by Jim Morekis
the Wright Brothers National Memorial
S Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Jockey’s Ridge State Park (Carolista Dr., off milepost 12, U.S. 158, Nags Head, 252/441-7132, www.jockeysridgestatepark.com, Nov.-Feb. daily 8am-6pm, Mar. and Oct. daily 8am-7pm, Apr.-May and Sept. daily 8am-8pm, June-Aug. daily 8am-9pm) contains 420 acres of a strange and amazing environment, the largest active sand dune system in the eastern United States. Ever-changing, this ocean-side desert is maintained by the constant action of the northeast and southwest winds. Visitors can walk on and among the dunes. It’s a famously great place to fly kites, go sand-boarding, and hang glide (hang gliding requires a valid USHGA rating and a permit supplied by the park office).
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
Bordering Jockey’s Ridge is another unique natural area, the Nature Conservancy’s Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve (701 W. Ocean Acres Dr., about 1 mile from milepost 9.5, U.S. 158, 252/441-2525, www.nature.org, daily dawn-dusk). Nags Head Woods is over 1,000 acres of deciduous maritime forest, dunes, wetlands, and interdune ponds. More than 50 species of birds nest here in season, including ruby-throated hummingbirds, green herons, and red-shouldered hawks, and it is also home to a host of other animals and unusual plants. Maps to the public trails are available at the visitors center.
Kitty Hawk Woods
Slightly smaller but no less important is the Nature Conservancy’s Kitty Hawk Woods (south of U.S. 158 at Kitty Hawk, trail access from Woods Rd. and Birch Lane, off Treasure St., 252/261-8891, www.nature.org, daily dawn-dusk). These maritime forests harbor the unusual species of flora and fauna of the maritime swale ecosystem, a swampy forest sheltered between coastal ridges. Kitty Hawk Woods is open to the public for hiking and birding, and can be explored from the water as well. A canoe and kayak put-in is next to the parking lot of Kitty Hawk Kayaks (6150 N. Croatan Rd./U.S. 158, 252/261-0145, www.khkss.com).
Currituck Heritage Park
The shore of Currituck Sound is an unexpected place to find the art deco home of a 1920s industrial magnate. The Whalehead Club (1100 Club Rd., off milepost 11, Hwy. 12, 252/453-9040, www.whaleheadclub.com, visitors center 11am-5pm daily, standard tours 9am-4pm daily, specialty tours require 24 hours advance notice, $5-15) was built as a summer cottage by Edward Collings Knight Jr., an industrialist whose fortune was in railroads and sugar. This beautifully simple yellow house—only a “cottage” by the standards of someone like Knight—sits on a peaceful spit of land that catches the breeze off the sound. It’s the centerpiece of Currituck Heritage Park, where visitors can picnic, wade, or launch from the boat ramp, in addition to touring the house.
Next to the Whalehead Club is the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education (Currituck Heritage Park, Corolla, 252/453-0221, www.ncwildlife.org, daily 9am-5pm, free). With exhibits focusing on the native birds, fish, and other creatures of Currituck Sound, the center also has a huge collection of antique decoys—an important folk tradition of the Carolina coast—and offers many special nature and art programs throughout the year; check the website for a program calendar.
The 1875 Currituck Beach Lighthouse (Currituck Heritage Park, 252/453-4939, Apr.-Nov. daily 9am-5pm, closed in rough weather, $8, free under age 7) stands on the other side of the Center for Wildlife Education. It is one of the few historic lighthouses that visitors can climb. The 214-step spiral staircase leads to the huge Fresnel lens and a panoramic view of Currituck Sound.
Corolla Wild Horse Museum
In the town of Corolla, the circa-1900 Corolla Schoolhouse has been transformed into a museum honoring the wild horses of the Outer Banks. The Corolla Wild Horse Museum (1126 Old Schoolhouse Lane, Corolla, 252/453-8002, summer Mon.-Sat. 10am-4pm, off-season hours vary, free) tells of the history of the herd, which once roamed all over Corolla but now live in a preserve north of the town.
ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS
Chip’s Wine and Beer Market (milepost 6, Croatan Hwy./U.S. 158, Kill Devil Hills, 252/449-8229, www.chipswinemarket.com) is, in addition to what the name suggests, the home of Outer Banks Wine University. In at least two classes a week, Chip himself and other instructors host wine and beer tastings with an educational as well as gustatory bent.
