Outer Banks

Welcome to the land of beginnings -- and this 26th online edition of one of the most enduring travel guides ever.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina -- feast your senses on wide beaches, whispering sea oats, and undulating dunes—a land where the pace of life is geared to the unceasing sand-sharpened breezes and wild winds. From the gifts and punishment of the glorious and untamed waters of these indomitable islands have sprung heroes, pioneers, pirates, and inventors. Tales of courage and creativity, bloody battles and savage shipwrecks, resourcefulness and compassion:

Here, the first English colonists set up camp. Blackbeard and his band of buccaneers anchored sloops along the shallow sounds. Wilbur and Orville Wright also flew the world's first airplane, buoyed by stiff winds and brazen determination, and Billy Mitchell proved airpower to the world.

From remote national wildlife refuges, sheltered seashores, and protected maritime forests to upscale resort communities, these strips of shifting sand offer both peaceful retreat and awesome adventure. Kitesurf or JetSki. Surf fish or stroll the endless beaches. Charter a deep-sea fishing boat to fight an ocean giant. Grab the binoculars and watch birds. Soar from the East Coast's highest sand dune in a hang glider. Catch some waves and surf some of the best swells on the Atlantic Seaboard as breakers barrel toward the beach. It's all here for the choosing, and boredom is not an option.

Only in the last 20 years or so have these ribbons of sand confronted the rapid-fire development that other coastal areas experienced years earlier. One of only four states in the nation that forbids hard structures like seawalls, which can cause severe narrowing of beaches, North Carolina learned the tough lessons of coastal management by watching the mistakes of other ocean states. To a large extent, the Outer Banks owes its still healthy, wide beaches to the luck of its relatively late bloom. Isolated geographically by water, the barrier islands were accessible only by boat until the 1930s, when the first major bridges from the mainland were constructed. Once travel improved, word of the Outer Banks's lovely weather and beautiful beaches spread, and vacationers and transplants poured in a steady stream over the shallow sounds, fishing rods and bathing suits at the ready.

Life on the Outer Banks has changed dramatically since then, but much of the beauty and color remains unsullied. Some native families, many descendants of shipwreck survivors, still make their livings through commercial fishing. Much of the seafood for which we are so famous is caught locally by fifth-generation water- men. A visitor to Colington, Wanchese, Hatteras Island, or Ocracoke mingles among people who speak with the distinctive Outer Banks brogue, an accent carried over by English settlers and sustained by centuries of isolation.

Four lighthouses (Currituck's red brick beacon, the mid-island light at Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras's famous candy- striped tower, and the squat, whitewashed watchdog on Ocracoke Island), once sentinels for sailors traversing the shipwreck- strewn Graveyard of the Atlantic, dot these storm-swept shores.

Wild horses roam the northernmost protected refuges and the Ocracoke beaches to the south, descendants, some believe, of Spanish mustangs that swam ashore from shipwrecks more than three centuries ago. Waterfowl abound throughout these islands, attracting bird-watchers, hunters, and long-lens photographers. The East Coast's best fishing also awaits anglers on the decks of offshore charter boats, atop numerous piers and bridges, and off miles of ocean and sound shores.

There are walking paths along flat roadways, and bikes can be rented for leisurely rides along the shore and on dirt roads through the island marshlands and woods.

Painters, sculptors, potters, and other artisans open their galleries to browsers in almost every village. Musicians, comedians, and poets provide evening entertainment in a variety of cafes and nightclubs. The entire family can gather under the stars at Roanoke Island's Waterside Theatre and watch the acclaimed historical production The Lost Colony, our nation's longest-running outdoor summer theater drama.

Despite its rise as a favorite resort destination, the Outer Banks continues to be a casual place. Shorts and sandals are accepted garb in even the finest establishments. Shrimp, crab, and dozens of species of fresh-caught fish (often hauled in that very day by Outer Banks fishermen) are available at nearly every one of the slew of restaurants that serve tourists and locals alike.

While you're trekking the dunes, frolicking in the pristine waters, or enjoying the Carolina blue skies and soothing sunsets, don't forget that these overgrown sandbars have provided the setting for some of the most dramatic moments in American history. Remember that you are walking the sands of some of the most dynamic barrier islands on Earth.

Some things have stayed the same since Sir Walter Raleigh's party first laid eyes on Roanoke Island more than 400 years ago. These barrier beaches still startle visitors as well as natives with their rugged beauty and capricious topography. The fragile landscape remains at the mercy of the sea, furious with storm one day, calm the next.

Summer isn't the only time to enjoy the Outer Banks, although the season from Memorial Day through Labor Day is by far the most packed with people and things to do. Fall offers fabulous fishing and windsurfing, spring brings bird- watching and bicycling, and winter is deliciously devoid of almost everyone.

Spend a little time here, and you'll understand why many of us came back to stay—or never left. We hope this book helps you find exactly what you want in your visit to our vibrant barrier beaches.