Cape Hatteras

After an inauspicious beginning we headed south to go across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel towards Cape Hatteras.  As to our launch, we went to put in the slides like we always do, me outside watching, thank goodness, and Jan inside operating the slides.  It's the exact opposite when we pull into our site.  So in goes the driver's side front slide and just before it is all the way in, a terrible crunch and the slide is tilting like it shouldn't be!  Monaco has a locking system on this slide, our largest one.  It is simple in design, as the bottom of the slide gets near the motorhome wall it pushes on a lever which causes a lock to pop out the top inside the motorhome to lock in the slide.  Well as the lever touched the sidewall, it did not move as designed, instead it bent the lever and caused the bottom of the slide to stop.  NOT GOOD!  Back out it goes so we can evaluate what is happening.  No, I have never seen or heard of this happening before.  Evidently, the mechanism which is covered by a plastic cover has either corroded, or is gummed up by dirt or something, but the bigger problem is the lever is bent so much that the slide would not be able to go in even if we could get the lock to move.  Luckily we are able to bend the lever enough, work and lubricate the locking mechanism enough that we get the slide in and we are off, only took 45 minutes.

On to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  It is an engineering marvel.  It is a 23 mile bridge with 2, 1 mile tunnels, that goes across the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay.  Sometimes the internet is a blessing and sometimes it is a curse.  We researched the bridge-tunnel to see, number one, can we fit?  It appears so, there is a 13' 6" height restriction and we are below that, but the reports on the internet is that the tunnels are VERY narrow and some have even lost their mirrors from impact with oncoming trucks!  We even contemplate going around, but it would add over 175 miles!  So after the initial impact of a $35 toll, off we go.  It is really something!  To cross 23 miles of ocean is amazing!  Turned out the tunnels weren't that bad, although a little scary, the 4 lanes on the bridge go down to a narrow 2 lane tunnel with no barriers between oncoming traffic, but they are only 1 mile each so not bad.

The toll booth

Initial view of the bridge

The first tunnel

A little narrow! 

We got through okay, worked our way by Norfolk and headed south to Cape Hatteras, specifically, Waves, NC, quite a way south, to a campground, Camp Hatteras.  It had been pretty windy for a few days, so the few glimpses of the ocean showed us the waves were crashing.

Lots of white water

Surf's up!

The sand was infringing on the road in several places.  It really makes you wonder what it all looks like when a big storm hits.

You can see where they plowed the sand.

The campground goes all the way from the ocean on the east side to the sound on the west.  It is windy, blustery, and really sandy, duh!  And nicely quiet since it's off season. We are just taking it easy and will go visit Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers memorial, and probably eat a couple crab cakes, and lots of fish.  We already bought and cooked a new fish for us, a tile fish.  It was delicious.  There are lots of kites flying, and lots of folks kite surfing in the blustery conditions.  Pretty cool.

Our beach, 100 feet or so from the motorhome

Kite surfer