Beach Paradise

The last thing I expected on my star-crossed journey across the Carolinas was a beach paradise. After Hanna aborted the first attempt to visit Nags Head, the detour to Hunting Island, SC, only to find a washed out beach with storm litter lying around was a dissappointment, to say the least. So, when I made my way back to one of the most famed beaches of the Outer Banks, I wasn't really expecting anything worth recording.

But put that thought away. Because all the trouble was well worth it. Nags Head is truly one of the best, if not the best. FYI, I'm working on an effort to rank the best beaches in the United States. Started off from San Diego, and planning to move right on upto New York City. Anyway, getting back to Nags Head. Serene beach - no sign of debris, no noisy groups of tourists, no high rise hotels, nothig to disturb the natural beauty of the ocean waves lapping on to the pristine and gently sloping sand.

I recahed there in the evening, just in time to catch one of the most painfully beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in my life. The water was dark and limitless, specled on the edges near the beach with white surf, a thin band of clouds spreading across the horizon right in front of the sun, teh entire sky a flaming bright yellow, morphing into orange just near the sun. Words fail me, and its really difficult to describe. Sure, I've seen sunsets before, but when you're in the middle of the commercial bedlam, the effect of the sunset seems to get diluted a bit.

Which also explains why Nags Head is so famed. Its like a private beach which hs just been opened to the public. You can light bonfires, and the sand stretches as far as you can see, with no traffic, and no stalls or anything human made to disturb the tranquility. Truly magnificient beach, and I felt like camping out at Nags Head for the entire month and telling my editor to go screw himself. If only my 401k had enough juice to allow me to retire...