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Heh heh...thanks everyone!

Yeah, you know? I've only touched the very tip of the proverbial iceberg with what I've shown you and told you! Which is why I also included links to stuff on the Outer Banks. I could pack this thread with so many pictures, that Steet'd kill me for the amount of bandwidth I'd have expended!

Yeah, that UFO thing, I don't know for certain what it was...I've only heard conjectural rumors. It sits on the roadside in Frisco...one of the small "local" towns on the Outer Banks (there are a few that are less touristy than others...Frisco is one of them). Still, it's a fun little curiosity!

There is just SO MUCH to see and do in the Outer Banks! And, as you can imagine, the seafood is excellent! MMMM! They have a commercial tuna and offshore game fishing fleet stationed in the village of Hatteras.

If I can find a good map of the banks, I'll post it so you can see the layout.

Another great place (and the Canadian readers should like this) is called "Canadian Hole"...it's an alcove of undeveloped beach on the soundside of Hatteras Island, between the towns of Avon and Buxton. There, where the trade winds blow especially well, you can see wind surfers and parasailers enjoying themselves. It is said that Canadian tourists first took advantage of the alcove, thus the name. 'Ey? (heh heh)

lol I need to go there sometime...it sounds fun, way better then where I am now atleast xD

MORE PICS!

One of my brother's friends, who went with us to the Outer Banks this year, and to Busch Gardens, took these. He took a few interesting shots...one of the beach house, and some others from the theme park:

first, the family beach house, called "Shore To Please" (one of the NJ license plate mottos)



Next is a distance shot of part of the track for the "Loch Ness Monster", one of the oldest roller coasters in the park (you can find the details on this baby, and the rest of the park's great rides, by going to the links I provided on page 1 of this topic)...this coaster was relatively new and state-of-the-art in 1980...the first year my family and I went to Busch Gardens (I was 13 years old...heh heh. I have pics of that somewhere...if I find them, I will scan and post them.)...now, compared to some of the newer coasters at the park, it's relatively TAME!



A shot of some of the track of the "Big Bad Wolf", another of the older coasters in the park, and one of the world's first suspension roller coasters (the cars dangle from a bar which runs on the track)...what you see is it's sharp, fast drop over the "Rhine River"...



The deceptively calm-looking (but very exciting) water ride called "Escape From Pompeii", from its final wet drop!



Here are three shots of the bald eagle paddock I mentioned earlier, with some of the eagles the Jack Hanna people are rehabilitating and caring for:





And, at long last, a couple of shots of the wolf paddock, with some of the gray wolves they rotate on display in there*




*There is also a separate, private area in which the pack is kept, to get them away from the gawking of park visitors, and allow them a change of scenery. The animals seemed VERY well-cared for, healthy, and happy. And, in the presence of the trainers/keepers, they were very animated and "alive". In fact, in an amusing little twist, while the keepers had trained them to do certain tricks and routines (to demonstrate their intelligence), the wolves also demonstrated an amusing capacity for humor and mischief!

They would sometimes lay down and slowly roll over on their sides, to elicit belly rubs from the keepers. Very amusing! And they really seemed to have a healthy, positive bond with them. They were simply beautiful animals...breathtaking! And, when I go back in a few weeks, I plan to take some better pics of them if I can! I was totally enthralled by them...they are incredible!

That sounded like a really good trip and it must of been fun! Last Summer Rusty and I went to Florida for two weeks. We went to Kenedy Space Center (Were they launch the shuttles, also we got to see some of the actual peices that they were going to put on the stataion one of them which is on the space station now!), All of the Disney World parks which was a blast, Then we went to Bush Gardens and got to ride the newest ride there which takes you into a 90 degree drop straight into a cave! Oh man, good times, good times....

Edit: Man those pictures are WOW! *jaw drops!*

Okay...I said I'd post a map of the Outer Banks of North Carolina if I could find one. And I did!

Here it is (and a link to a brief description of each town noted on the Outer Banks after that, along with a bit of my own description first). Note, on the map, the Pamlico Sound. Earlier, I had indicated it is huge...here, you can see what I mean. It is said to be no deeper than nine feet in most places, and that one could conceivably WALK across it (avoiding sharks, rays, and other dangerous fish and other risks, I imagine):



Now, as to each town (north to south):

Corolla: Started out, like the next one down, as a time-share community for visitors...and is now yuppie-ville. Full of expensive housing, preened lawns and parks, outlet stores, posh restaurants and a golf course: http://www.outerbanks.com/corolla.

Duck: Like Corolla, Duck started out as a time-share community for visitors, and then developed into another yuppie haven: http://www.outerbanks.com/duck.

Southern Shores: One town that has tried its best to stave off the incursion of outsiders (and especially the idle rich...the yuppies), Southern Shores is a quaint little community of locals, with some vacation potential: http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/SouthernShores.

Kitty Hawk: A more typical beach resort community, which was once quite secluded. It is here where Orville and Wilbur Wright came with their equipment, before going four miles further south, to the base of Kill Devil Hill, to conduct their flight tests: http://www.kitty-hawk.com.

