Spring Beach Trip to Duck North Carolina, Beach Birds and Restaurants

Early April I slipped away to enjoy a week at the Beach with a dear friend. It was a perfect time of year before the Summer rush. I left my new greenhouse behind at a crucial time. I had my seedlings coming up in the greenhouse but it was pretty calm in the garden so it ended up a good decision.

The weather was generally warm enough in Duck, North Carolina to get outside every day. We booked a house ocean view with a hot tub. We even sat on the beach a few days but most of our time was spent hiking or reclining on the decks. I even found some time to rotate between two books and we attempted to read aloud one of my favorite books, The Devil in the White City, but it ended up being so very time consuming. We turned on the TV only once, the very last evening, because we were packing and trying to down leftovers.

The sunrises were glorious and our hikes were peaceful. We checked out a nearby trail, the Pine Island Audubon Nature Trail and made it up to Corolla several times to walk the supposed "wild horse areas". A lot of poo views but no ponies in sight. We headed out one day over to Manteo to visit The Elizabethan Gardens. 

As always, there were plenty of things to see and do. We had the best food ever and my fav coffee shop with enormous biscuits, Treehouse Cafe, had just opened for the season. A word to the wise, wait until April 1 to go to Duck as many restaurants do not fire up until then! Missing out on all that good food would be so sad. Our favorite found restaurant was NC Coast Bar and Grill. We discovered their wonderful beignets so had to hit it twice, once for a dinner sunset. An interesting phenomenon is that the sun rises only over the beach and the sun sets only over the sound side (the outer banks is a barrier island strip having 2 open sides). If your beach house is situated on the ocean side you have to go over to the sound side to see a sun set so restaurants on that side are busy during that period of the day.

Curiously we didn't see any Ducks in Duck but enjoyed many Cormorants and my favorite seabird the Pelican. We had numerous flyovers of Pelicans and even saw a few Dolphins. There were not many bird sightings in the forests we hiked but my Merlin bird sound identification app on my phone picked up many different calls. I was surprised to see quite a few butterflies during this time of year.

It's never long enough but my greenhouse and messy gardens were calling me home.

Plan a trip somewhere this year, have some fun!

~Rebecca

 

Flowers to spot at the end of Spring in Shenandoah National Park - Plants and Wildflowers

Jarman Gap Trail

Last week I had the opportunity to hunt for blooming plants in the Southern and Center sections of the Shenandoah National Park. "Hiking" three separate days we hiked on four trails; Milam Gap, Limberlost, Jarman Gap, and Riprap. We encountered more Appalachian Trail hikers on Memorial Day on the Riprap Trail than on any other days.

Mountain Laurel

There is about a 1,000 foot difference in elevation between the Southern and Northern Central parts of the Skyline Drive so some wildflowers down south were about a week ahead of the northern elevations.  

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Pink Azalea

Most obvious was the development of the Mountain Laurel which had really come out along the southern Riprap Trail and was holding back along the central Limberlost Trail. I would estimate that it's really going to be impressive in Limberlost around June 12th. There is a free park entry day on June 16th so that's where I'll be! 

Bowman's Root

We encountered some lovely wildflowers on Jarman Gap Trail. One being lavender blooming Skullcap. White blooming Viburnum shrub and pink blooming Azalea can be spotted all over the park this time of year. 

One of my favorite wildflowers, Bluets

Signs of bloomed out Early Meadow Rue could be found on Jarman Gap Trail but was stealing the show in Limberlost. Another sweet wildflower that I had never encountered was Bowman's Root. A delicate white wispy bloom and better described by its other name, Fawn's Breath.

Skullcap

One had to look fairly closely to find the teeny little Bluets scattered along the Limberlost Trail, conversely the Golden Ragwort was plentiful all over the central area of the park. It was nice to have my mother scout out for flowers one day and a friend on another day. They both were equally good at finding oddities. 

Daisy like Golden Ragwort

A few unknown plants were of the fungus plant world. May be you can identify these pretty plants?

Surprisingly, the more developed Limberlost Trail seemed to have the most variety of birds and plants but we did see a pileated woodpecker on the Riprap Trail. Jarman Gap and Milam had more inclines than the other two trails and require a little more skill but still very accessible. Riprap was a nice gradual climb and pretty safe as far as getting your footing. Limberlost is ADA accessible. 

