North Carolina’s Outer Banks are a unique part of the long chain of barrier islands stretching from Virginia to the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico. Over many long years, giant sand dunes have built up with constant wind pressures changing the landscape on a daily basis. Now with the area’s modern roads, bridges and ferry boats, visitors today could never imagine what the islands were like in the early days, but the history of the Outer Banks goes back to the first days when our country was new. Early American settlers, pirates, the first powered flight and the first wireless telegraph are just a few of the many stories of the Outer Banks – a land steeped in tradition and history.

History of the first Englishmen settlers arriving in America began when Sir Walter Raleigh, along with John White and 116 colonists, landed on Hattorask (Hatteras) Island on June 22, 1587. They found the island low, unprotected, almost barren of trees — not suitable to establish a colony. They then sailed up the Pamlico Sound to Roanoke Island, an inland island protected by outer barrier islands to set up their new home. There were large oak forests and plenty of natural cover, fresh water ponds and tillable land, much different than that on Hatteras. It was also home for a friendly tribe of Croatan Indians.

John White sailed back to England for more supplies, telling those he left behind that he would be back within the year, but was delayed for almost three years due the war between England and Spain. When he returned, there was no trace of the Colony, except for two words carved in a tree, “CRO” and “CROATOAN.” He left without knowing what had happened to his friends and so began the story of The Lost Colony.

Some scholars think Indians killed the colonists, while others think the English settlers moved farther inland to better farm land. Others suggest that they may have died of starvation, but no one knows for certain. However, ongoing archaeological efforts reveal new clues with every research excavation. We may soon know what became of the colonists, but as of today, it remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in early American history.

Among the first visitors to the barrier islands that stretched from the Virginia Capes to Georgia during the period from 1500s to 1725 were pirates and former privateers who had been under the protection of the British Crown. The privateers decided that any ship with cargo was fair game, which included the British. It was easy to become a pirate as one Stede Bonnet, a wealthy landowner turned pirate, found out. Get a fast ship, a destitute crew that would do anything, and go “a-pirating.”

The ships going back to Europe were usually lightly armed, slow and laden with gold and silver–well worth the pirates’ efforts. Capturing a Spanish ship taking treasures from Central and South America back to Spain could make a crew rich for life. The route back to Spain passed close to the eastern coastline, and the small barrier islands offered great protection for pirate ships lying in wait for their next prize. The waters were too shallow for heavy draft vessels to navigate, and the pirates’ lighter ships, usually a sloop or cutter, were relatively safe from the heavy British Man-O-Wars. At one time there were more than two thousand pirate ships operating off the east coast. The use of smaller, faster boats with large crews made the slow galleons of the British and Spanish no match for the pirate ships.

The shallow bays were also handy for careening a ship because barnacles and sea worms would cover the hull below the water line in a short time. They would sail into the mud banks on a high tide, and as the tide fell, the ship would keel over. This exposed one side under the waterline, allowing the crew to scrape off the barnacles and pour tar and creosote on the exposed wood. It took several weeks to treat an entire ship.

The most famous of all pirates, Blackbeard, was a frequent visitor to the Outer Banks and considered the Devil by most seafaring men. He was a large man, very muscular, with long black hair and beard braided and tied with colorful bows. Just before he boarded a prize, he inserted slow burning matches in the bows giving off wisps of smoke. He dressed in black from his cocked hat to his tall leather boots and wore a pistol, dagger and heavy cutlass on his belt, with a bandolier holding six cocked pistols on his chest. He would appear on deck with a cutlass in one hand, a pistol in the other and smoke curling from under his hat and his dark eyes flashing.

Early history of the Outer Banks tells of the people that lived there, from explorers to the early pirates, many of which were drawn by the wreckage that littered the beaches and surrounding bays. They were hearty, self-sufficient, private and comfortable with the isolation on the islands. Living in the most dangerous part of the new world was very trying. With insufficient shelter from the raging storms and no fresh water except what they were able to catch in canvas catch basins and store in barrels, times were tough. Daily battles with the elements of heavy tides and surf and the threat of frequent storms kept the residents always just a step away from death.

The ocean area surrounding Cape Hatteras Point, known as the Diamond Shoals, were especially dangerous because of the warm Gulf Stream current from the south and cold Labrador Current from the north meeting here. This created shifting sandbars, frequent wind and rainstorms, high seas and dangerous currents that would drive an ill-informed sailing ship onto the shoals or carry an unwary fisherman out to sea. The loss of more than 5000 ships and an unknown number of human lives since record keeping began in 1526 earned this coastline the nickname the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Among the better known shipwrecks was the USS Monitor, a participant in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War. The Monitor sank on 31 December 31, 1862 off Cape Hatteras.