Kill Devil Hills: The oldest township on the Outer Banks, and another typical beach vacation community. It is in this town where the memorial to the Wright Brothers flight rests (as a National Park site): http://www.killdevilhills.com.

Nags Head: THE place people hear of when they hear of the Outer Banks. The largest beach resort community there. Historically, it is said that, in the distant past, locals used to walk old nags (horses) up and down the beach on dark, stormy nights, with lanterns tied around the nags' necks. This to throw off ships trying to find safe passage through the treacherous Diamond Shoals (the cause of the massive "Graveyard of the Atlantic". When the ships would wreck on the shoals, mistaking the nag lights for light house lights, the locals would go out the next day and pick through the wreckage. Or so the story goes...thus, one of the stories behind the name of this town. http://www.nags-head.com.

Manteo: Situated on Roanoke Island, this quaint little island community is home to some great history and attractions, and great shopping and eating (including a fantastic Bavarian restaurant, the "Weeping Radish": http://www.weepingradish.com). Roanoke Island only has two towns...the other being Wanchese (a community of locals and industry). Both towns are named after legendary local Indians. The island has some impressive history: it hosted the first English settlement in the new world (which failed...the "Lost Colony"), and then was the site of a Civil War battle. http://www.outerbanks.com/manteo.

Rodanthe: (Pronounced "roh-DAN-thee") A great little vacation community, and the first encountered on Hatteras Island. It is connected directly to the next two in succession from north to south. http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Rodanthe

Waves: Another great little vacation community, with its own little amusement park (Waterfall Park). http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Waves

Salvo: The last in the series of connected little towns just mentioned, Salvo is much like the other two towns, but with its own special character. It was once known as "Clarksville". http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Salvo

Avon: Historically known as "Kinnakeet", it was once a community of locals built on the sound side of the island. As tourists found the charm of the beaches, the town blossomed into one of the largest and most popular vacation resort communities on Hatteras Island (the other being Hatteras village itself). Avon features a large fishing pier and the only major supermarket on the entire island. It is between this town and the next that the famous "Canadian Hole" sits, on the sound side. http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Avon (This is where my family has always vacationed on the Outer Banks...though we often visit Buxton, Hatteras, Ocracoke, Manteo, Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills in our vacation travels while there.)

Buxton: Where Hatteras Island widens, sits the community of Buxton. Buxton features the beginning of a maritime forest on the island, which is rare for the Outer Banks (due to the salty trade winds, which kill or at least deform the trees). This is also the home of the famous "Hatteras Island Light", the lighthouse which was moved in a dramatic effort by the Army Corps of Engineers a few years back (to get it out of danger from collapse by the advancing Atlantic Ocean). There are some great seafood restaurants in this town! It also houses most of Hatteras Island's municipal services (recycling, trash collection, schools, etc.) http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Buxton

Frisco: A mostly local community, and also forested, Frisco was home to the Indian village of Croatan, which English settlers traveled to (from Roanoke Island) during their brief period of peaceful relations with the natives. There is an excellent Native American Museum and cultural center here...as well as that silly UFO thing I showed in the pictures in a previous post. heh heh. http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Frisco

Hatteras: One of the other very popular resort communities of Hatteras Island, this village sits on the extreme southern end of the island, and is home not only to commercial and sports fishing fleets, but also to a free ferry service over to Ocracoke Island. It is also home to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Hatteras

Ocracoke: Sitting at the bottom end of an otherwise deserted island, this is a wonderful town of shops, restaurants, and historical places, and was home - for a time - to the infamous pirate Edward Teach ("Blackbeard"). http://www.ncbeaches.com/OuterBanks/Ocracoke

I would like to see Kennedy Space Center!

The last time I saw Walt Disney World was 1986...senior trip. heh heh. Epcot Center had JUST opened. But I've never yet seen Busch Gardens Africa. I'd like to! I know they have that cool safari. Up here, in New Jersey, we have Six Flags Great Adventure, which has its own safari...http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatadventure/index.asp, which is a lot of fun!

It sure is Dakotah! Anyone who loves any kind of water sports, or just beach vacations, would LOVE this place!

I WANNA GO ON THAT ROLLERCOASTER!!! and now I'm really going there..xD omg I LOVE WATER and beaches!! everytime I go on vacation I spend the whole time swimming while everyone else is tanning..o.0 I dont care about that..swimming is fun..I wish my dog could come tho because it would be more fun playing fetch with her in the water xD

Well, Canadian Hole isn't a roller coaster! Heh heh...if that's what you meant. But Big Bad Wolf and Loch Ness Monster still ride over the water at that park.

nope, I ment the one in the picture xD

Ooooh...well, that's in Williamsburg, Virginia...

Wow, this really has been quite the grand vacation. You're dog is beautiful, I love that breed for the colors. They're a bit hyper for me though, lol. The sunset pics you took are gorgeous too, I wish I was there to really see them. Looks and sounds like you had a blast!

I've been to the Outer Banks before,but it's a lot of hours to get there.

*YIKES,please excuse this double-post*I've been to the Outer Banks before,but it's a long way to get there.