Back in the saddle again

Actually, the Backs were waving goodbye as I got in the saddle again.

I had a very pleasant half day with Colls parents, Marisa and Vern. Marisa is involved in a number of volunteer organizations to keep or reintroduce native plants and habitat around the Pinehurst area.

We first visited a walking trail near the... Darn my memory! It had to do with the local hospital... Physical Therapy Center? They've planted and cleared a real nice area for a fitness trail that emphasizes native plants. She knows the name of every one of them but all I know is it looks real good. Then we went by the world famous Carolina Hotel for a look at how the rich and famous live. It is certainly glamorous, large and classically old (built in 1895).

Their yard looks better than mine! Heck, everyone's yard looks better than mine!

Love the chandeliers!

From there we went just down the street to the country club where the PGA tour periodically holds the U.S.Open, as well as many other pro and amateur events. There used to be a famous statue of Payne Stewart doing an exuberant fist pump on the 18th green as he won the 1999 U.S. Open in front of Pinehurst no. 2. It wasn't out in front when Marisa drove by so I hopped out to see if I could get a picture of it, wherever it went. 

I not only was directed to the back of the club house for a picture (they moved it) 

but I was allowed to sit in a golf cart in front of one of the most famous club houses in all of professional golf. I released the brake and stepped on the accelerator but it didn't move (they apparently didn't give me the key), but I sat in it so I'm counting it as transportation!

We then went to the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve in nearby Southern Pines. 

Marisa introduced me to several of the staff and we talked about my trip and their work to preserve the long leafed pine habitat of the red cockaded woodpecker and other animals among the old growth trees, one of which is 476 years old(?).

It was a very pleasant day and I met some very nice and dedicated volunteers. I was really glad that I decided to head inland for a visit with the Backs.

But it was time to get back to my project, so I packed up and hit the road. By the time I got back to Wilmington it was, what else, rush hour. Timing is everything!

By the time I fought my way through traffic and did some backtracking because of strange sign locations causing me to miss exits, it was getting late. I made it to the U.S.S. North Carolina, a WWII Battleship that sits in the harbor, but I opted to not do the tour. I still needed to get north of town and find a motel and restaurant for the evening. So a couple of pictures will have to suffice.

 Besides, I lived on a ship that would dwarf the battleship and I don't think the tour would elicit any fond memories.

As I continued to the northeast I spotted, at a distance, a strange looking airplane with what appeared to me, while trying to keep an eye on the road, to have huge propellers. It wasn't until I was several miles further down the highway that I realized where I was and saw the same craft again from a different angle.

This is what I saw, but not my picture

I guess it's an Osprey, but it was a new one to me. It turns out that I was riding right past Camp LeJeune and ended up in a motel in Jacksonville. Didn't Michelle used to live nearby?

Tomorrow I head for the Outer Banks and Kitty Hawk, as well as the Wright Brothers museum.