Welcome to the land of beginnings-- and this 27th online edition of one of the most enduring travel guides ever.

Part of the Outer Banks's charm is the remoteness of the area. Since it’s accessible only by ferry or by driving over one of the bridges that connects it to the mainland, once you're here, you feel far removed from the rest of the world. It's really not that far. And in recent years, with an ever-growing tourism industry, goods and services have come to us. It's fascinating to hear locals tell of long drives to stores on the mainland to buy groceries or to receive medical care back in the old days. The "old days," however, were less than two decades ago. Those of us who live here year-round still make excursions to nearby cities for specific services, shopping, and cultural events, but we wouldn't trade island life for anything. Living here is a trade-off that is heavily weighted toward the good life; we're blessed, and we know it.

On NASA space maps, our strand of sand may look like the continent's afterthought, but our land was the welcome mat to the first English-speaking settlers in the country. The Outer Banks is stranded farther away from its main coast than any other barrier islands in the world. Although our shore has very slowly over the centuries crept west, it still tenaciously maintains its crooked hold miles out into the Atlantic. Pounded century after century by storms-many escorted in by the nearby mighty Gulf Stream-the geology of these narrow islands is unique in its adaptability. Its inhabitants have been no less resilient. When you step foot on these sandy shores, you join a legion of steely adventurers, renegade thinkers, and rugged individuals who have been captivated by the unbidden forces of nature.

Here, the first English colonists set up camp. Blackbeard and his band of buccaneers anchored sloops along the shallow sounds. Wilbur and Orville Wright also flew the world's first airplane, buoyed by stiff winds and brazen determination, and Billy Mitchell proved airpower to the world. From remote national wildlife refuges, sheltered seashores, and protected maritime forests to upscale resort communities, these strips of shifting sand offer both peaceful retreat and awesome adventure. Kitesurf or JetSki. Surf fish or stroll the endless beaches. Charter a deep-sea fishing boat to fight an ocean giant. Grab the binoculars and watch birds. Soar from the East Coast's highest sand dune in a hang glider. Catch some waves and surf some of the best swells on the Atlantic Seaboard as breakers barrel toward the beach. It's all here for the choosing, and boredom is not an option.

Only in the last 20 years or so have these ribbons of sand confronted the rapid-fire development that other coastal areas experienced years earlier. One of only four states in the nation that forbids hard structures like seawalls, which can cause severe narrowing of beaches, North Carolina learned the tough lessons of coastal management by watching the mistakes of other ocean states. To a large extent, the Outer Banks owes its still healthy, wide beaches to the luck of its relatively late bloom. Isolated geographically by water, the barrier islands were accessible only by boat until the 1930s, when the first major bridges from the mainland were constructed. Once travel improved, word of the Outer Banks's lovely weather and beautiful beaches spread, and vacationers and transplants poured in a steady stream over the shallow sounds, fishing rods and bathing suits at the ready.

Life on the Outer Banks has changed dramatically since then, but much of the beauty and color remains unsullied. Some native families, many descendants of shipwreck survivors, still make their livings through commercial fishing. Much of the seafood for which we are so famous is caught locally by fifth-generation water- men. A visitor to Colington, Wanchese, Hatteras Island, or Ocracoke mingles among people who speak with the distinctive Outer Banks brogue, an accent carried over by English settlers and sustained by centuries of isolation.

Four lighthouses (Currituck's redbrick beacon, the mid-island light at Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras's famous candy- striped tower, and the squat, whitewashed watchdog on Ocracoke Island), once sentinels for sailors traversing the shipwreck- strewn Graveyard of the Atlantic, dot these storm-swept shores. Wild horses roam the northernmost protected refuges and the Ocracoke beaches to the south, descendants, some believe, of Spanish mustangs that swam ashore from shipwrecks more than three centuries ago. Waterfowl abound throughout these islands, attracting bird-watchers, hunters, and long-lens photographers. The East Coast's best fishing also awaits anglers on the decks of offshore charter boats, atop numerous piers and bridges, and off miles of ocean and sound shores.

There are walking paths along flat roadways, and bikes can be rented for leisurely rides along the shore and on dirt roads through the island marshlands and woods.

Painters, sculptors, potters, and other artisans open their galleries to browsers in almost every village. Musicians, comedians, and poets provide evening entertainment in a variety of cafes and nightclubs. The entire family can gather under the stars at Roanoke Island's Waterside Theatre and watch the acclaimed historical production The Lost Colony, our nation's longest-running outdoor summer theater drama.

Despite its rise as a favorite resort destination, the Outer Banks continues to be a casual place. Shorts and sandals are accepted garb in even the finest establishments. Shrimp, crab, and dozens of species of fresh-caught fish (often hauled in that very day by Outer Banks fishermen) are available at nearly every one of the slew of restaurants that serve tourists and locals alike.

While you're trekking the dunes, frolicking in the pristine waters, or enjoying the Carolina blue skies and soothing sunsets, don't forget that these overgrown sandbars have provided the setting for some of the most dramatic moments in American history. Remember that you are walking the sands of some of the most dynamic barrier islands on Earth.

Some things have stayed the same since Sir Walter Raleigh's party first laid eyes on Roanoke Island more than 400 years ago. These barrier beaches still startle visitors as well as natives with their rugged beauty and capricious topography. The fragile landscape remains at the mercy of the sea, furious with storm one day, calm the next.

Summer isn't the only time to enjoy the Outer Banks, although the season from Memorial Day through Labor Day is by far the most packed with people and things to do. Fall offers fabulous fishing and windsurfing, spring brings bird- watching and bicycling, and winter is deliciously devoid of almost everyone.

Spend a little time here, and you'll understand why many of us came back to stay-or never left. We hope this book helps you find exactly what you want in your visit to our vibrant barrier beaches.