THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506020265
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 46 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Ron Speer
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Driving through Roanoke Island and over Roanoke Sound every morning on the way to work is a daily reminder that the simple things still give most of us the greatest pleasure.
A stretch of the causeway is lined regularly with anglers, fishing with cane poles, rods and reels or tiny crab pots.
Nothing fancy or expensive, just the kind of gear people have been using for generations to catch food or to enjoy the unmatched thrill of a strike from a hungry fish.
They're usually not big fish, not like people catch far offshore in burly boats chartered for around $800 a day. But the excitement that runs through the shoulder-to-shoulder anglers when a rod bends sharply and a hooked fish makes a run for freedom is every bit as exhilarating as a strike by a huge billfish out in the ocean.
And on Roanoke Island, the bike path that runs the length of the historic island is dotted with joggers, strollers and bikers regardless of the time of day.
Moms and dads and grandparents use the path to push baby strollers. Young boys and girls pedal their bikes furiously along the asphalt strip to school.
Tourists and residents alike stroll or ride throughout the day, enjoying the the path that keeps them safe from highway traffic, and gives them a respite from the pressures of work or parenthood or bill collectors.
So do the waterfronts, the charter-boat centers and the fishing villages. It is exciting to watch the boats head out before dawn, and then return in mid-afternoon loaded with the bounties of the sounds and the sea.
And on the Outer Banks, the beaches draw thousands and thousands of people seeking only to be left alone as they wade through the frothy water, pick up buoys and shells brought in by the waves during the night, ride their surfboards on the biggest crests or simply stretch out on the sand in undisturbed bliss.
The enriching offerings of scores of art galleries provide another quietly satisfying refuge from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. So do the parks and forests and dunes that so wisely have been preserved for posterity.
Of course, there are a multitude of clubs and restaurants and shops and entertainment complexes for those seeking excitement.
But as I head into my second year as the Carolina editor, it is the simple things on the Outer Banks that make me delighted to be here.
Among them, as many of you know, are the waters of the sounds that are just perfect for my little 24-foot sailboat, the Wind Gypsy.
So far I've not found much time to take advantage of the never-ending winds of North Carolina, but this weekend I plan to sail with other sailors from the Roanoke Island Yacht Club to Elizabeth City to do battle with Pasquotank Yacht Club racers.
And during the summer I want to visit every nook and cranny of the Albemarle's sounds and rivers, virtually unknown to outsiders but prime sailing waters for all but the biggest boats.
I also want to ride the beat-up, gearless girl's bike I bought last fall until I feel confident that I won't endanger others in my path. I hope that maybe I'll get at least a taste of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and grapes that seem to be thriving since I planted them early in the spring. In the meantime, I'll continue to be a regular customer at the roadside stands in Currituck County that offer freshly picked berries, corn, cantalope and watermelon.
Nothing fancy about any of those dreams, perhaps. Mundane, maybe, to many.
But for those who enjoy simple things, the year ahead on the Outer Banks is enticing. by CNB