The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island

Happy National Park Week! Today it's back to North Carolina, to Fort Raleigh!

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the location of Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in the present-day United States. The colony was led by Sir Walter Raleigh, and was established in 1584. But sometime between 1587 and 1590 the settlement was abandoned, for reasons unknown; ultimately the fate of the "Lost Colony" remains a mystery.

We visited Fort Raleigh on a visit to the Outer Banks, making the Roanoke Island stop on our way home from Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Located 3 miles north Manteo, NC, our first stop at the historic site was the Visitor Center.

Exhibits explore the history of the English expeditions and colonies, the Roanoke Colony, and the island's Civil War history and Freedmen's Colony, and the boys were soon engrossed in their Junior Ranger booklets. This site also preserves the cultural heritage of the Native Americans who lived in the area, and in-depth heritage stories tell the history of the island from multiple perspectives.

Just outside the Visitor Center is the First Light of Freedom monument, which commemorates the Roanoke Island Freedman's Colony that was set up during the American Civil War. We followed the paved trail towards Albemarie Sound and soon came to the 1896 Monument, which marked the beginning of preservation efforts of this unique site.

The earthen works that are visible in this area are not 430 years old, instead they are a part of a reconstruction from 1950. The reconstructed fort allows for a visual to accompany the story of the Lost Colony that is being told through the exhibits and informational placards.

The Fort Raleigh historic site is also home to Paul Green's outdoor symphonic drama, The Lost Colony. This Roanoke Island Historical Association production has been performed in the Waterside Theatre every summer since 1937, except for during World War II.

From the theater visitors can take the Thomas Hariot Trail, a 0.3 mile loop through the maritime forest. Or for a view of the Croatan Sound you can backtrack to the parking area at the end of National Park Drive and hike Freedom Trail, a 1.25-mile trail that winds through the maritime forest to the western edge of the park.

Finally, a highlight of the historic site - the Elizabethan Gardens. The sunken gardens are managed by the Garden Club of NC and are an example of a period garden. The 10 acre gardens were created as a memorial to the first colonists, and include a replica Tudor gate house. Open 7 days a week, there is an admission fee to this area of the site.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks

A persnickety spring has us in shorts one day, then back to bundling up the next. It’s a cold, rainy day such as today that has me dreaming of summer beach weather, which I have no doubt will arrive and have me begging for the cooler temperatures we’re presently shuffling through. Whether it is the thought of warm sunshine and ocean surf, or because this week is National Park Week, it is Cape Hatteras National Seashore that is calling to me today; this is one of a couple more posts to wrap up the North Carolina series after which I’ll turn my attention back to the Upstate & a few more Florida adventures.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserves 70 miles of shoreline on the Outer Banks, from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island. Easily accessible thanks to the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, the north end of the National Seashore is just across Roanoke Sound from Roanoke Island (home of Fort Raleigh) and south of the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Jockey Ridge. The Bodie Island section is home to the Whalebone Junction information station, Coquina Beach, the Oregon Inlet camping area, a marina, and the Bodie Island Lighthouse and Visitor Center.

The black and white striped lighthouse that stands on Bodie Island is familiar to many, and photographs of the photogenic icon are often found in coffee table books about lighthouses and the outer banks. Construction on a first lighthouse in this location began in 1847, but the structure was shortly abandoned after major structural issues resulted in a leaning lighthouse. A second lighthouse was destroyed two years after its construction by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, but the third lighthouse had what it takes to survive the elements on the Outer Banks, and still shines out on the Atlantic today.

The third incarnation of the Bodie Island Light was located further inland and to the north from its predecessors, and was almost twice as tall as the previous two at 156 feet; this translates to 214 steps to the top. With a First Order Fresnel Lens the lighthouse can shine its beam 19 miles offshore. A lighthouse keepers' structure was also constructed (which today houses the ranger station and Visitor Center), and the lighthouse was operational by 1872, fully automated in 1932, and came under the care of the National Park Service in 1953. Today the lighthouse and grounds are open to visitors; for more information and hours, please visit the National Park Service website.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse is surrounded by marshes, maritime forests and small saltwater ponds, making it a popular destination for bird watching. Hundreds of migratory bird species pass through annually, due in part to the location of Pea Island Wildlife Refuge south of Bodie Island. Be sure to stop in the Fish & Wildlife Service Visitor Center on your way south.

