Welcome to the South!

On Tuesday Ryan and I headed to the Outer Banks of NC which is a 200-mile strip of islands along the coast and full of long beaches, tons of American history, and tourist attractions. Little did we know, the journey there would be an adventure all its own! First, we pulled over for boiled peanuts - apparently a Southern tradition. The peanuts we purchased were still warm, then you suck some of the salty water out so it doesn't drip when you crack it open. When you bite into the nut itself, it's soft! A little odd, but a fun, new experience!

Then, right next to Mackey's Ferry Peanuts was Mackey's Firearms.
Something for everyone, I guess.

Next on our journey - another Southern tradition - a Piggly Wiggly!


Being from NE, I thought I was used to seeing farm equipment on the road.
However, neither of us had ever seen anything like this!


Oh, and these billboards were all along our drive. Where did you get your crabs?


Finally, we made it to Roanoke Island - England's first settlement in America. However, there's not much there because after trying to settle it twice, the colony disappeared and remains a mystery today.


We had lunch at Big Al's Diner where they had the largest (and I guess only) Coca-Cola collection I'd ever seen! However impressive it was, we were disappointed in their tip calculating skills...


Our next stop was all 268 steps up the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - the tallest in the Nation.
With a heat index of 103, they even had a little refreshment for man's best friend.


Then, off we went to the Wright Brothers Memorial.


While it was still daylight we set up camp just on the other side of these dunes.



And finally ended the day at the East Coast's largest sand dunes.


After a night of crazy winds and a freak storm (it was NOT supposed to rain) the adventure began again when we saw this in our mirrors. Now, family of mine, this is a van just like the Beast (for everyone else, that's a 15 passenger). However, it had a wicked paint job, a lift, and rims like nobody's business!!


I think they stopped by Digger's Dungeon - home of one of America's most famous monster trucks!!!
Seriously, you find some of the oddest things driving through North Carolina!


Our last stop on our crazy journey was Virginia Beach. It is very different than the other beaches we've been to. Virginia Beach is more of a resort town and was PACKED. So maybe it doesn't look packed in this picture, but it was closer to the water and for as far as we could see. However, we still had a really good time!


And it provided us with one last surprise - a shark! While I was napping, the lifeguard was called into the water for a rescue. BUT, it was not as exciting as it sounds, the shark was dead - so straight into the trash it went!


When we got home, our wedding pictures had arrived! What a wonderful way to celebrate our now two months of marriage. Everyone here is somehow very surprised at just how recently we've been married. Maybe we already act like an old married couple, sad days... It's really gonna stink when Ryan starts school on Tuesday and the honeymoon is finally over!