OUTER BANKS EXPEDITION!

 Visiting the Outer Banks of North Carolina (www.outerbanks.org), has been on my "bucket list" for several years, so making it to Nags Head, North Carolina, on a blustery day in September, was a definite reason for lifting my arms in praise to God, for allowing me the opportunity to achieve this goal!

After the photo, I continued on down the steps, for a beach "photo safari" (and to look for a seashell with a hole in it, so I could write a location and date on it, to add it to my "fishing net/sea shell" memory wall).  There was a fisherman setting up his gear, and he told me he was fishing for Red Drum.  Earlier in the day, I had observed a pick up truck with those very long fishing poles, secured from the front bumper, and over the passenger-side windshield, which was something I had never observed in the Ozarks area where I live!  

I walked on the beach until sunset, then headed back to my very comfortable room at the Holiday Inn Express (www.hiexpress.com/nagsheadnc) in Nag's Head, NC, which, thankfully, had a terrace that looked out over the ocean.  I was also thankful the hotel room had Gideon Bible, which are supplied free of charge to lodging properties by The Gideons International (www.gideons.org).

The next morning, provided the opportunity to visit the Bodie Island Lighthouse.   This trip was part of a 10-day trip operated by Making Memories Tours (www.MakingMemoriesTours.com), and the word "lighthouses" was included in the title of the trip, so it was appropriate that our leader wanted to get a photo of the group together, in front of the first lighthouse we visited.  This photo provides the opportunity to mention that our leader shared many photos on the Making Memories Facebook page, so some of the photos in this blog are from those Facebook pictures.  Our trip leader, Diana, did an outstanding job "corraling" our group of about 31 travelers, and I especially appreciated that she started out each day of our motorcoach travels, with a prayer to God, asking for his protection for our travels.  

Those in the group who wanted to climb to the top of the 170 foot tall lighthouse, could scan a QR code with their phone, to pay ten dollars, via their phone, to authorize their climb, to show to the National Park Service ranger who was the gatekeeper to the climb.  Since I am "QR-code-challenged", I was very thankful to the fellow traveler, who paid the fee via her phone, and trusted me to pay the ten dollars to her afterwards.  Those few of us who wanted to climb to the top had to first listen to a safety talk, that reminded me of the procedures my rock-climbing son, taught me for scaling summits with a special language.  During the safety talk, we were told we would not be allowed out on the top outer balcony, because NPS has a policy that walking on the balcony is not allowed if the winds are over 35 miles per hour, and the winds on this morning were 40+ mph.  Thankfully, I made it to the top, and rejoiced!

After lunch, we went to visit the Museum called the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com).  

The name of the museum comes from the fact that there are so many shipwrecks along this stretch of the Atlantic Coast.  This wall art illustrated one of the reasons for the roughness of the oceans here, thus causing so many marine casualties.  The warm waters coming up from the Gulf Stream, collide with the cold waters of the Labrador Current, and the result is turbulence, both in the air and on the water.  As it turned out, our group was visiting the Outer Banks during the month that has the most hurricanes, so I am very thankful we were able to complete our itinerary, without having to evacuate due to a hurricane or closed highways.  The day we visited the museum, we were actually scheduled to take a dolphin-watch cruise, but the Coast Guard had put out a small crafts warning, meaning the dolphin watch cruise was postponed for that day. 

The strong winds are what draw kite surfers to a section our bus drove past, called Jockeys Ridge State Park.  Even though our bus did not get to stop, I was able to get a photo of wind surfers through the window:

This area is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, so of course, we wanted to see the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  We were told in advance that it was closed for repairs, but I had not realized the extent it would be completely covered by scaffolding, until I saw it for myself!

 

In the Outer Banks (abbreviated OBX) area, there are numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, as evidenced by all this rental equipment available, that I photographed during a lunch stop at Currituck:

Also in Currituck area is a photo opportunity for the biggest lawn chair I have every seen, so with the help of some fellow travelers, I climbed up into it for a photo:  In the background, you can see the Viking motorcoach (www.VikingTrailways.com) that was our mode of transportation for the ten-day trip.  It was very comfortable, and our driver, Laren, managed to get us safely through all of our itinerary, and back to our starting point.  The bus was equipped with WIFI, plus a plugin so I could keep my phone charged up, enabling the hundreds of photos I took with my iphone!

Along certain stretches of the Outer Banks coastline, four-wheel-drive vehicles (that have purchased the required permit) can actually drive on the beach, next to the waves.  Our group took one of the commercial vehicles providing these rides, and the photo below shows the driver of our pickup truck, after she stopped, got out of the vehicle, and checked on her passengers, to see which ones were still buckled into their seat belts, on the benches in the back of her truck, after speeding along the beach on a very damp and windy day!