In a few weeks the towering orange flowering tiger lilies in Milam Gap are going to be amazing!

~Rebecca 

New Year's Day Nature Walk

White seed heads of Golden Rod dancing in the breeze.

On this first day of 2012, my husband and I headed out for a leisurely hike on the Monticello trail system.  We decided instead to walk the trails of the 215 acre Ivy Creek Natural Area because it is just a few miles away from Forsythia Hill.  It was fairly busy but most of our 1.5 mile walk was peaceful and relaxing.  I so enjoy walking in the quiet forest removed from the man made noise of the world.  You don't realize how much sound you have to contend with until you get in a totally isolated place where all you can hear is the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds.  Quiet has a certain sound to it that is very hard for me to describe.  All I can think of is "white" or sssshhhhh - a blankness but a sound that I crave.

Running Cedar or Clubmoss.

Being a plant lover and collector, I love walking the woods in the winter trying to discover what the forest is hiding beneath the layer of fallen leaves.  I tend to think that most people focus downward on the foot path and miss many of the plants that are less than a foot off the trail. 

Navite Wild Ginger, easy to spot.

I spotted a nice clump of one of my favorite woodland plants, Gound Cedar,  Diphasiastrum digitatum.  Quite commonly spotted along our walk was native Wild Ginger and Striped Wintergreen.  There were many pretty seed pods such as Golden Rod and one red berry that I could not identify.  Pine cones and tree fungus were a common theme.

The coolest of cool tree fungus.

As I write this I hear the wind picking up outside and the forcast is a deep dip in temperature.  It was so nice getting outside today exploring in just a sweater, in JANUARY.  Now there is no sound of "white" and more of a sound of howling cold dark winter finally approaching.

Dream of Spring! 

-Rebecca

Turk Mountain Shenandoah National Park

Friday my husband decided to go "camping" in the Shenandoah National Park.  The closest entry point is only 25 miles away from Forsythia Hill.  He departed with camping gear but ended up sleeping on a bed of rocks on top of Turk Mountain.

Along the path, nearing the summit.

Anthony wanted to show me his "boulder bed" so we decided to make a trek up Turk Mountain yesterday.  A 4.8 mile climb (round trip) that has a few challenges but is surmountable. Fairly gradual elevation until you get near to the top and it becomes increasingly steeper and more rocky but certainly passable.  It was a relaxing comfortable hike at 70 degrees.

A little bee enjoying Joe Pye Weed.

When you enter the Shenandoah National Park you do pay a $15.00 fee, good for 5 days, or you can purchase a year pass for $30.00.  Driving through the park, we began to see native flowers in bloom.  Pink-purple Joe Pye Weed, sprays of Goldenrod, and splashes of orange Touch Me Nots.  I could see long bloomed out remnants of summer blooming  Black Cohosh, Mountain Laurel, and Milkweed.  Once on the trail we enjoyed a path lined with brilliant green moss and dotted with ferns and mushrooms.

The Appalachian Trail weaves in and our of the Shenandoah National Park.  Partly because it was a Monday, we encountered only three hikers.  Two were enjoying the summit and had made the trip over from Richmond because their office was closed due to Hurricane Irene.  The other hiker was loaded up with gear and a dog so we concluded he was hiking the Appalachian Trail which shares the lower part of the Turk Mountain Trail.       

Anthony and The Summit.

After an leisurely hour stroll stopping along the way to watch Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers and listening to the elusive Pileated Woodpecker call in the woods, we climbed over boulders to reach the summit.  To steady yourself on the summit it is nice to have a buddy to hang on to.  It's quite amazing to walk through the deep forest and suddenly the world opens up to you on top of the mountain.  A truly beautiful view encompassing the rolling green hills of the Shenandoah Valley, Waynesboro, and the village of Crimora, Virginia.

While enjoying lunch on the summit, Swallows swooped and played all around us.  They must have been dining on the little nearly invisible bugs that were nipping at us - the only negative.  I had so wished I had remembered my binoculars and lavender oil bug repellent.  My husband had it right when he "camped", leaving all conveniences in the car, totally enjoying nature.

-Rebecca