Manteo

I'm finally in Manteo! After several years of on-and-off deliberation, I'm here. We've only been here a few days but it seems like we've already done so much. Tuesday evening there was a cookout for us & our parents, held at the beautiful home of the chair of the community advisory board. Most of the faculty for our classes was there as well as most of the board, and it was a wonderful evening of introductions and getting to know everyone.

Nothing was scheduled for us Wednesday morning to give us time to finish unpacking, but since I had finished late Tuesday evening, I decided to ride into Manteo (about 3 miles each way) to check out the bike trails on the island and explore the downtown area. First, I explored the forest and beach around our apartment complex...

our building, Thomas Hariot.


our personal beach, as seen from the top of a dune.


me & Lucille, my bike.


the waterfront in Manteo.


Thursday morning we went kayaking in Milltail Creek in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. My parents always tease me about hating kayaking, but it's like hiking - I don't hate it, I just like to go at my own pace. At first we went through wide lake- and river-like areas, and then got into some hairier sections where we were surrounded by marsh grass and sort of had to gondolier our way through.

learning about the history of the area.


hanging out in my kayak.

getting our feet under us, so to speak. just starting out...


Thursday evening we went to a beach house on Nags Head rented by the extended family of the program director. It was one of the old houses (turn of the century) and was beautiful. We arrived just as the sun was setting behind the house... we met everyone - again, all so incredibly kind and interesting - and then jumped in the water. We'd been to Nags Head earlier in the week but the rip tide was so strong that they wouldn't let us swim, so this was our first dip in the actual ocean....and what a beautiful first dip!! The water there is a deep teal and the sky is always a gorgeous deep [Carolina] blue, dotted with white clouds. It was such a lovely evening.

Today was mostly discussions, although the one in the afternoon was held in a gazebo right on the water in a marsh. Beautiful! We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach in Nags Head again, and I think we're going to grill out tonight. We have the weekend free, so we're going to explore the area further!