The two guys sitting at the very front of our lineup, helped serve as a "shield" for those behind them.

 

After a few miles, we exited the beach, and started driving through the adjacent dunes, on a quest to see the wild horses here, called "Bankers".

The number 11 on this "Banker" horse below, is an "autograph" from birds, that sometimes ride on the back of the horses.  Our guide pointed out that one feature of Banker horses, is that their back legs are longer than their front legs.   The horses are a protected species, and it is against the law to feed them or interfere with their roaming around the dunes.  This means that visitors may see them in the front yards of people who have homes in the dunes.  

In addition to the Currituck Wild Horse Tour, we visited the Currituck Maritime Museum, which illustrated the various types of boats found in the area, both currently and historically.  

This area also provided the opportunity to do another epic stairclimb, getting to the top of the 162 foot Currituck Beach Lighthouse (www.obcinc.org)

Thankfully, the top of the lighthouse was open, so that climbers could walk out on the balcony.  I was thankful to make it to the top, and also for the fellow traveler who took a photo of me, with arms uplifted in gratitude.

One of the reasons I wanted to visit OBX, is because it is the location (www.nps.gov) where the Wright Brothers conducted their aeronautical experiments, and the visitor center there has a replica airplane, based on the meticulous records the Wright Brothers kept on their human flight attempts .  It was interesting to me that one of the exhibits was a treadle sewing machine (like the one my grandmother had in her farmhouse), was used to sew the cloth wings of the aircraft.  The photo below shows the NPS Ranger, who gave us an educational program about the construction of the flyer.  

I wanted to climb to the top of the hill, where the huge Wright Brothers Monument is located, so I started out on the "hike", stopping often along the way, to catch my breath, and read the placards along the way, that interpreted what I was seeing.  

This placard about Big Kill Devil Hill before me, made me realize my climb to the top was much easier than what the Wright Brothers had to do, because they were carrying an AIRPLANE to the top of the hill!

I was thankful I encountered a young woman on my climb, who agreed to take my photo.  She apparently was comfortable doing so, because she kept instructing me to adjust my stance, so that in the final photo, it appears that my hand is touching the monument at the top of the hill!

When I finally reached the top of big Kill Devil Hill, I felt victorious, and a fellow visitor captured my jubilation in the photo below:  (When viewed from the Visitor Center, the monument looks small, but you can see by the scale provided by my 5 foot 2 inch height, that it is humongous!)
 

At the bottom of Kill Devil Hill, there is a metal sculpture, which is a replica of the Wright Brothers plane.  I was pleased the sculpture also included the photographer (with his big camera on a tripod) in the setting, which was somewhat new technology at the time of this historic flight.

OBX is famous for its seafood, and our group enjoyed a gigantic seafood buffet at Captain George's Restaurant.  And there were hundreds of other selections to go along with a variety of entrees, in addition to the seafood entrees.  

OBX is also the location of  the so-called "Lost Colony", where we visited the Fort Raleigh National Historic site.  Since it is a National Park Service property, I was eager to get their ubiquitous stamp, because the stamps with a date and location, help me remember where I have been! 

The site is the location of the seaside theater, where the live outdoor drama called "The Lost Colony" is presented during the summer months.  

Also on the property of the NPS, is a beautiful, formal garden, named in honor of Queen Elizabeth, whose statue is a centerpiece of the garden (www.ElizabethanGardens.org).

Walking through this garden, and taking photographs, was a delightful experience!

Our group was able to go on the re-scheduled dolphin-viewing cruise, and I was thankful to get out on the water, even though it was still very windy, and a bit damp.  However, we were rewarded with several sightings of dolphins!

Our leader Diana, took this photo of me, as I was on the overlook at Nag's Head Beach, adjacent to our hotel.  I heard someone shout "TRICIA" from one of the hotel balconies, and when I turned around, I could see she had her camera out, motioning she wanted to take a photo of me, so naturally, I assumed my "hands uplifted in praise to God" photo pose!   What a blessing it is to be able to walk, and to be able to walk in new-to-me locations, is especially delightful!  However, for those who may have mobility issues, it is encouraging to see that this overlook had a ramp, such that a wheel chair could make the climb.  In addition, at the top, one section of the railing was lowered, with a convex area below it, so that a person in a wheel chair could roll their wheelchair under the railing.  Since walking is important to me, I strived to get 10,000 steps registered on my FitBit watch each of the ten days, and actually managed to do that!  One of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses says, "Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20   You may be sure I am giving thanks to God that I was able to go on this trip!
 

