photomom

And in case you're wondering how I know all this, I live here.

I forgot about two more places to stay for the NC Quad Clinic. The Hampton Inn and Suites in Pine Knoll Shores. It's across the highway from the Atlantis Lodge. Pine Knoll Shores and Atlantic Beach city limits abut each other so don't let the community names confuse you. And there is the Palm Suites located in Atlantic Beach, located just down the road from the main intersection onto the island.

Funny! Funny!

Funny! Funny!

For something on the less expensive side, there's Hollowell's Family Motel in Atlantic Beach. It's not far from Fort Macon. If you're looking for something more luxurious, there's the Doubletree by HIlton in Atlantic Beach. It's a lot further down the beach than Hollowell's and is on the oceanfront. It has a pier, a small bar at the pier and a steak restaurant on site. There's also the family-owned Atlantis Lodge and Seahawk Motor Lodge which are both oceanfront and are also in Atlantic Beach. If you don't want to stay on the beach, there are some motels available in Morehead City. They are about a 20-25 minute drive from Fort Macon but it's not a bad drive that time of year. Hope this helps.

We fly every week or more on the beach. Salt is not something we worry about. We brush the sand off of the kites as we fold them up to put them away. A couple of times a year we will empty all the kite bags, sweep sand out of them, check the kites for wear and sand, and then repack everything. We have a very soft hand brush for sweeping sand off of kites and bags. We've been doing it this way for years and haven't had any problems or damage.

Because the holiday weekends on the beach are the ultimate crazy, we don't plan on flying much. This Memorial Day tropical storm Bonnie threw in an additional curve in everyone's plans. However, there still was an indoor kiting program to present during the holiday which kept kiting on our minds. A short fly was in order after the crowds left. Memorial Day 2016

There wasn't much flying going on the past week. Mostly because the weather wasn't cooperating. Sheer stubbornness had a couple of kites in the air. That and the chance to spend some time with the grandchildren. As you can see, we're starting them out very young. Another Dreary Weekend

Love this. Before my daughter got married, we would fly duals together. I never tired of the smile on her face. I know the two of you will have great times together. You're raising an admirable son who's willing to work for his goals. Good job, Dad.

It's usually about 25-30 minutes down the island. If visitor traffic is very heavy, you can add about 5-10 more minutes. It's about 20 miles but the speed limit is 35-45 mph. And don't try to speed because there are speed traps along the way. We should be home from all our travels by then. We fly at the point by what's left of the rock jetty. Winds from any direction are flyable. Northwest winds are the only ones that are difficult because of the Fort and the dunes. But there's plenty of beach to move away from turbulence.

The Southern Outer Banks is my home turf. The local kite shop is Kites Unlimited in Atlantic Beach. The kite club flies every Sunday morning at 9:00 in the summer at Fort Macon State Park. That's a straight drive down the island. Our annual kite festival is the last weekend in October. The link DeafThunder had is for a shop on the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk, NC. That's about a 5 hour drive from where you will be. We'll be in and out of town most of June but maybe the schedules will work and we can meet up. BTW, we fly at the same location the quad clinic will held in Sept.

Number 200 was a very special one. I got a chance to see Eliot work on it. He makes it look easy. He can make one pretty fast as long as people like me quit coming into the shop and bothering him. LOL

The mobile app did the same thing for me.

Congrats, Norm! Yes, Wayne, you will survive. After all nothing plus nothing equals nothing. So you have nothing to worry about.

Too bad I couldn't trade it in for the "Rasta" color. Not to be picky or anything.

It's raining on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and it looks like it will be a while before I get to do some flying. So I just have to think about the last couple of times and enjoy the memories. Reflecting On Kites While Watching It Rain

The Mile of Hope is a weekend away for families who have a child who has cancer. The children get to spend time on the beach, playing in the sand and flying kites. The Carolian Kite Club members put on a show of kites in the air and help solve any kite flying problems that may occur. The Annual Mile of Hope Kite Fly

It was close to a perfect day for flying kites. Lower winds, warm temperatures and sunshine (at least for a while). And a chance to fly some new single line kites and try out the Reflex. It's A Beautiful Morning

I got to fly the Reflex a couple of times this past week. The first time the winds were 8-10 mph and gusty. I was amazed how well the full sail handled the gusts. It seems to me to be a slower flyer but easy to handle. It didn't seem to want to reverse very well but that may have been because I wasn't used to the handles and line settings. The second flight went much better as I had more time and could set the brake where I was comfortable and in control. The wind this time was 5-7 mph and pretty smooth. Again the Reflex seemed slower in flight but handled reverse much better. At times it seemed to drift in the wind and feel soft on the handles. I had and easier time with inverse hover which I've never been able to do well. I didn't try the launch from a flat position. Bear in mind, I'm not that good of a Rev flyer. I don't do tricks nor fly team. I'm not into the technical aspects nor making modifications to my kites. I did like the Reflex more than I thought I would. I'm thinking the next time I may set up the Reflex and a 1.5 and try them side-by-side. My concern is the springs. I already see how they can bend out of shape after repeated assemblies and dis-assemblies. And the little velcro pad comes off the spring easily. So there you are. My thoughts.

The NC State Parks System turned 100 years old this year. Fort Macon State Park, our local kite flying field, had a huge celebration by re-creating the Siege of Fort Macon. The re-enactors were everywhere, including where we usually fly. They enjoyed watching us fly kites and we appreciated the work they put into the re-enactment. It made for a special weekend for all. We've Been Invaded

Elliot keeps up with all the Shook mesh Revs on the Flying Smiles Facebook page. There is an album that he updates with the latest builds. Mesh Revs

A great report. It looks like a nice, "laid-back" type of festival. I hate to hear you had to pack up early but at least you got one good day in. Love the pictures.

Congratulations on the new additions to the family.

The Carolina Kite Club was asked to put some color in the sky for the Earth Day Celebration at Fort Macon State Park. Unfortunately, strong winds made it unwise and unsafe to fly kites on the beach that day. Although some did try. The Earth Day Celebration