We were 30 miles or so from our coastal destination when we began to smell a hint of salt air drifting in our windows. Just a trace at first, growing stronger with each passing mile. Although we have visited the beach many times before, we were still excited, still eager to walk in the sand and hear the power of the crashing waves once again! Big Blue knew it too, as he pulled us along like a giant magnet. Before reaching our mini beach holiday, we made a couple stops, including a delicious pulled pork BBQ sandwich for lunch, as well as stopping to learn about the local, but booming, peanut and cotton industry in SE Virginia.
Except for birding trips with my dad, I did not grow up a “beach person.” But my wife lived closer to the shore than I did and took summer vacations to Delaware with her family. However, we have many relatives and friends that did (and do) spend their summers and/or weekends “down at the Jersey Shore,” or relaxing in one the coastal towns of Maryland, Virginia or North Carolina. The one thing they’ve all shared with me, is that sense of relaxation they feel as they approach their favorite beach spot. Some may refer to it as stress relief, but it really does calm your soul as you take that first barefoot stroll along the shoreline, warm sun on your back, wet sand gently oozing between your toes and the cool ocean water splashing against your legs. Some of us even test the mighty ocean waves on our first walk, trying to dodge the larger ones, and telling yourself that one won’t reach me. Then, seemingly without warning, it sneaks up and crashes into you, wetting the bottom of your shorts before you’ve even unpacked your bags! Even after 40 years of doing the same thing, I still foolishly shout out, “I wasn’t expecting that,” as I quickly check to make sure my cell phone that was hiding in my pocket, hadn’t been temporarily submerged in the Atlantic Ocean!
Theresa and I experience that same feeling of serenity when we venture to the coast. But for us, it’s also about re-visiting the variety of coastal wildlife we normally don’t see where we live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Maybe it’s the pods of dolphins playing in the surf, or the many crabs that slowly crawl along the sand, but dash like Olympic sprinters into their holes as you approach them. But more than any other critters, it’s the “beach birds” we enjoy seeing the most. We pause to admire the flying skills of a large Brown Pelican gliding effortlessly inches over the surface of the water, disappearing behind each cresting wave, then suddenly re-appearing as if it was there the entire time. We laugh as we watch small, delicate flocks of Sanderlings hurriedly running toward the mighty ocean on each outgoing wave searching for sand crabs, then hastily retreating toward land from the next incoming wave-like the opening theme song from the old TV show the Monkees!
It was late September and our annual fall adventure had us headed to Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We were a bit hesitant about going since parts of these barrier islands had sustained some serious damage from Hurricane Dorian, which grazed the area with 100+ mph winds and strong storm surge just a couple weeks earlier. Fortunately for us, they were spared the harshest part of the storm where we were staying. However, in our travels to the southern end of Hatteras Island the damage was very obvious, with many large piles of tree branches and dozens of salt water-damaged appliances (from storm surge) stacked up along the road, waiting to be picked up. We had heard the damage on Ocracoke Island and points further south was even worse. We hope they recover quickly.
Although we talked about taking a couple of days to just relax and “sleep in” on this trip, of course that didn’t happen. We awoke each morning by 6:00 am, grabbed our coffee, and headed down to the beach to welcome the sunrise with a few dozen photos. As far as landscape photography goes, it’s hard to top the beauty of a rising sun over the ocean, with its canvas of pink and orange colors and rolling surf. In addition to our many beach walks, we also took advantage of the warm, sunny weather and booked a guided kayak tour in the waters of Pamlico Sound, within Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. As we paddled we saw pelicans, terns, gulls, cormorants and a few egrets. Gazing down in the clear water, we were lucky enough to catch sight of a few sting rays and Blue crabs that passed under our quiet boats. Kayaking is a great way to see wildlife up close!
The beach can be a special place. Maybe it’s the salt, the sand, the sun, the waves or the wildlife-maybe it’s a combination of all of them. For many people it’s a place to kick back, slow down and absorb what nature has to offer. You can feel it as you inch closer and closer to the coast. One famous quote sums it nicely, “Ah, the smell of salt and sand. There is no elixir on this blessed earth like it.” Get Out and About!