South of the Refuge are the towns of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo. The enormous house that was featured in the movie Nights in Rodanthe was formerly located just south of Pea Island NWR, but multiple storms and a shifting coastline resulted in the structure being condemned. Two superfans of the Richard Gere-Diane Lane tear-jerker purchased it and moved it to a safer spot in 2010, and today the Inn at Rodanthe is a vacation rental.

Inn at Rodanthe: source here

Further south is Little Kinnakeet, the Historic US Life Saving Service Station. The original station building was among the first seven constructed on the Outer Banks, and the site remained active under the U.S. Coast Guard until 1954. Continuing south you’ll reach the Hatteras Island Visitor Center and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse; the nearby town of Buxton features numerous vacation rentals as well as campgrounds, bathhouse facilities and even an airstrip in the town of Frisco.

The last island in the series is Ocracoke. With its own Visitor Center, the Ocracoke Lighthouse and additional campgrounds, the island is a popular destination despite being only accessible by ferry. A free shuttle runs daily between Hatteras and Ocracoke; visit NC Dept. of Transportation website for more info. Southwest of Ocracoke is another National Seashore, Cape Lookout. However, travel to the mainland or Cedar Island involves a 2.5 hour toll ferry.

Portions of Cape Hatteras National Seashore are open to off-road vehicles, with ramps providing access to the beach. In other places boardwalks take visitors to the water, but regardless how you access the shore, there are 70 miles of sandy beaches to explore. Go for a hike or shelling, or just choose a spot to relax, picnic and build sand castles. The constant winds coming off the ocean provide ideal kite-flying weather, and beach fires are allowed with a free beach fire permit, allowing visitors to stay late and enjoy the starry night sky. Whether you are enjoying the beach, kayaking the sound, or climbing the Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a highlight of an Outer Banks visit that will be sure to provide memories plenty for beach daydreams until the next visit. Happy Earth Day, and happy National Park Week!

The dunes of Jockey's Ridge

The wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean has played a primary role in the history of the Outer Banks. It provided the Wright Brothers with needed lift at the Kill Devil Hills site of first flight, yet it also blows in hurricanes and storms so powerful that some theorize might have been a factor in the disappearance of English Colony on nearby Roanoke Island. Whether this is fact or fiction, what we do know is that the barrier islands have been shaped – physically and historically – by these winds, and nowhere is this more evident than at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

Jockey's Ridge is the tallest active sand dune system in the Eastern United States, the shifting winds constantly reshaping the dunes. Nags Head Woods and Jockey's Ridge were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974 by the National Park Service. Today, the park is a favorite spot for flying kites, sandboarding (with permit), hang-gliding (through vendor) and watching sunsets, and the trails and visitor center provide insight into the history and ecology of this unique region.

You’ll want to start your visit at the visitor center & museum. After exploring the exhibits and picking up maps, take some water and sunscreen and head out onto the dunes on the 360ft boardwalk. From a viewing platform you can get a good perspective of the expansive sands of the park’s 420 acres before heading off into the dunes.

Jockey's Ridge encompasses three distinct ecological environments: dunes, maritime thicket, and the Roanoke Sound estuary. We explored the dunes first, and although for every two steps you take up the dune it’s one step back, don’t let that discourage you from climbing to the top of the biggest dune. There you’ll have a view of sand, surf, and sea - from the Sound all the way to the ocean. The park’s dunes consist of three peaks, and due to the constantly shifting sand, plants and animals do not live there. Around the base of the dunes you’ll find grasses and plants, providing habitat for small animals and insects. Don’t forget to bring shoes (the sand gets hot!), sunscreen, your sunglasses, water bottles, and a kite!

For a closer look at Roanoke Sound head out on the 1.5 mile Tracks in the Sand trail. The trail starts off with a short section through a forest of shrubs. The maritime thicket grows best in areas protected by the dune, which provides protection from wind and salt blown off the ocean. The live oaks, persimmons, red cedar, wax myrtle, bayberry, sweet gum, red oaks and pines are stunted by the effects of the wind and salt, causing them to look like shrubs. Fox, deer and raccoons live in the thickets, but you’re more likely to spot birds and a variety of insects.

The trail crosses a wide section of dune before reentering the forest, and eventually loops for a section along Roanoke Sound. At the shoreline, there is an area of restored marsh where nesting ospreys visit during the summer months, and the views of the dunes and sound are magnificent no matter the season. The trail is a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail, and brochures are available at the trailhead or inside the visitor center. A section of the North Carolina Mountains-to-sea trail is also located within the park.

