So here we are in Buxton. Plenty to do, so let's go.
First stop: The Orange Blossom Cafe. Without a doubt the best breakfast on the Outer Banks.
And no....I'm not talking greasy bacon and runny eggs here -
I'm talkin' APPLE UGLIES!
Yes, they look like a dissected heart, but they taste like heaven. The hubby is addicted to them. I'm more of a Cranberry-Orange muffin person myself, and by God they are the BEST I've ever had and I yearn for them year-round.
They also have the best glazed doughnuts this side of my hometown's. Seriously.
Then it's just a little stretch of road to the world famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
I'll admit that when I was younger and became enamoured with lighthouses, I recognized this beauty, because it was always in paintings and such, and seemed pretty famous.
But I didn't know it was on the Outer Banks. I'll even go as far as to say I had no idea where the hell the Outer Banks were, and I really didn't know they were way out in the Atlantic Ocean like they are.
There is something special about this lighthouse. Besides it being the tallest in the USA at nearly 200 feet, and the fact that it is still quite functional and helpful to seafarers by warning them of the dangerous Diamond Shoals (the area isn't called the Graveyard of the Atlantic for nothing), but it's just downright beautiful.
You can climb to the top, which we've done several times, but it is quite a challenge to your legs - the equivalent of 12 stories and a rather claustrophobic stroll at best. But sooo worth it.
I have a view of the ocean from up top, but cannot find it at the moment.
Above is a pic of the lighthouse keeper's houses - one is turned into a museum and the other is a Coast Guard-run office of some sort. They were relocated in 1999/2000 when the lighthouse was moved.
This is the old location of the lighthouse. From there you can see how far they actually moved the lighthouse (2870 feet) to protect it from the encroaching sea.
These trees were damaged in Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. There is a stark beauty in their sad existence. They are on the grounds of the lighthouse.
There are beach flowers everywhere. Most are this purple color or yellow.
Ah... on to the Turtle Pond!
The turtle pond is on the road to the lighthouse, but we almost always stop after seeing the light.
And yes, there really are this many turtles!
It used to be you could feed them bread, and believe me, everyone would come to do it.
But the National Park Service put an end to it not too long ago because too many turtles were getting hit on the road - it's quite close.
There are also always Canadian Geese down there, and we always go in the spring so we get to see the new babies. So adorable.
Time for lunch!
A great little place, The Fish House, is right down the road, almost into Frisco.
It is literally a former fish house right on the harbor. It's awesome not only for the (very) fresh seafood, but for the sloping floors that were common in a place where fish were unloaded every day with every catch.
Then it's on to The Old Gray House.
A quaint little shoppe owned by Dewey and Mary Parr, it is famous for its shells. You can even buy them online (here). Every time we've been there (and that's every time we go) the owners have been there and are so incredibly kind and friendly.
They always have stories to tell about living in Buxton and "the old days" - it's a great piece of nostalgia we wouldn't miss. The Parr's are retired and have the shoppe for fun.
While the inside is a shoppe, the best part is the outside grounds where they have a fantastic shell-garden. Seriously awesome.
Pictures really can't express how cool it is.
And you can buy pretty much any kind of shell you'd ever want, as well as crafts with shells - in particular wind chimes.
I love the spanish moss, which Dewey said he bought and trained to grow here.
Pine and roses. What a great smell.
Okay - enough shopping. Time to hit the beach.
The beach at Buxton is unlike the other beaches up and down the coast. It's more cut up and not quite as wide. For here in Buxton is where the Labrador Current in the north and the Gulf Stream from the south converge and create a nasty, nasty section of waters known as Diamond Shoals. It is extremely dangerous here at times, but it never deters surfers, and as a matter of fact the East Coast National Surfing Association holds championships here.
It is also an unbelievably fantastic place to fish.
No, I don't know the dude above (not even my pic, truth be told), but I have seen people reel this kind of thing in or unload it at one of the docks. Great fishing here.
Here's the hubby chillaxin' on the beach.
Baby pelican. What a cutie.
The view of Hatteras Light from Buxton beach.
After an afternoon spent on the beach, it's pretty tiring to do anything except relax at the cottage in the evening. Watch a bit of tv, sit outside on the deck...hit the sack early. The sun can really do you in - exhaust you.
And we want to be rested up for whatever the next day has in store!
