The beach at Frisco Campground. (All photos by Paul Koll)
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When I first embarked on my vacation to North Carolina's Outer Banks, my intent was to completely immerse myself in beach
therapy. I returned to my temporary home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with enlightening experiences that crisscross my
medical/surgical nursing career every day. Please join me as I recall the details of my adventure.
Wonderful day on the Outer Banks from the inside of my tent .
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My 6-day "vay cay" began on May 15, 2008, when I left Fayetteville—where I was on assignment at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
through Boca Raton, Florida-based RN Network—and drove eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. I was very excited to explore the scenic
route along the Outer Banks that my friends recommended. (Whenever I travel, I also turn to the locals for each town's best-kept
secrets—like where to eat and sightsee.)
Getting there is half the fun
Reading at the campsite and enjoying the sunshine.
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After I stopped for morning coffee and studied a map, I decided to venture through several small towns. Eventually, I had
lunch in Morehead City at The Sanitary Fish Market & Restaurant, a well-established eatery on the waterfront. I savored the
taste of seafood while I admired celebrity photos on the walls and read local newspaper write-ups and personal notes from
previous guests.
The next stop on my journey was Beaufort. A quaint town boasting jewelry boutiques, bookstores, candy vendors, clothing retailers,
and arts and crafts shops, it is the ideal place to spend a few hours walking off lunch. This was the first of my shopping
ventures, so I was more of a browser than a consumer, but I left with oodles of ideas for seashell creations.
In the late afternoon, I set sail to Ocracoke on a car ferry, having made a late afternoon reservation in advance. When I
arrived, I pitched my tent and ate dinner from my packed food supply. Walking the beach was wonderful. I collected beautiful
shells and cherished the sight of the pounding ocean waves. The combination of birds singing and water flowing was most soothing
to the ear. In fact, I purchased a CD of sea sounds as a souvenir to enjoy at home.
Ocracoke is a tourist destination with plenty of shops, historical buildings, eateries, and horses. While there, I photographed
my first lighthouse, the Ocracoke Lighthouse, built in 1823. And I soon discovered that ocean winds do not deter the relentless
mosquitoes. Fortunately, just weeks before I left on my trip, a friend shared an article about using antiseptic mouthwash
for mosquito repellant. I'll have to say that I preferred the odor of mouthwash to bug spray; however, I did endure a few
mosquito bites. Thankfully, my tent was a safe haven from those pesky insects, which I understand are even worse later in
the summer months.
When I left my campground on Ocracoke, I drove further north, past beautiful beach homes, toward Frisco Campground, located
on the southern coast of Cape Hatteras. I researched the regional history, browsed through interesting shops, and photographed
the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest in the nation. The crab soup served at many palate-tempting seafood restaurants
in town prompted me to purchase a recipe book from a gift shop. I hoped I could duplicate the concoction at home.
Frisco was my favorite camping site because of the extraordinary views. The beach was overflowing with shells. I collected
gastropod shells, olive shells, moon snails, whelk shells, scallops, jingle shells, Eastern oyster, giant Atlantic cockle,
and bonnet shells. (Since I returned home, I've spent my spare time washing and identifying each of my finds.) As I walked
the pathways over the sand dunes, I experienced something else I never had before—a sand blasting from the intensifying winds.