The Sound-side of the park offers a completely different experience: sunbathing, wading, paddling and the 1-mile Soundside Nature Trail that tours the wetlands, grassy dunes and maritime thickets of the southern corner of the park. The Roanoke Sound Estuary is a rich habitat for a variety of plant, animal and bird life; the sound provides nesting areas for waterfowl, serves as a fish nursery, and is home to the blue crab. Windsurfers and kiteboarders are a common sight, and the sun setting over the sound often brings a crowd.

Events such as this lights on kites festival are a regular occurrance at the park

Legend says the park was named as a result of the early inhabitant’s practice of capturing wild ponies and racing them on the flat surface at the base of the dune, while the steep sides of the ridge served as a grandstand of sorts for spectators. Horses are no longer free to run on this portion of the Outer Banks - you’ll have to head north of Corolla to see the remaining population of wild Spanish mustangs. However, there’s still plenty of motion to be seen from a perch on the ridge: the dunes endlessly shifting, boats on the water, kites in the air… Jockey’s Ridge truly is alive, and a must-see for visitors on the Outer Banks.

The First Flight at Kill Devil Hills

One hundred and fifteen years ago, on a remote, sandy beach in North Carolina, Orville Wright flew. It was the first time that a manned, heavier-than-air machine left the ground by its own power, moved forward without losing speed and landed on a point as high as that from which it started. The site of this first flight has been immortalized as the Wright Brothers National Memorial, and is a testament to the ingenuity and determination of man.

This historic site is not quite so remote these days, located at the epicenter of activity on the Outer Banks, in Kill Devil Hills. After making the short drive from Duck, our visit started in a temporary visitor center, as the Visitor Center is undergoing renovations through late summer/fall of 2018. We picked up Jr. Ranger booklets, took a look at the exhibits, and then set out on foot to the reconstructed 1903 hanger and quarters/workshop. The wooden structures depict the hangar used for the flyer that made history on that winter day in 1903, and the workshop is furnished with items like those the Wrights used.

A little further, a granite boulder marks where the first plane left the ground on December 17, 1903. The first flight was only 120 feet, but three more flights that day each flew longer and further, the fourth flying 852 feet in 59 seconds before a gust of wind flipped it over a short while later rendering it earthbound. These four flights are marked by smaller stone markers that allow visitors to walk in the shadow of this historic occasion; remember to stay on the path to avoid sand spurs and prickly pear cacti.

Heading down the walkway in the other direction from the First Flight Boulder takes visitors up to the Wright Brothers Monument atop Kill Devil Hill. The 60-ft monument honors the Wright Brothers and marks the site of the hundreds of glider flights that preceded the first powered flight. The 90-ft sand dune has a great view of the Park, the vista extending to the Atlantic Ocean and over the First Flight Airstrip.

Yes, the Park includes an actual airport! The 3,000-ft paved airstrip serves small planes, and during our visit there was constant air traffic – a perfect backdrop to exploring this historic site. The vantage point from up by the Memorial allows you to watch the small planes taking off and landing, entertaining the younger kids that aren't as interested in the historic aspect of the Park.

On the opposite side of Kill Devil Hill is the December 17, 21903 sculpture. The bronze and stainless steel plane recreates the historic flight, as captured in a photograph taken by John Daniels from the nearby lifesaving station who had come to watch the brothers as they attempted to make history. There are benches and picnic tables nearby, providing a nice place to relax and contemplate the wonder of flight while the kids dream up their own aviation adventures on the life-sized model.

Not even 70 years after the Wrights’ historic first flight on the Outer Banks we’ve landed a man on the moon – to think that the 1903 flyer was the first step in the evolution of human flight… The Wright Brothers National Memorial is an educational stop for visitors to the Outer Banks, one that proved anything is possible – even human flight.

After a short pause we headed back to the visitor center so that the boys could turn in their completed Jr. Ranger booklets, however our day's adventures were far from over; we were headed to nearby Jockey's Ridge for more sand dunes and flight...

  

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Our visit occurred shortly before the anniversary celebration of the first flight, in late November. I recommend taking weather into consideration when planning your visit, as it gets extremely hot in the summer (also, the Park is very exposed to lightning and will shut down if it snows); bring water bottles and sunscreen, it is like a visit to the beach. Winter temperatures are rather mild, but the wind can be brutal. For entrance fees and operating hours, see park website.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

After spending the afternoon on a Corolla wild horse tour in the very northernmost reaches of the North Carolina Outer Banks, we set out to explore as much of Corolla as the remaining daylight would allow. First stop was the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.

