August 4, 2018: First Flight Monument and Ocracoke Island

In a person’s lifetime there may be not more than half a dozen occasions that someone can look back to in the certain knowledge that right then, at that moment, there was room for nothing but happiness in their heart. ― Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Belles on Their Toes

I never once thought I’d be walking along the same path where the Wright Brothers took their first flight. But that’s just what I did. I had my picture taken at the same location where Orville Wright, Hiram Bingham, and Amelia Earhart had theirs taken in front of the granite marker resembling a boulder at First Flight, Wright Brothers National Memorial. It was a hot, humid day but I had chills running up and down my spine being there. How very much they changed the world.

To get there, we had to wait for the fog to lift in Blacksburg then fly above the clouds. It was a beautiful flight taking roughly about an hour and a half to go the distance that it would take about 7 hours to drive for this first stop.

After delighting in being there, seeing the monuments, and visiting the gift store, we got rained on. We were soaked. But, the good thing about flying there, you have access to the pilot lounge.

After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, it was time to get fuel about half an hour away at Dare County airport before heading on to Ocracoke Island. If you’ve never been to Ocracoke Island, then you’ve missed such an incredibly beautiful place that will always find its way into your dreams. If you were driving from Blacksburg, VA to Ocracoke, NC the driving part would be about 9 1/2 hours, plus you would have to take the ferry to actually get to Ocracoke. The ferry, minus the wait takes about 45 minutes. In a plane, it took us a total time from Blacksburg of a little over two hours.

Ocracoke Island is only 16 miles long and ranges from 3 miles to less than a half-mile wide. I was in total awe, my heart racing, in the pilot seat, looking down, and seeing the waves splashing along the shoreline. If I live to be over a hundred, I will never forget that moment in time: a place of enchantment. We only have moments. We just have to make those moments count.

In one afternoon, it was like taking a week’s vacation to relax. The secluded beach was pristine and white with few people strolling and playing in the waves. It was like stepping back in time. A time where you could just lull and watch the waves coming in and then receding, lost in watching the incredible beauty of it all. It was so invitingly tranquil.

For dinner, we walked into town. The town is quaint in a pretty post card kind of way welcoming you in. We ate at Howard’s Pub. Howard’s Pub is my kind of restaurant: laid back style, great music always playing, friendly waiters and waitresses, and the food is superb. What did I get? Seafood, of course!

The day went by much too quickly. As I was still smiling and reminiscing about what a perfect day it was, I had no idea that the best was yet to come.

The sunset was looming as we were flying out. It was the most mesmerizing, alluring sunset I had ever seen!!!! I wanted to hold on to that perfect moment forever.

As we watched the final seconds of sunset, we were back at the very nice airport in Dare County. They have rockers on a big front porch that you can rock in and listen to the quietness of the evening.

I don’t how to adjust back to Blacksburg when my thoughts keep going back to Ocracoke and looking foward to another trip back there.

A great place to eat at Ocracoke Island: