, especially if you are still nursing. There will be a wardrobe failure.

The happy (and sad) part is, they have paved the whole path up to and under the Natural Bridge. This makes it a breeze for Bob but the pavement takes the nature right out of natural. But it is an awesome site. Absolutely enormous. And cool.

Crowley, Anna and Bob... Natural Bridge in the background...

The tree canopy and water made this spot about 10 degrees cooler than the 97 degrees in Roanoke… which was a huge relief. And while this great natural wonder loomed over our heads, Crowley was more interested in talking an elderly lady out of her walker because that walker looked like a really good time!

Crowley eyes a walker and makes a play for it!

Farther down the path is a historic recreation of a Monacan Native American Village. The path trades in the pavement for gravel which with a little elbow grease, Bob still handled well.

Crowley feeling at home in the wigwam

My feelings about the Monacan village? How can you disparage the very place where your son falls in love with a wigwam. And yet, I am going to. Again, major failure on the education front. Who were the Monacans? Where are they now? What happened to them? Etc.? I still have no idea the answers to those questions. There was a tool maker present and some college students dressed as Native Americans. So, it was fun to watch Crowley run around and explore, but would this village excite and adult brain? Sorry. Probably not.

We stopped at a little cafe at the foot of The Natural Bridge. And while the view was beautiful, better to bring your own food. I have never had a hot dog bun that was both chewy and wrinkled… until now.

I know this isn’t a glowing review. The truth is we had a wonderful time. We blocked out the onslaught of tourist chachka for sale and focused on all the natural we could find, having a good laugh along the way. Time well spent, another adventure in our catalog.

Crowley, Bob and I are home until the next trip… Anna

TravelBlog: We went on a lark. THANK YOU, LARK!

I hate to turn what’s been a meaningful serious conversation here to a superficial one, but when duty calls…. I had heard whispers about it since we arrived in Roanoke. You know the kind of bug women relish placing in each other’s ears, “JCrew Outlet.”

I was not impressed because visions of our first married Thanksgiving danced through my head. Mike and I drove to The Pottery Barn Outlet in Gaffney, SC at midnight Thanksgiving night. We thought we were brilliant, surely the only ones silly enough to do such a crazy thing. We were going to rack up such loot, it would amaze and titillate everyone who would listen. Well guess what? The line to get to the outlet, started two miles down the highway. To say nothing of the chaos inside that store at 1 a.m. We left with nothing more than a rustic chandelier. Great find but certainly not worth the trouble.

So when I heard there is a JCrew outlet nearby, I didn’t really jump at the chance to drive there. After all, no need to get all worked up about what amounts to 10 percent discount. Well silly, silly me! Instinct leads me astray once again.

The JCrew Clearance Center is no outlet store. No! It is filled with those adorable embellished t-shirts that retail for about 50 bucks (yes 50 bucks). At the clearance center, those t-shirts are between 10 and 15 dollars! Rock on summer wardrobe! Mommy’s here to take you home.

Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, there are two separate clearance centers just five minutes drive apart. The first one is located in the retail section of a new urbanism development called Wyndhust. This clearance center has mens, womens, crewcuts (kids) and wedding dresses. What kind of deals did we spot? A $500 Irish linen suit for two hundred bucks. A pair of women’s white jeans for $10! Those were items on our shopping lists but there are plenty of dresses, madras shorts, shoes, ties, purses, swimsuits and other clothes to choose from.

Five minutes down the street in an industrial park warehouse, is the second clearance center. It’s bigger and therefore has a greater inventory. I found a pair of the “toothpick” style jeans at $70 off. You can fill a dressing room with t-shirts that are part of the current catalog but marked down to $10-15. Women’s shoes sold for around $30.

We found a man’s leather messenger bag for $80. It normally retails for $225. Again there were plenty of swimsuits, flip-flops, suits, jackets and other goodies to choose from.

The sales staff is helpful and courteous. Both stores are stroller friendly. This is a great spot for everyone, but should be a “must” for moms whose bodies and closets are in “transition.”

Keepin’ it real… cheap… Anna

PS. Common sense tips: Check over each piece carefully. I eliminated several choices because of small nicks, picks, holes or stains. Believe me, my wallet was grateful to take its leave of them (I had plenty of other things that were in perfect condition : )

How to find them (if you can find one, they’ll offer you printed directions to the other and I would definitely hit them both).

