Karen and I planned to vacation in North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX) months ago. As Dorian evolved into a monster in the Atlantic, it was clear the hurricane would hit the OBX. The terrible storm was a slow mover and we figured to outpace it. We left for Edenton on Sunday (9-1-19) and stayed two nights in Blackbeard’s room at a stately B&B built in 1907 called the Captain’s Quarters Inn.
Edenton is over 300-years-old. The residents have carefully maintained many of their historic structures. The Roanoke River Lighthouse behind us was built in 1886 and is the last of its kind to stand on screw pilings. The quad-chimney Barker House in the distance was built in 1782.
We walked Edenton’s treelined blocks of densely packed Colonial buildings under clear skies and marveled at the efforts made to preserve them. The Chowan County Courthouse is North Carolina’s oldest public building and is still in use since 1767.
Built in 1825, the Chowan County Jail is the oldest in north Carolina and closed after 150 years of detaining bad guys. The bars are hand-forged, hand-riveted iron. The single crapper on the second floor was a major upgrade from cedar buckets.
Francis Corbin’s Cupola House was built in 1758 and is one of many National Historic Landmarks in Edenton. The oldest house in North Carolina was built in 1718 a few blocks from here and survived better than the picture we took of it.
Monday was Swamp Day. Our canoe trip into Merchants Millpond State Park forever changed my opinion about swamps.
Built in 1811 to support gristmills and a sawmill, this pond became a center of trade in Gates County.
Gliding through the moss on still water was mesmerizing. Thankfully, we never saw the three alligators that live here.
The drawbridge over the Dismal Swamp Canal is heavily used during the migration of pleasure boaters cruising the Great Loop that starts on the Atlantic coast, winds through rivers in the midwest and finishes in the Gulf of Mexico.
I toyed with the notion of taking our boat on the “Mini Loop” through the Dismal Swamp and around the OBX instead of driving. The algae bloom on this 28-mile stretch of canal made us glad that idea never floated.
We were scheduled to take the 2.5-hour ferry ride to Ocracoke Island Tuesday morning. Our hotel called and said, “Don’t come here.” The OBX was under mandatory evacuation. We checked out the NC Capital in Raleigh on the drive home. The unpretentious structure was erected in 1888. The NC legislature met here until 1961, but now it houses the office of the Governor.
Our vacation was cut short, but we had a great time. We were treated to another supreme sunset in Edenton before we left. Karen is shooting toward the wickedness that was coming at us.