Day Three: Alexandria to Kitty Hawk

Three years ago this week, Jonathan asked Santa to bring him flying lessons. Santa hoped this was a whim, a fad. He asked if perhaps a nice kayak or SUP wouldn't be more practical. But Tom Cruise never fought down a Russian mig from the front of a paddle board, so there was never a question but that Jonathan would become a pilot. And since that journey began, he's been soaking up stories about the Wright Brothers.

So when we began planning this trip, I knew we had to steer a few hundred miles out of the way to visit Cape Hatteras Seashore, Kill Devil Hills, and the Wright Brothers Monument and Museum. The kids were into it — feeding off of Dad's excitement — and I was pumped that the visit didn't include a take off or landing.

Five hours after leaving Alexandria, we pulled into Kitty Hawk RV this afternoon on a chilly, blue-sky day and found our home for the night is approximately 30 feet from the beach. The kids walked and fed the dog, while Jonathan hooked up our utilities and I moved bags from point A to point B. We unhitched, piled into the Suburban and set off 3 miles down the road to the nation's aviation Mecca -- only to find a locked gate, an improvised sign, and a line of angry tourists pulling U-Turns. Not us, though.

We parked the car, darted across traffic and slipped through the gates of the Wright Brothers Monument. The museum itself was shuttered due to the Trump Shutdown, so we missed out on seeing the planes and films. But, still, we were able to walk the field where they launched their first successful flights on December 17, 1903. Charlotte ran the distance of the longest flight that day, and discovered she clocked in just 4 seconds slower than the air-bound Wilbur. We also saw the wooden shacks they lived in while building the first airplanes, hiked up to the monument at sunset, and then capped the day with local cuisine at "I Got Your Crabs." (Pretty genius.)

So, sorry Trump, but we persisted.