JCREW Clearance Center in the industrial park: Take 221 N to Lynchburg, take a right on Graves Mill Road, and a right on Millrace Drive… 25 Millrace Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24502-4343 (this is the same address where you are instructed to mail your jcrew.com returns)

JCREW The clearance center located in the new urbanism development: 101 Northwynd Circle, Lynchburg, VA 24502-3147, (434) 239-0575

Travelblog: A beautiful mess…

Destination: Lexington, Virginia

40,000 books seven days a week.

While Anna and I were in Lexington we happened into a store that stopped me in my tracks. I walked through the door, my jaw dropped open and quietly mouthed the word, “WOW!”

That’s not something I’ve aver said when I walk into a bookstore. Bookstores are sterile to me. They’re cookie-cutter blah right down to their knowledgeless workers. “I’m looking for a book by C. S. Lewis called “A Grief Observed.” “Yes sir. (tapping on a computer keyboard) um… Cecil who again?” Sigh.

This bookstore is only about 50 feet deep and 3o feet wide but it felt like it was breathing. The

Naturally Marysue is a smidge shy. Which explains the closed eyes when I said, "Smile!"

room was alive.

I pulled my camera out and started snapping pictures. When I turned to look at the woman sitting at the cash register she was grinning ear-to-ear. Her name is Marysue and she owns this treasure chest called, “The Bookery.” Ask Marysue about a C.S. Lewis book and she’ll  rattle off a dozen titles.

Even if you can’t read this bookstore is interesting just for it’s geometry, topography and oddity. I love spacial relationships within rooms. Call it ambiance or a vibe or whatever you want, it matters. Ask Walt Disney. No one better understood the geometry and topography of rooms or

The Bookery, 107 W. Nelson Street, Lexington, VA 24450

tiki huts or tree houses or small worlds. But all those magical Disney places were studied and planned and created and reshaped and re-planned and reshaped and voila! A Magical Kingdom.

The Bookery is magical quite by accident. It’s one of those rare places that just is. It happened one book at a time over a period of two decades. There’s no voila! to this place. It’s not sudden. It’s old and fantastic and improbable.

Marysue Forrest has accidentally created this living breathing maze from a place of pure love. Marysue LOVES books. Books are her life. Reading is her peace. The Bookery is her dream.

Read on… MR

Travelblog: Lexington, Virginia…

The Lee Chapel, where Robert E. Lee is buried, is directly behind me as I took this picture Of Washington & Lee University.

On our road trip over the weekend we headed North on I-81 and ended up in historic Lexington, Virginia: You know, where Robert E. Lee worked after the Civil War. True Story. I guess I never stopped to think about that. Even the General who loses at Gettysburg needs a job when the war is over. Lee was President of Washington College, renamed Washington & Lee

Forgive the glare. This is a photo of the photo of Robert E. Lee's funeral in 1870 at Lee's Chapel. You can see what was then Washington College to the left.

University after Lee’s death. He was buried there too.

This town is a historypalooza.

It was a great day. Lunch at the Main Street Bistro (delicious organic burger). Ice cream across the street from Washington & Lee University. I had Guinness Ice Cream in a waffle cone. You heard me. Guinness beer ice cream. We strolled up and down the narrow street and around every corner a piece of history that makes you shake your head.

If you make the trip, here are the places we conducted very lengthy taste-tests:

The Bistro on Main…

Me and Little Man in front of our lunch place...

Cozy warm atmosphere. Great Service, courteous and fast. Easily accommodated our giant stroller and the chef served up a cheese quesadilla for Crowley. Anna loved her Oyster Poor Boy. Southern Living says this restaurant has the best hamburger in Virginia. We agree.

The Lexington Coffee Shop…

When you are ready for a pick me up, we got a java fix at The Lexington Coffee Shop. Their cappuccino stood up to our beloved morning cup of Illy! 9 West Washington Street, just around the corner from our lunch spot and a block away from Stonewall Jackson’s house. The punched tin ceiling, hardwood floors and wall of mugs (stored by regulars) gives this place tremendous

A half block from the Bistro is this humble abode... where General Stonewall Jackson lived.

character: a laid back vibe in a historic setting. We like! We found that most of Lexington is pet, baby and stroller friendly. Phone: (540) 464-6586

Cocoa Mill Chocolateir…

I bought enough chocolate to fill a little someone’s Easter Basket with their beautifully made chocolate bunnies and chocolate carrots. This chocolatier also sells the old-fashioned sugar Easter eggs that feature a peephole with a spring scene inside. Remember those?

