Lost colony troupe members
CBS News producer Jack Halsbond was behind the wheel of The Early Show's Winnebago, traveling the country in July and August as part of the "Great American Vacation" giveaway road trip. Read his Web-exclusive road diary.
The "Great American Vacation" giveaway on the Outer Banks of North Carolina featured a lot of terrific people.
Mo and Beth Vandesteene, who manage the KOA Campground in Rodanthe, make sure that every detail is taken care of. We though that we were receiving special attention until the other campers quickly informed that that's the way they treat all their guests.
At the KOA's Cape Hatteras Campground, you will met some genuine folks such as Manny and Angela Negreiro who with their son and daughter, Nathan and Ariana, and German Shepard Zeus came up from Florida.
The Cyr Michaud and Wilson families' traveled down from Ontario in French Canada and have been doing so for the past 20 years. Their children have literally grown up at Rodanthe. They were camped out in front of our Winnebago. There were lots of different people from diverse backgrounds with a common interest in living life to the fullest. On the Outer Banks, that's the way it is.
On Manteo, another island on the Outer Banks, we visited the Roanoke Island Festival Park where we gave away another Caribbean Island dream vacation. Thanks to the efforts of many and with the considerable help of Carolyn McCormick, managing director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and Scott Stroh III, Executive Director of Roanoke Island Festival Park we enjoyed another spectacular morning. As the threat of rain passed into brilliant sunshine, we were treated to the sights of the original inhabitants of the Outer Banks.
Troupe members in full costume, some much warmer then others, represented the members of The Lost Colony, the first English colonists to set foot on these shores in the expedition of 1585. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I, from the Lost Colony Outdoor Symphonic Drama troupe also made an appearance. The troupe is the longest running historic drama group in the United States. Since 1937, over 4 million visitors have seen this dramatic story of America's earliest beginnings. Also present were players from the Guild of Saint Andrews, a 16th century reenactment drama group.
Elanit and Aaron Faeth, two volunteers from the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, along with their friends from Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge were on hand to remind us of the need to keep natures creatures, who share these spectacular Island habitats, cared for in these ever changing times on the Outer Banks.
Then it was on to the state capital of Raleigh, for a Summer in the City Concert featuring Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs. A huge shout out to the staff of the Raleigh Downtown Brownstone Holiday Inn where kids eat free and you can also park your RV. Holiday Inn features the world at your finger tips with eHost, in-room Internet with high speed connection and much more.
Three cheers for Bill Winn, the general manager of the property located on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, who personally stopped traffic, allowing our 39-foot Winnebago Destination to maneuver into their parking lot, where there is ample room for RVers and buses. So when in Raleigh, do stop in.
As the song says, "Nothing could be finer then to be in Carolina ..."
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