Freelance Travel Writing Topics: Cape Hatteras Light Station

Here I continue with my OBX journey that I took with Red and Natasha this past January. We were getting closer and closer to our destination, the Cape Hatteras Light Station. As Red, Natasha and I left Serendipity in Rodanthe, we passed a small fishing village on our right. A little further on our left, we saw the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station featured in the film, Nights In Rodanthe. The station would not be open for the season until mid-April.

The daylight was waning as we drove on in the direction of the famous lighthouse as it was now mid-afternoon. Finally, I drove around a curve on NC Hwy 12 and there was the very familiar black and white striped lighthouse over in the distance. Excitement was building as I had not visited this structure since I was a little girl. This lighthouse is said to be the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States. It proudly stands at a height of 208 feet. As I continued along the highway, the lighthouse then went out of sight. I kept following the signs making steady progress to reaching my goal.

When we arrived, I walked the two dogs around the parking lot being certain to observe the pet leash laws. Then, I put the puppy back in the van. I continued walking with Red over to the lighthouse itself. I asked Red to climb up on a bench and photographed him in yet another Kodak moment! Red had one leg dangling over the edge of the bench and posed beautifully. The sun was setting casting shadows on the lighthouse. We then walked around a bit and I noticed one sign explainging that this was not the original site for the lighthouse. It was moved to this site in 1999. So, Red and I climbed back in the van and followed the road which led us to the original location. We arrived at a parking area in the dunes. I saw one couple also walking a dog. So,this was the site my family visited in the 60's when I was a little girl. Many thoughts ran through my mind as I reflected on the moment. So much of life has happened since that visit. Who would have thought I would one day return at 47 and with my big stray dog in tow? Red thoroughly enjoyed himself investigating what the sand dunes had to offer. I was very impressed with the large dog's adaptability from the city to the farm to the coast.

My father and step-mother had traveled with their 2 Chihuahuas (Taco and Bell), their poodle Niki and their Macaws (Baby and Miami) to the same spot. They traveled in a Chateau Sport RV they purchased in 2001 and had spent nights in many campgrounds from Maine down to Key West. In fact, my father, William G. Hynson III wrote and published a book based on their travels entitled So You Want To Own An RV? This was published in 2006. After walking around for awhile, I spent a few moments looking at my plethora of travel brochures and decided to head over to the ferry dock to board the Hatteras - Ocracoke free ferry. I needed to hurry if I wanted to catch the next ferry before the sun went down.