Meandering Magees: The Outer Banks

Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Day 416
4,896 miles

So much history . . . so little time . . .

The typical Loop route in North Carolina is Beaufort to Bellhaven to Coinjock. We deviated from that path. I research guidebooks and find stops that are fun and interesting. Mike strictly looks at navigation charts of depths and distances, waves and winds. Karen does reconnaissance work by studying satellite images on the Maps app. Greg says "just tell me where we are going and I'll get you there."
My sister gave me a book on the Lost Colony of Roanoke and I knew I would enjoy a visit to this Outer Banks island. A post on the Looper forum suggesting a trip there to avoid construction on a bridge on the ICW helped make our decision.

We endured a rough 30 mile ride across the Pamlico Sound from Beaufort on Sunday. It was snottier than the times we ran outside in the ocean. Things were sliding in the salon that had never slid before. The following seas that we started out in turned to beam seas and True North seemed to be surfing the waves.
About half way across Mike looked at me and said, "I hope this is worth it."

First look at the Outer Banks. This is the Bodie Island Lighthouse.

While in the Bahamas we met a young couple from North Carolina - Ian and Aaron (she spells her name the masculine way). We plied them with questions knowing we would be traveling through NC. Ian gave us his phone number and told us to contact him when we got to the area. You know how that goes - sometimes spontaneous offers are made that don't really work out. When we knew we were headed to Manteo on Roanoke Island, we called Ian and left a message, figuring if he didn't call back, no harm, no foul.

He did call us back and he and Aaron could not have been nicer or more accommodating. They offered us the use of their boat slip (we were too big and wouldn't fit), met us at the dock, and gave us the use of their 4-wheel drive truck (for beach riding) to explore the Outer Banks.

Aaron, Karen, Greg, Mike, me, and Ian

In an effort to pay them back, we took them out to dinner on Sunday night. In casual conversation the Wicked Tuna show on National Geographic came up. (The show films a season on the Outer Banks). Greg is a big fan of the show and when Ian said one of the featured boats is in a marina in Wanchese about 3 miles away - we were off!

The crew of Pinwheel from Wicked Tuna.

It was 8:30 and we told Tyler (the captain of Pinwheel in the middle) that we had to get back to our boat to watch this week's episode of Wicked Tuna at 9!

On Monday morning Mike and Greg washed the boat while Karen and I drove an hour south to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Like in the Keys, there is one main road (mostly 2 lane) that runs north and south. We were happy we were making the trek before Memorial Day as the park ranger said they can have up to 1500 visitors a day at the lighthouse. And they all have to get there on this one road!

It's not often I am happy that I am 62 but when I got a half-price ticket for being a senior citizen it was all good!

Arguably the most well-known lighthouse in America. It was built in 1870 to warn sailors of the Diamond Shoals that extend 14 miles out. The painters mixed up this light house with another one and the Cape Lookout lighthouse got the diamond pattern that was suppose to go on Hatteras.

Karen and I climbed the 257 steps to the top. It is the tallest lighthouse in North America and the 2nd tallest brick lighthouse in the world. In 1999, the lighthouse was moved 2,900 feet inland because shore erosion brought the water to within 150 feet of it. Karen snapped this picture showing the original location in the background and the path to where the lighthouse now stands.

We stopped back by the boat to pick up the guys and drove into the little town of Manteo - named after a Native American who befriended the colonists. The Indians pronounce it "MAN-tee-oh". The locals drop the "t" and say "Manee-oh".

After having read the 296 page book about the first settlers on Roanoke, I really could go on and on about the colony. Mike reminds me that not everyone likes history as much as I do so this is it in a nutshell:
In 1587, John White led an expedition of three ships carrying 118 men, women and children, financed by Sir Walter Ralegh (leaving the "i" out is not a misspelling) to establish an English presence in the New World. White returned to England several months later to convince Ralegh to send more provisions and people. White's timing could not have been worse as England was preparing to go to war with Spain and all ships were being used in that effort. White was not able to return to Roanoke until three years later - 1590, and when he did, the colonists were gone. The general assumption, gleaned from later settlers that heard stories from the Native Americans, is that many of the English people were killed in a massacre but some did escape. They were absorbed into the Indian culture. One hundred years later, proud of the fact, Indians in the area told of having white ancestors.

Her name was Virginia Dare, granddaughter of John White.

Born in 1587

The Elizabeth II is a replica of a 16th century vessel.

The Roanoke Festival Park has a Settlement Site where life of the settlers in the late 1500's is re-created. Here Karen and Greg are watching Daniel Turner (so named because he "turns" the lathe) explain his profession.

After touring the exhibits at the Roanoke Island Festival Park, we headed north to Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk to see the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

"12 seconds that changed the world." That is the motto at the site of the Wright Brothers first flight in a motor powered craft. Again, I will try to make this brief. Wilbur and Orville Wright ran a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio but had a dream of the possibility of human flight. They picked the Kitty Hawk area on the Outer Banks because it provided isolation, high dunes, strong winds and soft landings.

12 seconds that changed the world. Orville Wright is on the plane and Wilbur is running along side.

On December 17, 1903, Orville broke our human bond with Earth. He flew. It only lasted 12 seconds and he only went 120 feet, but for the first time a manned, heavier-than-air machine left the ground by its own power, moved forward under control without losing speed, and landed on a point as high as that from which it started.
It is incredible to think that within the next two generations, people flew routinely, an aircraft broke the sound barrier, and a man landed on the moon!

Stone monuments mark the end of each of the four flights made on December 17th.

The second flight covered 175 feet in 12 seconds. The third stayed up 15 seconds and traveled 200 feet. The last flight of the day lasted 59 seconds and went 852 feet.

Inscribed around the sides of the monument:

"In commemoration of the conquest of the air by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, conceived by genius, achieved by dauntless resolution and unconquerable faith".

Notice the propellers on the craft

A life-sized sculpture of the first flight

We all agreed the trip to the Outer Banks was worth it!

Random photos from the Outer Banks:

This was on display at our marina - Pirates Cove in Manteo

If you live in the Outer Banks, you don't just have a North Carolina license plate, but an "OBX" plate.

On Tuesday morning, Greg and Karen drove Ian's truck to Coinjock, first being able to drive on the beach. The vehicle in front is a tour group

They made a stop at Duck Donuts - Famous in the Outer Banks. No cases of donuts here. And no fritters or eclairs - only cake donuts. Each one is hand made upon order with a multitude of topping choices.

Ian hopped aboard True North for the ride to Coinjock

We had a short 3-hour smooth ride across the Albermarle Sound to Coinjock, NC on Tuesday morning. We probably could have kept going to Norfolk, Virgina (our next stop) but that would have turned Tuesday into a long day with waiting for bridge openings and a lock, so decided a short day was just fine.
There is nothing to see in Coinjock. Boaters stop here because it is on the ICW and most are running the 87 miles from Bellhaven. The marina is a long face dock with some of the best dock hands we've had, fuel, pump out and a restaurant famous for their prime rib dinners. You have to make a reservation because they only cook so much and you would take the chance of them running out. The restaurant was full when we went at 7.