2012-07-05 Corolla, NC and some night beach shots

A trip up to Corolla, NC

and some Night Shots on the Beach

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

I love spending time with my family!  However, one day Amy and I decided to go for some alone time and head up to Corolla, NC to check out the sights.

We checked out the Currituck Lighthouse, walked along the Corolla Boardwalk, and enjoyed a nice lunch together.  Here are a few of the photos:

Later that evening, I went out to the beach to make another attempt at some night photography.

Can you spot the crab?

The completed set of photos from the day are posted here:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/583098109AurLYy

2012-07-04 Fireworks on the Beach

Fireworks on the Beach

Southern Shores, NC

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

I have always loved watching fireworks.  One thing I enjoy even more is trying to capture them in photos.  However, photo after photo of just fireworks explosions in the sky can get pretty boring after a while.  Fortunately, the beach gives an opportunity to incorporate other elements in the photos along with the fireworks.

So for July 4th, Amy and I went down to the beach to try and capture the scene!

A beautiful full moon rising above the horizon was an added bonus to the evening!

The complete set of fireworks on the beach photos is posted here:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/583091356OXbbQY

Family Sunset along the Duck Boardwalk

Family Sunset along the Duck Boardwalk

Duck, NC

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

On Tuesday evening, most of the gang decided to take a short trip up to Duck, NC to enjoy an evening on the Boardwalk.

The Duck Boardwalk runs for about a mile and passes through some very scenic areas of the Currituck Sound and alongside many of the towns shops and restaurants.  It offers up a great spot to catch a sunrise and enjoy some Frosty Adult Beverages and Live Music.

Here are a few shots from our evening visit to the Duck Boardwalk.

 My niece Marielle

 Marielle and my Sister-in-Law Michelle

 My niece Katie and my Brother Bill

 Sunset along the Duck Boardwalk

 Sunset along the Duck Boardwalk

 Sunset along the Duck Boardwalk

 Live Music at Sunset

 My Wife Amy and Me

Evening Twilight along the Duck Boardwalk

The complete set of photos for our evening along the Duck Boardwalk is posted here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/583083910KFXeCN

Day 2 of our Annual Beach Vacation

Belhaven, NC Sunrise

and the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge

Sunday, July 1st, 2012

I wasn't planning on getting up for sunrise, but for some reason I found myself away at 5:00am and decided to get up and see what the sky would bring.  Amy wanted no part of that and decided to remain in bed.

I thought the little park that we checked out the previous day would be a good sunrise spot, so I headed there.  Unfortunately the sky did not cooperate and there was a bit too much cloud cover for an optimal sunrise shot.  There was still some nice color in the sky, but nothing spectacular.

Belhaven Sunrise

So I returned to the Bed and Breakfast and relaxed with several cups of coffee while I waited for breakfast to be served.

The Belhaven Water Street Bed and Breakfast

The breakfast was worth the wait!  After enjoying a nice meal of Cheese Quiche, Bacon, Hash Browns, and fresh fruit, we checked out and hit the road towards the Outer Banks.

However, since Belhaven is only about 2 hours from the Outer Banks, we had time to check out another spot along the way.

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge looked like it might have some interesting sights and it is located right along the way!

Lake Mattamuskeet is huge!  At 40,000 acres, it is the largest natural lake in North Carolina.  However it is very shallow with a maximum depth of 4 feet and an average depth of only 1.5 feet.  Since we would be meeting the rest of my family for lunch at noon, we only had time to check out a small portion of it.

My favorite shot was of the Mattamuskeet Pumping Station, which looks very similar to a lighthouse!

We continued on towards the Outer Banks, arriving just in time to meet my family for Lunch at the Black Pelican (our favorite Outer Banks Restaurant).


Later that evening, I noticed a nice colorful sky and regretted not making the short drive to the sound side of the island for a sunset.  But I did pull out the camera for a few quick handheld shots from the front balcony of the beach house.

 Evening Twilight

The complete set of photos from Day 2 of our Vacation is posted here:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/583085371IZDnAB

2012-06-30 The Start of our Vacation

Goose Creek State Park, NC

Bath, NC

Belhaven, NC

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

Every summer my entire family gets together and rents a beach house for a week.  In the past it has always been a Saturday to Saturday rental.  However, this year, the house we chose was a Sunday to Sunday rental.

Amy and I didn't want to wait until Sunday to start our vacation so we booked a room at the Belhaven Water Street Bed and Breakfast for Saturday night.  This would give us the opportunity to visit some places in North Carolina that we have never been before.

Our first stop was Goose Creek State Park, NC.  There are about 10 miles of trails inside the park, but with the temperature in the triple digits, it was too darn hot to hike much more than a mile or so.  We chose the Live Oak Trail, a short and easy trail which took us to the shores of the Pamlico River.

 This guy was there to greet us as we arrived at the Pamlico River

Me in a Tree

The most memorable part of this trail were the many interesting trees along the trail and the river shoreline

 Amy by a Large Tree

 Very Cool Tree Bark

Due to the heat, we only explored a small section of the park, but I would definitely like to get back and see a bit more during cooler weather!


After Goose Creek State Park, we made a stop in Bath, NC, a quaint little waterfront town that neither of us had ever been to.  Bath is the oldest incorporated town in North Carolina making for a lot of history.  Again, it was too darn hot to really do much exploring, but we did make a few photo stops.

Amy relaxing at a waterfront park in Bath, NC

Bath, NC

Next up, we made our way to Belhaven, NC and checked into the Bed and Breakfast.

The Belhaven Water Street Bed and Breakfast

We found a nice little park nearby where I snapped a few photos while Amy enjoyed the swings.

 Belhaven, NC

Amy on the Swing

We enjoyed an awesome seafood dinner at Georgie's Oyster Bar before making our way back to the Bed and Breakfast.

Amy decided to hang back with her first of many books while I decided to check out the sunset

 Belhaven Sunset

Belhaven Sunset

While photographing the sunset, I could not help but notice the live music coming from "Farm Boys" restaurant across the road.  So after the sunset had finished, I headed over to grab a brew and enjoy a few tunes.

Live Music at Farm Boys Restaurant

The complete set of photos from Day 1 of our Vacation is posted here:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/583078403ffZUsI

Back from the Beach

We just got back from our annual family beach vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
I've got a bunch of photos to go through which I will be posting over the next week or so.

Here is a quick shot of my family on the front steps of the Beach House.

Full Moon and Fireworks on the Beach

Just a quick shot from last night.

Plenty more to come later!