Wake up!

I love hot summers. Hot summers mean shorts, staying out late into the evening, thunderstorms, popsicles, and swimming. As far as I can tell, the Bay area does not excel in the hot summer department. The Outer Banks, however, is an expert at producing the summer heat and temperate waters that I love so much. It’s been about four years since my last trip to OBX and over a year since my last trip to the east coast altogether, so this vacation was patiently awaited and long overdue.

There is something truly special about returning to a place that you have known throughout your life. Even though the Outer Banks doesn’t change much, the experience is different every time. This time was a rediscovery of the beauty that I took for granted all the time I lived on the east coast. It takes being away to gain a new sense of awareness about a familiar place.

Jockey’s Ridge, which we have visited on every vacation that I can remember, was a very different place with storm clouds drifting overhead and a tilt-shift lens in hand.

I was just playing around when I captured this sad looking image. Poor Rigo all alone and the family together in the background. Maybe they shunned him for not striking a pose in the previous picture.

This trip was highlighted with some exceptionally good food.

But the basis of the vacation was the same as always: good company.

I have always loved a good afternoon thunderstorm.

We don’t always go island hopping, but this time we traveled to Wanchese (I used to think it was “Juan Cheese”) on the island of Manteo to have dinner and see the fishing boats.

Mini boats?! Nope, just an awesome lens. Sorry to shatter your dreams.

It’s so hard to leave on the last day. At least we got a colorful family photo out of it. Until next time, my sandy, fair-weathered friend…