On Monday morning, I missed an exit returning the rental car, and got to the airport just one minute before the car was due to be returned. I showed the guy where the car had been bumped, and he said not to worry about it. Whew! He also told me that Enterprise still gives a half-hour grace for returns, and that I could return the car to a neighborhood rental location for no extra charge. That way I could get a free ride back to the motel. God is so good! It still was stressful though since his directions to the other rental location just got me to the right general area . . . where I did not see any Enterprise signs at first.
The rest of the week was mainly occupied with work, of course. But I did eventually make time during a lunch break to ride the passenger ferry across the Elizabeth River and back. The dock was within about a block of the conference site. This was my first ride on a paddlewheel boat. Since it was covered by my 7-day bus pass, I didn't have to pay a fare either!
After the nasty nor'easter weather of the weekend, most of the week had great weather for my commutes back and forth on the bus. Of course the buses offered a wide cross-section of fellow passengers, everything from gangsta types to an evangelist and college students and old folks and cute little kids. Generally the rides were pleasant and timely, although there was one Third World-like experience where the connecting bus apparently ran out of gas at the transfer stop. Obviously somebody really messed up to let that happen.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Outer Banks, Ferries, and Good Eats (Day 2)
Although the wind was strong enough to blow some small branches down, I had a nice dry night. I headed into Washington and then east toward the Outer Banks, to see how far I could get before church time. It was interesting to discover that Washington, NC was the first city to be named for George Washington. It was close to 9:30 by the time I got to Swanquarter, so I started looking for churches. No one was at the Baptist church yet and there was only one car so far at the Christian church. So I killed a little time looking around the waterfront and watching the ferry come in. By this point, a couple more cars had shown up at the Christian church, so I decided to give it a try.
After a good "whole church" Sunday school class, the people started pouring in. By God's grace, I just happened to be there on the day of their once a year homecoming/reunion service. So the church of maybe 20 or so mostly elderly members filled up with about 100 people. It was an interesting and enjoyable worship service, with the pastor holding firmly to the Word in spite of the discouraging size of the church. I was surprised to find out that this "Christian" church is actually associated with the Churches of Christ, and yet that they also included some wonderful non-acappello bluegrass for special music. The group is called the Believers Trio, although only two were present. Since it was homecoming day, of course I was encouraged to stick around for dinner on the grounds. It was nice not only to get bunches of wonderful free food, but also to get to know some folks. In particular, I talked a good bit with "J.D.". He was one of the out of town visitors who comes every year to homecoming at the church through his wife's connection. He told me he's active in a Missionary Baptist church, and that his initials stand for "Junk Dealer". It never ceases to amaze me how God has so often provided these opportunities since I decided to trust Him that I could travel without eating out at restaurants on Sunday.
I still had a long drive to get to the Outer Banks. I stopped briefly at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge along the way. After many miles of flat and fairly monotonous driving, I was surprised to see a sign for "Stumpy Point Ferry". Not only was I not aware of any ferry in the area, I like the name too! I drove down to look and was stopped by a gate that said "State property. No trespassing." That left me scratching my head a bit, but I resolved to figure it out once I got access to the all-knowing Google. What I discovered is that there is an emergency evacuation ferry between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point to help with getting people off the Outer Banks before a hurricane.
Finally, I got out to Nags Head and exposure to the misty winds of an early nor'easter. The waves on the open Atlantic were pretty impressive and frothy at
Coquina Beach. Of course, I had to think about whether they would be passable by kayak. There seemed to be gaps where it would be possible to get out without being pummeled by a ten foot breaker, but it's always really hard to judge waves from a distance. I also made a sidetrip over to see the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Going further south into Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, I reluctantly decided to turn back. Even at low tide there was still water over the road in many places. Not knowing how deep or salty the water would get and remembering that I was in a little tiny Rio rental car, I opted for the responsible backtrack to the north.
The north side of Nags Head was a lot more commercial/residential/touristy. The Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk was closed up by the time I got there, but I did get to go into Jockey Ridge State Park for a look. They claim it's the highest sand dunes in the eastern U.S. and a popular place for hanggliding. I don't think anybody was hanggliding today, but it's definitely a mighty big pile of sand. I took a few pictures and then headed on up to Norfolk.
The temperature was in the low 40s, with a wet wind chill, for most of the afternoon. But the only thing to dampen my spirits heading up to my motel was a sign shortly after crossing the Virginia line. "Last exit before toll road". What?! I had been down this way several years ago and did not remember there being a toll road. I quickly turned off and started trying to figure out what to do. Of course I couldn't find a decent place to pull over and look over my map (which didn't show a toll road anyway). I found where the "Business" version of the road was and continued blindly northward, wondering if it would disappear or change names or eventually push me onto the toll road anyway. When I came to a confusing intersection, I angled back toward the highway, discovered that it was now toll-free, and resumed my journey to Motel 6. Actually, I still managed to miss an exit before settling into my home away from home and gradually shifting mental gears to think of the next day's conference.
