my travels in pixels

The Wright Brothers National Memorial No cockpits yet Capturing history Full sized replica at the spot where they took off The only monument to be erected when the people were still alive This is where the Wright Brother’s came to test out their gliders and Flyer. It all started when their father brought home a rubber band operated helicopter when they were very young which they played with it until it broke. So they rebuilt it, but made a bigger one, then a bigger one. Their interest in flight had begun. Orville & Wilbur were the two older brothers in the family of five children, who became inseparable. The local helpers There were many people trying to achieve motorized flight around the world at the time, but no-one had succeeded. They thought they had as good a chance as anyone else. I better take one just in case you miss it Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina fit the criteria they needed for testing their theories – wind ...

North Carolina’s Outer Banks We have come to North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX for short). It’s a slither of land that runs along the ocean. We drove over three long long long bridges to get here, we have finally left the I-40 which we have been travelling on since California, behind us. Nags Head Beach Houses Some pastels Driving down through Nags Head I couldn’t help but think about the show Beach Flip and Income Property where they renovated some houses just like these. They are colourful weatherboards, two to three stories tall, often on stilts. Some small, some huge. The lucky ones get the perfect position right on the beach. There is a place here that has 28 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms and rents for $40k a week, who has that sort of money? Rents double after Memorial day. Bodie Lighthouse Bodie Lighthouse The lighthouse was built in 1872 and still has it’s original Fresnel lens. The lighthouses try to make a notorious stretch of sea a little safer. They ...

Asheville NC A nice short drive of fifty miles took us to Asheville in North Carolina. We couldn’t take the Blue Ridge Parkway route as it has a number of tunnels that are too low for us. Steve and Caroline took this route though so they were able to tell us what we missed out on. The parkway is 80 miles of very windy road and doesn’t seem to have been much different from the first few miles that we travelled at the Great Smokies end. Biltmore Lodge Biltmore Lodge The Biltmore is the largest privately owned house in America. It was the Vanderbilt’s 250 room summer house and is currently owned by their descendants. Built in the style of a French Renaissance Chateau, the living space covers four acres. To say this place is huge is an understatement - there are currently 2,000 employees needed to run it. We weren’t planning on going to the Biltmore on our first day in Asheville until we dropped into the visitor centre. Lindsay had wanted to ask them where he could get real br...

Smokemont NP Campground Campground Road A, Cherokee, NC Site A6 Smokemont Campground Why we chose here? It’s in the southern part of the Great Smoky Mountains Location: North Carolina, just north of Cherokee Peak Season: 15 May to 15 Oct Sites: 142, they say it accommodates 35-40’ RV’s but there are limited spots for these sizes, especially for 5th Wheels as we need to fit a truck on the site as well, unhooked. There are a number of loops, F loop which is for RV’s was closed as it doesn’t open until the 15th May. The campsites are tight. Facilities: Restrooms, Dump Station with drinking water, Garbage bins Groceries: Cherokee is 8 miles away, the Lion grocery store is next to McDonalds on the 441 Reservations: Yes, but not before 15 May Cell Coverage / WiFi: No, you will get it in Cherokee Price Paid: $17 off peak, $20 in peak season Date of visit: May 2016, we camped in A6 Other: There are some trails accessible from the campground. No generator...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC Moving campsites The Great Smoky Mountains NP is half in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. After four days in the Tennessee section we moved to the Smokemont campground which is in the southern part of the park. As went over the Appalachian Trail which marks the state border there was snow on the ground and sleet was wetting our windscreen. A little bit different to 4 days ago when it was a humid 80°F. Just as we were leaving Cave Cove we met an Australian couple from Caloundra. They are travelling around America just like we are. They found a 27’ RV within two days of arriving in LA for $6k. While it might not be the fastest thing on the highway and needs patching up every now and then, it’s getting them to where they want to go. They came to Smokemont campground the day after us and so we met up for drinks. It was great swapping travelling stories and talking about home. There's something about catching up with people from your ...