Florida Keys Thru North Carolina's Outer Banks

Cape Florida Lighthouse (near Miami)

The last month has been a whirlwind of activity as we visited the 4 great National Parks in South Florida and then meandered up the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, & North Carolina.  Here are some of the highlights & notes on our travels this month:

• We visited 12 new (to us) National Park Service sites including the Everglades, Big Cypress, Fort Sumter, Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras, & The Wright Brothers Memorial near Kitty Hawk.  In addition, we revisited 7 sites to get new passport stamps and see some things missed on our visits there 5 years ago.  This brings our grand total to 244 out of a possible 395 National Park Service Sites.  The best part of visiting these places is that we are learning so much and almost overloaded with all of the information that we receive.  At most of the sites, they have a great video on the history of the site and/or the geology and wildlife of the area.  We make it a point to watch the video, see the exhibits, and take a trail or listen to a ranger presentation.
• We photographed an additional 37 lighthouses (some truly great ones) and were able to climb 10 of these to the top.  This brings our grand total to 658.
• We discovered that there are many more islands than we thought along the southeastern coastline and how important the barrier islands and the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway are to this area.
• Our fuel mileage has greatly improved since the roads close to the coast are all flat – with bridges and overpasses being the only thing that get us elevated.
• The most outstanding event was our trip out to Dry Tortugas National Park.  This Park is 68 miles west of Key West on Garden Key where the very large Fort Jefferson was built.  Fort Jefferson was built to protect the Gulf of Mexico area.  The weather was great, the boat ride was smooth, the water was beautiful, there were numerous birds to see, and the fort tour was very interesting.  This is an all day trip and was for us on the expensive side ($150 each, with breakfast & lunch included).  But with reaching another National Park & seeing 3 lighthouses, it was more than worth it to us.
• On the drive out and back to Key West, we took photos of the reef lighthouses (photo of one is included at the end).  Ships follow the Gulf Stream which flows north close to the Florida Keys.  When sailing south, ships try to thread the needle between the keys and the Gulf Stream.  Submerged dangerous reefs extend out from the keys & numerous ships have met their demise on these hidden reefs.  To aid the mariners, lighthouses were built offshore on reefs  along the keys.  By the way, “keys” are islands created by exposed portions of giant coral reefs.
• With the rest of the country suffering from tornadoes, rains, floods, drought etc., we feel blessed to have enjoyed exceptional weather.  Our only minor complaint might be the unseasonably warm weather in Florida.
• Traveling in the east as opposed to some of the western states has presented more challenges with greater populations leading to heavier traffic.   We have, however, been able to find a few isolated roads that we can travel at a slower pace.
• We really enjoyed the outer banks in North Carolina.  You can drive along this almost 100 miles of barrier islands and take 2 ferries where there are no bridges.  In addition to the beautiful islands, there are some truly great lighthouses – with the Cape Hatteras one being the most famous.   
• In order to get to some of the islands to see lighthouses, we took passenger ferries and sometimes our 5th wheel on vehicle ferries.  In all, we managed to ride on 13 different boats.  The North Carolina ferries are really great and the fares are very cheap (the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island with our RV was over 2 hours sailing time and cost only $45 and the other ferry was free).
• We did have a couple of small glitches this month.  Jan’s glasses frames broke, but with a spare pair on board this was not a big deal.  The other glitch was that the alternator light came on in the truck.   We made it to the campground we were headed for & the next morning drove into town and had it replaced (and we didn’t have to do any re-planning).  So, we do not consider these minor problems as an indicator that the gremlins have come back onboard.
• We have complicated and added to our travel itineraries recently.  Since we are becoming more interested in photographing birds, we have started visiting National Wildlife Refuges and collecting passport stamps and patches.  Now we will not only have to ensure that we do not miss seeing a lighthouse or a National Park Service Site, but will have to keep track of the more than 500 refuges that we have not visited yet.

We are now on the eastern coast of Virginia at Cape Henry and can see Cheasapeake Bay.  We plan to cross the Bay on the long bridge/tunnel combination & then go up the coastline of Virginia, Maryland, & Delaware until we reach Philadelphia.  There we will fly back to Texas for a visit with family & to see our eldest grandchild graduate from High School.  Then we will continue North to Quebec & eventually to Prince Edward Island.

Hope you all are doing well.

Brown Pelican taking off over shallow water at Dry Tortugas National Park

Cape Lookout Lighthouse (one of our favorites) - In Cape Lookout National Seashore - North Carolina

Dragonfly in Big Cypress Preserve - Florida

Sapelo Island Lighthouse - Georgia

Florida Red-bellied Turtle - In Everglades National Park

Lighthouse on Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas National Park

Smiling alligator on Sapelo Island - Georgia

Osprey on her nest - Near Hilton Head, South Carolina

 

St. Simons Island Lighthouse - Georgia

Lesser Yellowlegs feeding near Bodie Island Lighthouse - North Carolina

Carysfort Reef Lighthouse.  This photo was taken standing in high tide water in an inlet thru the trees to get this lighthouse 5 1/2 miles away with a telephoto lens.  The lightkeepers lived in the lower part of the lighthouse which was 30 feet above the waves.  How would you like to be there during a hurricane?

Reflection in a swamp at Moores Creek National Battlefield - North Carolina

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - In Cape Hatteras National Seashore - North Carolina.  Can you believe that this lighthouse was moved a 1/2 mile away from the shore in 1999?  It was slid over rails covered with ivory soap.

Soaring Wood Stork in Everglades National Park

Bodie Island Lighthouse - In Cape Hatteras National Seashore - North Carolina

Sullivan's Island Lighthouse - near Ft. Sumter in South Carolina.  This lighthouse is triangular and even has an elevator to the top.