Attractions

One of the delights of any visit to North Carolina’s Outer Banks is exploring the back roads in search of old homes that have weathered scores of hurricanes and provided shelter for generations of fishermen. The Old Gray House, tucked into the woods just off the main road in the tiny village of Buxton, is one such structure.

The Old Gray House on Hatteras Island

The home takes its name from a seafaring family by the name of Gray, whose descendants have inhabited the area since the early 1600’s, beginning with Dewey’s great grandmother, who was shipwrecked on Hatteras Island. She was on board a ship coming from Newfoundland that ran aground and, transportation being difficult in those early days, just stayed on. Dewey’s early years were spent in Buxton, but during World War II the family relocated to Huntington, West Virginia where his father was stationed as a Navy recruiter. After the war was over Dewey remained in Huntington, where he met and married his wife, Mary, and pursued his career in education. Dewey served as teacher, principal, and central office administrator, but he and Mary returned to Buxton every year to vacation at the family’s cottage. Read More »

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut

The historic Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, built in 1874, was the first United States Life-Saving Service station in North Carolina. All along the coast, these stations were dedicated to rescuing anyone whose life was in peril from the sea. After the U.S. Life-Saving Service evolved into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915, Chicamacomico continued to see service until 1954. Not only is it today one of the nation’s most complete remaining life-saving stations, it was home to one of the greatest rescues in early Coast Guard history.

One of the wonderfully restored structures of the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station. Photo courtesy of esc831976 at http://flickr.com/photos/disbelief/1002932684

On August 16, 1918, in the middle of World War I, a lookout at the Chicamacomico Station watched as the British tanker ‘Mirlo’ was hit by a torpedo. Instantly the six life-savers went to work to save the crew of the doomed vessel. For their efforts, they were awarded gold medals by King George of England and the Grand Cross of the American Cross of Honor. The award citation best tells the story of the rescue:

“In a heavy northeast sea that caused the lifeboat to be tossed back upon the beach and the crew washed away from the oars time after time. Undaunted they returned to their task. After succeeding in getting their boat through the surf they were compelled to steer into a blazing inferno where the flames leaped at least 500 feet high, and were in serious danger of being burned to death if not drowned. They picked up a number of the crew of the Mirlo and towed four of the ship’s boats … They anchored the boats beyond the breakers and then made four trips in their surf boat bringing the entire 42 survivors safely ashore.”

The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station still sees service today, although it is of a different kind. Every Thursday at 2 p.m., active members of the U.S. Coast Guard perform an historically accurate reenactment of the rescue method utilized from the late 1800s through the mid-1950s. Commonly referred to as the “Breeches Buoy Rescue,” the reenactment consists of a live demonstration of the rescue equipment, including firing the Lyle gun (small cannon) and “rescuing” a victim.

Active members of the U.S. Coast Guard perform a life-saving reenactment every Thursday at 2 p.m. between mid-April and November. Photo courtesy of esc831976 at http://flickr.com/photos/disbelief/1002085303.

Located on Hatteras Island, in the village of Rodanthe on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m., between mid-April and November. Admission is $6; seniors and students pay $4. In addition to this intriguing bit of history, visitors will discover that the Outer Banks offers dozens of attractions and a myriad of outdoor activities, from kite flying, to sand dune climbing, to sun bathing along miles and miles of unspoiled beaches in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

by Barbara Ann Weibel of Hole In The Donut

Ocracoke Island, an isolated 16-mile long strip of sand that is home to only 800 residents, is perhaps the most fascinating destination on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Historically a fishing and whaling village, this tiny island was so remote and isolated from the rest of civilization that native O’Cockers developed a unique manner of speaking.

Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum. Photo courtesy of www.ncbeaches.com.

I first learned about this some years ago when I visited the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum. Housed in a historic white clapboard house, the museum contains historic furnishings; artifacts from Fort Ocracoke, a Confederate Civil War fort that was abandoned and destroyed; and displays about whaling and commercial fishing, which was for 250 years the lifeblood of the community. But the most fascinating feature of the museum is the “Brogue Room,” which contains extensive research about the unique linguistics of the island and features a video of native O’Cockers speaking in their unique accent.

The first time I pulled up a metal folding chair to watch the video, I was shocked. While much of what they said was unintelligible due to the thick brogue, some of the words were completely familiar to me. A “dingbatty” was a foolish person and “katty-whompus” meant to cross (a road) in a diagonal direction. Fascinated, I began reading the displays to determine if there was a reason I knew these words. I soon had my answer. The earliest residents of Ocracoke were fishermen who emigrated from southwestern England. This is where my grandmother was born and it must have been she who handed down these words to me, through my mother.

The isolation of the island began changing a number of years ago when the State instituted a ferry service. Soon, tourists were flocking to Ocracoke and the old way of life began to disappear. Today there are only a few remaining O’Cockers who speak in the old brogue, and most of them refuse to speak to tourists. Indeed, when I lived on the Outer Banks, I frequently spent weekends on Ocracoke and was often subject to this treatment – O’Cockers will pretend they are deaf if you speak to them. Fortunately, the O’Cocker language will be forever preserved through the efforts of the Ocracoke Museum.

