An Outer Banks sunrise

LisaJune 24, 2012

Why you should catch a sunrise at the Outer Banks

Saturday marked the last day of our honeymoon. We had to check out of the house by 10 am. Being ever so ambitious, we decided to wake up and watch an Outer Banks sunrise. A quick look at the Farmer’s Almanac online noted that sunrise on June 16 was at 5:45 am. We both set alarms for 5:30. We woke up, threw on our sweatshirts, and headed to the beach. While we had clear skies, we were battling rather fierce gusts. To be honest, we were both cold. Some other beach-goers enjoying the sunrise were wearing jackets and jeans. All griping aside, you can’t beat these shots of an Outer Banks sunrise (even if they’re from my iPhone).

We were quite surprised just how quickly the sun rose and were back at the house by 6 am. Mac went for a run while I cleaned up. We got ready, grabbed some breakfast, and packed up the car. After a final sweep of the house, we headed over to the rental office. Wright Property Management offers a call-in check out, but we couldn’t get it work. However, their drive thru window opened at 8:30, so we dropped off our keys. We then went to Wings, the beach shop, to grab some gifts and a photo frame for us.

In my ever changing manner, I decided I wanted a book about the lost colony of Roanoke after we checked everything out, so we headed back to Roanoke Island. First stop was the Fort Raleigh park, and I grabbed two books (eh, why not?). We popped over to the Elizabethan Garden and bought a hanging plant to commemorate our honeymoon (it’s not doing too hot). We also passed the Christmas Shop and headed inside for a few items.

Seeing as how we woke up before dawn, we were getting hungry. In keeping with Blacksburg-named places, we stopped at Big Al’s. We shared smothered fries for an appetizer. I splurged on chicken tenders with hush puppies and fried okra (really, the chicken was for show), and Mac surprisingly ate a buffalo chicken sandwich. Good food, friendly service. And we were back to the car.

After a quick fill-up, we were on US 64 headed west. We decided to check out the Carolina Premium Outlets in Smithfield on I-95 (exit 95) as we were in no real rush to get home. We hadn’t been there before and spent too much time and money while stocking up on some gourmet cooking spreads and unnecessary kitchen gadgetry. Eventually, we piled our haul in the car and headed back home.

Our honeymoon had come to an end. It was a great and relaxing week exploring our home state. Any one else shop excessively on their honeymoon?