Escape to the Outer Banks of North Carolina

If you're looking for a vacation from the ordinary, then you should check out the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Outer Banks run along the length of the North Carolina coast. They are a place unto themselves. The majority of the Outer Banks are unpopulated and much of it is National Seashore. There is a high risk of strong storms along this area of the Atlantic seaboard, with many ships and lives lost in the waters off the coast. Because of the threat of hurricanes and the ever changing shoreline, development has been limited on the Outer Banks. This is a great thing if you are looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

You can rent a beach house or cottage for a week or more at many of the small beach communities on Hatteras Island, such as Salvo, Avon or Rodanthe. I personally recommend Salvo, not only because it's our favorite place to stay on the Outer Banks, but because it's the half way point between most of the attractions, so you're never that far away from anything on the islands. There are no mega resort hotels here, no massive crowds of people. Here there is just peace and quiet and not much else. But just because there's peace and quiet here, doesn't mean that there's nothing to do during your trip. It's only a short drive to many attractions. Of course, Hatteras Island is famous for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which is just one attraction to take in on the Island. Besides Currituck Lighthouse, Hatteras Lighthouse is about the only other lighthouse at the Outer Banks that is open for climbing. Most of the lighthouses are not open to the public for climbing. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is quite an icon to the Outer Banks, and most people recognize it immediately with its distinctive spiral black and white striping.

All of the lighthouses on the Outer Banks are still functional lighthouses and so it is fun to go at night and see them lit up. Perhaps the best one to go and see at night however, is the Bodie Lighthouse near Nags Head. It is over a hundred and thirty years old and its light is visible for about nineteen miles at night. The reason that it is the best one to go see at night though is because it is the only one that still has a third degree fresnel lens, which gives a special quality to the light that it gives off.

Also a short drive from Salvo is Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, made famous after the Wright Brothers made their first successful airplane flight there. Big Kill Devil Hill is a ninety foot dune, on top of which stands a sixty foot high memorial to the Wright Brothers. There is also a museum here, and the views are spectacular from the top of the hill.

Speaking of spectacular views, if you're looking for something fun and free to do, Jockey's Ridge is not very far from Kill Devil Hills. Jockey's Ridge is a massive sand dune. Words cannot effectively describe this behemoth of a dune. It is absolutely huge, consisting of 426 acres; it rises far above the rest of the island. It's quite a hike up to the top of it, and it is like being in a mini desert in another world, especially when it's hot. The height affords spectacular views of both the sound side and the Atlantic side of the Island. Also, on the south side of the dune, there was when I was there last, what appeared to be an abandoned ruin of a miniature golf course that was partially buried by the dune. It added to the mystery and the awe surrounding this place.

During your trip to the Outer Banks, you may want to go a little further a field than the above attractions which are quite near to the small beach communities that I mentioned above. Ocracoke Island is a bit of a drive, and there is no bridge to the island but it is well worth visiting. To get to Ocracoke, you drive to the southern tip of Hatteras Island and catch a ferry. The ferry runs frequently, every thirty minutes to an hour depending on the time of day in the summer. It's free to take the ferry and only takes about forty minutes to arrive on Ocracoke. There are often dolphins that often accompany the ferry across the inlet, and I have personally seen dolphins on the trip between Hatteras and Ocracoke.

Once you're on Ocracoke, one of the best beaches to go to is at the second parking area you come to on the road that you're on. It's really the only road, so you can't get lost. The parking area will be on your left, and when I was there last it was a short trek down a trail between the dunes to a beautiful beach. This is a great place to go looking for seashells early in the morning before anyone else is on the beach.

After you've taken in the beauty of the beach and the dunes, you can head back to the car and continue down the road you were on. It leads to the village of Ocracoke. There is yet another lighthouse to see here not far from the center of the village. It is not open to the public for climbing, but the site is open daily so people can go and view the lighthouse.

From Ocracoke you can catch a ferry to the mainland of North Carolina. The ferry trip is two hours long and this is a great way to arrive or leave the Outer Banks at the beginning or end of your vacation. The Outer Banks is a great place to go, and I do suggest going there. It's a great place to take your family, or for a romantic getaway. If you are planning on going during Hurricane season, I do recommend getting travel insurance that covers trip cancellations, so that you are not out any money if you are forced to cancel or shorten your trip because of a hurricane.