Pronunciation Primer
The Outer Banks are a garland of peculiar names, as well as names that look straightforward but are in fact pronounced in unexpectedly quirky ways. If you make reference publicly to the town of Corolla, and pronounce it like the Toyota model, you’ll be recognized right away as someone “from off.” It’s pronounced “ker-AH-luh.” Similarly, Bodie Island, site of the stripy lighthouse, is pronounced “body,” as in one’s earthly shell. That same pattern of pronouncing o as “ah,” as in “stick out your tongue and say ‘ah,’” is repeated farther down the coast at Chicamacomico, which comes out “chick-uh-muh-CAH-muh-co.” But just to keep you on your toes, the rule doesn’t apply to Ocracoke, which is pronounced like the Southern vegetable and Southern drink: “OH-kruh-coke.”
Farther south along the banks is the town of Rodanthe, which has an elongated last syllable, “ro-DANTH-ee.” On Roanoke Island, Manteo calls out for a Spanish emphasis, but is in fact front-loaded, like so many Carolina words and names. It’s pronounced “MAN-tee-oh” or “MANNY-oh.” Next door is the town of Wanchese. This sounds like a pallid dairy product, “WAN-cheese.” Inland, the Cashie River is pronounced “cuh-SHY,” Bertie County is “ber-TEE,” and Chowan County is “chuh-WON.”
Nightlife
The Outer Banks Brewing Station (milepost 8.5, Croatan Hwy./U.S. 158, Kill Devil Hills, 252/449-2739, www.obbrewing.com) was founded in the early 1990s by a group of friends who met in the Peace Corps. The brewery-restaurant they built here was designed and constructed by Outer Bankers, modeled on the design of the old lifesaving stations so important in the region’s history. The pub serves several very gourmet homebrews at $4.50 for a pint, $6 for four five-ounce samplers. They’ve also got a nice lunch and supper menu, with elaborate entrées as well as the requisite pub fare.
Bacu Grill (Outer Banks Mall, milepost 14, U.S. 158, Nags Head, 252/480-1892), a Cuban-fusion restaurant, features live jazz and blues music, and serves good beer, wine, and snacks into the wee hours of the morning. Kelly’s Outer Banks Restaurant and Tavern (milepost 10.5. U.S. 158, Nags Head, 252/441-4116, www.kellysrestaurant.com, Sun.-Thurs. 4:30pm-midnight, Fri.-Sat. 4:30pm-2am) is also a good bet for live music and has a long wine list with some lovely vintages. Lucky 12 Tavern (3308 S. Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/255-5825, www.lucky12tavern.com, daily 11:30am-2am) is a traditional sports bar with TVs, foosball, and New York-style pizza.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
Kayaking
Coastal Kayak (make reservations at North Beach Outfitters, 1240 Duck Rd., Duck, 252/261-6262, www.coastalkayak.org) offers tours throughout the northern Outer Banks, including guided trips through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary and Kitty Hawk Woods. Tours last 2 to 3.5 hours and cost $35-50.
Diving
The Outer Banks Dive Center (3917 S. Croatan Hwy., 252/449-8349, www.obxdive.com) offers instruction and guided tours of wrecks off the coast of the Outer Banks. Guided wreck dives are only available April-November. All levels of divers are welcome.
Hiking and Touring
The Currituck Banks National Estuarine Preserve (Hwy. 12, 252/261-8891, www.nccoastalreserve.net) protects nearly 1,000 acres of woods and water extending into Currituck Sound. A 0.3-mile boardwalk runs from the parking lot to the Sound, and a primitive trail runs from the parking lot 1.5 miles through the maritime forest.
Back Country Outfitters and Guides (107-C Corolla Light Town Center, Corolla, 252/453-0877, http://outerbankstours.com) leads a variety of tours in the Corolla region, including Segway beach tours, wild horse-watching trips, kayaking, and other off-road tours.
Surfing
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sp; The North Carolina coast has a strong surfing culture, not to mention strong waves, making this a top destination for experienced surfers and those who would like to learn. Island Revolution Surf Co. and Skate (252/453-9484, www.islandrevolution.com, must be over age 8 and a good swimmer, group lessons $60 pp, private lessons $75) offers private and one-on-one surfing lessons as well as board rentals. So does Ocean Atlantic Rentals (Corolla Light Town Center, 252/453-2440, www.oar-nc.com, group lessons $50 pp, private lessons $75, couples $120, must know how to swim), which also has locations in Duck, Nags Head, and Avon, and Corolla Surf Shop (several locations, 252/453-9283, www.corollasurfshop.com, age 9 and up).
