Outer Banks with Robert and Lani

 For years Liz & I have wanted to take a trip to the outer banks in North Carolina.  We also wanted to re-visit other sites in southern Virginia like Jamestown and Yorktown.  In September we decided that it was the right time.  We planned the trip in conjunction with our dear friends the Graves.  Since they live in Williamsburg, VA, we used their house as a home base.  We flew from Dallas to Norfolk, VA on Sept 15, 2021 where the Graves picked us up at the airport.  On the way back to their home in Williamsburg we stopped for Mexican food at our (and Graves) favorite restaurant Abuelo's.  

The next day we visited the Historic Jamestown Museum.  Liz and I borrowed bikes from the Graves and took the Virginia Capital bike trail about 15 miles from Jamestown to Chickahominy Riverfront Park.  This bike trail goes all the way from Jamestown to Richmond, VA

Colonial National Historic Park

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Bike Path from Historic Jamestown to Richmond VA

On Sept 17 we drove to Yorktown to see the Colonial National Historical Park.  The next day we spent at the Graves house and took a nature walk trail that goes through part of Ford's Colony, their beautiful housing development.  

Replica of a sailing ship in colonial times

On September 19 we toured some of the famous old plantations in the area including Berkeley (birthplace of William Henry Harrison, 9th president) and Westover (built by the Byrd family).  In addition, Liz and I biked another 22 miles on the Virginia Capital Trial...a real treat.

Berkeley Plantation - William Henry Harrison

Graves and Lee at the Plantation entrance

Riding the Virginia Capitol Trail

The next day we drove down to the outer banks in North Carolina.  We drove up Currituck Beach, a beach with a lighthouse and sections that allow cars to drive directly on the beach.  Next we drove to Kitty Hawk and visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial.  

Replica of the Wright Brothers first airplane

Wright Bros National Memorial Visitors Center

Looking down the runway of the Wright Bros
first flight

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

That night we spent at the Nags Head Holiday Inn Express which served as our base camp for two nights.On Sept 21 we drove south down the coast to Bodie Island visitors center and Cape Hatteras lighthouse.  We stopped at random for lunch at the Pamlico Deli and had some of the best deli sandwiches ever!  In Cape Hatteras we visited the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.  This museum has artifacts from Blackbeard's ship Queen Anne's Revenge which ran aground not far from Cape Hatteras. 

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
Blackbeard's ship Queen Anne's Revenge

On September 22 we left Nags Head NC and drove back to the Graves house in Williamsburg VA, stopping for another visit to Abuelo's on our way home.  We spent one more day in Virginia in the Williamsburg area and caught our flight home to Dallas on Sept 24.  The Graves are ideal hosts and we really appreciated them helping us to realize our dream of visiting the outer banks.....we had a great time!