Mutt
Full Access Member
Families celebrate Mother's day in different ways. Most with cards, maybe a dinner out so Mom has a reprieve from meal preparation. The wife and myself are Gen X'ers and we always celebrate a little alternatively, one year for Mother's day we attended the opening round of the A.M.A. National Motocross Series, Glen Helen, in San Bernardino, California.
This year would be no exception. Negotiations were pretty simple and we settled on a relaxing day at the beach on the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina. Hitting the barrier island, we avoid the tourist trap that is town (Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head) during any month absent of the letter "R". So we pointed the nose of our Jeep south directly towards the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore covers over seventy miles of the barrier islands that locals and hip tourists refer to as the "OBX". Many travel to Hatteras for it's epic surfing, it is widely considered as the home of East Coast surfing. While others come for surf fishing, migratory bird watching, building castles in the sand, and many other beach centric or coastal activities.
One of our favorite spots is south of Rodante while still north of Avon. The nice part of the beach at Hatteras is that you can drive your Jeep out on the beach, all accesses are clearly marked whether ORV travel is permissable. None of this lugging surfboards, wetsuits, fishing poles, coolers, chairs, etc; You find your spot and set up camp for the day.
Signage at the access recommended airing down to twenty psi, but I figured we'd try the new Mickey Thompson Baja Claws at thirty-two. Just for grins the KJ would stay in two wheel drive. It wasn't until we were well out on the beach in the sugar sand that I had to reach for the transfer case selector and four high. We were cruising down the beach, looking at the surf break and looking for a semi-isolated spot that would provide us with a day unencumbered by our fellow man.
Said spot wasn't unheard of as we soon located a section of beach with one truck a quarter mile north of us and to the south we probably had a half mile of desolate beach. My measure of beach distance may not be accurate.
No sooner had I selected "P" on the transmission than my children were clamoring for door handles and the feel of sand between their toes. Hitting the power lock button, Mom and myself freed the children from their restraints and we all hit the beach. With kids splashing in the shore break, I set about unloading surfboards from the roof rack and donning of my wet suit.
Stoked that the water was a balmy sixty degrees fahrenheit, this would be my first session of the year sans gloves and boots. It would also be Mom's first trip out on the new board that she recieved for Christmas. Once my body was enveloped in that 4/3 rubber I headed for the water. I was shocked to find my three year old daughter, Grace, playing in the shore break as she had previously been petrified of the water after a falling in incident. As I entered the water, Grace was two feet next to me and then the white water got her. The toe started pulling at her and she looked at me with fear and her eyes and pleaded, "Daddy". Before I could move, she was under the water as I reached for her arm and pulled her back on terra firma. Any progress we had made with her fear of the water had evaporated.
With Grace calmed down, I paddled out for the break. What appeared to be a couple hundred yards off shore must have been much greater, or I was just out of shape from a winter of slovenly couch lying. After a couple of good waist to chest sets I paddled for the beach, wow, had the beach miraculously gotten further away? Had I misjugded the distance that I had one out? At one point I wondered if I had the steam to get back in.
Now it was my turn to watch the kids as Mom put on her wetsuit and hit the water. Destiny our six year old was busily splashing in the water, but it was fun watching Caleb, only fifteen months chase the shore break ebb, only to turn and run back up on the beach. He's a little charger, super grommet in training.
Soon we were all laying on the beach soaking up the sun and playing in the sand. The girls insisted that I bury them in the sand and then it was Dad's turn to get burried. What a great way to spend a day with my family, a relaxing day at the beach unconcerned with the rigors of day to day life.
After a turn of sea shell collecting the wind started to pick up and a chill entered the spring air. It was decided that it was time to leave and search for a dining establishment to pacify that familiar rumbling in our stomachs.
We found an enchanting restaurant in Rodanthe on the third floor of a roadside strip mall, BoardWok, offering Asian/American cuisine. Mom chowed on Surf & Turf, her reward for her labor to the family throughout the year. Our meals were exquisitely prepared and the service was excellent.
After dinner we travelled back up the beach road at a leisurely pace, enjoying the surrounding scenery of beach front homes. We meandered over the bridge to the mainland and made our way home.
It's great living in North Carolina and we love Mom's Jeep because it affords us the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy our environment. Sometimes it's not the wheeling on the trip that makes it enjoyable, it's the wheeling that gets you to the location you enjoy.
