2017-07-14

Surviving the Outer Banks: Day Six

     Hello, everyone! Matthew here, reporting from the Outer Banks. Today is day six of our North Carolina adventure, and what a day it was! I'll give you a rundown.

     We started the morning by heading to Coquina Beach for some family photos - which is generally not one of my favorite activities - but the sound of the surf rolling in beside us made it a bit easier to smile big for the camera. Here are a few of the shots:

© Rory Clancy Photography
     While we were out there, we were able to capture a video of a sand crab (which we had encountered on day three) emerging from his hole in the sand. We haven't reviewed and edited the footage just yet - but it's bound to be pretty neat.

     After we had finished with the pictures and returned to the Airbnb, it was just about time for lunch. Valeri and I split off from the group to grab a bite to eat at the Bonzer Shack, which is a neat little venue within walking distance of the beach. Valeri had the Chicken Tacos, and I decided on the Royale (grilled BBQ chicken topped with smoked gouda cheese and smoked applewood bacon). The entrees received top marks from the Pearons. Very tasty indeed.


     This brings us to the most interesting part of our day: Parasailing! Other than a slight timing issue at the beginning, this was an absolute blast. We went 1,000 feet above the Roanoke Sound in a tandem harness. Technically, the flight only lasted 12 minutes, but it felt so much longer while we were up there. Something we hadn't considered (being our first time), was the noise level at that altitude. You would think being dragged through the air at any sort of speed would include quite a lot of wind noise, but the complete lack of wind noise was almost eerie. It was so quiet up there. We love an urban setting - including the noise - but that was actually a really nice escape from all of that. For just a few minutes, you are able to just bask in the beauty of the coastline without thinking about what awful noise is being emitted from a random car's ridiculously loud stereo, the sirens in the distance or the dull roar of the motorway. It all just falls away and you just watch. Beautiful.
     While that was a nice feeling, and we wanted to hang on to it for a bit, we knew we couldn't...because we were about to get dunked. That is how this particular Parasailing company decides to finish your adventure - with a swim! After they ensure you're thoroughly soaked, they whip you back up into the air for a bit, then winch you back onto the launch platform. Very cool, and highly recommended.



     After our flight, we headed back to the house to get ready for a family supper at Miller's Seafood and Steakhouse. This place was great, and although I do not have any photographic evidence to prove it, I can proudly report to you that my lovely (but very picky) wife tried sushi...and liked it! Thank you to our sister-in-law, Jody, for sharing!

Miller's Seafood and Steakhouse

Jody's sushi that Valeri tried
     After supper, we headed to Jockey's Ridge to take in a sunset.
     The hike was long, and there were far too many people there - but the colors in the sky made up for it. Here are a couple of shots to back that up:


     We attempted to capture a timelapse of the sunset, so we might have a video to show you later.

     Anyway, that sums up today's activities! Join us tomorrow for some more fun in the sun!
     Matthew, signing off.

"At the beach, life is different ... time doesn't move hour to hour,
but mood to moment."

-Anonymous
   
     More photos can be found by clicking the PhotoStream icon here.

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