One of the major ways that the Making Memories Tour company has been able to be successful, is that they reply on satisfied customers to tell others about the company, and the company rewards referrals with coupons for "money off" on a future trip.  For example, if you read this blog and decide to go on a Making Memories Tour, if you tell the company representative that you heard about the trip from me (Tricia Turner), I would get a coupon for $75 off my next trip, so please give me a "shout out", to the company, if you go on a Making Memories tour!  I can guarantee, this trip gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK EXPEDITION!

I have driven by the sign indicating the entrance to the Kentucky Horse Park (www.KyHorsePark.com) on previous cross-country trips, but was only able to actually enter the park, and see its many attractions, on a recent 2025 visit in the area.  

 

As soon as I entered the park, my attention was drawn to an area near the entrance, where a young person was doing some training with a beautiful black horse.  

The Visitor Center was easy to find, and well marked with large signs.  

It is appropriate that there are iron gates at the entrance to the Visitor Center, because their address is 4089 IRON Works Pike, in Lexington, Kentucky.  

The gift shop inside the Visitor Center has everything a horse lover might want to purchase, to remember their visit to this remarkable place.  

While at the Visitor Center Gift shop, I learned that framing a portion of your horse's mane, along with its bit and bridal, is apparently a common thing to do.  The shadow box display brought to mind one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses from James 3:3 that says, "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal".  Just  as a bit guides a horse, the way one uses their tongue, can direct one's life and actions.

People my age may remember when the famous Barbie Doll went beyond simply looking pretty in her specialty clothes, to dressing in all manner of professional attire to promote women as more than just "a pretty face".  So I was not surprised to see a doll in the gift shop, designed to be a female veterinarian, complete with a top horse to medicate.  

In the Visitor Center lobby, there was a gigantic, gold  picture frame, with a life size horse photo inside it, so that visitors can have their photo made with this (pretend) prize-winning horse!

Also in the lobby was this model, based on the famous "Trojan Horse" story, where an invading army hid inside a colossal model of a horse.  Notice in this exhibit, there is a door on the side of the horse, where a soldier, who is ascending the ladder, could be hidden.  Although I did not have time on this visit to go through the International Museum of the Horse, that is located within the Visitor Center, I know from what I read on their website, there are numerous other art pieces and historical artifacts at the museum, that will fascinate the viewer.

Numerous locations I have visited across the USA have chosen an iconic symbol of their area, and then assigned talented artisans to paint messages on the icon.  I have seen bears, airplanes, pelicans, and shoes.  Therefore, it is not surprising that Kentucky, which is famous for its bourbon production, would have a wooden bourbon barrel, artistically decorated with scenes from the state.  

Another item in the Visitor Center lobby, was this horse sculpture with the autographs of people significant in  equestrian history.   Even though I received my "Horsemanship" badge in Girl Scouts, and made the round trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back via sitting in the saddle of a four-legged creature, I did not feel worthy to ask for a Sharpie pen to add my name.  

Since this area is known for its historic "dry stack" stone fences, there is a display of one just outside the Visitor Center.  The park sits on 1,200 acres of Kentucky bluegrass farmland, so there were doubtless some of the stone fences of the acreage from hundreds of years of past farming, before the area was converted to public usage in 1978.  The house in the background is a significant landmark of the property.  It was built in 1866.  The property has been through numerous owners, but in 1972, Mary Edwards sold her property to the Commonwealth of Kentucky for $2.7 million, and in 1978, the Kentucky Horse Park, opened to the public, and  became the world's only park dedicated to man's relationship with the horse.  

I was fascinated with the information on the length of thoroughbred strides, that was explained and illustrated, in a public area outside the Visitor Center.  The placard suggested the visitor count the number of steps it takes them to walk a designated distance, then compare their numbers, to the stride length of some famous horses.  Since I am an avid step counter, aiming for at least 10,000 steps per day, I learned that 10,000 strides by a thoroughbred would go miles farther than 10,000 of my steps!

It is not surprising that the horse statue in front of the Visitor Center, is painted a bright blue (as in Kentucky being the BLUEgrass state), and showed the number of jobs that the equestrian industry provides in the state.  Remember that the Kentucky Horse Park is owned by the state government, so job numbers is a statistic they track.  Recent estimates indicate there are over 60,000 jobs in Kentucky that are related to the equestrian field.  The data also shows that the annual economic impact of the equestrian industry in Kentucky is about $6.5 billion. 

Horse racing aficionados are quite familiar with the name Secretariat, but for those who cannot remember, a plaque on the way to the Secretariat memorial will refresh their memory.   

Another plaque tells who the sculptor is, of the legendary thoroughbred champion, Secretariat.

The landscaping of the sidewalk leading to the Man O War statue, magnifies the importance of this steed in equestrian history.  