After a good "whole church" Sunday school class, the people started pouring in. By God's grace, I just happened to be there on the day of their once a year homecoming/reunion service. So the church of maybe 20 or so mostly elderly members filled up with about 100 people. It was an interesting and enjoyable worship service, with the pastor holding firmly to the Word in spite of the discouraging size of the church. I was surprised to find out that this "Christian" church is actually associated with the Churches of Christ, and yet that they also included some wonderful non-acappello bluegrass for special music. The group is called the Believers Trio, although only two were present. Since it was homecoming day, of course I was encouraged to stick around for dinner on the grounds. It was nice not only to get bunches of wonderful free food, but also to get to know some folks. In particular, I talked a good bit with "J.D.". He was one of the out of town visitors who comes every year to homecoming at the church through his wife's connection. He told me he's active in a Missionary Baptist church, and that his initials stand for "Junk Dealer". It never ceases to amaze me how God has so often provided these opportunities since I decided to trust Him that I could travel without eating out at restaurants on Sunday.
I still had a long drive to get to the Outer Banks. I stopped briefly at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge along the way. After many miles of flat and fairly monotonous driving, I was surprised to see a sign for "Stumpy Point Ferry". Not only was I not aware of any ferry in the area, I like the name too! I drove down to look and was stopped by a gate that said "State property. No trespassing." That left me scratching my head a bit, but I resolved to figure it out once I got access to the all-knowing Google. What I discovered is that there is an emergency evacuation ferry between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point to help with getting people off the Outer Banks before a hurricane.
Finally, I got out to Nags Head and exposure to the misty winds of an early nor'easter. The waves on the open Atlantic were pretty impressive and frothy at
Coquina Beach. Of course, I had to think about whether they would be passable by kayak. There seemed to be gaps where it would be possible to get out without being pummeled by a ten foot breaker, but it's always really hard to judge waves from a distance. I also made a sidetrip over to see the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Going further south into Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, I reluctantly decided to turn back. Even at low tide there was still water over the road in many places. Not knowing how deep or salty the water would get and remembering that I was in a little tiny Rio rental car, I opted for the responsible backtrack to the north.
The north side of Nags Head was a lot more commercial/residential/touristy. The Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk was closed up by the time I got there, but I did get to go into Jockey Ridge State Park for a look. They claim it's the highest sand dunes in the eastern U.S. and a popular place for hanggliding. I don't think anybody was hanggliding today, but it's definitely a mighty big pile of sand. I took a few pictures and then headed on up to Norfolk.
The temperature was in the low 40s, with a wet wind chill, for most of the afternoon. But the only thing to dampen my spirits heading up to my motel was a sign shortly after crossing the Virginia line. "Last exit before toll road". What?! I had been down this way several years ago and did not remember there being a toll road. I quickly turned off and started trying to figure out what to do. Of course I couldn't find a decent place to pull over and look over my map (which didn't show a toll road anyway). I found where the "Business" version of the road was and continued blindly northward, wondering if it would disappear or change names or eventually push me onto the toll road anyway. When I came to a confusing intersection, I angled back toward the highway, discovered that it was now toll-free, and resumed my journey to Motel 6. Actually, I still managed to miss an exit before settling into my home away from home and gradually shifting mental gears to think of the next day's conference.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Outer Banks, Ferries, and Good Eats (Day 1)
It had been several months since I had flown on business. So the National Weather Association conference in Norfolk, VA was a nice chance to get away. Of course, there was also some stress in getting my presentations together. But let's not talk about that for now.
Flying in as usual on the Saturday before the main conference, I was looking forward to seeing the Outer Banks of North Carolina and checking out some ferries. Things got kind of crazy before I even left Jackson.
I realized as I was waiting for my flight that I had forgotten to pack a belt and didn't know for sure if the pants I had packed were skinny enough to be "self-supporting". So I called my wife to see if she could rush back to the airport with my belt in time before my flight. Luckily the TSA folks were cooperative about her passing the belt through the X-ray machine to me. Unfortunately, she had a tire blow out on the van as she was leaving the airport. So wife and kids all got to sit on the side of the road at 6 AM watching the sunrise until AAA could get someone out to change the tire. I was very relieved on my next phone contact to find out that they all enjoyed the experience (as much as could be hoped for) and I wasn't in the doghouse for getting them into the mess.
Once in Norfolk, I made a look at where my motel for the week and Kinko's were, before grabbing some lunch at Hardee's. As I was eating, I was also observing the people around me and struggling with my Christian witness. The guy at the next table over particularly caught my attention. As he got up to leave, I was torn between regret at my lack of faith and wondering if I was off the hook now. But he didn't leave. He turned to me and asked if I was a Christian! When I said yes, he said "I thought you were. Sometimes you can just tell." Huh? Well, we spent the next half-hour or so talking about his walk of faith after being saved just a couple years ago. Lots of blessings. Please pray for Forest as he continues seeking to serve the Lord. Actually, I was impressed throughout my visit with how visibly Christian the area is.
