Sunset at Jockey's Ridge State Park

For those who have never been, Jockey's Ridge is one of the most amazing places on the Outer Banks. There's nothing else like the sight of giant sand dunes towering on a strip of land between the ocean and sound. The dunes are so huge and so high that being at the ridge is a little like being in a desert or on an alien planet...until you finally reach the top and your eyes adjust to take in all the familiar OBX landmarks down below. 

Sunset on Jockey's Ridge is pretty amazing, too -- it's kind of magical to see the ocean side of the banks plunged into night while on the the sound side it's still light, all from the same vantage point. During the day you'll see people flying kids, riding sleds down the dunes, and rolling down the hills, but at sunset it's little groups lying on blankets and reclining in lounge chairs, taking it all in. 

I was just about seven months pregnant when we made the climb up to the top of the dunes, which means I didn't quite make it all the way to the very top. So I perched myself on one of the lower dunes while J. and A. trekked on to the summit. When the sun had finally sunk below the horizon we made our way down, picked out our shoes from the big pile left by the stairs, and went off in search of ice cream. (As you do when its almost bedtime on vacation).