The 162-foot lighthouse was completed in 1875, standing guard over Currituck Sound, the Currituck Outer Banks and the Atlantic. Unlike many of its Carolina counterparts, the brick lighthouse has never been painted; it was the last major brick lighthouse to be built on the Outer Banks.

It is possible to climb the 220 steps to the top for beautiful panoramic views of the Sound and ocean, although there is no access to the lens room; the first order Fresnel lens is the original lens and still operational, its light visible over 18 nautical miles away.

Entry is $10/person, and once inside the lighthouse you’ll find exhibits the history of coastal lighthouses, the Fresnel lens, shipwrecks and the lighthouse keepers. The lighthouse and museum shop are generally open 9am to 5pm – see website for details.

In the shadow of the lighthouse is the Historic Corolla Park. The parks most prominent attraction is Whalehead, a 1920s Art Nouveau-style mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tours are available, and offer architectural information as well as insight into the history of Corolla. The footbridge that connects the Whalehead island with the mainland on the north side is extremely popular for sunset-viewing over Currituck Sound, and reminds me of Venice's Ponte di Realto.

Opposite the bridge is the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, which offers exhibits and outdoor programs designed to help explore the region’s coastal wildlife, natural history and cultural heritage. We did not have the opportunity to tour the Center on this visit – we were too busy flying kites and touring the lighthouse – and when the sun started sinking lower in the sky we headed north.

There are many businesses that offer tours of the area. Corolla Wild Horse Fund is the official non-profit that protects and preserves the Corolla Wild Horses, and their headquarters and museum is located on the corner of Corolla Village Road and Schoolhouse Lane.* Just across the street is Coastal Explorations, a company that offers horse and boat tours as well as rentals: kayak, SUP and bike. The Coastal Explorations pier is a well-kept secret, stretching almost ½ mile out over the marsh and sound. From picturesque views of the lighthouse rising up over the barrier island to sightings of shorebirds in the wetlands, experiencing an Outer Banks sunset over the Currituck Sound is a definite must-see on any trip to the region.

For more on Historic Corolla Park, Whalehead, the lighthouse and the Center for Wildlife Education, please visit the Outer Banks visitor guide website.

* It is my understanding that the Corolla Wild Horses Fund is relocating to 520 Old Stoney Road, south of Corolla and closer to the Audubon Pine Island Sanctuary and Center as of February 1st.

  

A cold day on the Outer Banks

There is a wildness to the Carolina coast in the winter, one that is not so readily visible in the summer when the beaches are filled with sunbathers and laughing children. The wind coming off the water is unlike that of a spring thunderstorm, and the chill that accompanies it brings tears to your eyes. The waves seem harsher, the dunes less contained, even the sky has a desolate aura of abandonment.

We emerged from the Hampton Inn Outer Banks to an empty stretch of shore. While there are plenty of homes along the stretch between Duck and Corolla, we were the only people as far as the eye could see; a marked contrast to the constant stream of cars riding up and down the beach north of Corolla. We chose the hotel partially due to the (comparatively) remote location, and also as it would put both Corolla and Duck within an easy drive; we had planned to see the wild horses on one day, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial the next.

The beach was littered with shells. The boys immediately started collecting, but at moments I would look up to see them facing the ocean, lost in thought, shells washing in and out at their feet. My bag started to fill as well, the color purple catching my eye most often: scallops and cockles, carditids and tellins.

A squadron of pelicans flew overhead, the bright sun reflecting off their white bodies in Morse code of flashes. While the air traffic slows down during the winter, the Outer Banks remain a prime area for bird-watching. Right across the street on the Currituck Sound side is the last piece of untouched property on the northeastern portion of the Outer Banks, the Donal C. O'Brien Sanctuary and Audubon Center at Pine Island. Preserving 2,600 acres of marsh, upland maritime forest and sandy beaches, the Sanctuary remains largely free from development, so birds and wildlife can continue to have a safe place to thrive free from human disturbance. The entrance to the 2.5-mile nature trail is directly opposite the hotel, and during the summer it is possible to take kayak tours and participate in other public programs.

It was inevitable – the feet get wet. The allure of a shell tumbling back out with the surf, or a careless moment while the mind wanders… The waves relentlessly tug at the sand, and the ceaseless repetition of the tides mesmerizes and captivates. Although it might have been the wet shoes and cold feet that eventually forced us indoors, once we retreated we noticed our cheeks were stinging and fingers were tingling. However, we had found what we had been searching for: the surf, the shells, the seclusion. Suddenly famished, we filled our bellies and afterwards spread out our discovered shells, already dreaming what treasures the ocean would bring us next.