This company ships their chocolate all over the world. With long wooden counters featuring glass display cases… you’ll feel like you stepped back in time when you shop here or simply stop in to try their free samples! Want a virtual visit? Check out their web site and order a gift basket… for me!

115 West Nelson St., Lexington, VA 24450

800.421 6220 or 540 464 8400

Sweet Things Ice Cream Shoppe…

Across the street from the Washington & Lee campus, you’ll find

Their Guinness ice cream is a must try. But not for the lightweights! The parlor pours two bottles of the dark beer in their Guinness ice cream! The service is friendly, but forgo the lack luster atmosphere of this ice cream parlor for a stroll to the

The Redding clan on Main Street in Lexington, VA. Right above that car on our right you see a cement colored building next to the church steeple, that's VMI, Virginia Military Academy. VMI is across the street from Washington & Lee University.

Lee Memorial Chapel, ice cream in hand.

106 West Washington Street, Lexington, VA‎ -(540) 463-6055

Take in the charm of the residential neighborhoods…

Lined with glazed brick sidewalks, Lexington’s Downtown flows into picturesque neighborhoods filled with colonial, Victorian

and Federal style homes. With Crowley in tow we strolled up and down the streets and alley-ways, feasting our eyes on a level of architectural detail that was designed to engage passers-by. We loved it. Crowley passed out!

Enjoy… MR

All Aboarrrrrrrrrd the Santa Train!

It’s a tradition that started during the Great Depression. Children would run along side the train tracks as Southern Railways workers tossed out candy canes and oranges. That tradition has evolved into the “Santa Train” at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. It’s the quickest way to get into the spirit of the holidays and find some lasting relief from a cynical world.

Children, families and railroad fans wait as Santa arrives at the station (often on a fire truck)! Once Santa says hello to all the boys and girls, the train leaves the station. Not only will children experience a one of a kind train ride… but Santa will walk the cars, giving children the traditional oranges and candy canes. The 25 minute train ride comes to an end. Children can head to the round house for ornament making.

The train runs several times this Saturday and Sunday. Check out the NC Transportation museum’s web site for more information

I think I can, I think I can… MR

Stop and Smell the People Holiday Gift Guide

Need a special Christmas or Hanukkah Gift? I’m here for you. I’ve traveled up and down the Carolina back-roads and discovered mementos with powerful stories attached. Give a gift, take a trip, that will never be forgotten.

1. Fit for a Queen (or King)

If you are not an engraving connoisseur, you are not alone! But when Anna’s first Mothers day rolled around, I knew I needed something special and I knew exactly where to turn. It was a story I told for The Carolina Traveler about a craftsman whose work is so special, he’s designed for the Queen of England and the late Princess Diana. And, best of all, he lives in the Carolinas now. His name is John Flitton. He’s a one-of-a-king highly accomplished hand engraver. And if you think there isn’t a difference between what John can do and what a machine does… you couldn’t be more wrong. When he inscribes a monogram or a date on anything… it’s transformed into a work of art. You’ll find John Flitton at Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte. You can stop by their shop on Providence Road in Myers Park or order something engraved on-line (from jewelry to frames to cuff links, etc). Or if you already own something and want John to engrave it, e-mail him directly. Anna has a locket with her initials and Crowley’s birthday. It’s her favorite piece of jewelry and fit for a Queen!

2. All Aboard!

Trains are making a comeback. Lionel just released it’s Polar Express train which is sure to capture any child’s imagination. BUT, want to send that imagination into overdrive? Head to the Albemarle Music Store in Albemarle, NC. What do music and trains possibly have to do with each other? Nothing. Unless you visit this place. Walk upstairs in this Main Street store and you’ll find yourself in another world. The owners of this store are the ultimate train enthusiasts! And over the years, little by little, they’ve transformed every square inch of that second floor into a magical place that’s made up of tiny tracks, toy trains, villages, villagers, trees, bells, whistles and more than i can describe. It’s a feast for the eyes and hearts of all of us and especially children. The perfect place to visit and purchase your favorite model train! Even if you don’t buy anything, a visit to the Albemarle Music Store is well worth the trip! Call first to make sure the trains are running that day or night.

235 West Main Street

Albemarle, NC 28001

(704) 982 – 3815

3. Out of Your Gourd!

I first met the Gourd Lady in the late 1700s. We’re that old. After our story on Margaret Sparky Sparkman a.k.a the National Gourd Lady aired, The Tonight Show came calling and her next TV appearance was in the seat next to Jay Leno! A fixture at the Southern Christmas Show, it’s hard to beat Sparky’s Santa Gourd. Not a Santa collector? Don’t worry! The Gourd Lady has countless themes (penguins and snowmen) from which to choose! Click here to check out her website and make a connection.

