New York, New York

A quick post from my trip to New York. I visited NYC for the first time over Memorial Day Weekend this year to hang out with Claire for her 21st birthday. She was in NYC for a Maymester and I thought what a good reason for a mini-vacation. I was only in the city for 4 days, but it was a good first experience. Some of the things we saw: the Chelsea Market, Highline Park, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue, MoMA, and lots of places in Chelsea.

Overall it was a fun trip, but I could never live in New York. I like cities and plan to live in one after college, but New York is just too big and too expensive. I don't think I would every feel safe like I did walking around Paris. I know all cities have crime, but there was something about New York... However despite all that, I would love to visit again and explore more. There is so much to do in the city that never sleeps.

Ocracoke: Day 3

We woke up around 8:30. Chad and Erin had eggs, french toast, and sausage, ready for us and another couple also, on their screened in porch. After, we got ready for the day, went to the end of Ocracoke, and caught the ferry over to Cape Hatteras. The lighthouse is a couple miles up from the docking point. Once we arrived, we received a 11:20 time to go up. Hatteras is the tallest lighthouse in the United States. It was moved 3 miles from its original spot in 1999, a few years before we visited for the first time. The dredging marks from moving it are pretty much gone, but you can still see the old spot where it stood. The diamond point, which is the peak of the cape now has a small beacon in the water because it's still known to cause wrecks. There are 250 steps to the top with 7 landings. 

We left Hatteras and drove 18 miles down NC-12 to Rodanthe. The house that was used in the [Nicholas Sparks] movie Nights in Rodanthe. Since the movie was shot, it's been moved as well. Because it was right on the water, there was a major concern of it being knocked down by rising waters  and the state wanted to condem the house. A local guy loved the house and wanted to save it so he raised the money and moved the house 3/4th of a mile to where it stands now. The house is available to rent. We also stopped at the Rodanthe Pier. There was a really beautiful stretch of beach that went as far as you could see in either direction. 

We came back and spent some good quality R&R time. We went down for wine and cheese at 5. The young couple from Charlotte was there as well. We went to dinner at Dajio. Mom and I were pretty sure we had eaten there on our first trip, though it had a different name and management. We all had very good meals. The crab bisque was especially good. We watched sunset on the beach again. There were some great streaks in the sky. Mom and I finished up the day watching Nights in Rodanthe with tea. A lovely day. Heading home at noon.