Spin through the Outer Banks

I recently had the very good fortune to see the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I can remember seeing this narrow ribbon of land on maps of the US since a was a child and always wondered what they were like.  So with a little luck I was able to see most of the outer bank islands in a short trip.  Many people bike the islands and camp along the way.

I left from Cedar Island and journeyed to Kitty Hawk.  I hope you enjoy the pictures!

The Ferry system is just an extension of the highway system...

The first hop was about 2 hours of travel over the Pamlico Sound.  I was surprised to learn that the sound is really shallow and the ferry only drafted 4 feet of water.  I went out on a beautiful day with a pretty good breeze coming off the ocean, so there was a slight chop on the surface of the sea.

The boats have seating areas, or you could just sit in your car or on your bike...

Arriving into Ocracoke...

Approaching Ocracoke Island and the start of my outer banks (OBX) trek...

The OBX islands can be reached by ferry and by bridge near the Virginia border.

Ocracoke is a beautiful island first settled by Hatterask Indians and is a very narrow 14 mile long strip of land that is mostly a nature preserve.  Wild horses are still on this island and only the Southern tip is populated.  Biking, hiking and camping are superb. It was on this island that the famous Black Beard met his end. In 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh crashed into this place...  I drove the length of the island and caught another ferry onto Hatteras Island.

Approaching Hatteras Island. Beautiful beach condos and homes abound.

I visited the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and headed North towards Kill Devil Hills...

The Hatteras Light... simply amazing in real life.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic chronicles dozens of ship wrecks and World War II mishaps and adventures.

I never knew that during WW-II an enigma machine was recovered from a German sub off the Hatteras coast...

A genuine enigma machine with four wheels...

Had to see the famous light!

The Bodie Island Light at sunset.  Majestic...

The next day I headed out to Kitty Hawk to see where aviation got started - in the US anyway...

A static display of a reproduction of the Wright flyer.  The controls and construction in general is an amazing study in two force members. Behind the flyer is an early glider.

A 60 ft tall monument dedicated in 1932 sits atop Kill Devil Hill to commemorate the work of the Wright Brothers.

"Achieved by Dauntless Resolution and Unconquerable Faith."

In the front of the monument there are doors with panels done in an Art Deco style that depict the history of many who tried to fly a six panel story of how flight was conquered...

The front of the monument, notice the doors...

The doors are very unique...
On the left door panels you can see the inventive notions of the Frenchman Besnier, who thought he could fly if he propelled himself into the air while wearing paddles. Next, a panel devoted to Otto Lilienthal whose painting hangs in the visitor center, he died while conducting gliding experiments and a source of inspiration to the brothers. Next is reference to a French philosopher Cyrano de Bergerac who thought that since dew rose in the morning, somehow you could use evaporation of water to fly - or at least achieve lift - oops.
On the right door starting at the top is Icarus, the Greek mythological figure who tried to fly by attaching feathers to his arms with wax. As the myth goes, he fell when he flew too close to the sun - I think Kansas sang about him too, anyway he gets too close to the sun and the wax melts - oops. Then there is a bird that changes into a plane in flight, or some say the rise of a phoenix and finally the kites used by the Wrights and others in early experiments.  All pieces to the puzzle but none of them on their own solve the problem.  Like so many things in life, many pieces fit into a mosaic that only then reveals truth.  But I digress.  What's behind these doors anyway? A spiral staircase that you can walk up to a viewing area at the top!

An old 1930's piece about the memorial. Notice the light at the top has been changed.

Contrails in the blue sky above.  The monument stands for many things.  To me it exemplifies NEVER EVER giving up.

On the way home I stopped in a town called New Bern and discovered this amazing factoid!

WHAT!?  The guy who invented Pepsi had a drugstore down the street from where I ate dinner.

..

You just never know what's around the next corner...

The Drugstore where Pepsi was invented - who knew!?

I wandered through a town that had been wiped out by Hurricane Irene.  Many of the buildings were abandoned, lots of disrepair, then this sight as I crossed a little bridge and happened to glance out my window.

A little bit of beauty where you least expect it!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the trek to the Outer Banks...