Low, sandy islands stretched for many miles along the Carolina coast, uninhabited except for scavengers, or salvagers, as some were known, drawn by the frequent shipwrecks on the treacherous shoals. The miles of beaches and tall dunes were littered with ship wreckage, boxes, crates and barrels of merchandise, rum, whisky, sugar, gold, silver, furniture and more. Occasionally, bodies of hapless sailors washed up on the beach. The salvagers or scavengers built small shacks mostly on the mainland side of the islands away from the heavy surf and tidal overwash. There were plenty of building supplies such as timbers, lumber, dunnage and sail canvas from the ship wreckage to protect them from the elements. What they couldn’t use, they traded to the mainlanders or passing ships that frequented the small ports. Soon small settlements appeared on the high ground as more people came to live on the islands, drawn by the lure of treasures on the beach, theirs for the taking.

Many stories of heroic actions by the villagers are told today about saving many men and women from shipwrecks, sometimes in storms and heavy surf. They were hardy people used to living in a lonely and desolate land, surviving by their wits and depending on one another, ready to help if needed. Staring death in the face became a daily thing. The Outer Banks was not a place for the weak or fainthearted.

Their diet was mostly fish, shellfish and water fowl, all plentiful in the surrounding bays and inlets. At first, cattle and pigs were scarce but soon small herds which included “banks” ponies could be spotted in the marshes around the islands. They supplemented their existence with salvage goods, which they took over to the mainland to barter for clothes, flour, oil and some meat products. They had no use for money, something almost unknown on the Outer Banks.

Because of the isolation, the workers lived with their families in nearby hamlets. It was a lonely life, often interrupted by Nor’Easters and hurricanes. Frequent over washes during extreme high tides destroyed many of the early homes and even carried some-with their residents inside–out to sea or into the bays, but the “Bankers,” as they came to be known, persevered. They just moved to higher ground and built again.

Small villages began to spring up all along the banks to support the various government activities such as building lighthouses, manning the life stations, weather stations and post offices. Other jobs followed, including running supply boats back and forth to the mainland, fishing, and building specially designed boats to take the heavy surf and offshore currents that would sink an ordinary boat. This was the beginning of the Hatteras design, now used by many large boat builders.

The maritime industry ship owners urged the government to do something to protect ships and sailors in the treacherous waters off of Hatteras Island. Congress approved a lighthouse on Cape Hatteras and lifesaving stations. Others would follow up and down the long chain of islands.

For the first time, many workers were needed for a major project when the first light house was built. Construction started in 1796 and was operational in 1802. It proved to be very ineffective because it was too low and the light was too weak. It was refitted with a better light and raised 60 feet in 1854.

As money became available, others followed for a total of five lighthouses as far north as Corolla. The government also established lifesaving stations up and down the islands, which provided work for many people and brought many of the family names that remain on the Island today.

Shortly after the Civil War, tourists from New York began to arrive to hunt duck and geese. This area is the winter grounds for Snow & Canadian geese, swans, ducks and many varieties of smaller water birds. To support this new industry, hotels, rooming houses and cafes were built, and locals worked as hunting guides and provided water transportation. Roads and bridges had to be built across the sand dunes and inlets separating the islands, thus providing year round employment for the Bankers.

At first tourism was just a trickle, but as the word spread about this wonderful place called the Outer Banks, of big fish that didn’t get away, of the miles and miles of long white beaches, millions of birds, large schools of dolphin, and a place unlike anywhere else on the east coast, tourists began to show up from the mainland, anxious to visit this utopia.

On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the first heavier-than-air powered flight from a small spot on the Outer Banks called Kill Devil Hill. Four flights followed, and the whole world now knew about a place called Kitty Hawk. Millions would travel to here in later years just to visit this spot.

At first, private ferries traveled between the islands, carrying passengers, mail and supplies from the mainland and picking up fresh fish, shellfish and other products to bring back to the mainland market. Eventually, with the dedication of the Wright Memorial, the small shallow inlets were filled in, bridges were built over the deeper ones and roads were built throughout the islands. It still required some effort to travel to Hatteras Island, and it was not until 1963 that a bridge was built across Oregon Inlet.

Now, the islands were accessible from one end to another: from the north by the new Bonner Bridge and from the south, scheduled ferries from the mainland transported cars and visitors to and from Hatteras where they could continue up the island chain.

Today, visitors to the Outer Banks enjoy things that were once considered impossible.

To visit the Outer Banks is a thrilling experience. One can live in luxury or camp out on miles of white sandy beaches. You can dine on hotdogs and hamburgers or the finest gourmet dinner and authentic local specialties. Take a charter boat out to the deep water fishing ground where an elusive 800-pound Marlin awaits your hook or search for buried treasure in the surf. Walk out on one of the many fishing piers that dot the coastline and watch for sea life or maybe wet a hook. Perhaps you would like to scuba dive around one of the thousands of wrecks that dot the ocean floor. Maybe a quiet day at the spa or a week in an oceanfront private luxury home is more your style.

If history is your thing, visit the various museums showing everything from old ships to recovered objects from the sea floor, local wildlife and more. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Museum, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, and the Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center are just a few of the interesting and highly educational museums located here on Hatteras Island.

Nothing is impossible on the Outer Banks. You’ll want to come back time after time, because one can never cover all there is to do in one visit.

Who knows, you might contribute to the history of the Banks.

