the Outer Banks

Since we are homeless this week, we decided to spend it away from Asheville. We woke up Monday morning and said to ourselves..."where do we want to go?" We checked the weather all over the east coast. Friday is my birthday and I want to do something unique and fun. A hot air balloon ride has been on my bucket list since I was a kid and thought this would be a great way to celebrate. So then I started searching for Hot Air Balloon Festivals. I think a sky filled with balloons is just so beautiful. There are a few going on in the US on friday, but we didn't want to drive all the way to TX, etc. There are quite a few out east closer to the end of the month. But hey, your birthday is your birthday. AND it's on a Friday this year, too.

We still hadn't decided for sure where we were headed, but figured we better start headin' there. :) So we decided to head to the coast, possibly the Outer Banks. I had never heard of the Outer Banks before. Nick drove first and I was on the internet researching the different islands. What the differences were, and so forth. I was even looking at cheap last minute flights to where ever. We decided on Hatteras Island, NC.

We love B&B's so we looked into those. We didn't make it to town til almost 9pm so we decided to check into a hotel/motel (with good reviews) at least for one night then check out the B&B's the next morning. The bed ended up being more comfortable at the hotel, plus an awesome view of the ocean, pool and hottub, walk right down to the beach, full kitchen, and great price (deal for staying so many nights). So we are staying in the hotel the whole time. And we are staying til Saturday so I'll be here for my Bday. So if anyone wants to come surprise me, ha ha, you know where I'll be.


Nick is working this week with hope of getting some time off Friday to spend with me. I spent the first day being lazy by the pool and at the beach. Yesterday we road our bikes to this old light house that had 257 steps up a winding staircase that we got to climb to the top. Pretty neat. Neither of us are afraid of heights and we did fine climbing it. But a short while after it was all done, we were walking around the museum next to it and we both admitted our legs felt kind of wobbly for some reason. I figure it was the excitement mixed with the exercise that caused it.





Then last night we went for a hike in a coastal reserve. It supposedly took us to the top of a sand dune where we could look down into a "interdunal" pond with lots of wild life. It was so over grown that I didn't even stop to look down because I was sure that could not be what they were talking about. It was a nice trail all the same.


Today we are going to take a ferry (car and all!) to the next island down, and spend the day in a quaint little village there called Ocracoke. I'll be shopping while he works in a coffee shop (for the most part).

Friday we are going parasailing (no, hot air balloon rides available :( ) in the morning, I'm getting a 90 minute massage in the afternoon, and then a yummy diner that night. I haven't found any live music (other than karaoke) that night. I'll keep trying.