Take time to drive north to Corolla to see the Heritage Park, where the visitor can access three attractions: the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Whalehead Club, and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. We were most attracted by the Whalehead Club, a 21,000-square-foot mansion…Read More

Take time to drive north to Corolla to see the Heritage Park, where the visitor can access three attractions: the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Whalehead Club, and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. We were most attracted by the Whalehead Club, a 21,000-square-foot mansion that once had an estate of 2,000 acres.

Begun in 1922, the mansion was built for Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Knight as a summer home from which they could indulge their love of duck hunting. (Ducks from Currituck Sound’s marshes were once considered a delicacy and were shipped to the cities of the north by the barrel.) Knight was the son of Edward Collings Knight Sr., who had made a fortune in sugar refining and railroads. He married Marie-Louise LaBel Bonet in 1922, 12 years after the death of his first wife.

The house features many arts and crafts, as well as Art Nouveau features, and architecturally, it’s influenced by many styles, primarily the tastes of the Knights. Mrs. Knight was originally from Quebec, and the house is somewhat reminiscent of a Quebec farm house...a giant Quebec farmhouse. The light fixtures are Tiffany and the walls are corduroy or matchstick design. Your tour, by audio guide, will take you through the basement and the first and second floors of a sparsely furnished dwelling beginning in the foyer and the dining room and then up the stairs.

On the second floor, there are a number of ensuite bedrooms for the Knights and their guests, most of whom would have stayed for some time, as the house would have been difficult to reach...there was no real road into Corolla until 1984. The third floor, which housed the servants, can be seen by reserving a place on the "Behind the Scenes" tour. Returning to the ground floor, the rest of the principle rooms are available for viewing. Below, in the basement, are exhibits on the construction and the history of the house and its owners.

When the Knights died, within weeks of each other in 1936, the house went to their granddaughters, who dismissed it as "a shack" and put it up for sale. Eventually (1940), a house that had cost $385,000 to build (over $4,000,000 today), was picked up by Ray Adams for $25,000. He had planned a development around the house which never materialized. After his death, the house fell into serious disrepair and was finally purchased by the county in 1992. Since then, millions of dollars have been poured into it; the visitor will find both an interesting home and an even more interesting story. (Admission 2006: $7)

Overlooking the Whalehead Club is the Currituck Lighthouse. Built in 1873 with a million bricks shipped from Baltimore (It was during the Reconstruction after the Civil War) and ironwork from Philadelphia, it stands 158 feet tall. For $6 (2006), it is possible to ascend the 214 steps to the top, from which you can appreciate the narrow width of the Banks sandwiched between the Atlantic and Currituck Sound.

The third attraction is The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education(free admission). Inside there is an aquarium along with exhibits, artifacts, and displays related to the natural history of the area. Perhaps the center’s greatest attraction for visitors to the area is the number of educational programs that it offers. Many of them are just an hour long (or less) and cover topics as diverse as a "maritime forest walk" or "storm studies." Others take more time: decoy carving or kayaking, for example. The center’s programs are offered by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. See wildlife.

No trip to the Outer Banks would be complete without a visit to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Driving south from the Roanoke turn-off, it is 60 miles to Hatteras through a barren strip of dunes, sea grasses, stunted pines, and scrub. Before traversing the…Read More

No trip to the Outer Banks would be complete without a visit to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Driving south from the Roanoke turn-off, it is 60 miles to Hatteras through a barren strip of dunes, sea grasses, stunted pines, and scrub.

Before traversing the bridge over the Oregon Inlet, a road turns right to the Bodie Island Lighthouse. The light house, with its unique horizontal stripes in black and white, is 156 feet tall, was completed in 1872, a twin to the Currituck Lighthouse, built on the same architectural plans with bricks from the same Baltimore brickyard. Next to it is the original lighthouse keeper’s house which now contains displays on lighthouses and a gift shop. Unlike Currituck, the Bodie Island Lighthouse is not accessible to the public as the interior ironwork has become too fragile to handle great numbers of people.

On the other side of the Oregon Inlet is the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. On one side of the road are accessible, pristine Atlantic beaches, while on the other, there is an interpretive center and a nature trail that leads out into a wetland. The trail is a pleasant walk, but if you really want to be an observer, you should bring binoculars or a telescope. Confused by the different wildfowl? The gift shop in the interpretive center has a fine selection of books for birders.

