Halloween on the Crystal Coast

We took a last minute weekend trip to the NC coast to savor a little sunshine before the end of daylight savings. It was our first time staying overnight and though it looked very different than a pre-COVID beach trip, the crashing waves and a long coastal hike were exactly what we needed. On the way home we drove through some cities and towns we hadn’t seen before and felt a deep gratitude for a perfect weekend together. Today, I’m back to reality and holding my breath for tomorrow and whatever this week may bring.

Some moments I want to remember:

+ Singing Fleetwood Mac on the balcony at sunset

+ Hiking through a marsh, maritime forest, and sand dunes overlooking the ocean (and being so grateful we decided to follow the whole trail from beginning to end)

+ Hundreds of chatty birds floating just off shore with the glitter of moonlight dancing around them

+ Singing Fleetwood Mac on a cold beach at night while eating ice cream

+ Everyone telling us about Blackbeard’s shipwreck

+ Watching Hocus Pocus and eating too much candy in bed

+ Bats catching their dinner under the hotel lights

+ Waking up just in time for sunrise

+ Squinting while trying to catch dolphin fins popping up in the distance

+ Listening to Thrill by Future Islands while driving through Greenville

+ Seeing the Halloween blue moon rise accompanied by Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and a margarita

+ The downpour of rain after the aquarium

+ Letting our whims make the itinerary