Longest Day in a Mother's Life - A Diary (August 3, 2010)

This week we begin another exciting series from Raylene. She writes about the longest day in her life, which occured while she was on vacation a couple days ago. I hope you enjoy the story and I hope you will be inspired to send in your own stories that have occured this summer!
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It was a perfect Monday! This was our second vacation day. The girls and I decided to have a spur-of-the-moment mini vacation in the Outer Banks. The girls wanted to have a bonding weekend before Kristina heads off to UVA. We agreed that as long as they let me do my thing and I let them sleep as long as they wanted, then it would be a fun trip between an aging mother and two teenagers.

Yesterday, we spent our first day beach walking and exploring Nags Head. When it drizzled, we went and then played at the Mutiny Bay Mini golf course. In the late afternoon we headed straight to the famous Jockey’s Ridge State park. There we enjoyed watching the hang gliders. The girls had a great time climbing to the dunes, leaving me behind to take sunset pictures.

The following morning, while the girls were still asleep, I woke up to watch the most beautiful sunrise. A perfect start of a beautiful day . . . or so I though. I did not know then that this was going to be a long, long day. I then drove to Pea Island National Wildlife refuge.

The girls were awake by the time I got back to Nags Head. I convinced them to head straight to Hatteras Island. It is a sandy, barrier bar between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, called the Graveyard of the Atlantic because the cape experiences frequent storms that drive ships landward toward its dangerous shallow depths.

Then we saw the sign for a ferry ride to Ocracoke Island, a tiny strip of a barrier island with 16 miles of unspoiled beaches accessible only by a ferry that runs every 30 minutes till midnight. Having no planned activity, we followed the cue of cars waiting to be transported across. Forty five minutes later, we were ashore and enjoyed this island where the infamous pirate BlackBeard was killed in 1718. Within two hours, we finished exploring this charming little island with dainty little gift shops, marina and bed-and-breakfast hostels. Hungry from the walk, we had a simple lunch at Dajio’s Restaurant. We stopped several times at the many beach areas just to enjoy the serenity of the place. Here, nature is at its best: untamed and unspoiled.

Come back next week for the adventure that ensues!

By Raylene Ann Rodrigo-Baumgart