The Wild Horses of Corolla

Corolla

Historic Corolla Village
Schoolhouse and Corolla Village Lanes
Corolla Village
(252) 453-3341

Though everyone refers to the whole Currituck Outer Banks as "Corolla," technically Corolla is the small village center on the unpaved road behind the lighthouse. Few people realize that Corolla was a thriving community that began to grow in 1875 after the lighthouse was built. In 1890, at the peak of the area's waterfowl-hunting market, 200 residents lived in the village. The village population declined during World War II and the following years. Only a few residents lived in Corolla well into the 1980s, when a paved public road was opened to the area and development of the Currituck Outer Banks began. The faces of the Currituck Outer Banks and Corolla Village have changed dramatically, but you can still get a sense of the old village by walking on the dirt road on the west side of North Carolina Highway 12 behind the lighthouse. In the shade of the oaks and pines, it is easy to imagine the life of the early residents. A few of the historic buildings from the old village remain and have been restored to look as they did when they were built. A walking-tour map is available at many of the shops in the area or at Twiddy & Company Realtors, whose owners took charge of restoring the buildings. The restored Corolla Schoolhouse is on the tour, though you can't go inside. The charming schoolhouse, on the corner of Schoolhouse Lane and Corolla Village Lane, was built in the mid-to late 1890s and finally closed in 1958. Also on the tour are several restored historic homes that have been converted into shops, so you can go inside, including the Lewark and Parker residences. A new building was built to look like Callie Parker's store. The walking tour will also take you past the 1878 U.S. Lifesaving Station that was moved to the village, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and Lightkeeper's Residence, and the historic Whalehead Club.

Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station
Off NC 12, Corolla

Built in 1878, the Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station is now the setting for Outer Banks Style, a specialty shop in Corolla (see our Shopping chapter). The interior doesn't look anything like the old outpost, but the exterior appearance, a peaked roof and crossed timber frame, remains relatively unchanged. The U.S. Lifesaving Service was established in the late 19th century, and stations were built every 7 miles along the Outer Banks. Crews lived in the wooden structures throughout winter months, patrolling the beaches for shipwrecks and survivors. This station, which was moved almost 30 miles north of its original location, is especially significant because it was frequented by the Wright brothers during their several sojourns to the barrier islands. The Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station crew assisted Orville and Wilbur with their early experiments in flight, and some crew members witnessed the world's first powered airplane soar over the sand dunes. This lifesaving station was brought from Kill Devil Hills to Corolla in 1986, where it was restored and renovated. History buffs are welcome to visit Outer Banks Style and the lobby of Twiddy & Company Realtors (behind the station), where a collection of memorabilia used by the lifesaving service and the Wrights is on display. This unique, hand-wrought structure is at the foot of the Currituck Lighthouse on the west side of NC 12 in historic Corolla Village.

The Whalehead Club
Currituck Heritage Park, NC 12, Corolla
(252) 453-9040
www.whaleheadclub.com

Overlooking the windswept wetlands of Currituck Sound, this grand dame of days gone by was once the Outer Banks's biggest, most modern structure. Today, the Whalehead Club is one of the area's most magnificent attractions and affords a romantic trip back in time to an era of lavish accommodations and elaborate ornamentation. The house was built as a private residence between 1922 and 1925, when the Currituck Outer Banks was in its heyday as a waterfowl-hunting paradise. The owners, a wealthy northerner named Edward Collins Knight and his wife, Marie Louise LeBel Knight, originally called their home Corolla Island because the house was situated on an islandlike mound that was created when a circular canal was dug around the lot. The Knights spent their winters and hunted at Corolla Island from 1925 to 1934. The 21,000-square-foot house has seen many uses since then. It sat empty for years, as relatives of the Knights were not interested in the remote location. In 1969 the house was sold to Ray Adams of Washington, D.C., for a reported $25,000. It was Adams who named the home the Whalehead Club. This grand and beautiful home sat empty for nearly 25 years, suffering significant vandalism.

