The Lighthouse Journey

As we prepared to leave for the Carolina Lighthouse project we suffered a slight mechanical failure on the legs of the trailer.  A quick call to Good Sam Roadside Assistance resolved that and we headed off to Tom Johnsons Camping World in Concord just to have it further checked out and give me peace of mind.  By the time we arrived, it was 7pm, but we had prepared ahead, and, following the instructions of our  Tom's salesman, set up camp right there in in the shadow of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  We spent a wonderful, quiet night there. Good thing it wasn't race season (just sayin):-)

Back HOME!!!!

In the morning the mechanic showed up at our door, checked things out, and ordered a new motor, which we'll pick up on our return leg.  Off to the coast we were, in short order.  As we were leaving, a few little snowflakes began to drift down, a rare event for this part of the country.  By 1PM we were passing thru Monroe, NC and, after checking with my trusty "Trip Advisor", stopped at a little hole in the wall restaurant for lunch (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g49361-d850719-Reviews-Knife_Fork_Restaurant-Monroe_North_Carolina.html).  It was FABULOUS!  But, check it out...

And this was just the beginning!  It wasn't long before we couldn't even see this truck!

Set up camp in Sunset Beach, NC about 5 PM at a small campground (CG) known as Wishing Well:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wishing-Well-Campground/108167925891810.

In the morning we headed off for Oak Island Lighthouse, and with the help of a local gendarme, arrived there without wandering around lost.  http://www.oakislandlighthouse.org/

The day was sunny (very good for the artist), but breezy and cool (48 degrees).  Before settling in to the project at hand, we explored the penninsula and ate a picnic lunch along the dunes.

After lunch we settled in and, while Bill sketched, I stayed in the car, warm and toasty with my computer (I did keep the window open so we could communicate).  In about an hour Bill had a rough sketch and I had almost completed the creation of my sisters High School Reunion movie.  The reason Bill could only spend an hour on it, was that his hands were so cold, due to the strong winds, he couldn't hold a pencil anymore.

 

Now that we had done what we set out to do, we headed toward the lighthouse with the intent of climbing it, only to discover it was closed for the season, unless you had reservations. This was not a HUGE disappointment, as we were pretty tired already.

Upon arriving home, we were greeted by one of our neighbors (we have 2), and after a chat, we settled in.  

Bill feels his sketch isn't good enough for posting, but I trust you will understand that it is a 1st draft only.  The final project will be amazing! It is destined to become a piece of art by the time Bill and my cousin Caron (andrusstoneware.com) have completed this joint project......which is a series of hand thrown stoneware plates depicting the images of the lighthouses of North Carolina, in varying tones of classic cobalt blue.

The 1st step of a long journey up the outer banks of North Carolina.