Since Tuesday morning looked gloomy and felt chilly, we didn’t go to the beach.
Spotting a cute shopping area while driving to our lodging after our Hummer Corolla Horse Tour yesterday, I suggested we go shopping!
Not exactly sure where it was, we leisurely drove down the main road until we found the cute spot…called Timbuck II Shopping Village in Corolla, about four miles from our lodging.
Found these gorgeous hollyhocks (see header photo) in front of the Cotton Gin, which was a massive shop that kept going and going, upstairs and downstairs and around the corner.
Full of all sorts of odds and ends from beach jewelry and clothing to home accessories, we had fun looking at this and that.
Humorously we each picked out containers in which to keep the seashells we’ve collected: his is huge and mine is smaller.
After enjoying that spot together, he was done shopping, so he went to one of the breakfast spots to enjoy a cup of coffee while he read a book.
Meanwhile I enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies, perusing the menus of various eateries for future meals, and shopping at the different locations.
Throughout it all I loved the unique atmosphere on this beachy island that doesn’t feel all that beachy. At least not like Texas.
All the windblown oaks make the island feel as though we’re in the middle of a forest, even the the width of the island varies from 150 feet wide to three miles wide, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the mainland across the sound to our west.
While I loved the beachy architectural style with all the porches, I was amazed by the roses that grow so well in this salty and windy climate.
At this rather elegant shop I found a book about Andy Griffith and his Manteo home at the cash register, that looked interesting.
When the cashier noticed me looking at it, she said that Manteo was in Roanoke, which is just a short drive to the south.
She had so many good things to say about Andy Griffith, I purchased the book as a souvenir, and put Manteo on our to-go list.
Needing to pick up a few food supplies, we stopped at Harris Teeter (my favorite grocery store back home in Northern Virginia).
Wow! This HT is even better than the one back home…partly because of the great souvenirs I picked up.
Stay tuned.