Mother Vineyard in Roanoke Island is home to the oldest known grapevine in the United States. This 400-year-old scuppernong mother vine has a trunk two feet thick and once stretched one-half an acre. Sir Walter Raleigh found the vine here and sent back reports that the vines “covered every shrub and climbed the tops of high cedars.” That is a lot of grapevine! The scuppernong is a variety of the Muscadine grape and is the first grape actively cultivated in the United States. These sweet Muscadines are a bronze-green color and have very thick bitter outside hulls, while the inside is sweet and juicy. Scuppernong grapes are extraordinarily high in antioxidants and are great for cardiovascular health.

The mystery lies in who set these vines. The vines are set equal distances from each other, obviously planned and well taken care of since they were planted. Everyone agrees that these vines were set by advanced cultivators who even used scaffolds to hold the vines. But who were these advanced farmers? Algonquian Indians were native to this area and indeed grew tobacco and potatoes and were quite sophisticated in their farming methods. Colonists reported that the Indians made and enjoyed wine.

Interestingly enough, a female deckhand on the ferry says her grandmother claims to have traveled between Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island on a homemade bridge of grapevines. Now that would be a lot of grapevines and a tall tale, at that!

Today, the Muscadine grows wild in North Carolina backyards and hangs densely from the trees in our forests. The Mother Vine is on private property and is not easy to find. If you drive north from Manteo on 1-64, Mother Vineyard Road is about 3/4 of a mile past the city limits. Make a right on Mother Vineyard Road and very quickly you will come up on a sharp right turn where the sound is. A few hundred feet past that sharp turn on the left, you can see the 400 year old Mother Vineyard. As this is private property, be careful not to trespass by keeping on the road.

For more information on The Mother Vineyard Mystery, visit the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.

Eating Scuppernongs
Scuppernongs have thick skins and seeds. To eat a scuppernong, first, hold the grape stem side up and squeeze the grape. The juicy inside will squirt into your mouth. Be careful to spit out the seeds, and don’t chew the skin as it is bitter.

Storing Your Scuppernongs
Keep the grapes in a covered shallow container in the refrigerator for best results. Wash them just before use. The Scuppernongs should keep for a week if they are healthy when gathered.

Nutritional Information
Scuppernongs are high in Vitamin C and contain potassium, Vitamin B, and trace minerals. They are naturally low in sodium and free of fat and cholesterol. When measuring, 2 cups of scuppernongs equals 3/4 pound.

Scuppernong Recipes

Scuppernong Juice
Crush thoroughly 3 pounds (about 9 cups or 4 pints) fully ripe scuppernongs.
Add 1 cups water. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Strain through jelly bag or cheese cloth.
Refrigerate and serve, or use in recipes that follow.
Scuppernong Jelly
Measure 7 cups sugar and set aside.
Put 4 cups scuppernong juice and 2 tsp. lemon juice in large saucepan.
Mix in 1 box Sure-Jell. Bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Add sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Skim off foam with metal spoon.
Pour at once into prepared jars.
Yield: 8 half pints.

Wine Jelly
3 cups sugar
2 cups dry red North Carolina wine
1 (3-ounce) package liquid pectin
Combine sugar and wine in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
Cook over medium heat; stir until sugar dissolves (do not boil).
Remove from heat, stir in pectin.
Skim off foam with metal spoon.
Quickly pour hot jelly into sterilized jars, cover and process.
Yield: 4 half pints.

Scuppernong Grape Butter
5 pounds scuppernong grapes
5 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground mace
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Wash grapes; drain and remove stems. Plunge grapes into rapidly boiling water to cover; boil 2 minutes. Drain well.
Slip off grape skins and grind or chop skins finely, reserving pulp; set aside.
Place pulp in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until seeds begin to separate from pulp. Press pulp through a sieve to remove seeds; discard seeds.
Return pulp to saucepan; add reserved skins and remaining ingredients.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Quickly ladle butter into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands tight. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes.
Yield: 8 half pints.

Scuppernong Grape Ice
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh scuppernong grape juice or sparkling scuppernong grape juice

Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Boil 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, stirring well. Cool.
Pour juice mixture into a flat tray or pan.
Freeze until mixture reaches consistency of a sherbet, stirring occasionally during freezing.
Scoop into sherbet dishes, and serve.
Yield: about 1 quart.

Scuppernong Ice Cream
3 cups sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 quart light cream
2 cups chilled scuppernong juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
Combine sugar, whipping cream and light cream in a large mixing bowl, beat on medium speed of electric mixer 1 minute or until sugar dissolves.
Add juices and beat well.
Pour mixture into 1-gallon size freezer can.
Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Grape Hull Pie
5 cups Muscadine grapes, rinsed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tbs. grated orange rind
pastry for 2-crust pie
2 tbs. margarine

Separate pulp from skins. Set skins aside.
Boil pulp until seeds loosen, then press through a sieve to separate pulp from seeds.
Cook pulp with skins until tender.
Add sugar, flour, lemon juice, and orange rind. Mix well.
Put in pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate. Top with margarine.
Add top pastry. Seal edges and slit top.
Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes.

