It’s still raining when we reach North Carolina, but the coastline lacks the crying clouds, so we’re able to spend the day exploring two capes — places we lived close to for years while stationed in Norfolk, but somehow hadn’t found the time to visit. Cape Lookout National Seashore has locally inspired art from the surrounding schools — elementary, middle, and high school — in the visitor center. Outside, the Canadian geese are on holiday, soaking up the sun undisturbed.

There are two short trails, just over a mile combined, where we see a dozen wharf roaches (that are edible but bitter), a crab and his alien sibling (like a squash spider had sex with a miniature squid), a Common Buckeye butterfly (a symbol of good luck in many cultures), a female Eastern pondhawk dragonfly (known for their voracious hunting of mosquitoes), and a venomous red caterpillar. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center is closed for renovation.

There are a series of ferries with a drive in between, on the mainland, or someone wishing to visit Cape Hatteras next can take the long drive around. We had time and didn’t have to worry about the reservations required option, so we took the drier route. The beach is beautiful and totally worth a visit, but I would suggest the state stop letting people drive onto the beach, as it deters more wildlife from living there. We stay until dark, and then set up camp.