Graveyard
Goodies: Traveling to the Outer Banks of North Carolina
North Carolina's Outer Banks is playfully
called the Graveyard of the Atlantic, what with
the great number of ships driven to land by storms,
and then sunk offshore. This is one graveyard that
can be enjoyed all year, however, and not just during
Halloween.
The Outer Banks are actually a long
series of narrow barrier islands and beaches, strung
over a one hundred mile length on the Atlantic ocean,
on the United States' east coast. About half of
North Carolina's Atlantic coastline is composed
of the Outer Banks, which separate the state's Pamlico
and Albemarle Sounds from the Atlantic Ocean.
The location and structure of the Outer
Banks make them a unique tourist destination, as
well as a historical landmark. With the help of
the islands' strong winds, the Wright Brothers made
their first flight, using a heavier-than-air vehicle
that first saw the earth below a little before Christmas,
1903. This historic flight is marked by the Wright
Brothers National Monument, also on the Outer Banks.
The Outer Banks are also a world of
mystery. A British Colony first setttled in nearby
Roanoke Island late in the sixteenth century, only
to disappear without a trace. This Lost Colony has
been the subject of myth and speculation ever since.
The Outer Banks, what with their setting
on the open sea, are constantly buffeted by hurricanes,
gale force winds, and storms. At the easternmost
point of the Outer Banks is Cape Point, located
on Cape Hatteras, at Hatteras Island. This is home
to the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which stands
over two hundred feet tall, and is adorned with
candy stripes. As the ocean encroached the Outer
Banks in 1999, so was the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
moved inland – all 4,800 tons of it!
Outer Banks natives are called "Bankers."
The Outer Banks are also home to Banker Ponies,
which are wild horses descended from the Mustangs
of Spain. These Spanish Mustangs were washed ashore
in shipwrecks centuries ago. Colonies of these wild
horses can be seen near Corolla. Banker Ponies are
also seen on Ocracoke Island, the hometown of Edward
Teach, also known as the the famous Pirate Blackbeard.
While in the Outer Banks, tourists can
choose to visit nationally protected shorelines,
such as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and
Cape Lookout National Seashore. The Outer Banks
are also home to the Fort Raleigh National Historic
Site, Jockey's Ridge State Park, and Pea Island
National Wildlife Refuge.
With all the history and mystery, along
with the wide expanse of open seashore and weather
mild enough for all tastes and inclinations, the
Outer Banks are still a major destination for beachgoers
and history aficionados alike.
How do you travel to the Outer Banks
of North Carolina, and how can you get around?
To effectively get to the Outer Banks,
you have to know its geography well. At the Outer
Banks' northernmost point, the land extends from
Oregon Inlet toward the mainland of North America.
This extension, however, is cut in the middle by
the Intracoastal Waterway, which makes its way through
the Great Dismal Swamp.
Great Dismal Swamp stands over a good
deal of mainland on the western side of the Outer
Banks. This swamp also forms a portion of a long,
continuing sand ridge that stretches deep into Virginia
Beach, Virginia. Despite this extension, there are
no roads from Virginia leading to the Outer Banks.
The last road access to the Outer Banks'
northern end is at Corolla, North Carolina. Some
communities, such as Carova, can be reached only
by vehicles with a four-wheel drive, due to the
uneven terrain. Because much of the Outer Banks
stands on protected land, little or no major development
can be carried out on the islands.
The rest of the Outer Banks islands
can be reached by boat, although this is discouraged,
especially when storms are forecasted. For instance,
Blackbeard's Ocracoke Island can be reached only
by a ferry that leaves from Hatteras Island's southern
tip.
If you wish to reach the Outer Banks
by motor vehicle, you can access them through State
Highway 12, North Carolina, which provides the major
link to many of the major communities that comprise
the Outer Banks. If you wish to get to the Outer
Banks by air, you can rent private planes on the
Virginia or North Carolina mainlands, then fly to
the Outer Banks. This, of course, is permissible
only in clear and safe weather.
The Outer Banks also do not stand upon
an offshore reef, unlike other barrer islands, so
that beach erosion is rampant when severe storms
occur. These storms, called Nor'easters by Outer
Banks locals, can take planes off course, or ruin
roads. If you wish to go to the Outer Banks, check
weather forecasts, as these will help you decide
which road or plane to take, and when and where.
The Outer Banks are home to history
and fun. Knowing how to get there is part of what
will make your Outer Banks vacation a trip to remember.
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