The drive south continues… barrens punctuated by the occasional beach community: Rodanthe, Waves, and Avon. There are a few beach accesses along the way, but very few. Finally, at Buxton, there is the turnoff for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, North America’s tallest, at 208 feet. Admission for the lighthouse climb is $6 (2006) and children must be at least 42" tall to do it. Near the foot of the lighthouse there is a pleasant visitor center and gift shop. Many visitors to the light will recall that it was once moved from its original location on the beach… it must have been a massive engineering feat.

Continuing south toward the community of Hatteras, the visitor passes through Frisco, the site of the Native American Museum and Natural History Center. From Hatteras, it’s possible to take the free 40 minute ferry trip to Okracoke (no reservations). Bypassing the ferry terminal will take you to beautiful Hatteras Beach. Across from the beach, there is the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. Open for three years, it is a work-in-progress; work progresses when the money is available. The main exhibition hall is still in the construction phase; nevertheless, it’s enjoyable. There are exhibits of Billy Mitchell’s 1923 demonstration of air power against ships, the Civil War in the Outer Banks and the sinking of the German U-Boat U-85 off the Carolina coast. The exhibit includes the submarine’s recovered enigma machine. The museum has artifacts from the wreck of the USS Huron and so on; it is worth visiting now and will be even more so when it is complete.

The road to Hatteras is all 2 lane, but it is a reasonably fast trip and the scenery, the Outer Banks little affected by development, is quite remarkable.

This was a great dog-friendly location! We stayed pretty far north in the Outer Banks, in Corolla, and we travelled in the off season, so the beaches were pretty empty, and it wasn't so hot that our dogs couldn't enjoy the beach. First, the house…Read More

This was a great dog-friendly location! We stayed pretty far north in the Outer Banks, in Corolla, and we travelled in the off season, so the beaches were pretty empty, and it wasn't so hot that our dogs couldn't enjoy the beach.

First, the house we rented was perfect for us, which helps a lot. Not only did they allow pets, but there was even a bag of dog treats left by a previous guest! And, the deck of the house enabled us to open the sliding glass doors and be on the deck and let the dogs roam inside the house and onto the deck as we grilled, sat in the hot tub or just lounged and read a book.

The weather was warm, but not warm enough to swim, so we spent most of our days on the beach, usually with our dogs, reading, napping (both us and the dogs!), playing fetch, and taking nice long walks at the water's edge.

We'd head down to the beach at night with our dogs, armed with a flashlight, and let our dogs chase the ghost crabs in the surf. They loved it! This activity was actually recommended to us by the owner of a local pet store, called the Outer Barks. We all had a blast.

Some days we would just take a drive up or down the coast, and find a picnic spot, or do a little shopping, see the lighthouses or go out to lunch. Other days we spent the whole day at the beach, went home, had dinner, and just enjoyed the hot-tub and the house!

One splurge of this week was a trip to the Spa at Corolla for truly great massages! Highly recommended activity!

This was a truly relaxing vacations for all of us!

I woke up a quarter to seven - 45 minutes before the alarm was to go off. I am usually not a morning person, but whenever I stay near the ocean I just have to get up early and take a walk on the…Read More

I woke up a quarter to seven - 45 minutes before the alarm was to go off. I am usually not a morning person, but whenever I stay near the ocean I just have to get up early and take a walk on the beach . If you’re into photography you probably already know that the light at sunrise is just magical. See for yourself by clicking on the photos below!
And here is another good reason: walking on sand is great exercise and you get a foot massage at the same time!!! After a 45-minute walk I dragged my tar heels back upstairs to the room and woke up my (lazy?) husband.

We wanted to catch the ferry to Ocracoke at 8:30 am, so that we could have enough time to walk around the village and then get the other ferry at noon to Cedar Island (the mainland). Although the first ferry leaves every 30 minutes, everything had to be timed right (in my opinion anyway). The ride takes 40 minutes and has a capacity of 30 cars. It is not possible to make a reservation for this free ferry ride, so I figured that we should get there 10 minutes early to be guaranteed a space (you never know at rush-hour (!), or don’t they have that here?).

All this planning meant that I had to sacrifice my day-time visit of the famous lighthouse , which didn’t open until 10 am. We did stop there briefly though to take some touristy pictures (see below). I think I would have had a spectacular view of the island from the top of this 208 foot-high tower and I wish I could have climbed it, but maybe I would have been too tired anyway after all this beach walking! If you would like more information about the lighthouse, call 252-995-4474 .

So we made it on the 8:30 am ferry to Ocracoke Island in plenty of time. There was no problem in getting space this time of year (May 22) and I enjoyed my first American ferry ride parked right at the front of the ship between some local fishermen and the ORKIN man starting his workday with a pleasant ride in the sunshine and plenty of time to read the paper. Island life is just amazing!!!