The museum is open weekdays from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. during the off-season. From Easter to Thanksgiving, it is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no admission fee, however donations are gratefully accepted. Although many visitors to the island are day trippers, the numerous attractions on Ocracoke Island can easily justify a weekend stay, if not an entire week.

by Barbara Ann Weibel of Hole In The Donut

Tourists flock to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to see its lighthouses and miles of beaches. Although these popular attractions are certainly worth a visit, there is a hidden Outer Banks that most people never see. Beyond the beach and behind the dunes lies a maritime forest eco-zone known locally as Nags Head Woods. For a number of years the Nature Conservancy has been purchasing large tracts of land in the area with the goal of preserving this fragile and rare environment.

At first glance, swamp ponds appear to be covered in slime, but the vivid green coating is actually millions of seeds

In the center of these acquired parcels lies the Nature Conservancy at Nags Head Woods. Behind its tiny visitor center, miles of trails lead through marsh and swamp, climb to the top of dunes, and descend to the Sound – a wide, shallow body of water that separates the barrier islands from the mainland of North Carolina. Walking these trails provides a glimpse into a primeval, untouched landscape. Nags Head Woods is home to more than 300 species of plants, more than 100 species of birds, six species of freshwater fish, and 65 species of land vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, and mammals).

A prehistoric snapping turtle comes out of the woods in search of a mate

Eastern box turtles climb up on branches that protrude from the ponds to soak up the summer sun

A row of Canada geese alight on calm backwaters of the Sound during their annual winter migration

Fresh-water ponds lie in the hollows between the dunes. At first glance their surfaces appear to be covered in green slime, but upon closer inspection the slime proves to be millions of floating seeds. These ponds are home to nutria, snakes, enormous snapping turtles, and Eastern box turtles that climb onto tree limbs at the water’s edge to soak up the sun’s rays during the summer months.

On the Sound, Giant Osprey soar overhead in search of a fish dinner while waterfowl alight on the placid waters to rest during their annual migration. And at the end of the day, Nags Head Woods offers some of the most spectacular sunsets on the Outer Banks.

A typical summer sunset in the maritime forest of the Outer Banks

To reach the Nature Conservancy at Nags Head Woods, take US Rt. 158 (Croatan Highway) to Ocean Acres Drive in Kill Devil Hills and turn west. The entrance to the park is on the left, a short distance after the pavement ends.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Weibel

Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Outer Banks of North Carolina

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut

The reasons to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina are almost endless. Miles and miles of pristine, unspoiled beaches beckon. At the Wright Brothers National Memorial visitors can climb the flanks of the region’s highest sand dune and stand on the same spot from which Orville and Wilbur made their historic first flights. And the country’s longest running outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony,” is conducted in the town of Manteo each summer. But perhaps the most popular activity on the Outer Banks centers around its lighthouses, because the Outer Banks may be the only place in the world where visitors can see five lighthouses in a single day.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse, located on the northern Outer Banks, is the only one of the five that has an unpainted exterior, exposing the estimated million red bricks that were used to laboriously construct the tower. Built in 1875, this 158-foot high lighthouse filled the last remaining unlit portion of the North Carolina coast between Bodie Island and Cape Henry, Virginia. Today visitors can climb the 214 steps to the top between Easter and Thanksgiving.

Original Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Outer Banks

Across the Causeway bridge in the town of Manteo is the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, the Outer Banks’ newest lighthouse. Originally a screw-pile design that perched over the water on the southern end of the Croatan Sound near the fishing village of Wanchese (historic photo at left and current photo below courtesy of Town of Manteo), the light was decommissioned in 1955 and subsequently lost during an attempt to move the structure to shore. In 2004, the Town of Manteo reconstructed the cottage on its waterfront, where it now contains exhibits about maritime history.

Reconstructed Roanoke Mashes Lighthouse in Manteo, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Bodie Island Lighthouse, Pea Island, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Back across the Causeway bridge and south on US Rt. 12 lies the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A few miles into the park land is the entrance to Bodie Island Lighthouse. Locals always know when someone is a visitor by the way they pronounce the name of this lighthouse. Inevitably, visitors will say “BO-dee” but the correct pronunciation is “BAH-dee.” Although this lighthouse is not open for climbing, the old lightkeeper’s cottage is a museum that contains samples of old fresnel lights and a fascinating collection of WWII photos that explains why the coast of North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Park, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Crossing the Oregon Inlet Bridge, with its stunning view of the inlet between the Atlantic Ocean and the shallow inland Sound, brings visitors to Hatteras Island, the sleepier, more laid-back part of the Outer Banks. At the elbow of this boomerang-shaped strip of land stands the world’s tallest brick beacon, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, recognized the world over for its barber shop black swirl. Because storms had eroded much of the land that originally stood between this lighthouse and the sea, the structure was in danger of being swept away until it was moved half a mile inland in 1999. Even so, the view from the top is breathtaking, reinforcing the fragility of these barrier islands which in some areas are little more than a quarter mile wide.

Ocracoke Lighthouse, Outer Banks of North Carolina

At the southern tip of Hatteras Island the road ends and Rt. 12 becomes a ferry that carries passengers and vehicles to the tiny island of Ocracoke, where the final Outer Banks lighthouse is located. Smaller and squatter than its four companions, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is located in a modest local neighborhood. Investigate this quaint fishing village on foot or rent a bike, discovering eclectic shops scattered along unpaved sand lanes that wander past old cemeteries and fishermen’s back yards. At the end of the day, after ferreting out the nearly hidden lighthouse, the charming village of Ocracoke is an excellent choice for an overnight stay.

All five lighthouses on North Carolina’s Outer Banks still operate as aids to navigation. Their beacons come on automatically every evening at dusk and cease at dawn.

Photo credits for all photos not otherwise identified: Barbara Ann Weibel