EAST COAST USA (DAY TWELVE)

Thankfully things dried out last night but the heat (32'C) and humidity is killing me. Sleeping is really tough. It's far too sticky to get inside a sleeping bag so I just lie there and sweat listening to the "katydids" buzzing in the trees. I have decided not to continue further south than Myrtle Beach, SC. This is clearly the wrong time of year for traveling in the south although locals tell me that this is more typical of August weather. I should reach Fort Mill, South Carolina on Friday afternoon, spend the weekend with my Irish cousin, Mickey, and then head north and back home.
After a shower, shave and breakfast I packed up and headed out. The sun was up early and the day's forecast was the usual chance of thundershowers in the afternoon.
Today my destination was Kitty Hawk, the sight of the Wright brothers first flight, on the Outer Banks, a sliver of land that sits way out in the Atlantic and parallels the eastern shore of Virginia. It really blows my mind that The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, launched the first powered flight on December 17, 1903. Just think of how far aviation has come since that historic moment. The first shot is of my rig in the foreground with the Wright Memorial monument up on the hill behind.

These next few shots are of a sculpture of the original "plane" with bronze representations of Wilbur and Orville that depict the launch scene.

This is a monument built to commemorate their achievement.

Atop the huge sand dune that supports the monument you get a great view of the beach community below.

I couldn't help but notice that almost every home was built up on stilts as protection from storm surges. I spoke with a lady who lives in the area and although there was minimal damage, the infamous hurricane Sandy did worry the residents who have almost no protection from storms.

Looking north up the beach was mostly clear but looking south was a different story. Luckily for me most of the rain that hit further south completely missed me as I rode on to New Bern, North Carolina where I found a lovely camp site.