We disembarked exactly 40 minutes after leaving Hatteras and were now on a 14-mile island with even more secluded beaches and another two-lane highway leading to the town of Ocracoke on the southern tip. We thought it would be best to head straight…Read More

We disembarked exactly 40 minutes after leaving Hatteras and were now on a 14-mile island with even more secluded beaches and another two-lane highway leading to the town of Ocracoke on the southern tip. We thought it would be best to head straight for the harbor (just stay on the road until it ends) to make reservations for the ferry to Cedar Island at noon. There were three departures before noon (9:30, 10:00 and 10:45), but we wanted to explore the town for a few hours. However, the noon-ferry was a must , because the next one did not leave until 3:00pm!!! To make reservations go to the white building with front porch and rocking chairs (after the toll booth on the right). There you can also find brochures and maps of the town, a bathroom , refreshments and a payphone (click on my Overview-page to see a photo of me on the front porch).

With reservation in hand we left the car in a large parking lot next to the Ferry Office and started our walking tour .

First we just went along the main road looking at anchored sailboats on the right and motels with ‘hammocked’ porches on the left. We also saw lots of bicycle rental stores and souvenir shops . Then we turned around and started to venture into the small unpaved streets looking at private homes and gardens to get a feel of what life is actually like on the island (don’t worry, you won’t get lost in this tiny town). We noticed a lot of "no trespassing" signs and thought that tourism must be quite an invasion on a town of 800 inhabitants.

We passed an old man painting a fence and while Jeff took pictures of ducks nearby I turned to the man to see if he wanted a chat . When he first looked at me I didn’t expect to get two words out of him. Either that or I wouldn’t understand a word he was saying. He was just what I imagined a typical ‘Ococker’ to look like (hairy face and missing teeth). I had read about the strange dialect (‘brogue’) that the natives speak and was very curious about it. And besides I had a million questions about life on the island, so I dared to start with a "good morning, nice day today". From that moment on the man started to talk, and talk, and talk as if he had been waiting for years to speak with another human being (lucky me!!). We talked about Florida, Germany, hurricanes, his family, fig trees in his garden and fig pies that his wife bakes, about tourists and how crowded it gets in the summer... It was a great conversation and if I hadn’t had a ferry to catch I would probably still be standing there chatting.

We walked past the British Cemetery (I thought my British husband would like to see that). Next to it was another small cemetery where we spent a few minutes reading the names and dates on the tombstones. You can learn a lot about a town from its cemetery! It seems that if you are a native in this town your name will either be Howard , Wahab or possibly O’Neal .

It was getting close to 11:30 am and we found our way back to the parking lot. We had to be at the ferry half an hour before departure and we didn’t dare to be late! Having paid our $10 fare (per vehicle) at the tollbooth after showing our reservation, we were at the end of our Outer Banks adventure. The ferry departed at noon, right on time, and I wondered if I would ever be back to visit my new buddy on Howard Street...maybe I should write him a postcard from Florida – it wouldn’t be difficult to guess his name!

Here are some useful numbers and links:

Ocracoke Civic & Business Association , Tel: 252-928-6711
Ocracoke (History, British Cemetery, Lighthouse, etc…)
Ocracoke Island Photography (beautiful photographs, live cam, maps, dialect sample, great stuff)
Island Artworks by Kathleen O’Neal
Ferry Information : 800-BY FERRY (I will write a separate entry with much more information about the ferry system).

At around 5:30 pm it was time to leave the northern, more populated area of the islands with its billboards and chain restaurants. We drove south on Hwy 12 towards Buxton in search of the solitude that I expected to find on the Outer Banks.…Read More

At around 5:30 pm it was time to leave the northern, more populated area of the islands with its billboards and chain restaurants. We drove south on Hwy 12 towards Buxton in search of the solitude that I expected to find on the Outer Banks.
Ahead was a pleasant 40-mile ride on a two-lane highway. Between grassy marshland and high dunes, we got the occasional glimpse of the ocean . There are plenty of opportunities along the way to pull over, park the car and satisfy the urge to climb one of those giant ‘sand pyramids’ to take a proper look over the edge. What an amazing view of pristine beaches and the open sea! I finally got this ‘deserted island’ feeling! On my next visit to the Outer Banks I would like to spend an afternoon at my "own private" beach somewhere off Hwy 12 just north of Buxton with (hopefully) no one else in sight.

