OUR TRAVELS

No, we didn't find any bottles with messages like in the Nicholas Sparks movie that took place on the Outer Banks. It's quiet on the Outer Banks in March - not many people here or restaurants open for that matter.  The town of Corolla has a full time permanent population of 500 that swells to a summer time high of more than 50,000.  Wow, glad we are missing the craziness and traffic jams on the two-lane roads!  The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands extending 175 miles along the coast of North Carolina.  It's beautiful! The weather has been cooler than normal and very windy every day.  Walking along the beach requires hat, mittens and warm coats.  No going in the water this time (unlike Newport, OR)! Here are a few pictures of the area. We've found more seashells than sand dollars on this coast.  A jellyfish and skate (both dead) washed up on the beach.  Skate fish are relatively harmless unlike stingrays for example. Visited a few lighthou...

These last two weeks have been consumed with going to court - not our court case (thank goodness) but two criminal trials related to the January 6th Insurrection.  The first case involves five leaders of the Proud Boys with multiple charges including seditious conspiracy.  The second case involves six lower level Oath Keepers and includes being tried for multiple charges including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.  Anytime you get 15 lawyers and their assistants in the room with defendants and a judge, it's better than an episode of Law and Order.  Needless to say there have been a lot of objections and sidebars.  There are even groupies attending the trials!  It's been an eye opening experience to see how the justice system works and to hear the details of the planning and the actual day of January 6.  No cameras are allowed in the room so you only get these photos. On the way to the courthouse one day, we stopped to watch Marine One land...

There are two Smithsonian Air and Space museums in DC.  Most people hit the one located on the National Mall.  The one near Dulles Airport is phenomenal because of its sheer size and number of planes and space vehicles. The one located on the National Mall is currently being remodeled.  Though only the remodeled half is open, it's still a sight to see.  We actually went twice this year (and twice last year when we were staying in DC). Planets interactive exhibit The building is large enough to hang many planes from the ceiling. Space capsule Apollo 11 command module with flotation devices for water landing upon descent to Earth Doesn't this space food and drink look appetizing? Interactive hang glider exhibit - less dangerous than the real thing We took the Metro that just opened its expansion to Dulles Airport to visit the Udvar-Hazy Space Museum.  Our first inclination each time we visit here is to open our mouths wide and say WOW, this place is HUGE!!!! Plane...