Visit the Historic Outer Banks, you’ll be glad you did

Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, this 130-mile curved strip of sand is a unique combination of magnificent beach and four centuries of history.

And while a burgeoning tourist trade has transplanted all the comforts of “coming home” to its sands, including luxury resorts, upscale restaurants and boutiques, and, yes, a mall, that sense of remoteness, of being somewhere where the wind and waves still have the last word, it lingers in the salty air.

The coastal towns stretch from Corolla and Duck in the north to Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head on Bodie Island. Local laws restrict building heights, with only a few of the largest motels reaching five stories. South of Nags Head is the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 70 miles of undeveloped mudflats and beaches.

Outdoor activities include swimming, biking, bird watching, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, hiking, and golf. Arts and crafts festivals and boat races take place on the Outer Banks throughout the summer. The first English settlement, called the “Cittie of Ralegh”, was established on Roanoke Island in 1587. The inhabitants of the first settlement disappeared, leaving little evidence of their existence. The story of the “Lost Colony” is told through exhibits and docu-dramas at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and the Roanoke Island Festival Park, both on Manteo Island.

The site of the Wright brothers’ first powered flight is in present-day Kill Devil Hills. Visitors can climb Big Kill Devil Hill and learn about the Wright brothers and their efforts to build the first airplane at the Wright Brothers National Monument.

The site of the first powered aircraft flight in 1903 features a replica of the aircraft and other exhibits, including a reconstruction of the Wrights’ camp. The Wright Memorial Shaft crowns Big Kill Devil Hill, a 90-foot dune of quicksand that has been stabilized with grass. The 60-foot pylon, constructed of gray granite from Mount Airy, North Carolina, honors the Wright brothers and marks the site of the hundreds of glider flights that preceded the first powered flight.

Jockey’s Ridge is home to the tallest sand dune on the East Coast. It is located at Milepost 12 on the US 158 bypass. Activities include hang gliding, hiking, playing in the sand, and enjoying the view from the ridge.

Located on the northern tip of Hatteras Island, the Pea Island Refuge stretches 12 miles from the Oregon Bight to Rodanthe.

Named for the wild pea vine that grows here in abundance, the refuge encompasses 6,000 acres of land and 25,700 acres of Pamlico Sound. More than 265 species of birds, including Canada and snow geese, tundra swans, herons, egrets, and more than 25 species of ducks, pass through during fall and spring migrations. The refuge has several platforms on the side of the road from where you can observe birds and other wild animals. There is a hiking trail and access to the beach.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
1401 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954

Open daily except Christmas from 9 am to 5 pm with extended hours during the summer Re-enactments, exhibits and live drama tell the story of the first English settlement attempt in America.

Elizabethan Gardens, created by the Garden Club of North Carolina as a memorial to early settlers and as an example of the gardens that graced the estates of wealthy patrons of the colony. The park is located on Route 64, three miles north of Manteo.

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island reopened in the spring of 2000 after a two-year expansion project.

At approximately 68,000 square feet, the aquarium is twice its previous size and features hundreds of animals found in North Carolina’s diverse aquatic environments.

The centerpiece of the expanded aquarium is the 285,000-gallon ocean tank, which houses the recreated skeletal remains of the USS Monitor wreck. Large sharks, schools of fish, and sea turtles combine to make this exhibit spectacular. The aquarium is situated on 14 acres of property overlooking Croatan Sound.

Outside there is a nature trail, a coastal boardwalk with viewing platforms and mounted telescopes, and a dig area where visitors can dig for fossilized shark teeth.

The aquarium is located on Airport Road, three miles north of Manteo, off US 64, adjacent to the Dare County Regional Airport.