For $65 per person you get a 60 minute bus ride to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, NC. Enjoy an introduction by a park ranger and learn about the fascinating history of aviation that took place at this site. Guests will have time to tour the Visitor's Center where the Wright brothers' story is told through exhibits and reproductions or climb Big Devil Hill for a breathtaking view of the area from sound to sea. This excursion is wheelchair and scooter accessible, 2 hours long, a level 3 out of 4 in physical activity, cameras permitted, and bathrooms available.
The excursion started at 8:45AM so we had an early breakfast from 7AM to 9AM. My choice today was chocolate chip pancakes and even the waitress asked me to check and make sure the chocolate chips were there since they had stacked them face down.
Today's art class themed as Mixed Media Collage was scheduled for 9:30AM to 11:30AM. The one tour today ran from 8:45AM to 12:30PM. So me and I'm guessing half the ship was not in attendance at Mary's art class today. I can understand the scheduling issue since the same space was used for the Next Cruise talk at 2PM and the Eagle Society party at 4PM. This particular theme sounds like it would have been really enjoyable (a.k.a. less opportunity for me to get yelled at for "messing up") and I was sorry to have missed it. Was a little tough when I kept getting asked later why I didn't attend more art sessions by the same people over and over. My answer of "I was on tour" didn't seem to be acceptable. Guess I need to work on that whole being in two places at once thing some more.
Our ride today was an enclosed double decker bus. You had the option of sitting on the bottom level or climbing the slightly winding staircase to the top level. The top level had windows all the way back and we chose it for the great views. There is a secondary door at the back so loading in and out of the bus was quick. Plenty of space to spread out on either level and the guide used her microphone to make sure everyone could hear her.
Once at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, our guide checked in with the staff there and learned that we hadn't needed to be so rushed since the ranger talk wasn't scheduled until 11AM. We were given the option of browsing the visitor center or following Rachel up to Big Kill Devil Hill while we waited. Dad and I opted to peruse the visitor center which was full of exhibits, pictures, and stories. I also took the time to browse the gift shop where I found the first of a new souvenir collection, handmade wooden magnets from each port stop.
Dad - go over there by this sign and make it look like you're walking in step behind Orville and Wilbur. Umm, well close enough:
You could also view a model of the plane inside the visitor center. It was interesting to learn that the cloth used was a muslin more commonly used for women and children's undergarments. Gives new meaning to the superhero of children's literature, Captain Underpants.
This venue also held historical significance as one of the first recognized "visitor centers" in the country:
With still more time to kill, we ventured outside where they have recreations of the hanger and home of the Wright Brothers.
That building in the distance is the visitor center. This picture below is to show how far of a walk it is to where the hangar and former home stand. The path is completely paved.
They also have a big rock commemorating the starting point, the track used to move the plane, and a marked out path with stone pillars marking how far they flew in each attempt. Dad checked out the initial stone monument and opted to stop while I walked the entire path to the final distance marker. I took a moment at each one to look back, touch the stone, and imagine what it was like to be in their shoes. After making the walk back, a kind fellow cruiser took the time to tell me how proud she was to see me walk all the way out to the end and back.
The path from the big rock to the base of the monument on top of the hill:
The track the plane was moved on:
Standing with the big rock at my back:
Having reached the distance of flight #1, looking back at the distance traveled. The green squares marking this path is like woven mesh plastic so the grass grows up under it and around it. Safe and sturdy to walk on but definitely be cautious if you're rolling a walker or using a cane.
Flight #2 marker and looking back:
Flight #3 marker and looking back:
Final flight #4 marker and looking back:
Having been told that the ranger talk would happen outside on the steps behind the visitor center, the bulk of our group found seats to sit and wait. When the ranger finally did come out to give her talk, she spoke for no more than a couple minutes on safety and staying on the marked path for the grass holds little bugs that you'd want to avoid. Then launched into a much longer talk about swimming safety and avoiding riptides. I get that the Outer Banks area nearby is a popular beach destination but hearing this topic from a ranger while visiting the Wright Brothers Memorial left a lot of us scratching our heads. And not just those of us who strayed off the marked paths into the grass. I talked to a couple people who'd been to the Memorial before in our group and they were shocked that the ranger's talk was about riptides. Then the ranger invited everyone to follow her as they walked over to the replica buildings of the hangar and former home so I'm guessing there was more of an in-depth talk happening once they were over there. Having already been over there and now short on time, our guide instead gathered everyone back to the bus in favor of driving up to the base of Big Kill Devil Hill so we could see the monument on top and the plane replica sculpture nearby. Guess all those people who'd chosen to make the walk earlier were kicking themselves.
The monument on top of Big Kill Devil Hill as seen from the base of the hill:
I found it symbolic to be taking a photo of the sculpted photographer representing the photographer capturing pictures of the first flight.
Amazingly lifelike sculpture inside the plane as well:
When we got up to the base of the hill, the guide asked that we only spend 10-15 minutes off the bus taking pictures. The plane replica is very cool to see and is completely accessible. Several children were climbing all over it like playground equipment while their parents snapped pictures. Great for access, not so great for getting a picture without little Johnny peeking out from behind the wing.
Since everyone kept to the given time limit, especially since a good 1/3rd of the group didn't bother to get off the bus, we had some extra time to take the long way back and get an extra sightseeing tour of the homes along the Outer Banks. Great discussion on which Nicholas Sparks' books turned into movies were really filmed here or just took place here.
As it turns out, the skies remained dry for us while we were at Kitty Hawk with enough cloud cover to keep the temps comfortable as we spent 70% of our time outside. Once we returned back to the ship, we learned that back in the port of Coinjock, they'd had a massive downpour while we were gone. It unfortunately made the wooden dock very slippery and thankfully the one person who did nearly slip was close enough to quickly grab a handrail to stop himself from hitting the hard ground. Several of us passengers stepped up to make sure those with assistive devices safely crossed over the wooden dock access from the road until they could step onto the gangway where the deckhands took over helping. This is definitely an itinerary for comfortable walking shoes. No one cares how stylish your heels are when you're slipping and possibly injured on the dock.
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