What I Did on my Summer Vacation, or, Days in Rodanthe

I spent the last week on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. On the way to the rental house, I passed through a town called Rodanthe, setting of a Nicholas Sparks novel. I have not read "Nights in Rodanthe," nor have I seen the Richard Gere/Diane Lane-starring film adaption, but I did stop to take pictures of what, to me, was the main draw of the town- Waterfall Action Park.

It looks as if it's been abandoned for years and they barely have a web site (which dubiously claims the "Largest Amusement Park in North Carolina" crown). If these message boards are to be believed, the park was open as late as last year.  It seems to have been a family business, which went into decline when the patriarch passed away.

Here's an aerial view, taken from their site. There was no corresponding legend, but you can see the bungee tour, water slides, mini golf courses, etc. And a HUGE house nestled between one of the tracks and Pamlico Sound.

Let's take a look, in slideshow form,  at what the 2009 edition of the Insider's Guide to the Outer Banks called "a palm-tree lined playground" and a "wonderland."

I wish I had taken more photos, or actual video, but I was afraid of contracting tetanus or West Nile. Plus, there were some trailers scattered about the property which were undoubtedly filled with mutant carnies plotting to kidnap me. Safety first, right?