For those who many have forgotten, Man O War was a dominant competitor in the early 20th century, who won most of his races, including setting a record at the Belmont Stakes  

Another plaque in this area honors Isaac Burns Murphy, who was born into slavery in Clark County, Kentucky, in  1861.  He went on to become one of the greatest riders in American Thoroughbred horse racing history.  He won three runnings of the Kentucky Derby, and was the first jockey to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, at its creation in 1955.

Memorial plaque at burial site of famous horse.  

Very close to the Visitor Center, one will see this building for the U.S. Equestrian Association.

Since the building is open to the public, I took the opportunity to see what was inside:

Glass-covered trophy cases line the entire side of one wall in the spacious lobby.

I found out I am not the only one that has a horse harness hanging on the wall!  The difference in mine and those behind glass at this location, is that mine was just worn by a favorite farm horse, whereas these were worn by famous competition horses! 

 

My husband and I attended some equestrian events at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.  Our event was called "dressage", which is a French word, with the emphasis on the second syllable.  The word evolved from the French verb dresseur, meaning "to train".  Dressage is a discipline that showcases the horse's flexibility and balance, by executing a series of intricate, precise movements.  Upon our return, my husband had a special art piece made, containing a 1996 Equestrian Olympic poster, along with our two Olympic tickets, dated  8 am, July 26, 1996,  Because of that early 8 am start time, we had left our motel about 4 am, because it was an hour away from where we would catch the shuttle at a location in Atlanta, that would take us to the actual venue, at the Georgia International Horse Park, in Conyers, Georgia.  After being on the Interstate towards Atlanta for about 45 minutes, we turned on the radio to find out the weather forecast.  The radio was warning people to STAY AWAY from Atlanta, because there had been a bombing at an Olympic event the night before, and the perpetrator of the bomb was still on the loose.  Since we were almost to our shuttle stop, we continued on, and found out that the events scheduled for that day were still going to be held, but their starting times had been pushed back by several hours, because of greatly increased security screening.  Keep in mind, this was before we were using cell phones, texting, or Internet communication of any kind.  So we stood in line at the only pay telephone booth available, for a very long time, so we could call our family members back in Arkansas, to let them know we were okay, and had not been at the location where the bomb went off.  It was a most memorable experience!

Having actually attended the 1996 Olympic equestrian event, I was delighted to see that one of the items on display behind glass, was the clothing worn by one of the winning participants, as well as medals from the event.

According to wikipedia, the tradition of wearing white trousers in the dressage competition, dates back to a time when only aristocrats could participate in the sport, and they did not have to be concerned about doing any kind of manual labor that would get their trousers soiled.  

This facility also had a gift shop, and I enjoyed perusing the items available for purchase there.

Seeing these medals in their shadowbox display cases, reminded me of a church youth retreat I attended in the 1960's in Bentonville, Arkansas.  Walmart founders, Sam and Helen Walton, opened up their expansive home for the girls in the group, to spend the night in their home.  I remember Mrs. Walton showing us the room of their daughter, Alice Walton, and the room being full of ribbons and medals that Alice Walton had won at equestrian events.  

Look at this lovely souvenir available in the gift shop:

If one wanted sweet dreams of being horseback riding, perhaps this souvenir pillow, painted with all the symbols of the sport, would cause one to "gallop off" into dream land!

One of the sales staff at the gift shop offered to take my photo with one of the little black hats, like the competitors wear.  What do you think?

USEF (www.usef.org) is the abbreviation for the United States Equestrian Federation, which serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport.  The federation trains, selects, and funds the US Equestrian Team, which includes the team at the Olympic Games.  When I was visiting the Kentucky Horse Park, the USEF Pony Finals were being held, and I had the opportunity to observe young people who had their sights set on Olympic glory.

Folks are familiar with "crossing guards" near elementary schools to protect children, and here at Kentucky Horse Park, there are dozens of "crossing guards" to protect horses that are crossing roads in front of cars and/or golf carts.

Rolex is a major sponsor at the USEF Pony Finals, and the Rolex stadium was buzzing with activity, in preparation for the day's events.  

Now you know one reason that Rolex watches are so expensive---they have to help pay for this fancy equestrian stadium!  When one considers the cost of having a horse, boarding a horse, and traveling to equestrian events around the country, it is easy to understand why this is such an elite sport!  The year I got to visit the Olympic village in Calgary, Canada, I remember my guide pointing out some members of the royal family of a European country, who were also in the Olympic village, because they had competed in Olympic Equestrian events.  

If you are a person who enjoys seeing, riding, or learning about horses, you will enjoy a visit to the Kentucky Horse Park.  My visit there gave me "MILES OF SMILES!" Tricia