Camping at the Outer Banks

When I was younger my family used to go camping at the Outer Banks every summer. I have so many wonderful memories of our vacations, that I have always wanted to go back to the same campground and create new ones with my kids.  This summer we finally took the plunge and decided to do it.  We only went for one night, and I think that was enough.  The campground had upgraded the showers (still ice cold, but now tiled), but most everything else was the same.  It was fun to imagine my 9 year old self running around with my sisters, likely annoying the heck out of everyone else that was camping there.  The best part about the campground is that it is a short walk to the beach.  We enjoyed a peaceful evening at the beach, we ate Mountain Man Stew for dinner (an original recipe that my Dad came up with backpacking in the Rockies), and we topped the night off with s'mores and scary stories.    

Phoenix tells the funniest scariest scary stories.  The Holy Ghost makes it into almost every one (despite the many talks we have had with him that the Holy Ghost is good and friendly), and skeletons, bears, lava-bears, dinosaurs, and fire-breathing dragons also frequently appear.  He likes making sound effects (like running his fingers across the wall to sound like scampering), and he always tries to one-up previous stories.  The last scary story that he told had one billion one hundred skeletons in it.  Audrey was telling one and she had 4 skeletons in her story and Phoenix leaned over and whispered "No, Audrey, make it be one billion skeletons" as if he was giving her expert advise.  

The kids got to experience the thistles and the cacti of my childhood memories first hand.  Phoenix had to learn the hard way why you should 1) stay on the path and 2) wear shoes.  

On the way home we stopped by the Somerset Plantation. It wasn't opened that day, but we walked around the grounds.  Whispers of the lives that once were on those grounds were everywhere.  I want to go back and get the guided tour.  

We had an enjoyable weekend camping trip.  Camping is a lot of work to pack, set up, take down, and unpack, but it is worth it for the memories made.