Muscadine Dump Cake
1 cup prepared grapes
1/2 stick butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar

To prepare grapes, remove pulp; cook pulp until seeds loosen, then press through sieve to remove seeds.
Add pulp to skins and cook until tender. Add sugar to taste, some grated lemon peel and a sprinkle of apple pie spice.
Melt butter in glass pie plate. Mix flour, sugar and milk in another bowl. Pour flour mixture over butter. Carefully pour prepared grapes over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not open oven until baking time is up. Cake should be brown on top.
Yield: 8 servings.

Grape Juice Sherbet Floats
1 quart pineapple or lime sherbet
2 cups fresh strawberries or seasonal fruit
Fresh or sparkling scuppernong grape juice

Spoon sherbet equally into 4 stemmed glasses.
Top each with 1/2 cup sliced fruit.
Just before serving, pour several tablespoons grape juice over the top.
Yield: 4 servings.

Mulled Muscadine Cider
1 Quart Muscadine grape juice
Dash of ground allspice
2 (4-inch) sticks cinnamon
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
Serve warm.
Yield: 8 half-cup servings.

Cheddar, Crab & Wine Fondue
6 oz. crabmeat, fresh, frozen or canned
20 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbs. flour, all purpose
3/4 cup Scuppernong, Riesling, or other sweet white wine
1/8 tsp. caraway seeds

Drain crabmeat well and flake.
Toss together cheese and flour.
In a saucepan, heat wine until bubbles rise.
Over low heat, add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until cheese is melted.
Add caraway seeds and crabmeat. Transfer to a fondue pot.
Serve with French bread cubes or vegetables for dipping.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups.

Sweet & Sour Glaze
2 cups Muscadine jelly
2 tbs. prepared mustard
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to desired consistency.
Use as a glaze to baste ham, chicken, fish or vegetables, or serve as a sauce.

Recipes courtesy of North Carolina Grape Council & NCDA&CS

Correctly pronounced ‘cor-Aah-lah’, this is the northernmost town on the Outer Banks. With beautiful beaches and upscale atmosphere, Corolla has a unique taste and flair for the contemporary. Twenty years ago there were only a few homes where luxurious communities exist today.

This area has a long, rich history and, amazingly enough, is older than the state of North Carolina. This means the land was once inhabited by Native Americans hands. Not surprisingly, the word Currituck is translated from Algonquian Indian ‘The Land of the Wild Goose.’

In 1873 when Corolla was better known as Jones Hill, construction began on Currituck Beach Lighthouse. This lighthouse was made of red bricks and was completed on December 1, 1874. It is the only lighthouse in North Carolina still housed in its original structure.

That same year, the Jones Hill Life Saving Station was established. This was one of seven original life-saving stations on the Outer Banks. These later became a part of the U.S. Coast Guard. This was a hard rugged life handed down from father to son. A third generation grandson who, like his father and grandfather before him, worked in the life saving stations still works for the government but in a wholly different capacity. He is 79 years young, and if you are fortunate enough to stop in at the Outer Banks Visitor Center and see him, he will tell you wonderful tales of growing up in the Outer Banks. He is very much the southern gentleman with gracious manners, but he is shy, therefore if you are so inclined to seek him out to ask for yourself about the history of this beautiful area, attire yourself with a listening ear and humble attitude.

One of the most spectacular landmarks on the Currituck Outer Banks is what was originally known as Corolla Island. Finished in 1925, and better known now as the Whalehead Club, this magnificent estate was built by Edward and Marie-Louise Knight, who used it as their winter residence until 1934. This massive home stood isolated for years before the area was more widely developed. The estate provided a source of work for local folks by hiring people to take care of the grounds and home as well as to serve as hunting guides for guests of the owners.

Today you can come and visit the Whalehead Club and Currituck Heritage Park. The 21,000 sq. ft. private residence, footbridge and boathouse are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is open from sunrise to dusk and the Whalehead Club has tours daily from Easter to Thanksgiving on the half hour beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. There are specialty tours available by reservation. For more information you can visit their website or call 252-453-9040.

The wild horses of Corolla are not a myth but can be seen in person if you have a four wheel drive vehicle and some patience. These horses descended from Spanish Mustangs which roamed the Outer Banks for over four hundred years. Originally, the horses played on the shores with the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s. Today these horses are protected by the government. You can read more about the horses here.

Duck is located on the north end of the Outer Banks. It was so named because of the abundance of waterfowl in the area. Duck sits on the migratory path for wild ducks and other waterfowl, and many hunt clubs sprang up in the 19th century to take advantage of the large waterfowl population.

As with any over hunted game, the birds eventually became scarce and wildlife protection laws were passed to protect the birds in the area. The variety of waterfowl attract visitors to the protected lands where they abound in peace.

Quaint is an apt description of this lovely town today. Recently passing from village to an official municipality, Duck has fine dining and shopping. Water sports and quiet beaches draw tourists to this small-town atmosphere. Limited commercial development has allowed Duck to remain one of the most popular places to visit in the Outer Banks.

