Have you ever gotten up close and personal with a crab? I did. And it happened in Cape Hatteras. It's a beautiful place in North Carolina. It's a 15 hour drive from my home in Canada. And definitely worth it.
We rented a house with friends right on the Sound. So we had an amazing view every time we looked out the window. The stars at night were unbelievable, especially from a kayak in the middle of the Sound! The Sound is very shallow - even a kilometre out, it's up to my knees. This is great for the kids. They can easily swim and kayak. We also did windsurfing, kite sailing, and paddle boarding.
It's a short walk to the ocean, which the kids also love for building sand castles, playing in the surf, and searching for sea shells.
But back to my friend the crab. If you go out on the beach late at night, the bigger crabs come out of their homes and are up on the beach by the surf. When we shone our flashlights on them, mostly they scuttle away. But some just sit there and look at you. It was fascinating to see them. I touched one - I didn't want to scare it - but I just touched it gently and then it ran away.
Another time I had been for a run on the beach (which is hard but I love it), and I almost stepped on a good-size crab. I bent down for a look, and he came right out of his hole and looked right back at me. We had complete eye contact, both of us about two feet apart. That's not something you do every day, either, right?
Now I feel like crabs are my BFFs. Honestly - I'm not even sure I can eat crab legs ever again! They are fascinating creatures. And Hatteras is incredible. It was a great end to the summer.