Online resources for Outer Banks surfing include the website of the Outer Banks District of the Eastern Surfing Association (http://outerbanks.surfesa.org), www.wrightcoastsurf.com, www.obxsurfinfo.com, and www.surfkdh.com.
Kayaking
The Outer Banks combines two very different possible kayaking experiences—the challenge of ocean kayaking and the leisurely drifting zones of the salt marshes and back creeks. Kitty Hawk Sports (798 Sunset Blvd., 252/453-6900, www.kittyhawksports.com) is an old and established outdoors outfitter that leads kayaking and other expeditions. Another good bet is Kitty Hawk Kayaks (6150 N. Croatan Hwy., Kitty Hawk, 866/702-5061, www.khkss.com), which teaches kayaking and canoeing, rents equipment for paddling and surfing, and, in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, leads tours, including overnight expeditions, through gorgeous waterways in pristine habitats.
Kitty Hawk Kites (877/359-8447, www.kittyhawk.com), which National Geographic Adventure magazine calls one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth,” has locations throughout the Outer Banks, including at Corolla. They too teach and lead hang gliding, parasailing, Jet Skiing, kite-boarding, kayaking, and lots more ways to ride the wind and water.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Under $150
The S First Colony Inn (6720 Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 800/368-9390, www.firstcolonyinn.com, $69-299, depending on season) is a wonderful 1932 beachfront hotel. This regional landmark has won historic preservation and landscaping awards for its 1988 renovation, which involved moving the entire building, in three pieces, three miles south of its original location. The pretty and luxurious guest rooms are surprisingly affordable.
Bed-and-breakfasts include the sound-front Cypress Moon Inn (1206 Harbor Court, Kitty Hawk, 877/905-5060, www.cypressmooninn.com, age 18 and over, $200 summer, $175 spring and fall, $135 winter), with three pretty guest rooms. The Baldview B&B (3805 Elijah Baum Rd., Kitty Hawk, 252/255-2829, www.baldview.com, no children or pets, $125-200) is a modern residence located on a beautiful property along the sound, with four nicely appointed guest rooms and a carriage house.
The Cypress House Inn (milepost 8, Beach Rd., Kill Devil Hills, 800/554-2764, www.cypresshouseinn.com, $99-199, depending on season) is a very traditional coastal Carolina-style house, built in the 1940s and an easy walk to the beach. Its hurricane shutters and cypress-paneled guest rooms will give you a taste of Outer Banks life in the days before the motels and resorts.
In Kitty Hawk and Nags Head, you’ll find an abundance of motels, from chains to classic 1950s mom-and-pops. The Surf Side Hotel (6701 Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, www.surfsideobx.com, 800/552-7873, from $55 off-season, from $165 high season) is a favorite for simple and comfortable accommodations, with standard rooms and efficiencies in a location right on the dunes. All guest rooms at the Blue Heron (6811 Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/441-7447, www.blueheronnc.com, from $50 off-season, from $130 high season) face the ocean. The Blue Heron has a heated indoor pool as a consolation on rainy days. Super-affordable is the Sea Foam Motel (7111 Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/441-7320, www.outer-banks.nc.us, from $62 off-season, from $110 high season), an old-timer with a lot of retro appeal. Other good choices in the area include the Colony IV by the Sea (405 S. Virginia Tr., Kill Devil Hills, 252/441-5581, www.motelbythesea.com, $68-163, depending on season) and Beach Haven Motel (milepost 4, Ocean Rd., Kitty Hawk, 888/559-0506, www.beachhavenmotel.com, from $65 off-season, from $105 high season).
$150-300
The Colington Creek Inn (1293 Colington Rd., Kill Devil Hills, 252/449-4124, www.colingtoncreekinn.com, no children or pets, $168-198, depending on season) is a large outfit with a great view of the sound and the creek it’s named for.
The Sanderling Resort and Spa (1461 Duck Rd., near Duck, 877/650-4812, www.thesanderling.com, $130-450) is a conventional full-size resort, with three lodges, a spa, three restaurants that include the Lifesaving Station, housed in an 1899 maritime rescue station, and various sports and recreational rental options.
FOOD
Sam & Omie’s (7728 S. Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/441-7366, www.samandomies.net, Mar.-mid-Dec. daily 7am-10pm, $10-25) was opened during the summer of 1937, a place for charter fishing customers and guides to catch a spot of breakfast before setting sail. It still serves breakfast, with lots of options in the eggs and hotcakes department, including a few specialties like crab and eggs benedict. It also has a dinner menu starring seasonal steamed and fried oyster, Delmonico steaks, and barbecue.
