"Welcome
to OuterBanksGuidebook.com.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the photographs, the information,
and a few insights and tips from my personal "Journal" entries, as
I show you around the uniquely fascinating landscape of North
Carolina's Outer Banks."
-
Fred Hurteau
Many
thousands of visitors flock to the
Outer Banks each year. It's not surprising
then that
there are many different reasons
they come. Beach-going
families converge on the northern
areas, from Nags Head northward as
far as Corolla,
to enjoy the sand and surf of beaches
quieter and less crowded than those
of
South Carolina. Nags Head, Kill
Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern
Shores, Duck, Sanderling, Corolla,
and the booming developments along
the northern"banks" provide a family
atmosphere with plenty of spacious
rental properties suited to family
vacations. Jockey's
Ridge State Park at Nags Head
and Wright
Brothers National Memorial at
Kill Devil Hills attract visitors
year-round.
Roanoke
Island provides historic, educational and scenic attractions to
compliment an Outer Banks trip. These include the Elizabeth II
State Historic Site, Fort Raleigh
National Historic Site, Elizabethan Gardens, and one of North
Carolina's three state aquariums. The
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau on Roanoke Island, at the foot of the
US-64/264 Bypass "Virginia Dare" Bridge, provides a wealth of Outer
Banks information, pamphlets, booklets and maps. A few minutes
spent there could prove very fruitful.
Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores
take up most of the remaining landscape on the Outer Banks. There
is little privately owned land within these park areas south of
Nags Head. Private property is confined to eight villages that
provide the only commercial flavor to this otherwise wild and undeveloped
area. This
protected coastal environment, which includes Pea Island National
Wildlife Refuge, brings many who enjoy the fishing, wildlife,
bird watching, surfing, camping, kayaking, shell collecting,
sailboarding and
other activities.
Visitors
traveling with the added benefit of their own boat have the greatest
freedom to enjoy scenic views and water activities many landlubbers
miss out on. Four-wheel drive vehicles also add a great measure
of freedom. Much of the national seashore area permits beach access,
so exploration by 4WD of the undeveloped scenic
beauty of this
remote and unique coastal treasure is very popular.
Another
facet that brings visitors is the folklore and history of the Outer
Banks. Both are so deeply woven into the fabric of this unique
place that they are often inseparable. The Wright
Brothers' first powered flight, the legend and history of Blackbeard,
the Lost Colony, the bravery and service of the Lifesaving
Stations, hundreds of shipwrecks, wild
horses roaming Shackleford Banks and Carova, and the almost
mystical attractions of its lighthouses all
add to the mix of compelling reasons why the Outer Banks is a fantastic,
fanciful and fun place to see and experience.
Relaxing
ocean
as
I show you around the uniquely fascinating landscape of North
Carolina's Outer Banks."
Beach-going
families converge on the northern
areas, from Nags Head northward as
far as 
Roanoke
Island provides historic, educational and scenic attractions to
compliment an Outer Banks trip. These include the Elizabeth II
State Historic Site, 
This
protected coastal environment, which includes Pea Island National
Wildlife Refuge, brings many who enjoy the fishing, wildlife,
bird watching, surfing, camping, kayaking, shell collecting,
sailboarding and
other activities.
Another
facet that brings visitors is the folklore and history of the Outer
Banks. Both are so deeply woven into the fabric of this unique
place that they are often inseparable. The 
