SporkSports - North Carolina, December 2002

(5-31-08)

I decided to visit my parents in North Carolina again this year. This time I was actually able to make it out there on Christmas Day and returned on New Year's Eve. Back in January when I went there was actually snow on the ground but this time there would be no white Christmas, just nice mild winter cool temperatures but no rain, snow, or ice storms. We decided to take a road trip out west to the Outer Banks, where North Carolina falls in to the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the places I was most interested in visiting was of course Kitty Hawk, site of the first powered flight in the world. The main museum there was closed unfortunately as they are renovating for the centennial celebrations in 2003. The only thing that really confused me is that everything appears to have taken place in Kill Devil Hills, which is the town just south of Kitty Hawk, yet Kitty Hawk is generally known as the site where the flights took place. Who knows, some day I suppose I'll actually try to look up more information about it and find out why the difference.

One of the other things the North Carolina coastline is known for is it's lighthouses. The waters all around the Outer Banks are very shallow and dangerous and something like 230 ships have been lost over the years along that stretch of coastline. We also continued on to New Bern where the historic part of town has several houses preserved as they were from various time periods from the late 1700's to the late 1800's. The feature house is Tyron's Palace, which was constructed as the colonial governor's mansion several years before the American Revolution. Lastly, we took a drive to Mount Airy, which is the actual town where the Andy Griffith show was filmed.

December 26th, 2002, Sunset over Kill Devil Hill - the monument to the right is the Wright Brothers monument, about a mile away.
December 27th, The Wright Brothers' wind tunnel where they tested various wing designs to determine what shaped wings would produce the best lift to drag coefficient.
The flight hangar and living quarters where the brothers worked on their gliders and powered aircraft as well as their home away from home where they ate and slept.

The site of the first 4 flights. The first marker along the black path is the approximate distance the first flight covered, 120 feet. All the way at the end, 850 feet away is the distance the fourth flight covered.
Wright Brothers monument, atop Kill Devil Hill.
The monument, as viewed from the side. It was designed to resemble a wing reaching out in to the sky.

The front view of the monument with each brother's name inscribed in it. The inscription which circles it reads: In commemoration of the conquest of the air by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Conceived by genius, and achieved by dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith.
A view of the hotel where I took the sunset picture, as seen from Kill Devil Hill.
The two brothers never gave up on their dream, and their faith ultimately proved correct that man can fly.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse, near Nags Head in the North Carolina Outer Banks. It stands 170 feet tall, is still active, and uses the original Fresnel lens that was installed in 1872.
The beach near Cape Hatteras.
Thousands upon thousands of seashells at the shoreline.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The current lighthouse was constructed in 1870 and stands 207 feet tall making it the tallest lighthouse in America.
Sunset over the dunes of Kill Devil Hills.
December 29th, One of the gardens at Tyron Palace in New Bern, NC.

Statue in the Palace gardens (artist unknown).
One of the partially enclosed walkways at the gardens.
The "Palace" was actually the colonial governor's mansion and built in 1770. It was taken over after the American Revolution, lapsed into disrepair and was destroyed by accidental fire in 1798. The building as it appears now was reconstructed and restored from 1952 to 1959.

Just a picture of a bench at the gardens
Rose in Wine Glass.
December 30th, Main Street in the small town of Mount Airy, also known as Mayberry from the Andy Griffith show.

Page Created: 1-08-03

December 26th, 2002, Sunset over Kill Devil Hill - the monument to the right is the Wright Brothers monument, about a mile away.	December 27th, The Wright Brothers' wind tunnel where they tested various wing designs to determine what shaped wings would produce the best lift to drag coefficient.	The flight hangar and living quarters where the brothers worked on their gliders and powered aircraft as well as their home away from home where they ate and slept.
The site of the first 4 flights. The first marker along the black path is the approximate distance the first flight covered, 120 feet. All the way at the end, 850 feet away is the distance the fourth flight covered.	Wright Brothers monument, atop Kill Devil Hill.	The monument, as viewed from the side. It was designed to resemble a wing reaching out in to the sky.
The front view of the monument with each brother's name inscribed in it. The inscription which circles it reads: In commemoration of the conquest of the air by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Conceived by genius, and achieved by dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith.	A view of the hotel where I took the sunset picture, as seen from Kill Devil Hill.	The two brothers never gave up on their dream, and their faith ultimately proved correct that man can fly.
The Bodie Island Lighthouse, near Nags Head in the North Carolina Outer Banks. It stands 170 feet tall, is still active, and uses the original Fresnel lens that was installed in 1872.	The beach near Cape Hatteras.	Thousands upon thousands of seashells at the shoreline.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The current lighthouse was constructed in 1870 and stands 207 feet tall making it the tallest lighthouse in America.	Sunset over the dunes of Kill Devil Hills.	December 29th, One of the gardens at Tyron Palace in New Bern, NC.
Statue in the Palace gardens (artist unknown).	One of the partially enclosed walkways at the gardens.	The "Palace" was actually the colonial governor's mansion and built in 1770. It was taken over after the American Revolution, lapsed into disrepair and was destroyed by accidental fire in 1798. The building as it appears now was reconstructed and restored from 1952 to 1959.
Just a picture of a bench at the gardens	Rose in Wine Glass.	December 30th, Main Street in the small town of Mount Airy, also known as Mayberry from the Andy Griffith show.