The house, on the National Register of Historic Places, is now owned by Currituck County and has been restored to the way it looked in 1925. The multimillion-dollar restoration project began in 1999 with the replacement of the copper roof. The exterior was painted its original canary yellow. The interior has been completely restored, down to the paint, cork floors, Tiffany glass, and Art Nouveau details. A team of researchers and restoration specialists has tracked down as much information as possible to make the restoration as accurate as possible. Visitors are welcome and can take a guided tour of the house. Tours begin on the half hour and include a self-guided exhibition on display in the basement gallery. A special "behind the scenes" tour is offered daily (by reservation only). Guides are very knowledgable about the home as well as the history of the area. The museum shop stocks an interesting array of tasteful merchandise that is unique to the Whalehead Club, including handcrafted jewelry, picture frames, ornaments, and birdhouses made from the original copper roof shingles. The Whalehead Club is situated on 39 acres, known as Currituck Heritage Park. It offers an ideal location for picnics, leisurely walks, fishing, or enjoying a beautiful Outer Banks sunset.

The Whalehead Club is open from May 1 through October 31 and during the weeks of the Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas holidays (not on the actual holidays themselves). House tours take place daily from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M.The tours last 45 minutes. Cost is $6.00 for adults and free for children age eight and younger. A children's tour and treasure hunt and ghost tours are also held Monday through Friday in season and require advance reservations.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse
Off NC 12, Corolla
(252) 453-4939
www.currituckbeachlight.com

Visitors can climb the 214 steps to the top of the lighthouse, coming eye-to-eye with the 50,000 candlepower lamp that still flashes every 20 seconds and can be seen for 18 nautical miles. The climb up the narrow, winding staircase is not for the faint of heart, but a panoramic view of the Currituck Outer Banks is your reward.

Inside, at the base and on the first two landings, are lighthouse exhibit panels installed in 2001. They cover the broad history of coastal lighthouses, including all of the North Carolina lighthouses, and give an in-depth history of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and its buildings. The Fresnel lens is explained, and there is a special exhibit on the former Currituck Beach Lighthouse keepers.

The Lightkeepers' Residence, a beautiful Victorian dwelling, was constructed of precut, labeled materials and was shipped for assembly on-site by the U.S. Lighthouse Board. The residence was abandoned when the lighthouse was automated in 1939 and keepers were no longer needed on-site (though they still visited once a week to change batteries and perform maintenance). The residence, on the National Register of Historic Places, fell into serious disrepair but was restored by a group known as Outer Banks Conservationists starting in 1980. It is not open for tours, except by appointment during the first two weeks in November.

Today, the keeper's main duties, among many others, are keeping the lighthouse open for tourists, overseeing preservation work, and hiring volunteers and staff. In 2005 the Currituck Beach Lighthouse celebrated its 130th anniversary as a working lighthouse. Be sure to visit the on-site Museum Shop.

Visitors climb the lighthouse for a fee of $6.00. Children younger than age eight climb for free. School groups and other large groups are offered a discounted rate. The lighthouse is open daily from Easter through Thanksgiving. Climbing hours are 10:00 A.M.to 6:00 P.M. during Eastern Standard Time (generally early April to late October) and to 5:00 P.M. during daylight saving time. If you're climbing, you must go up at least 15 minutes before closing time. During periods of lightning or high winds, the lighthouse tower may be closed to climbers.

In 2003 the U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Currituck Beach Lighthouse to the nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationists. The OBC group spent more than 20 years raising private dollars to restore, maintain, and operate the lighthouse.

Corolla Chapel
Old Corolla Village Road, Corolla
(252) 453-4224

The Corolla Chapel, built in 1885, is one of Corolla's most-treasured historic structures. Snuggled into the soundside village, two and a half blocks behind the lighthouse, the chapel served generations of native Corollans in its small sanctuary.

