The weather was amazing, so we stopped in Beaufort to walk around and check out all the big boats.
Next, we grabbed a burger at the Royal James' Cafe downtown.
I sneaked a few pictures of its unique ambiance with my phone ...
When we got to Harker's Island, we bought our tickets to the Calico Jack's Ferry and sat down to enjoy the great weather. This momma dog was kind enough to let me pass the time giving her head a scratch.
The captain of the ferry got us going...
...while Momma Dog kept watch. Notice how her ears are blown back by the wind.
The ferry captain wasn't sure the Shackleford horses would be out since the tide was high, but we saw several. These are wild horses that have lived on the Shackleford banks for generations. Contrary to popular belief, no one *really* knows where they came from. But during hurricanes and violent weather, the older horses form a circle around the younger ones like a wagon train and protect them from the strong winds. Amazing.
And despite efforts to control the population with birth control...well...nothing is 100% effective. This little guy is only a few months old.
After a few minutes watching the horses, we turned south and continued on to the Cape Lookout lighthouse. The diamond pattern is unique to Cape Lookout (other lighthouses have spirals, stripes, etc.), and since the white diamonds face West-East and the black diamonds face North-South, an approaching captain can easily get his bearing during the day. (At night, the various lighthouses each have their own period for their blinking light, helping identify them from one another.)
We spent the rest of our time there walking on the beach. I got to put my Hobbit feet in the ocean for the first time this trip.
In all it was a great first day!
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