Tale of the Whale (7575 S. Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/441-7332, www.taleofthewhalenagshead.com, spring-fall daily 4pm-9pm, closed winter, dinner entrées $15-50) sits at a beautiful location, at the very edge of the water with a pier jutting into Roanoke Sound. There’s outdoor music from a pier-side gazebo and a dining room with such a great view of the water that it feels like the inside of a ship—but the real draw is the incredibly extensive menu of seafood, steak, and pasta specials. They also have an imaginative cocktail menu.
Grits Grill and Bakery (5000 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, 252/449-2888, daily 6am-3pm, $7-12) is a favorite for breakfast, famous for its biscuits, Krispy Kreme donuts, eggs, and, of course, grits.
The S Blue Point (1240 Duck Rd., Duck, 252/261-8090, www.goodfoodgoodwine.com, lunch Tues.-Sun.11:30am-2:30pm, dinner daily 5pm-9:30pm, closed Mon. in winter, $20-35) has a nouveau Southern menu, with staples like catfish and trout done up in the most creative ways. Among the specialties, fresh Carolina shrimp is presented on “barley risotto,” with broccolini, wine-soaked raisins, and lemon arugula pesto. Try the key lime pie with raspberry sauce, Kentucky bourbon pecan pie, or seasonal fruit cobblers. After-dinner drinks (among them espresso martinis and special dessert wines) complement an amazing wine list that is, if anything, even more impressive than the menu. There are at least a dozen vintages in almost every category, with prices ranging from $7 per glass to $250 per bottle, and several top-notch single-malts and small-batch bourbons. The Blue Point also occupies an amazing building, a custom-built waterside home with diner-style seating, an open kitchen with a counter and bar stools running its length, checkered floors, and a big screen porch. Reservations can be made online as well as by phone up to a month in advance, and are very necessary: Peak hours in season are booked two to three weeks in advance, while even winter weekends are usually booked solid several days ahead.
Owens’ Restaurant (milepost 16.5, Beach Rd., Nags Head, 252/441-7309, www.owensrestaurant.com, daily 5pm-9pm, $12-25) has been in operation at Nags Head for more than 60 years, and in addition to their good seafood menu, visitors enjoy looking over the owners’ collection of historical artifacts from Outer Banks maritime life. New in 2009, Blue Moon Beach Grill (4104 S. Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/261-2583, www.bluemoonbeachgrill.com, daily 11:30am-9pm, $12-25) is rapidly becoming a local favorite. Known for its seafood dishes, Blue Moon is also a popular place to grab a draft beer after work. Tortuga’s Lie (milepost 11.5, U.S. 158/Beach Rd., 252/441-7299, www.tortugaslie.com, Sun.-Thurs. 11:30am-9:30pm, Fri.-Sat. 11:30am-10pm, $10-20) has a good and varied menu specializing in seafood (some of it local) cooked in Caribbean-inspired dishes, with some good vegetarian options.
For casual and on-the-go chow options at Nags Head, try Maxximuss Pizza (5205 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, 252/441-2377, Sun.-Thurs. noon-9pm, Fri.-Sat. noon-11pm, $12
-20), which specializes in calzones, subs, and panini, in addition to pizza; Yellow Submarine (milepost 14, U.S. 158 Bypass, Nags Head, 252/441-3511, Mon.-Sat. 11 am-9 pm, Sun. noon-9pm May-Sept., Tues.-Sat. 11:30am-8pm, Sun. 1pm-8pm Mar.-Apr., Oct.-Nov., $7-16), a super-casual subs and pizza shop; or Majik Beanz (4104 S. Virginia Dare Tr., Nags Head, 252/255-2700, Sun.-Wed. 7am-3pm, Thurs.-Sat. 7am-10pm) for coffee and shakes.
The Kill Devil Grill (2008 S. Virginia Dare Tr., 252/449-8181, $13-20) serves hearty meals for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Entrées include excellent seafood and steaks. Vegetarians will find limited options, but meat eaters will be well satisfied. Food Dudes Kitchen (1216 S. Virginia Dare Tr., Kill Devil Hills, 252/441-7994, daily 11:30am-9pm, $10-17) has great seafood, wraps, and sandwiches. Rundown Café (5218 N. Virginia Dare Tr., Kitty Hawk, 252/255-0026, daily 11:30am-9pm, $10-15) is a popular local eatery with affordable Caribbean-influenced fare.