4. The Gift of Addiction

Perhaps a bizarre title for this little holiday entry. But when you try The Mustard Lady’s Must Have Mustard… you’ll know what I am talking about! Leslie The Mustard Lady moved to Fort Mill, South Carolina, from Boston. She packed her thick Boston accent, giant personality and rare knack for creating absolutely addicting mustard. Her obsession started as a hobby and quickly grew into a business. No one knows her secret recipe, not even her assistant! A pack of Leslie’s Must Have Mustard is perfect for a hostess gift or foodie!

5. THEEEE Toy Store!

Forget that big fancy toy store in New York City. Hop in your car and head to tiny Brevard, NC. Right in the middle of town you’ll find the greatest toy store on earth, “O.P. Taylor’s.” Been there, love it. Everyone I know who’s been agrees with me. But don’t go there looking for the latest video game or electronic wizardry… this plays sells only toys that require something long stolen from today’s kids: imagination. Radio flyer wagons, hand-made wooden toys from Europe they have it all in this two-story maze of a store. Plan to spend several hours there. You won’t get board. It’s a true Santa’s toy shop!

Okay, people, get on it! Happy shopping… MR

TravelBlog: Before you die… one last plea!

I just re-read the TravelBlog from yesterday, September 16 and it kicked up some powerful memories.

On my first trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks I covered a hurricane where I watched a reporter knocked unconscious by a piece of wind-whipped debris during his LIVE-SHOT. The anchors back in the studio nearly panicked as he dropped straight backward.

Bodie {pronounced "body") Island Lighthouse and keepers quarters just south of Nags Head, NC.

On my second trip, I covered another hurricane that sat a hundred miles off the coast for a week. It gnawed away at the sand dunes and my nerves. By the time our hotel’s swimming pool collapsed into the surging ocean on day three, I too was crumbling from the relentless onslaught and sleep deprivation.

The third trip I covered the Hatteras Lighthouse move (it was moved a mile inland to protect it from falling into the Atlantic) and my first ferry to Ocracoke Island. Trip four was to cover the Hatteras Lighthouse re-lighting. We rented a house at the last minute somewhere in Buxton that had a half-dozen disco balls hanging from the vaulted ceiling two stories up! I’ve never been able to find the house again. But I have two photographers as witnesses. It exists. I’m almost certain!

Trips 5–11 were either for vacations or Carolina Traveler excursions.

I know the Outer Banks better than most. I also know most of you have never been. Every summer the OBX is full of vacationers from Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York. What do they know that we don’t? The lucky few of you who have discovered paradise in your own back yard are the rare locals who get what I’m saying… and why I decided to say it one more time… GO! Stop planning next summer’s vacation for where ever and start planning a trip to the OBX.

If you want a more “populated” experience, with restaurants a plenty rent a home anywhere from Nags Head north to Duck. If you want a more sparse experience with wide open beaches, rent south of Nags Head along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. If you’ve seen the movie or even the trailer for “Nights in Rodanthe” (which was filmed up and down the Cape Hatteras National Seashore) that’s the “sparse” stretch of the OBX. Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras all have a magical appeal to me. There are spots along HWY 12 (the only road on and off the CHNS) where the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pamlico Sound to your west almost touch. And during hurricanes the two bodies of water become one in a few places, washing over the dunes and the highway. I’ve seen it. Watched a television news SUV disappear in minutes as the photographer bashed out the windows trying to save his gear. Mother Nature rules out here.

Along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore even the short walk from your rental to the beach is other worldly!

North of Nags Head are Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Duck and Corolla. You can fish off the Nags Head or Kitty Hawk piers and if you forget to bait your hook, enjoy a long quiet nap. My favorite breakfast place is the restaurant on the Nags Head Pier. Sunrise there is inspiring… pelicans sweeping low across the ocean, schools of dolphins on a breakfast run, the golden sun slowly rising from the water, the smell of hot coffee, eggs and bacon fill your head… HEAVEN!

One summer while looking for a herd of wild horses we stumbled on an ancient wooden ship’s hull sticking up from the sand about halfway between Duck and Corolla. It looked like the rib cage of a dinosaur! The coast all the way from Corolla in the north to Cape Lookout in the south is called “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” because of the hundreds and hundreds of shipwrecks through the centuries. The sandy shores change so much from year to year, a shipwreck visible one year is buried the next and not seen for another decade.

