Roanoke IslandWhen I last left you (see Hatteras Village Redux), Dawn & I were preparing to vacate Lightship, and head north to Manteo to meet up with Melody & Stephanie, two more friends met via the Outer Banks Connection. The packing and loading of the car went quickly. It was especially nice not to be tossing out perishables from the fridge, as Dawn had a big cooler to haul back to Pamlico Beach, full of foodstuffs.
As we drove northward, I was sad to see Hatteras disappearing in the rear view mirror. But, knowing that I had a new adventure awaiting me on Roanoke Island helped to temper that deep ache in my heart that I always get when leaving the Outer Banks.
I hadn't visited Roanoke Island for a number of years and was quite surprised at the new courthouse and roadways after crossing the Baum Bridge. This certainly wasn't the peaceful little island that I recalled! I began to dread viewing the changes that had surely taken place around Shallowbag Bay. As we neared Melody's house, I was relieved to see the that those inevitable changes were all for the good. Many of the older buildings had been extensively renovated and were now quirky little galleries, shops & boutiques. If anything, the area was even more charming than before!
Dawn and I easily located Melody's house. Stephanie pulled into the drive seconds behind us. We were warmly greeted on the pizer by Melody. Having never met Melody and Steph face-to-face before, it was great fun to finally place faces to names. After introductions all around, punctuated with lots of tail wagging and kisses (from Mollie & Ginger, Melody's dogs), I took in my surroundings.
The first thing that I had noticed on our arrival, was the wonderful front porch. High back rockers overlooked the street and front yard. A magnificent old magnolia tree embraced the yard with its gnarled branches. As we entered the front door, my first thought was, "What a magical house!" Beautiful woodwork and architectural details abounded. On my left were French doors, leading to what was, presumably, the front parlor back in the day. A narrow staircase led to the upper floors on my right. We passed through Melody's "office," its walls lined with beautiful glass fronted bookcases and whimsical artwork. Local memorabilia was displayed on shelves & tables. The back of the house held the little kitchen, full of years-gone-by allure.
Melody presented us with Manteo gift bags, filled with all sorts of local goodies and souvenirs. Our day on Roanoke was starting out perfectly!
We took a walk-about along the waterfront, poked around in some of the shops and then paid a visit to Melody's mom, Dorothy. Ms. Dorothy would meet up with us later at Melody's for a cookout. After a leisurely lunch at the Full Moon Cafe, we were ready to begin our tour of Roanoke Island.
To be continued ....
