Constant Comment

Vacation time and time to visit the shark bite capital of the U.S.

Those first stop was Virginia Beach, where an oceanfront room afforded a view of Christmas lights adorning the length of the beach with cars motoring slowly so as to take in  the spectacle. W strolled the bike path until an officious little man gave us a choice of the road or beach. The beach it was.

Friday was all about the ferries, first Knott's Island to Currituck, then Hatteras to Ocracoke (eating leftover fried chicken in the passenger lounge and eliciting envious stares) and a foray to British Cemetery Road to ogle three cemeteries (at one I found a grave site for a woman where her age was listed out in years, months and days: I am exactly her age minus one day than the day she died)and finally, Ocracoke to Cedar Island, watching the sun set beyond the curve of the water's edge.

Saturday was a marathon drive down I-95 along with cars from 27 states, Quebec and Ontario. South Carolina felt endless with its limited two lanes of traffic, but eventually we were across the Georgia-Florida line with boiled peanuts (Cajun and original flavors) behind us.

Arriving in New Smyrna Beach, we lucked into SoNapa, a wine bar with blond wood, left coast wines and a lively crowd. At last, it was time to raise a glass to vacation.

Sunday was a practically perfect beach day. First, a long walk on the beach to get the lay of the land (mostly high rises, a smattering of individual beach cottages), reading ("Bastard Out of Carolina") on the deck overlooking the wide beach and happy hour on the balcony with Mazzolino Brut Rose and a view of palm trees and surf.

Then it was on to Flagler Beach, a quaint and historic beach town with bikers, kids skateboarding down the center of the street and a guy dressed as Santa riding a red cruiser bike inspiring pedestrians to yell greetings.

Best of all, meals were eaten outdoors, I was wearing a sundress and there's a week of vacation left.

While having breakfast the first morning, I was offered Constant Comment tea, something I hadn't had before. Could a tea really loosen my tongue any further? Maybe vacation is not the time to share.

Only a week at the ocean will tell.