Many a friend have taken their first OBX trips because of my stories. No one is ever disappointed. It’s a special place. The real magical kingdom, carved by God, wind and wave, not man.

Peace… MR

TravelBlog: Do this before you die…

On the North Carolina Outer Banks the sand, driven by hurricanes and nor'easters will take its toll.

It stupefies me how many Carolinians have never been to the North Carolina Outer Banks. Why locals drive all the way to Florida do sit on an overcrowded beach is a mystery. If you’re 18, I get it. If you have a family or just want to leave the rat race behind, OBX is a MUST!

The beaches south of Nags Head are sparsely populated and gorgeous...

The OBX (Outer Banks) is that long, skinny strip of sand sitting in the ocean stretching from the Virginia border all that way down to Cape Lookout. The Atlantic Ocean sits to its east and the Pamlico and Roanoke Sounds to its west. You can throw in the island just west of Cape Lookout, Shackleford Banks, as well. Shackleford is where one of the two herds of wild coastal horses lives. The other is at the top on the OBX near the Virginia border… they’re called the Corolla herd.

I realize from some locations in the western parts of South and North Carolina it’s a haul. From Charlotte it’s about a six-hour drive. Yet people pile in the family truckster and head for Florida beaches, which are just as far or farther.

I’ve heard a number of people say they drive to Florida because of Disney World. I like Disney World. It’s magical. Every family should go there

The dunes at Avon, NC OBX

once or twice. It’s easy to keep the kids busy and distracted until everyone collapses from exhaustion back at the hotel. I get the value in that. But I would bet you (and probably win) that when you come back from that kind of vacation, mom and dad are not relaxed and rejuvenated. It’s been fun… but there wasn’t time to unravel the stress in your life. There wasn’t time to unwind.

And so I ask you to do this one thing before you die… peel that layer of dookie from your brain by spending a week on the North Carolina Outer Banks.

It’s a different kind of vacation. The distractions are as few as you like. It may take a day or two to get used to the silence… only the sound of waves crashing. Sit out on your deck at night and see more stars than you ever new existed. See how many constellations your kids can spot. You’ll be forced to talk with your children and they’ll be forced to connect with you. Teach your son how to cast a line into the ocean and try to catch some dinner. Take a tandem sea kayak out and spend a couple hours with your daughter looking for dolphins. Learn to surf. Try hang gliding on the soft sands of Jockey’s Ridge.

Currituck Light is the only OBX lighthouse left unpainted.

Hike to the top of the most famous and beautiful lighthouses in the world… Cape Hatteras or

The base of the world famous Hatteras Lighthouse is worth the visit all by itself... and then there's the majestic brick tower rising above...

Currituck Light, and look out over the rarest of landscapes you’ll find. Read pirate stories at night and go hunting for beached shipwrecks by day. There are plenty. Take the family on a horseback ride on the beach! Or just sprawl out on the warm sand and snooze… read… or build sandcastles… then watch the tide come wash it away.

It’s a long day to get to Ocracoke and back but well worth the trip. You can drive your car onto a ferry at Hatteras… Bring a cooler because in the center of town on the lagoon is Ocracoke Seafood Company where the local fishermen bring their daily catch.

The OBX is a different kind of vacation. Hotels are few and far between. Most people rent houses for a week at a time. Sometimes people bring their neighbors or their brother or sister and their families along to reconnect with dear friends.

Remember, there is no roller coaster on the OBX. What there is plenty of… is opportunity. Opportunity to reconnect with your own family… and maybe your own you.

Links and more info…

Where I eat:

On Ocracoke Island it feels like you've walked back in time...

Windmill Point Restaurant

On the Roanoke Sound side at milepost 16.5
HWY 158 Bypass, Nags Head, NC

(252) 441-0535  or 1535

http://www.windmillpointrestaurant.com/

Pier House Restaurant
(Casual breakfast & lunch hanging over the ocean, enjoy the sunrise!)

Nags Head Pier, Nags Head, NC 27959

252-441-5141

http://www.nagsheadpier.com/food.htm

The Breakwater at Oden’s Dock in Hatteras Village
(excellent food in nice setting overlooking Pamlico Sound)

The dock at Ocracoke Seafood Company...

252-986-2733

http://www.odensdock.com

Bouy’s Restaurant in Buxton
(stick with the fresh local seafood part of the menu)

252-995-6575

47355 HWY 12 Buxton, NC

Where I stay:

I like to stay south of Nags Head closer to Buxton… Avon is my favorite area.