The Corolla wild horses

We most often associate free-roaming horses with the American W​est, but did you know there are multiple populations of wild horses that live along the Atlantic coast? In the Southeast there are the Chincoteague Ponies of Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia, the Cumberland Island horses in Georgia, and four separate groups in North Carolina: the wild horses of Shackleford Banks, Beaufort's wild horses, the Ocracoke Island Banker ponies, and the wild Spanish mustangs of Corolla.

The Corolla horses are a living legacy of European and American history, descendants of Spanish mustangs brought to the Carolina coast by European explorers and colonists in the 1500s. The small, sturdy horses have survived for centuries in the salt marshes, dunes and maritime forests of the Outer Banks, at one point roaming freely along the entire length of the coastal barrier island chain.

The terrain and inaccessibility of the islands insulated them from human contact for nearly 400 years, but with the increase in popularity and development of the barrier islands, the horses saw a proportionate decrease in territory available for them to roam. The wild horses were pushed into isolated havens, one such group making their home in the islands north of Duck.

After highway NC12 was completed from Duck to Corolla in the mid 1980's, the traffic, increase in population and explosive development proved dangerous for the horses. The decline in population was a result of car accidents and the proximity to humans; the horses are used to a natural diet found in the marshes and forests, and consuming other food can cause illness and death. Once free to roam from the village of Corolla north to the Virginia border, the remaining wild Spanish mustangs were eventually given protected status and moved north to the mostly undeveloped land on the northern-most reaches of Currituck Banks. Organizations such as the Corolla Wild Horse Fund monitor the health of the herd and work to educate the public to keep the Corolla horses safe.

Seeing the wild horses isn’t as easy as taking a stroll on the beach. Although their habitat has shrunk, it is still a large area to cover - stretching eleven miles from a the fence north of Corolla to the NC/VA border fence, bounded on the East by the Atlantic Ocean and on the West by Currituck Sound. In addition, the horses are often grazing inland, hidden away in the marshes and forests.

To see the Corolla mustangs you need a four-wheel drive vehicle and a bit of luck. Highway NC-12 ends at the south horse fence, and proceeding north the beach becomes a highway of sorts. The hundreds of beach homes scattered throughout the area are connected to the ‘beach highway’ by a series of sandy paths, roads only in the loosest sense. It helps to have a local along to navigate this maze of routes, as they know where the horses often congregate and which areas are closed to vehicular traffic.

We opted to book a tour with one of the companies that take visitors up the beach and onto the back roads, Corolla Outback Adventures. The family business has been in operation since 1962, when the Benders began offering tours north from Kill Devil Hills at a time when there were no paved roads in the region. The tour company has exclusive access to certain areas, increasing the odds of seeing the horses in their natural habitat.

The amount of visitors to Currituck is another reason to visit the Outer Banks off season. Despite the chilly November temperatures there was a steady stream of vehicles headed up and down the beach – I can’t imagine how crazy the traffic must be in the summer. This is not an area for beachcombing or playing in the surf, and the high density of vehicles was definitely a turn-off. It got better once we turned off the beach, but the area is not the wildlife area I had imagined; instead it is dotted with beach houses, new construction going up everywhere. The first horses we saw were grazing in people’s yards, and we listened to stories of visitors waking up to the sounds of the wild horses taking shelter under their rental home in inclement weather.

If we were to do it all again we might rent a house in Carova Beach, renting a 4x4 vehicle for a few days and spending our time driving the sand roads and searching for horses. On the other hand it was easy enough to make the trip from our hotel in Duck, and the beach there didn’t pose the hazard of vehicular traffic – a definite plus in terms of keeping the kids happy. One day spent up in the northern reaches of Currituck seemed enough; we saw the wild mustangs in the early afternoon (which gave it a chance to warm up a bit for the tour!), and then spent the rest of our time in Corolla, climbing the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and then watching the sunset over the sound.

All in all, our guide was knowledgeable on multiple subjects and had the added experience of being a guide and resident for many years. In addition to seeing over a dozen horses we also visited the maritime forest and enjoyed a view of Currituck Sound and the marsh. When it was time to head back south to Corolla and paved roads, our gaze and thoughts remained north – on the dunes of Currituck, the blue waters of the Atlantic, and the Corolla wild mustangs.