Assateague Island National Seashore

We visited two ends of the Assateague Island National Seashore, in Maryland and Virginia. Famous for their wild horses.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of our route (we were going to have dinner in Ocean Beach, but it was too busy, so we continued up the coast to Bethany Beach):

Visitor center:

Assateague Island National Seashore

Visitor center

Wild horses:

Horses

Sign

Dunes trail hike:

Dunes trail hike

Biplane

Dunes trail hike

Wild horse and touron:

Horse and touron

Horse

The Chincoteague end of the island:

Chincoteague

Horse corral, where they collect the horses on this end of the island:

Horse corral

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Bay

A popular beach:

Beach

Lighthouse info:

Lighthouse info

Lighthouse trail

Lighthouse

Colonial Williamsburg

We visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, which could be described as Disneyland for history buffs.

An interactive map:

Another interactive map on their website.

Historic Triangle:

Historic Triangle

Williamsburg sign:

Williamsburg sign

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Model:

Model

Path by a stream under a bridge:

Path by stream under bridge

Governer’s Palace:

Governer's Palace

Kitchen:

Governer's Palace

Horse and cart:

Horse and cart

Building

Lunch at The King’s Arms:

Building

The King's Arms

Street

Capitol guided tour:

Capitol

Raleigh Bakery:

Raleigh Bakery

Shops:

Shops

Sheep:

Sheep

Cows:

Cows

Pond and a pointy building:

Pond and building

Bridge back to the visitor center:

Bridge back to visitor center

An interesting experience.

Colonial National Historical Park: Jamestown

We visited a couple of areas of the Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, including Yorktown and Jamestown Island. This post is about Jamestown.

Jamestown is in multiple parts; a touristy Jamestown Settlement, that we didn’t visit (this time), and Jamestown Island, which is partly NPS, and partly a Preservation Virginia area.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of the Jamestown Island area:

Historic Jamestowne:

Historic Jamestowne

Glasshouse ruins:

Historic Jamestowne

Glasshouse

A replica Glasshouse, that does glassblowing demonstrations:

Replica Glasshouse

Jamestowne visitor center:

Visitor center

Auditorium:

Visitor center

Exhibits:

Visitor center

Monument:

Monument

Pocahontas:

Pocahontas

Relief map:

Relief map

Captain John Smith:

Captain John Smith

Cannon:

Cannon

The Barracks:

The Barracks

Indian tools; this guy showed and handed around various tool components, and told of their manufacture:

Indian tools

Church:

Church

Cellar kitchen:

Cellar kitchen

Blacksmith workshop:

Smith

This recreator talked Jenn’s ear off with old-timey tales:

Smith

Shrine

The Statehouse:

The Statehouse

Museum:

Museum

Ancient foundations under the floor:

Museum

Gift store:

Gift store

Fascinating stuff.

Colonial National Historical Park: Yorktown

We visited a couple of areas of the Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, including Yorktown and Jamestown Island. This post is about Yorktown.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of the Yorktown area:

Historic Yorktown:

Historic Yorktown

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Yorktown:

Yorktown

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

We briefly visited Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in North Carolina. This is the site of the “Lost Colony”, that arrived in 1584 and vanished; their fate is still unknown.

Here’s the NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map:

Entrance

Visitor center

We had lunch in the picnic area:

Picnic area

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

We took a long drive out to and along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route to visit Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (post coming tomorrow), Wright Brothers National Memorial, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant for dinner on the way home:

A replica of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse at a gas station on the way:

Replica of Cape Hatteras lighthouse

Alligator River:

Alligator River

Cape Hatteras National Seashore sign:

Cape Hatteras National Seashore sign

Whalebone Junction Info Center:

Whalebone Junction Info Center

Bodie Island Light Station:

Bodie Island Light Station

Bridge:

Bridge

Ocean view:

Ocean view

Sand blowing over the road:

Sand blowing over the road

Cape Hatteras Light Station. It is currently undergoing repairs and restoration; they had just finished adding the scaffolding when we visited:

Cape Hatteras Light Station

Park Store:

Park Store

Museum:

Museum

The lighthouse was moved half a mile inland from the coast:

Museum

Saving the Light Station:

Saving the Light Station

Cape Hatteras Light Station:

Cape Hatteras Light Station

A long Sunday drive, but we enjoyed it.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

We visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful powered airplane flights.

