Occoneechee Speedway...

The following day, we bundled up and Carolyn drove us out to Hillsborough for a short hike. 

Our destination was Occoneechee Speedway, one of two of NASCAR’s earliest racetracks, which was built in 1947 and closed in 1968. 

The historic 0.9-mile dirt track was being used that day for a relay race.  

Especially interesting were the rusty racecars scattered about. 

 

“Coldest Hash of the Year”....

That Saturday was full of reunions with lots of old friends. Before heading to the hash, we had a wonderful lunch at Erika and Michael’s. I was thrilled to get to see them, but also felt sad that our time with them was so short and that I didn’t take any photos. 

Somehow the title of Sir Walter’s H3’s trail when we were in town didn’t scare us away—it was aptly named as the temps were really frigid. It was cool that the trail was laid by old timers that we’d known for many years. And luckily there were ways around the wet spots in the woods, so we managed to keep our feet dry. We were really touched that several old timers who had opted to skip trail came out to see us, with one couple stopping by the start of trail and several others joining us at a sports bar in Apex afterwards.

We got lots of hugs but were pretty crappy at getting photos. Here’s Jim, whom Veronica and Ashlynn used to call Sticky Nicky...

…and Kristine, who ran with me.

 

Fun Times in Durham...

Our next stop on our whirlwind US tour was Durham, North Carolina, where Carolyn and Steve had settled when they downsized. Jimmy had visited them once before, but this was the first time I had seen their charming home.  

While Steve visited us twice in Holland while on business trips, this was the first time I had seen Carolyn since 2012 in Italy. It was great that Sam and Zach could join us for dinner; they were just teenagers when I saw them last and now they’re tax-paying responsible adults. 

When we first moved to North Carolina, downtown Durham was somewhere to avoid. Now it is vibrant with lots of cafés and small businesses plus some interesting signs. I was thrilled that the timing worked for Erika to come by so we could find one of those cafés to have lunch together.  

We took a variety of walks around their neighborhood, including around Duke University’s defunct satellite park, which is now Duke’s Art Annex.

 

Ready for the Ball...

The Junior Ball was coming up shortly and we’d asked to see Rachel’s dress. Ironically, Veronica had purchased a navy blue dress to put away for her Year 13 Ball that won’t be until next June.

How nice to see our lovely young ladies together for some final photos before we left for the airport to return home.

They also posed with the little ones, who aren’t so little anymore.

Last Day in Beaufort...

Sunday morning, I went kayaking with the girls. It was a relief to finally get in the water after the long haul of carrying the double kayaks from the house to the launch. After we cruised around for awhile, we made the long walk back to the house.

Afterwards, we did a little shopping and then grabbed some lunch and ice cream.

Just before we left, we grabbed this photo by the big bell at the church across from Erika’s house. 

Erika dropped us off at Carolyn and Steve’s, where we met up with Jimmy for a delicious dinner of homemade pizza from the grill.

Exploring the Island...

There wasn’t much to see besides the wild horses, but that didn’t stop us from taking a walk along the coast.

Veronica again managed to capture a better photo than me from the exact same spot.

It’s so great to see how close Veronica and Rachel are still after all these years.

We ended this busy and fun day with dinner at a local Beaufort restaurant.

Wild Houses of Shackleford Banks...

Shackleford Banks is one of the few places on the East Coast where wild horses can be seen. We were thrilled to see them as soon as we arrived.

According to the National Park Service, there are 110 horses on this barrier island, but we saw less than 10.

There are no humans living on the island, so the feral horses are free to roam as they please. Natural food sources and fresh or brackish water allow the animals to live off the land without human intervention.

Heading to Shackleford Banks...

Erika’s friend Beth was also in Beaufort for the weekend. We were happy to take her up on her generous offer to take us out on her boat.

Beth is hilarious! When she wasn’t expertly playing skipper, she was giving the girls dating advice. Veronica especially loved her deep North Carolina accent, which we rarely came across in Cary since it’s mostly full of Yankees.

Of course, Beth also came ashore, but she waited until she had the boat positioned exactly how she wanted.

The Duke Marine Center...

Like Ashlynn, Rachel is very interested in studying marine biology. When she found out that Duke University has a marine center in Beaufort, she contacted them to request a tour. One of their grad students was happy to show us around and explain the research she’s doing with sea snails.

Initially Ashlynn wasn’t too excited as she’s mostly interested in marine mammals, but found herself more engaged than she expected.

The site was definitely beautiful and would be a fun place to study for a few months.

Historical Beaufort...

One of Beaufort’s lovely churches on our walk to a yard sale.

Erika’s yard backs up to the Beaufort Historical Museum.

Erika and Michael’s Shotgun House

Old Burying Ground....

Directly across the street from Erika’s house is a church and next to that is the Old Burying Ground.

Deeded to the town in 1731, Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers are buried here. The original owner of Erika’s house is also buried here.

I was drawn to the graves of the young. This one was obviously from a rich family.

While I just assumed this one was from a poor family, it turns out the story is much more interesting. This girl supposedly died at sea during the 1770’s after visiting London, where she was born. Rather than burying her at sea, her father stored her body in a rum keg so he could fulfill his promise to bring her home to his wife.

It’s difficult to read, but this says: Little Girl Buried in Rum Keg. Her name has been forgotten, but her grave now attracts tourists who leave her trinkets so that she can be remembered.

The Shotgun House in Beaufort...

Last fall, Erika and Michael bought a vacation home in Beaufort, North Carolina. Friday evening, the five of us girls headed to the coast for a weekend getaway and to see their lovely new house. While it might be new to them, it’s not new at all as it was built in 1854.

It was a B&B for awhile, and was most recently owned by a doctor in Cary who gave the family room this nautical look before selling it and moving onto his sailboat.

When Erika described it as a shotgun house (with a narrow corridor, rooms off both sides and doors at both ends hence you could shoot through the house), I thought it would be small, but it’s actually quite spacious. It’s easy to see why she fell in love with the place.