Sunrise at Sandbridge

After the great day on Friday hiking in the Great Dismal Swamp, I drove over to Sandbridge Beach for the night.  Although this is politically part of Virginia Beach, it is about 12 miles away as the pelican flies but worlds away in real terms.  Here is a view north to the Virginia Beach high rise hotels, miles away from Sandbridge:

I enjoyed a night walk on the beach, marveling at the stars and how few I recognized.

In the morning, I arose about 6 and got a mug of tea going, which hit the spot.  Then it was time to see what the sunrise was going to be like, and I went on the beach.  A lot of times if I am on the beach at dawn, I am by myself, but on Saturday morning, there were already 4-5 other people on the beach with fancy looking cameras.  As a reward for getting up early, we all saw the birth of a new day marked by a spectacular sunrise.  You weren't there, so I'm sharing some photos.  After a half hour on the beach, I drove to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge for some morning hiking in the cold air.  More about that tomorrow...