Cape Lookout

 Our first field trip of this year was to incredibly scenic Cape Lookout, North Carolina.  Cape Lookout is my new favorite place in the Tarheel State.

As you can see from the map above, Cape Lookout is that pointy little area that concludes the barrier islands of North Carolina.  You can probably tell that there's only one way to and from Cape Lookout: by ferry.

The kids had a great time riding the ferry over and back.  In the busy summer season, the ferries are larger boats.  But beyond Labor Day when the crowds have died-off, the ferries are small pontoon-type boats.  Which worked-out well for us, because one of the kind captains actually gave Christopher the chance to drive the boat!

 And then he gave John a chance to drive...

And even little Anna was given the opportunity to drive.  Tim and I had as much fun watching the kids drive the ferry as the kids actually had doing it!

 Another big surprise on the ferry ride was getting to see the wild horses!  

How cool are those???

The horses on Cape Lookout have been living wild for 400 years and it is believed that they originally found their way to the island during a shipwreck.  Our guide informed us that these horses are in no way cared for with food, water, or medical treatment: they are completely on their own.  When hurricanes come, they simply hunker down and somehow survive.  Amazing.

But the big reason we came to Cape Lookout was to see the lighthouse.  You just can't be a North Carolinian without appreciating a good lighthouse.

Pop Quiz:  How many lighthouses does North Carolina still have???  (Answer will be found at the bottom of the post.)

Cape Lookout has one of the few existing lighthouses (a) that is still fully functioning and (b) where you can climb to the top.  We couldn't pass that up, could we???

 Let me say that the view is absolutely worth the effort... but if you are going to climb to the top you need to understand that you will be climbing 12 stories on a spiral staircase.  The park rangers from the National Seashore practice due diligence to ensure everyone's safety by carefully monitoring the lighthouse's conditions and your condition.  The rangers give every guest a 5-minute talk about rules and procedures before you begin the climb; they measure the inside temperature of the lighthouse every few minutes (it was around 85 degrees while we were there); and about 3/4 of the way up the climb, one of rangers stands at a station and has to check your face and breathing to make sure you're doing ok and can finish the climb.  Once cleared to complete the climb, you get to squeeze through a hatch (similar to a submarine hatch), walk out on the balcony of the lighthouse, and experience that awesome view...

 Here's 6'2" Tim squeezing through the hatch.

  Check-out that view!  This picture is looking north toward Okracoke Island and the Outer Banks.

The ranger who was manning the balcony of the lighthouse told us that she has witnessed seven marriage proprosals up there.  XOXO

This view looks south toward the open ocean.  Remember that little point that Cape Lookout makes on the map?  Well, that's the beach that veers left, and you can see how the beach stops in the ocean.  The beach that veers right is the sound.

Tim and John are looking over the ocean side of the lighthouse.  Tim so much wanted to spot a shark.  No such luck.

And what goes up...must come down.

Although all 5 of us thought that even though it was a good workout, neither the climb up nor down was terribly difficult.  And to be able to climb a lighthouse that has been in existence since 1812 is a pretty magnificent experience!

Our field trip to the lighthouse wouldn't have been complete without checking-out the museum.  We learned all about lighthouses and the people who manned them.  We read about how here in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, many lives were in danger if that beacon quit burning.  And each of us even had a chance to try to pick-up a 45-pound weight.  That's how much each jug of whale blubber oil weighed, which had to be carried to the top of the lighthouse to fuel the light.  Even women had to carry those heavy cannisters of oil.  So I certainly shouldn't whine about climbing those 12 stories carrying nothing more than a camera and a bottle of water!  

 There were also interesting pieces of artifacts at the museum that were from shipwrecks, such as this wreckage wood from the 1800's.

Of course, every good field trip needs to include a little fun.  So how could we be at a beach and not cool-off with a dip in the ocean???

Cape Lookout National Seashore (specifically Shackelford Banks) is believed to have some of the best shelling on the Atlantic coast.  Even though we were unfortunately shelling as the tide was coming in, we managed to find some pretty nice shells (above) and a sand dollar.  But an incredibly gracious park ranger gave each of our kids a mammoth conch shell to keep as a souvenier that she herself had found on the beach.  

Yes, that is actually a conch shell that Chrsitopher is holding.

And yes, you can really hear the ocean when you put it up to your ear.  :)

Answer to our pop quiz:

There are 9 lighthouses still in existence in North Carolina.

Currituck Beach

Bodie Island

Cape Hatteras (Tim's personal favorite)

Okracoke 

Cape Lookout (My new favorite!)

Bald Head Island

Oak Island

Prices Creek Lighthouse

Roanoke River

-Kara