Here’s the NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map:

Entrance:

Entrance

Visitor Center:

Visitor Center

Relief map:

Relief map

Exhibits:

Visitor Center

A full-sized reproduction of the first plane:

Visitor Center

Plaque

Home away from home:

Home away from home

First flights:

First flights

First flights launch marker:

First flights launch marker

Looking along flight path:

Looking along flight path

First flight marker; 12 seconds, 120 feet, December 17, 1903:

First flight marker

Second flight marker:

Second flight marker

Third flight marker:

Third flight marker

Fourth flight marker:

Fourth flight marker

First flight markers, and info sign about the launch rail:

First flight markers

Monument:

Monument

Plane sculpture:

Plane sculpture

Impressive how we’ve come so far since then.

Myrtle Beach State Park beach

While staying at the Myrtle Beach State Park campground, we walked to the adjacent beach on several days. Nice to be able to walk to a beach:

Path to beach

Beach

A cannonball jelly; apparently harmless:

Cannonball jelly

Waves:

Waves

Pier:

Pier

Gift shop:

Pier

Gift store

Gift shop

Gift store

We walked out on the pier, while enjoying some very melty ice cream:

Pier and ice cream

Pier

View from pier

A sign with info about jellies:

Sign

Boardwalk:

Boardwalk

Sign

Boardwalk

Sign

Picnic shelters:

Picnic shelters

Gaillardia flowers growing wild (we used to buy them at a garden center):

Flowers

Beach:

Beach

Pelicans:

Pelicans

Beach

We loaded our beach chairs, mini table, and cooler into our cart, to enjoy a picnic dinner on the beach:

Jenn, beach chairs, cart

Plane:

Plane

Beach

Myrtle Beach State Park

We stayed at Myrtle Beach State Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Campground Reviews listing.)

A nice state park in the tourist town of Myrtle Beach.

Dates:

Check in: 2024-04-28
Check out: 2024-05-12
7 nights

Weather:

Partly cloudy, some rain
High temps 76-86°F, lows 60-72°F
Little wind, gusts to 24 MPH

Noise:

No road noise
No train noise
Regular airplane noise (in the flight path of Myrtle Beach International Airport)
Some neighbor noise (mostly yippy dogs)

Site:

#204, back in, dirt
Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
Rather unlevel, high on passenger side and back; used hydraulic leveling with blocks under the front (though not completely level)
Dirt driveway about 60 feet long by 18 feet wide
No neighbor on driver side, trees about 14 feet to 45 feet to road
About 35 feet to neighbor on passenger side, with tall trees and shrubs giving decent privacy
Picnic table
Fire pit
Tall trees
Clean site

Utilities:

50 amp power, conveniently located
60 PSI water, conveniently located
Loose sewer connection, conveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)

Internet (in usage priority order):

T-Mobile: 28 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 35 ms ping
Campground Wi-Fi: 25 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 5 ms ping
AT&T: 7-10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up, 85-170 ms ping
Verizon: 1-17 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 70-115 ms ping
Starlink: not used

Amenities:

Garbage dumpsters
Nearby beach

Our review on Campground Reviews:

Nice under the trees

This is one of the most expensive state parks we’ve ever stayed at, but considering the location and what it would’ve cost at one of the resorts in the area, it’s a good deal, especially with the proximity to the beach. It was nice and shady under the trees, but it got tight on some of the roads for our 40′ motorhome. We had site 204, which was large enough for our motorhome and tow vehicle but extremely sloped front-to-back, and we couldn’t get completely level. The other major drawback is that the park is directly under the airport’s flight path, so it can get a bit loud. Thankfully, they seem to not operate after 11pm. We camped at Myrtle Beach State Park in a Motorhome.

Campground map; a mix of sites with 30 or 50 amp power, and with or without sewer:

Park map