After some minor challenges in finding where to buy a 7-day bus pass downtown, I headed southwest into North Carolina to look for some ferries. I was not able to reach the small river ferries that I was most interested in, thanks to the annoying fine print in the rental car contract forbidding me to go on unpaved roads. I got photos of the signs and considered walking the remaining distance, but there was not a suitable place to leave the car. Argh. I did a little better when I got down to the Bayview-Aurora ferry across the broad tidal Pamlico River. I caught the last ferry of the day at 7:30 (drastically reduced schedule due to budget cuts) and began the challenge of finding a place for the night.
I was afraid I couldn't make it around to Goose Creek State Park before the campground gate closed for the night, and I hadn't thought to bring a AAA CampBook with me. So I drove toward Washington with my eyes open for campgrounds. When I saw a sign for a campground/resort near Chocowinity, I figured I'd better give it a try. It turned out to be a lot bigger, fancier kind of place than I would normally bother with, but I kept thinking of that "bird in the hand" business. So I settled for having to pay thirty bucks as the one and only tent camper among hundreds of RVs, mobile homes, and yachts. The security guy kindly escorted me to a site and shared about how God had protected him and his church in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. And then . . . he put his truck in the wrong gear and backed into my rental car. Ouch. Amazingly, there was only a little bit of paint lost from the front license plate area. But you just never know how picky rental agencies will be when you return the car, and of course I didn't bother with any supplemental insurance. At least I had a nice comfy place to settle in for the night and wonder what Sunday would bring.
Flying in as usual on the Saturday before the main conference, I was looking forward to seeing the Outer Banks of North Carolina and checking out some ferries. Things got kind of crazy before I even left Jackson.
I realized as I was waiting for my flight that I had forgotten to pack a belt and didn't know for sure if the pants I had packed were skinny enough to be "self-supporting". So I called my wife to see if she could rush back to the airport with my belt in time before my flight. Luckily the TSA folks were cooperative about her passing the belt through the X-ray machine to me. Unfortunately, she had a tire blow out on the van as she was leaving the airport. So wife and kids all got to sit on the side of the road at 6 AM watching the sunrise until AAA could get someone out to change the tire. I was very relieved on my next phone contact to find out that they all enjoyed the experience (as much as could be hoped for) and I wasn't in the doghouse for getting them into the mess.
Once in Norfolk, I made a look at where my motel for the week and Kinko's were, before grabbing some lunch at Hardee's. As I was eating, I was also observing the people around me and struggling with my Christian witness. The guy at the next table over particularly caught my attention. As he got up to leave, I was torn between regret at my lack of faith and wondering if I was off the hook now. But he didn't leave. He turned to me and asked if I was a Christian! When I said yes, he said "I thought you were. Sometimes you can just tell." Huh? Well, we spent the next half-hour or so talking about his walk of faith after being saved just a couple years ago. Lots of blessings. Please pray for Forest as he continues seeking to serve the Lord. Actually, I was impressed throughout my visit with how visibly Christian the area is.
After some minor challenges in finding where to buy a 7-day bus pass downtown, I headed southwest into North Carolina to look for some ferries. I was not able to reach the small river ferries that I was most interested in, thanks to the annoying fine print in the rental car contract forbidding me to go on unpaved roads. I got photos of the signs and considered walking the remaining distance, but there was not a suitable place to leave the car. Argh. I did a little better when I got down to the Bayview-Aurora ferry across the broad tidal Pamlico River. I caught the last ferry of the day at 7:30 (drastically reduced schedule due to budget cuts) and began the challenge of finding a place for the night.
I was afraid I couldn't make it around to Goose Creek State Park before the campground gate closed for the night, and I hadn't thought to bring a AAA CampBook with me. So I drove toward Washington with my eyes open for campgrounds. When I saw a sign for a campground/resort near Chocowinity, I figured I'd better give it a try. It turned out to be a lot bigger, fancier kind of place than I would normally bother with, but I kept thinking of that "bird in the hand" business. So I settled for having to pay thirty bucks as the one and only tent camper among hundreds of RVs, mobile homes, and yachts. The security guy kindly escorted me to a site and shared about how God had protected him and his church in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. And then . . . he put his truck in the wrong gear and backed into my rental car. Ouch. Amazingly, there was only a little bit of paint lost from the front license plate area. But you just never know how picky rental agencies will be when you return the car, and of course I didn't bother with any supplemental insurance. At least I had a nice comfy place to settle in for the night and wonder what Sunday would bring.
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