*Outer Banks, North Carolina shot with Portra 800 // Yashica Mat 124g*

Last month, I had the opportunity to travel south to North Carolina with Visit NC on an ‘adventures for all’ themed trip where Ethan, and I had the freedom to create our own itinerary that highlighted a variety of activities. We experienced so much in just one week from an overnight kayaking trip on the Roanoke River to learning about birds at a conversation park to multiple excursions in the Outer Banks and of course, dining on some delicious local seafood. As a gluten free gal (not by choice), I was interested to see what I would be able to find and to my surprise, there were many GF friendly places as well!

It was really cool to spend intentional time in this state that I had only driven through on my travels. Ethan and I took a Monday morning flight from La Guardia to Raleigh and everything was pretty smooth from the airports, to picking up a rental to getting to our hotel. We stopped for lunch at First Watch and then left the rest of the day for errands before driving about an hour to our hotel in Rocky Mount. We showered off the plane ride, ordered a bunch of Mexican food and watched shows all evening. I think leaving the first day of the trip mostly free is the smartest thing possible especially when the first adventure is an overnight kayaking trip! After a night of R&R , we got an early start the next morning and hit the road towards the Roanoke river but not before paying a visit to a local bird park Ethan found on a last minute search.

Sylvan Heights Bird Park

*The Landing Zone shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

Ethan loves birds and convinced me to add another stop before our kayaking trip which really did not take much convincing at all. I don’t usually opt for zoos, aquariums, animal parks, etc. but when the establishment has good intentions, I’m all for it. When you can enter a room and feed the cute little birds, I’m even more for it! Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck had so many familiar and rare species of birds they were focused on protecting. For a few extra bucks, you can spend some time in the landing zone where you can feed birds and flamingos. Worth the stop if you’re making your way from Raleigh to the Outer Banks or anything in between.

Roanoke River Kayak Trip

*Camp on the Roanoke River, North Carolina shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

This was…quite the experience! I have done a lot of adventurous things such as traveling alone in a tiny van and spending a summer backpacking the remote mountains in Washington so I truly thought nothing of it when Ethan suggested adding an overnight kayaking trip to our itinerary. We wanted to highlight chill adventures, medium ones and thrill seeking ones. This adventure was rated as medium but I’d say it was crossing the line of thrill seeking. I haven’t done a ton of kayaking and this type of camping was definitely different than I was used to but even still, it was still a really cool experience.

This was our first time doing an overnight kayak trip and it definitely showed! We met a local guide who helped us launch and began paddling around 3pm. It was extremely hot and the river was completely exposed. I’d recommend starting super early or even later than 3pm. There were two camps on the river; one at three miles and one at five. We opted for the three mile adventure and I’m so glad we did because I don’t think I could’ve done five. I’m used to hiking, not paddling and in the southern heat, it is not an easy thing. Still, it only took us til about 5pm to find the wooden camping platform appropriately named ‘Barred Owl’ as you hear them hooting throughout the night. We docked out kayaks and set up camp immediately as we had to shoot before the light faded. We brought mushroom risotto from Good To-Go (my favorite backpacking meals!) and played cribbage until we were sleepy.

*Dinner and games at camp shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

It was wild to be in on a platform in the middle of the river like that. It was peaceful but a little spooky to be honest. We didn’t see a soul on the way to camp. The water wasn’t the least bit clear and Ethan spotted a big Cottonmouth snake sitting on a log. Even still, I was enjoying this new experience… that is until it became dark. I woke up around midnight and started felt sick. My stomach was queasy but I knew it was mostly anxiety about being out there, not that it was so far from civilization but it was far enough. I get anxiety when I feel I don’t have a way out so the fact that we literally couldn’t paddle back until it was morning wasn’t helping. I of course woke Ethan up and he graciously sat up with me trying to calm me down until we both fell back asleep. “I just want it to be morning,” I said to which he replied “I know,” but the next day confessed in that moment, he just wished it was morning too. Haha, hey at least one of us stayed calm but it was comforting to know that he also felt a little uneasy. It’s always good to have a story like this to tell and remind others that not everything you see online about someone else’s trip is perfect.

Eventually we made it back to land and continue east towards the coast which was my favorite part of the week. We really wanted to bring in the coastal vibe so we booked a lighthouse bnb. It is about 1-2 hours from the actual Outer Banks though (depending on where you are going) so not super ideal if you want to be close to everything but nevertheless, a cool stay! The hosts were very nice and I definitely recommend. If you’re there, definitely stop at Morris Farm Market! They are one of the largest farmers markets in North Carolina and have a lot of local goodies.

