Where Will Your Adventure Take You?
I had the chance to go down to North Carolina at the end of August and explore a handful of new areas I had never been to before, while getting to have some exciting and new adventures, try some delicious food, and soak up all that this area had to offer.
Read on to hear about all the adventures I got up to with Visit North Carolina, and see photos of the experiences.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
A river kayaking camping trip, historic lighthouses, beautiful coastline, delicious fresh caught cuisine, diverse wild and plant life - North Carolina has adventures for all.
Our first day and night held quite the adventure. We started the trip off making a whole bunch of new avian friends at the Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck. This bird park is home to breeding populations of some of the world’s rarest waterfowl and they are working to protect these species from extinction. Getting to interact with birds in this space was incredibly cool, and we learned a lot about them, and the efforts being made to protect them.
Our next adventure was one I won’t soon forget. An overnight kayaking camping trip on the Roanoke River. We packed our gear up into our kayaks (thank you Native Girl Kayaking for all the guidance and the kayaks) and started our 3-mile paddle up the river. It was incredibly peaceful, not another person in sight. Just us and the river and trees. After some time paddling, we made it to our site called “Barred Owl Roost” part of the Roanoke River Partners and one of several camping sites along the Roanoke River State Trail. It was properly named. After getting settled for the night on our platform, eating some dinner and playing cards, we got into our tent and fell asleep to the sounds of the owls through the night.
From there we headed east, to spend the next few days on the Outer Banks. A place we had never been to before, so we were both quite excited. We made our first stop at our Airbnb for the next few nights. And staying on theme for the area, our rental was a lighthouse house - featuring three levels and a spiral staircase going up the home, it was quite the treat! For our next adventure, we headed down to the coast for a nice little sunset guided horseback ride on the beach with Chase from Virginia Beach Horseback. It was the most surreal way to end the day.
Our final day on the Outer Banks was a busy one, but filled with a whole lot of enjoyment. We started the day exploring some of the historic lighthouses in the area, such as the Bodie Island Lighthouse and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. Next, I went up for a plane ride to see the Outer Banks from above. It was a whole new perspective, and was so beautiful from above. Getting to see the piers, the beaches, and even a pod of dolphins and a shark from the Cessna was certainly unforgettable. After that, we headed to Blue Water Grill and Raw Bar for some lunch, and of course eat some locally harvested oysters. We ended our trip the only way we saw fit, spending some time exploring the coastal dunes and walking along the beaches on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore for sunset.
All in all, this trip was incredible and I will not soon forget the time we had down here. It’s always incredible to get to experience a completely new place, especially when that place is as beautiful as this. Thanks again to Visit North Carolina for making this trip happen!