Southern Shores is a private community town with no large commercial district. The town was incorporated in 1979 and is about four square miles in size. There is no public beach access, and, as such, Southern Shores continues to remain very private and residential. The town itself does not own any private lands. All of the land not owned by private individuals is owned by two civic associations and used for recreation and green areas.

For the visiting tourist, Southern Shores has a network of biking, jogging and walking paths. There is also a private country club where the public can play golf. In a town where council meets to discuss whether or not to allow paintball, you should be able to find a quiet peaceful daytrip.

Kitty Hawk is historically well known as being the location of the first successfully flown, powered aircraft which was manned by Orville and Wilbur Wright. However, this information is incorrect! According to the staff at the Wright Brothers Memorial, the flight took place in nearby Kill Devil Hills. After the successful flight, the Wright brothers walked to the telegraph office to let their father know of the successful flight, and the telegraph office was located in Kitty Hawk.

Kitty Hawk is special in its own wright. Located in the northern Outer Banks, the beaches here are among the widest of the Outer Banks. The town has several municipal parks and miles of multi-use paths for walking biking as well as public beach access.

The origin of the name Kitty Hawk is still a matter of local debate. Most people agree that it is a Native American name for this area. The word originally appeared on English settlers’ maps as “Chickehawk” or “Chickahawk” in the early 1700s. By the late 1700s, local residents spelled the name as we do today, with old land deeds referring to settlements as “Kittyhuk,” “Kittyhark,” KittyHawk,” and “Kitty Hawk.”

Offering a relaxing atmosphere, the Town of Kitty Hawk is a thriving village generations old as well as a newer beach community of residential cottages. Kitty Hawk Woods is a maritime forest and a perfect place for a day trip with a wide variety of plant and animal life. Kitty Hawk Woods is 1877.2 acres of maritime deciduous swamp, marsh and forest. The town of Kitty Hawk owns 461.6 acres.

Storms washed across the Currituck banks creating several inlets. This allowed the salty ocean water and the fresh water of the sound to exchange water during tides. When the last of these inlets closed in 1928, the salinity in Currituck Sound became fresh brackish water. These estuaries are now primary nursery areas for fish. A quarter of a mile from the ocean is the eastern edge of the forest. Parallel to the coast is a dune system that protects the area from wind shear and salt spray. The forest itself is located on a series of low ridges and valleys of moist land.

A great variety of wildlife is found in this maritime forest. Where the land is of higher elevation you can find fox, raccoon and deer. The soft, wet marsh areas house river otter, nutria, muskrat, and many reptiles and amphibians. The woods are home to woodpeckers, warblers, wrens, hawks and other songbirds. Wood ducks inhabit the deeper swales, and geese, egrets, herons, swans, ducks and rails may be found in the marsh. Among the rare plants found on this coastal reserve are wooly beach heather and southern twayblade. The hop hornbeam, rare on the Outer Banks, is only found in Kitty Hawk and Nags Head Woods.

Located in the central Outer Banks, Kill Devil Hills is the largest municipality in Dare County. The oldest township in the Outer Banks, Kill Devil Hills should not be confused with Kill Devil Hill, where the Wright Brothers made the first successful flight in a powered machine. The Wright Brothers Memorial Monument stands sixty feet high on the ninety foot high Kill Devil Hill.

When you come for a day trip, be sure to visit the museum exhibits and take a ranger-conducted tour of the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Museum. You may also want to check with Kitty Hawk Kites and see when they are holding lessons or competitions.

This area is typified by a string of sand mountains, some over one hundred feet high. Where the name Kill Devil Hills comes from is the stuff of local legends. A short sweet account says that the town was simply named for Kill Devil Hill where the Wright Brothers made their famous flight. One interesting story goes that it was named after a popular brand of rum called Kill Devil Rum. Another tells that the many shipwrecks in the area caught ships coming back from the tropics full of rum (enough to kill the devil!) which washed up on the shores after the shipwreck for locals to enjoy. Even more bizarre is the tale that a man tried to extort money from the devil, trapping him in one of the large sand hills. A more formal explanation is the fact that this area is home to a species of bird named Killdeer by the early natives. This name was adopted and later Hills added to the term to indicate the large sand dunes of the area. Whatever the origin of the name, Kill Devil Hills is a uniquely beautiful sight to behold.

Ask any fisherman with a four-wheel drive and fishing rods on front driving toward the Outer Banks on a Friday evening where they’re headed and they’ll likely say “We’re going to Nags Head.” Nags Head is located south of Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hill with a long stretch of beautiful beach on one side and the tranquil waters of Albemarle Sound across from Roanoke Island on the other side.

With nothing but the surf and sounds of seabirds breaking the silence, the first thing you see are the majestic dunes that seem to reach into the sky. If you plan on visiting the Outer Banks, make Nags Head your fishing headquarters for the best surf fishing and camping in the world.

According to the season, Blues, Striped Bass, Black Bass, Red Drum, Sheepshead around the wrecks, Spanish Mackerel and of course Flounder are just a few of the fish that can be caught just offshore. You don’t need a boat, just plenty of patience. Of course, with the prevailing winds coming off the dunes from the ocean, bring your sailboards and kites.

