Monday, June 24, 270 mile drive, 10:25 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., Charleston to Morehead City, North Carolina. As we leave Charleston we stop for a tour of Boone Plantation, just outside the city. Passing through South Carolina into North Carolina, we see what look like many nice places to spend a summer vacation. There seems no end to the beauty of the country and North Carolina is even prettier than South Carolina. The thought occurs that this is the place to live. Roadside stands of fresh peanuts and blue and pink hydrangeas in front yards have followed us north from Florida.
We arrive at the Best Western in Morehead City in time for a swim before dinner. After dinner, I have my first run-in with the three oldest and end up giving each of them a swat. I close the door between our adjoining rooms, but leave the tape recorder on to record the conversations: Robert has definite opinions and offers sound advice to his younger brother and sister on how to handle parents. Cathy's line on Mara: She acts like an only child.
Tuesday, June 25, 120 mile drive, 6:20 a.m. to 1 p.m., Morehead City to Nags Head, North Carolina. We are up before daybreak and are in the front of the line for our 8:15 reservation on the "Carteret," the Ocracoke Island ferry. It's a lovely morning, but a stiff nor'easter is blowing, making it unseasonably cool. The seagulls entertain us. I fear Thomas walking into the water or out in the street as we wait to board the ferry. We leave on time, arriving on the island at 10:25. Our drive north on the island takes us along the high, midpoint of the island to its northern end, where we catch a smaller ferry, the "Lindsay Warren," to Hatteras Island. This time it's a forty minute ride. The water is choppy and green. The islands do not seem to be much more than large sand dunes.
Our hotel in Nags Head, the Surf Side, is on the ocean, but we didn't plan for the weather and are disappointed that the nor'easter has closed the beaches. Instead, we have a nice lunch, do some laundry and make do with the jacuzzi. I buy some extra underwear at the Hanes outlet store and have the oil changed on the car, since we have driven about 3700 miles. At Roanoke Island in the evening we attend the open air theater performance of "The Lost Colony" about Sir Walter Raleigh's colony on the island. Mara seems to enjoy the play the most, appearing transfixed whenever I look over; but I too am tantalized by the mystery of what really happened to the lost colony.
We receive the news at the Surf Side that Will has been awarded the PR fees. Wonderful news, yet at the same time depressing. Have we already spent what I will receive?
I had a wonderful sleep last night! We left the sliding glass door open and listened to the surf. It must have been a combination of the ocean air, the roar of the sea and a poor night's sleep on the preceding two nights. I dreamt that I went back to work after this trip. It was very depressing because it was as if I had never left. Later on in the dream I was smoking. I remember asking Susan S. if she minded if I took a pack of her Winstons. It was not a good dream at all. I had a feeling of coming back to the office from a year away without accomplishing any of my writing goals; makes me think a little of the importance of those goals. On the other hand, as we approach the end of the third week it is just like an ordinary summer vacation.
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