Hatteras Realty
(these are the folks I work with)

800-428-8372

http://www.hatterasrealty.com

Whalehead Club near Currituck Light...

Rentals on the Ocean
(another good company with a great reputation, pets welcome)

252-441-5005

http://www.rentalsontheocean.com

What I do:

Horseback Ride on the beach with Equine Adventures

Call Sylvia Mattingly
252-305-1617 or 252-995-4897

http://www.equineadventures.com

Visit Currituck Lighthouse

The Red Brick Lighthouse at the junction of Highway 158 and Route 12

Take Route 12 heading north towards Duck and Corolla.

Horseback riding on the empty beaches of the OBX...

The lighthouse entrance is 20 miles from the junction, on the left, just beyond the Whalehead Club sign.

http://www.outerbanks.com/historiccorolla/

Visit Hatteras Lighthouse

Which is NOT in Hatteras the town.  It’s in Buxton. You can’t miss it no matter what direction you’re going!

http://www.nps.gov/archive/caha/capelight.htm http://www.hatteras-nc.com/light/

Take Ferry to Ocracoke Island http://www.ncdot.org/transit/ferry/routes/schedule/route003.html http://www.ocracokeisland.com/

Hang Gliding Lessons at Jockey’s Ridge State Park

http://www.kittyhawk.com/hanggliding/introduction.cfm

Plenty of camping:

The Ferry to and from Ocracoke Island...

www.capehatteraskoa.com

www.capewoods.com

www.hatterassands.com

www.outer-banks.nc.us/tgod/camping/obcamp.htm

TravelBlog: Finding your Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach… WHAAAAAT?

If you asked me, “Where can I go to get away from it all?” I would tell you to find Myrtle Beach and then drive as far from it as possible.

Meher Center's Beach... empty.

Myrtle Beach is for Spring Breaks and easy family vacations when you don’t have time to plan ahead. It’s the vacation that requires no thought… even while you’re there. Plenty of restaurants, a million golf courses, a billion hotel rooms, a scary roller coaster, enough miniature golf to choke a donkey and miles of flat beaches with lifeguards.

No one goes to Myrtle Beach to enjoy the quiet. No one goes to Myrtle Beach to listen to that still small inner voice, right? Right? RIIIIIIGHT?

Wrong.

Right smack dab in the middle of all the high-rise hotels is a stretch of beach that looks, well, untouched. It’s as if you were strolling along and

suddenly walked from 2009 into 1944. One minute the beach is filled with tourists and the next it’s empty. One second the beach is lined with giant hotels and the next it looks like a National Park.

This is the perfectly odd and divine location of the Meher Spiritual Center. A spiritual retreat surrounded by 100,000 sun worshippers slopping on tanning lotion.

The Meher Center seeks no publicity. I found it by accident on my way to some other story a few years ago. I stopped in again just recently and asked if I could take pictures of the beautiful lake and some of the cabins… they politely said “no.” I told them I was famous and could send them business… they said, “What was your name again?” I told them people need to see pictures to grasp what this is because, you know, it’s in the middle of Myrtle Beach… they encouraged me to come back when I could stay longer.

So I took a photo of the entrance and walked down to the beach next door to the Meher Center and snapped a few shots there. They were okay with that.

The Meher Center was founded on 500 acres of beach-front property in 1944. It has a large, serene lake and dozens of cabins for rent. All they ask is you come seeking spiritual enlightenment. They would prefer if you were actually interested in their founder Meher Baba, who was sort of Hindu with a splash of Buddhism. Those are my words, not his. He is in actuality neither Hindu or Buddhist. I can find nothing in his writings that contradicts Christianity, in fact. Of course I haven’t spent much time reading his beliefs but he was clearly a man on a journey of inner peace and love for God.

The folks who run the Meher Center know not all of their guests are genuine Meher Baba followers, but so long as you come for the purpose of renewing your spirit, you and your family are  welcome.

The cabins are simple but clean and inexpensive: $22.40 per night per adult and $7.84 per child. The atmosphere is impossible to believe given it’s geographic location and the beach is basically all yours.

There are an assortment of rules regarding comings and goings and what you can and can’t do there so take a long hard look at their website before you make a reservation.

But if you are looking for some quiet time… some time where you can reset your clock, get some perspective in life, and maybe seek some divine guidance, than the Meher Center will not disappoint.

Smelling some peace of mind in Myrtle Beach, of all places… MR