So what, we celebrated on Saturday, Mom deserves a whole weekend!
This year would be no exception. Negotiations were pretty simple and we settled on a relaxing day at the beach on the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina. Hitting the barrier island, we avoid the tourist trap that is town (Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head) during any month absent of the letter "R". So we pointed the nose of our Jeep south directly towards the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
You must be registered for see images
Cape Hatteras National Seashore covers over seventy miles of the barrier islands that locals and hip tourists refer to as the "OBX". Many travel to Hatteras for it's epic surfing, it is widely considered as the home of East Coast surfing. While others come for surf fishing, migratory bird watching, building castles in the sand, and many other beach centric or coastal activities.
You must be registered for see images
One of our favorite spots is south of Rodante while still north of Avon. The nice part of the beach at Hatteras is that you can drive your Jeep out on the beach, all accesses are clearly marked whether ORV travel is permissable. None of this lugging surfboards, wetsuits, fishing poles, coolers, chairs, etc; You find your spot and set up camp for the day.
You must be registered for see images
Signage at the access recommended airing down to twenty psi, but I figured we'd try the new Mickey Thompson Baja Claws at thirty-two. Just for grins the KJ would stay in two wheel drive. It wasn't until we were well out on the beach in the sugar sand that I had to reach for the transfer case selector and four high. We were cruising down the beach, looking at the surf break and looking for a semi-isolated spot that would provide us with a day unencumbered by our fellow man.
Said spot wasn't unheard of as we soon located a section of beach with one truck a quarter mile north of us and to the south we probably had a half mile of desolate beach. My measure of beach distance may not be accurate.
You must be registered for see images
No sooner had I selected "P" on the transmission than my children were clamoring for door handles and the feel of sand between their toes. Hitting the power lock button, Mom and myself freed the children from their restraints and we all hit the beach. With kids splashing in the shore break, I set about unloading surfboards from the roof rack and donning of my wet suit.
You must be registered for see images
Stoked that the water was a balmy sixty degrees fahrenheit, this would be my first session of the year sans gloves and boots. It would also be Mom's first trip out on the new board that she recieved for Christmas. Once my body was enveloped in that 4/3 rubber I headed for the water. I was shocked to find my three year old daughter, Grace, playing in the shore break as she had previously been petrified of the water after a falling in incident. As I entered the water, Grace was two feet next to me and then the white water got her. The toe started pulling at her and she looked at me with fear and her eyes and pleaded, "Daddy". Before I could move, she was under the water as I reached for her arm and pulled her back on terra firma. Any progress we had made with her fear of the water had evaporated.
With Grace calmed down, I paddled out for the break. What appeared to be a couple hundred yards off shore must have been much greater, or I was just out of shape from a winter of slovenly couch lying. After a couple of good waist to chest sets I paddled for the beach, wow, had the beach miraculously gotten further away? Had I misjugded the distance that I had one out? At one point I wondered if I had the steam to get back in.
You must be registered for see images
Now it was my turn to watch the kids as Mom put on her wetsuit and hit the water. Destiny our six year old was busily splashing in the water, but it was fun watching Caleb, only fifteen months chase the shore break ebb, only to turn and run back up on the beach. He's a little charger, super grommet in training.
You must be registered for see images
Soon we were all laying on the beach soaking up the sun and playing in the sand. The girls insisted that I bury them in the sand and then it was Dad's turn to get burried. What a great way to spend a day with my family, a relaxing day at the beach unconcerned with the rigors of day to day life.
You must be registered for see images
After a turn of sea shell collecting the wind started to pick up and a chill entered the spring air. It was decided that it was time to leave and search for a dining establishment to pacify that familiar rumbling in our stomachs.
You must be registered for see images
We found an enchanting restaurant in Rodanthe on the third floor of a roadside strip mall, BoardWok, offering Asian/American cuisine. Mom chowed on Surf & Turf, her reward for her labor to the family throughout the year. Our meals were exquisitely prepared and the service was excellent.
You must be registered for see images
After dinner we travelled back up the beach road at a leisurely pace, enjoying the surrounding scenery of beach front homes. We meandered over the bridge to the mainland and made our way home.
It's great living in North Carolina and we love Mom's Jeep because it affords us the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy our environment. Sometimes it's not the wheeling on the trip that makes it enjoyable, it's the wheeling that gets you to the location you enjoy.
So what, we celebrated on Saturday, Mom deserves a whole weekend!