The smell of fresh fish frying as the sun starts to set over the sound makes that trip to the Outer Banks worthwhile. The kids will love catching the tasty Carolina Blue Crab with string and fish heads or just wetting a hook. In the fall, millions of the tasty little fish called spots swing along the surf and into the shallow bays, easily caught in gill nets.

There are two shows daily along the Outer Banks that are free with an occasional extra one thrown in. The first begins at the first peek of dawn, long before the sun starts to rise over the ocean. It’s never the same as the giant cumulus clouds that have formed offshore overnight create huge mountains in the sky. As the sun attempts to break through, shapes are constantly changing with thousands of hues and shades in all the colors of a rainbow. Then eat your dinner early because you don’t want to miss the next show that occurs on the sound side in the late afternoon and evening. The gorgeous sunset over Pamlico Sound is breathtaking. As the sun sinks out of sight in the west, wave goodbye and thank “Ol Sol” for a perfect day. Then get ready for the finale, which occurs late at night. The night sky begins to light up far out to sea, with constant sharp lightning flashes outlining the huge billowing clouds against the dark grey blue outline of ocean waves.

Nags Head has many attractions for those who aren’t as interested in fishing. At the Bodie Lighthouse visit the keepers duplex, the museum and lighthouse exhibits and bookshop and watch the wide band of light at night as it sweeps out over the ocean. Jockey Ridge State Park has the tallest dunes on the East Coast, towering well over 100 feet high. If you are into climbing dunes, take plenty of food and water which you can enjoy in their picnic spots, but it’s a long way to the top. It’s a short ride over to Manteo and the Lost Colony Summer Pageant.

From the pages of early American history books, we learn about Virginia Dare, Sir Walter Raleigh, and pirates like Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan, the Spanish Main, Blackbeard and Bonnet. As children, we played pirates, and everyone wanted to be Blackbeard. We performed the stories of the first colony in skits as 1st graders.

It’s just a part of our culture and in keeping with our past, we put on pageants and festivals to commemorate our early history, usually held during a certain time of year. However, there are places where our history is relived on a daily basis for all to see. Roanoke Island is all about our first colony that disappeared for reasons unknown.

We do know that the first English child in America was born here on Roanoke Island, and the first freedoms, unknown in England, were established here. There is an ongoing open air theater performance known far and wide as The Lost Colony that is presented every night during the summer months on Roanoke Island–the longest-running symphonic drama in the country. It’s music and dance as well as excellent acting that depicts our early ancestors’ trials, tribulations, successes and failures and gives us a peek into what these colonists went through. They came to America with dreams and were willing to put their life on the line for principles, freedom and a new way of life. Life was not good as they faced many hardships, hostile natives, possible starvation and the first winter without too much of anything, but they had dreams.

Today, the citizens of Manteo and Roanoke Island continue that dream, recreating the past for all to see. They have refused to create a commercial environment and instead have maintained the steadfast desire to preserve history as it was 400 years ago. Here you can enjoy the early American small town flavor, beautiful homes, gardens and shops.

You can also visit the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island and its interactive exhibits to explore the waters of the Outer Banks. See the largest collection of sharks in the state, visit the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center and experience, or dig in the fossil pit. There’s something for the whole family here.

The Tri-Village area is the northernmost settlement of Hatteras Island, and Rodanthe is the northernmost of the three villages. This area offers vacationers the opportunity to relax and take in the surrounding natural beauty of indigenous wildlife, spacious beaches and rolling dunes.

If you’re looking for something a little more exciting, Rodanthe can accommodate you as well. You can take lessons and rent most kinds of water sport equipment at REAL Kiteboarding or Ocean Atlantic Rentals.

If you’re a history buff, you’ll want to visit the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station which has been refurbished as a museum and performs life saving re-enactments each week. Just to the north is the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge — a bird watcher’s paradise!

If you haven’t stayed in this area before, try it and we promise you’ll like it… especially with the many beautiful, brand new cottages offered for rent by Outer Beaches Realty. Guests vacationing in cottages in Rodanthe, Waves or Salvo will check in at our office in Waves on the east side of Highway 12 at the entrance to the St. Waves subdivision.

Waves is a third of what looks like one big town but is actually one of three individual villages. On one side of the town of Waves is the beautiful crystal blue ocean and on the other side are the waters of the Sound. From the blue waters of the Sound to the North Carolina mainland is about fifty miles. Interestingly enough when you stay in this area, whether on the Sound side or Ocean side of the village; you appear to be surrounded by ocean waters. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Years ago, people began building in Waves and then as more people came to build, they stretched out in both directions in to Rodanthe to the north and Salvo to the south, but could go no farther on either side because federal property began. The beaches here are public and belong to the National Park Service. What was once a tiny little building where people gathered, the local Post Office now provides service to all three of these towns, but is still located in Waves.