After an hour’s drive we arrived in Buxton and decided to find a motel room for the night. We compared four different places and finally moved into an efficiency at the Cape Hatteras Motel (you can read more about it in my accommodation entry). We sat in the rocking chairs on the balcony in front of our room and enjoyed the view and the sound of the ocean until the sun went down. Then our stomachs reminded us that it was dinnertime, so we drove into town to see what we could find to eat. Now I have never had ice cream for dinner, but when we saw the Cool Wave Ice Cream Shoppe on Hwy 12 with its outdoor dining area (wooden tables and benches) and a front porch swing we both agreed that we should give it a try. The huge banana split turned out to be an excellent dinner and since this was my vacation I decided to gracefully accept the fact that I must have just consumed at least 1000 calories.

On the way back to the motel we noticed a road leading to the lighthouse (the one that can be seen on all Outer Banks post cards). So to round off a perfect evening we decided to take a look at the lighthouse by night. It was of course closed, but we sat on the bench in front of it in the warm evening air, watched the big beam of light revolve around and listened to the sound of the Whippoorwills.

Ocean fishing at a public access beach in Hatteras was great fun. But because this was ocean fishing, we had to use ocean poles and more sinker weight due to the depth of the sea. We also used some kind of strange worm (red in…Read More

Ocean fishing at a public access beach in Hatteras was great fun. But because this was ocean fishing, we had to use ocean poles and more sinker weight due to the depth of the sea. We also used some kind of strange worm (red in color) for bait. It can actually bite you when you put it on the hook. After getting the poles ready, we just waded out in waist-high water to cast the lines. We actually caught more fish this way than going on a fishing trip with the company called Big Al and Big Boats in Manteo. Most of the fish we caught were called jacks, and we caught one nice-size flounder. But be careful of the jellyfish. One somehow got hooked on one of our lines.Close

Not many people know about this, but it is a must if you go to the Outer Banks. There is a pond located on the sight where the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse used to be located. If you go there, bring a box of…Read More

Not many people know about this, but it is a must if you go to the Outer Banks. There is a pond located on the sight where the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse used to be located. If you go there, bring a box of saltines with you. Go to the edge of the pond, lean down, and hold out your cracker. If you feed them, they will come. Countless turtles will swim up to you and eat the crackers right out of your hand.

Sometimes you may have to throw a few in the water to get them excited. They are very gentle and the little crunching noise they make as they take a bite of your cracker is great. This is a great family activity. Just try not to scare the turtles or they won't come near you. Be still and quiet and watch them chow down on your crackers.

The best-kept secret of the Outer Banks has to be the adorable Scarborough Faire Shopping Village--a series of 18 upscale, unique shops that provide one-stop shopping for those hard-to-find items to take home and unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that everyone will love.  I started my Christmas…Read More

The best-kept secret of the Outer Banks has to be the adorable Scarborough Faire Shopping Village--a series of 18 upscale, unique shops that provide one-stop shopping for those hard-to-find items to take home and unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that everyone will love.  I started my Christmas shopping for next year with the great prices they had on after-holiday sales.  Each shop is different and has a different theme.  Start in the morning, browse, and then have lunch at the chi-chi little tea room or one of nearby restaurants. A meandering boardwalk connects all of the shops (it can be a bit confusing finding your way around), but the holiday decorations and lights were lovely and provided a delightful diversion to my wandering. All the shopkeepers were friendly and more than happy to direct me to the Island Bookstore and gave me suggestions of other places to try. I could have spent much more time here than I did but would definitely go back.Close

On nearby Roanoke Island, there is a wonderful area to escape to on a hot summer day. Stroll around these beautifully manicured gardens. The foliage and blooms change according to the season. There are 10.5 acres of land to explore, with pathways…Read More

On nearby Roanoke Island, there is a wonderful area to escape to on a hot summer day. Stroll around these beautifully manicured gardens. The foliage and blooms change according to the season. There are 10.5 acres of land to explore, with pathways winding throughout. They are open 9-8 p.m. during the summer and 9-5 p.m. during the other seasons. There is an admission. This lovely garden was first created in 1951, and it is a memorial to the first English colonists. Typical gardens include the sunken garden, the woodland and wildlife garden, the Queen's rose garden, fountains, an herb garden, the Virginia Dare statue (first baby born to the colonists in the new country), and a gazebo that overlooks the Roanoke Sound. Nearby is the "Lost Colony" theatre, and the Ft. Raleigh National Historic Site. Performances for the theatre are discontinued at the end of August.Close