Lighthouse AirBnB in Curritck

*Hi Ethan! shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

After checking in, we had a couple hours to decompress before we needed to head towards the Outer Banks. We booked a horseback ride for sunset so we decided to explore the dunes and lighthouses before hand. It was so fun to be back on the true coast as I don’t really have good beaches near me in Connecticut. This National Seashore was very similar to the one in Cape Cod. I used to go every summer when I was younger but haven’t in years so it certainly made me nostalgic running around, seeing the grass sway and hearing the waves crash.

*Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Portra 800 // Yashica Mat 124g*

Bodie Island Lighthouse shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1
After roaming around the seashore, it was time for our sunset ride. There are only two or so companies that tour here and they book up fast. The only one that worked with our schedule was the **OBX & Nags Head Beach Tour.** There was one spot left and since we were on a time limit (and also on a job), we decided I would ride and Ethan would shoot on foot. While I was bummed we couldn't experience it together, it was cool to have two different photographic perspectives of the ride. One woman on my tour said that I got the better end of the deal but Ethan was running around like a kid on the beach excited to capture it all.

OBX Horseback Ride Tour

*OBX Horseback Ride shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

I’ll be honest here and say this tour went a bit differently than I expected but I still really enjoyed it. Truly a once in a lifetime experience to ride a horse as the sun is setting and the waves are crashing. It was beautiful! The OBX & Nags Head Beach Tour was from 6:30-7:30pm but it was a lot of extra time to get everyone on their horse and off their horse so I would plan accordingly for dinner and what not. The guides let us roam a bit more freely than I expected but having just done a ride in the Grand Tetons in July made me not feel as scared. However, I think if you’re truly a beginner, this might not be the tour for you.

The only horseback rides I’ve done are where there is a guide at the front and you follow in a line but this was very much a free roam on the beach. Perhaps that’s how it’s supposed to be but there is definitely more room for your horse to wander off or not listen to you if you aren’t stern enough. Thankfully my horse, Amigo, was pretty calm and went where I needed him to. One guide was riding with us wherever he fit in and the other alongside us and that’s where Ethan tagged along so he could follow closely with his camera. The tour is a bit pricey sitting at $125 per person per hour ride but again, a once in a lifetime experience and worth the money if you’re visiting the Outer Banks.

*The Ride shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

*Me by* *Ethan*
The next day was Ethan's turn for a thrilling adventure with **Kitty Hawk Kites.** They offer multiple different excursions from plane rides, skydiving, parasailing, hang gliding, jet skiing and more! He opted for the scenic plane tour as loves being in the air. I on the other hand definitely do not. The one hour flight from NYC down was enough for me!

Scenic Plane Tours

I recommend Kitty Hawk Kites as they have multiple experiences to choose from and the prices are reasonable considering it’s a touristy area. The location was easy to get to and staff was also very friendly. If you’re looking to experience a big part of history, they also offer a reproduction flight of the Wright Brothers’ 1902 Glider! You’ll fly over the dunes just like they did and you will also be one of the few to fly in the same exact area they did over 100 years ago. Pretty neat if you ask me! Definitely on the list for us next time.

*Florist shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

After the late morning plane ride, we left the rest of our day to explore whatever caught our eye and move at our own pace. We spent the day on Coquina Beach, looking for shells and playing in the waves. If you have extra time, you might want to go even further south and check out the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Unfortunately, it was under construction when we were down there so we didn’t make it but honestly found spots I felt were just as pretty on the north end. If you’re looking for some delicious local seafood, we made a stop at Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar. I am not a fan of oysters but Ethan is. They have other seafood and decent GF options plus a pretty view of the water.

*Ethan on the Dunes shot with Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

*Shell Hunting Portra 800 // Canon AE-1*

If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I feel so grateful to have had all of these experiences and hope something here can inspire your next trip. All of the film shot on this trip was developed and digitally scanned by Negative Lab in Los Angeles. I have been sending my film here for over a year now and I am always pleased with my scans. I cannot express the difference the lab makes! If you’re interested in giving them a try, use ‘WILD10’ for 10% off your next order. For transparency, I do not make any money when you use this code but I do receive a discount off my processing services by spreading the word. Whether you’ve read this post or use my code, every little bit helps keep me doing what I love. For more work and easier updates, follow me on Instagram. Thank you so much! Until next time.

Adventures for All in North Carolina