During the tourist season this sleepy town wakes up with Waterfall Park, campgrounds and great restaurants. If you are up for some adventure, Waves provides the perfect conditions for summer kiteboarding. As before mentioned with the Sound side being much calmer than the ocean and the off-shore winds blowing across the sound in the summer it is the perfect place to spend an afternoon kiteboarding on the sound. Featuring a popular public windsurfing launch area, Waves is home to Real Kiteboarding, where they provide everything you would need for your kiteboarding adventure even featuring a Lesson Center for those who want to learn kiteboarding skills.

No matter what your favorite beach pastime, Waves is an area where you can find a stretch of beach all to yourself even in the peak tourist season. Come relax and enjoy your vacation rental in Waves.

If you are looking to slow down and relax, Salvo is a good place to begin. The southernmost of three distinct villages in northern Hatteras Island, Salvo is a peaceful vacation spot with wide sandy beaches, sparkling blue ocean on one side and the quieter sound waters on the other. Some say that even locals have a difficult time deciding where Waves ends and Salvo begins.

Once known as Clarksville, Salvo was given its own post office and name in 1901. This structure still stands and you can see it as you leave Salvo on NC Highway 12. This tiny white building with red and blue trim is on the soundside of the road. Today, the local post office is located in Waves, but this tiny building sits as a reminder of a more remote time in Salvo’s history.

This Tri-Village area offers vacationers plenty of opportunity to relax, or bring along your four-wheel drive and have a ball. Salvo has a great beach access for your vehicle and a kiteboarding launch area. Here you can find picnic tables with grills on the soundside day use area provided by the National Park Service. A little south of Salvo is about ten miles of untouched National Park land. Here you can ride down untouched beach and pick out your own spot for fishing or pulling out the cooler and beach blanket.

If you haven’t stayed in this area before, try it! You’ll like it, especially with the many beautiful, brand new cottages offered by Outer Beaches Realty.

Avon is Hatteras Island’s central village, located 30 miles south of Oregon Inlet and about 20 miles north of Hatteras Inlet. The Island’s only major supermarket brings most vacationers here at one time or another. Avon is also the home office of Outer Beaches Realty where you’ll find our outdoor swimming pool, available exclusively to our guests.

Avon was once known as Kinnakeet, and people from this area still refer to themselves as Kinnakeeters. The name Kinnekeet was changed to Avon by the US Postal Service. In early days most people lived on the west side of the Island on the sound side, presumably to be more protected from the offshore winds during storms. This area was completely flat, sandy white beaches and you could see from ocean to sound in a glance. The dunes you currently see here are not given to Avon by nature but rather were built to protect the exposed land from winds and storm wash. People who grew up in this area remember the tides washing through Avon several times a year. People would build their houses up off of the ground using pilings or even cut holes in the floors for drainage.

Kinnekeeters were by trade skilled fishermen and shipbuilders. Avon was a maritime forest, so there were great quantities of oak and cedar easily available. The area was known for producing schooners made from these forests. The trees were cut down for shipbuilding, and as with any natural resource not properly cared for, it disappeared, stripping the Island of trees.

Avon is world renowned as a premier destination for windsurfing and kiteboarding. As these sports have grown, local shops offering lessons and rental equipment flourished. Two minutes south of Avon is a very narrow part of the Island where the ocean and sound are very close together. In the 1500s this was a natural inlet, but with shifting sands the shallow inlet disappeared. Still, villagers noted the Island’s narrowness here and realized opening this inlet would save boats hours from having to go to the bigger inlets at the north and south ends of the Island, so they began hauling ships over this narrow strip of land where it became known as “haulover.”

In the last twenty five years or so with the popularity of windsurfing, Avon has exploded with people coming here from all over to enjoy some of the best windsurfing in the states. So many Canadians come to this spot that it has become known as Canadian Hole rather than Haulover. Bring your boards or just come to watch the thrill and beauty of hundreds of wind enthusiasts launching themselves from sea to sky. Regardless of whether you surf or not, the sight of the many brightly colored sails and kites out on the sound is a delight.

The beaches of Avon are perhaps the most scenic on Hatteras Island. Most oceanfront cottages border the dunes, providing beach views and short walks to the surf. Bring your bikes or rent them from Island Cycles. You can bike the entire village along Highway 12 in just a few minutes.  Come be our guest at Outer Beaches Realty and let us help make your vacation a truly relaxing, beautiful memory.

Buxton is the highest point on Hatteras Island and is home to the tallest lighthouse in the nation, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse was recently moved inland a small distance due to threatening erosion. Here you can find a small museum and visitor center where you can learn more about the lighthouse and see it up close. A surfing championship is held each year near the lighthouse.

Known many years ago as The Cape, Buxton got its present name through the US Postal Service in honor of Ralph P. Buxton, a judge.

Buxton has several unique claims to fame. Among these, it houses the largest maritime forest on the North Carolina coast and is home to the origination of the world’s first wireless message transmission. Reginald Fessenden sent this message in 1902 from Buxton to Roanoke Island.

Located on the widest part of Hatteras Island, Buxton lays claim to a densely maritime forest known as Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve. Three miles wide and fifty feet high, this is the largest area of maritime forest still standing on the Carolina coast. The dunes are covered with pine and live oak scattered with maritime swamp forest and unique marsh wetlands.

On the ocean side of the forest are shrub thickets with live oak and cedar, and as you go inland the vegetation changes to a maritime evergreen forest. Between the two are shallow areas with freshwater marshes called sedges. Growing here are cattails, wild rice, sawgrass and spike rushes. Plants which can tolerate the waterlogged marshes like royal fern, cinnamon fern, lizard’s tail and water dock also abound. Further from the salt water of the ocean grow sea ox-eye and salt meadow cordgrass. Serving as a home for over three hundred and sixty migratory birds in the fall, Buxton Woods lays claim to bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Box turtles, green anoles, and southern dusky salamanders live in this habitat. Two species of rare butterflies, the northern Hairstreeak and giant Swallowtail as well as the Messalina Underwind moth are also found in the area. See this area for yourself and take the Buxton Woods nature trail. Beginning at Cape Point Campground, this walk leads through maritime forest, across dunes, and into freshwater marshes for almost a mile.

The Village of Frisco lies between Buxton and Hatteras and remains a small and quaint seaside community. This village used to be called Trent until 1898 when the US Postal Service renamed it.

Frisco is home to heavily wooded areas on the sound side which were once the home of the Croatan Indians. The Frisco Native American Museum and History Center is filled with their stories and was created to preserve Native American artifacts, art, and culture. Galleries filled with native art wind through the facility and include information on Native Americans across the United States as well as artifacts from the first inhabitants of Hatteras Island.

The Lost Colonists were on good terms with these Indians, and some say that the colonists followed the Indians here to their village of Croatan here at what is now Frisco. Local finds include a dug-out canoe discovered on museum property as well as items recovered from the site of East Carolina University’s archaeological dig at Buxton Village.

Today, this beautiful beach village is visited by tourists during the summer season. The popular Brigand’s Bay subdivision is located in Frisco to the delight of kiteboarders and windsurfers, sound fishermen, kayakers and sailors. Playtime also includes fun at the wooded miniature golf course! The Billy Mitchell Airfield is located off Highway 12 just west of Frisco.

Outer Beaches Realty encourages you to explore the North Carolina Outer Banks by relaxing and enjoying your Hatteras Island vacation here in the quiet village of Frisco.

At the southern end of Hatteras Island lies the village of Hatteras. Well known for the best fishing on the east coast, Hatteras Village houses numerous charter boats which offer abundant sport fishing in the sound or blue water of the Gulf Stream.

Stop by the marinas late in the afternoon to see the day’s catch displayed along the docks, which include dolphin, wahoo, tuna and king mackerel. Billfish such as blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish are normally tagged and released. You can see the fishing fleet unload their fresh catch at the end of the day. Many restaurants take advantage of this fresh bounty, and you can enjoy it prepared for you nightly.

At the southern tip of Hatteras is the Hatteras / Ocracoke Ferry which offers an hour-long ferry ride to Ocracoke Island that runs for free year-round.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located near the ferry terminal. The design of the museum is unique with an entrance reminiscent of the timbers of the many shipwrecks that once were so common along the treacherous Hatteras coast.

A short ferry ride away from Hatteras Island lies the quaint island of Ocracoke. Many of our guests arrive to Cape Hatteras via Ocracoke. With sugary white sands and pristine waters, this naturally gorgeous beach was Blackbeard’s favorite.

The first residents here were Native American of the Wocon tribe. In the 1700s, this 16-mile long island was used to raise cattle and sheep. Pirates are a colorful part of this island’s history. It is recorded that Blackbeard lost his life here during a fierce naval battle in 1718. William Howard purchased Ocracoke in 1759 and made his home on the island. Interestingly enough, a man of the same name served as quartermaster to Blackbeard. Many of his descendants live in Ocracoke today.

More than 500 ships have foundered off of the coast here around the treacherous Diamond Shoals. When the bits of broken ship washed up on shore, residents salvaged the wood to build with, and today you can find homes in the historic district built with lumber from shipwrecks.

The Ocracoke Lighthouse beacon is the oldest in North Carolina and one of the oldest beacons still active in the nation. With the distinction of being the shortest lighthouse in the state, this fog slicing beam can be seen up to 14 miles out to sea.

The seaside village of Ocracoke is situated around a beautiful harbor called Silver Lake. During the peak summer months, an increasing number of tourists come to enjoy the pristine beaches and fish in the abundant waters. Sailing and kayaking are also very popular pastimes. The wildlife is plentiful, and you can see turtles, dolphins and many different species of birds. Not to miss while visiting Ocracoke are the famous wild ponies thought to be descendants of horses from vessels shipwrecked on the shoals. Once left to roam on their own, they are now cared for by the National Park Service where you can view them on the east end of the island.

The laid back lifestyle here along with the many unique sights to see draw many to visit this picturesque island. Plan to make a daytrip to Ocracoke during your stay with us at Outer Beaches Realty.