In its early years, the church was used primarily by Missionary Baptists, although originally it was supposed to be interdenominational. Catholic Masses were first said at the church in 1917 and continued on a sporadic basis through the world wars for Coast Guard personnel stationed nearby. In 1938, the Baptists dropped Corolla from their circuit, saying it was too remote, and the church became interdenominational. In the 1960s, Corolla's population reached its all-time low, and the church was no longer used. It laid idle for 25 years.

The last living trustee of the chapel was John Austin, and when he died, the church passed to the hands of his son, Norris Austin, who still lives in the village. In 1987, as Corolla began to grow again, Austin invited Pastor John Strauss to be the minister of the chapel. Strauss led a restoration, adding a vestibule, bathroom, and storage area in 1992. With regular interdenominational services, he also began to develop a following.

The church outgrew its small chapel. In the summer months, the village chapel that seats only 100 would have at least that many (or more) people standing outside. On Easter of 2001, Pastor Strauss offered communion to 2,000 people during four services. This led to construction of a new church building across the road from the original chapel. The old Corolla Chapel was then moved across the street and melded into the new sanctuary to form the shape of a cross. The new sanctuary has the same tongue-and-groove beaded-board paneling and details as the old one, so that the two blend seamlessly together, inside and out. The new facility was planned to hold 200 to 250 worshipers.

The best way to see the Corolla Chapel is to attend a service there. Interdenominational services are held year- round on Sunday morning at 10:00 A.M. From Memorial Day through October, an additional Sunday service is held at 8:30 A.M.A local priest holds Catholic services at the chapel on Wednesday night at 6:00 P.M., every week in the summer and the second and fourth weeks in the offseason. Four interdenominational services are held on Easter, one on the beach.

Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary
NC 12, between Duck and Corolla

Set between remote villages of sprawling vacation rental cottages, Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary is a secluded outdoor enthusiast's paradise and a major resting area for birds along the great Atlantic flyway. Ducks, geese, rabbits, deer, fox, and dozens of other animals make their home in this 5,400-acre wildlife refuge on the northern Outer Banks. Hundreds of other species fly through during spring and fall migrations.

Live oaks, bayberry, inkberry, pine, yaupon, holly, and several species of marsh grass grow naturally in this wild, remote wetland habitat. The Pine Island Clubhouse and grounds are privately owned, but if you're a member of the Audubon Society, tours are available. Hikers, bikers, and strollers can park at Sanderling Inn to access a 2.5-mile clay trail through a portion of the sanctuary. The maintained path is open year-round.

Duck

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility
NC 12, Duck (252) 261-6840, ext. 401
www.frf.usace.army.mil

Set on a former Navy weapons test site, the Waterways Experiment Station of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has helped scientists study ocean processes since 1977. This 173-acre federally owned scientific mecca has gained a reputation as one of the premier coastal field research facilities in the world. Just north of Duck Village, the site includes state-of-the-art equipment to monitor sand movement, wave forces, water currents, temperatures, and sedimentation. Its 12 full-time employees regularly host dozens of scientists from around the globe to conduct experiments on sand movement, beach erosion, and coastal dynamics. In 1997, during the world's largest near-shore research experiment, 250 coastal engineers gathered at the research facility to study the near-shore zone of breaking waves to determine the dynamics of beach erosion.

The public is invited to tour the research facility from mid-June through mid-August. One free tour is held each day, Monday through Friday, at 10:00 A.M. Reservations are not necessary, and the tour is held rain or shine, except in lightning. The tours last about an hour and a half, sometimes longer, and include an ecolecture about how the sound and ocean waters coexist, barrier island environments, and ocean currents. Researchers lead the tours onto the beach, into the observation tower, and into the research facility. The public is not allowed on the pier because of the great amount of research equipment there. Since part of the tour is outside on a sandy trail and on the beach, participants should be prepared for a strenuous walk.

Besides the 1,840-foot pier, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' experiment station owns a 125-foot observation tower and a 35-foot-tall Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy, the CRAB, which carries people and equipment from the shore into the sea. The Corps works in cooperation with the U.S. Army and Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, using the latest technically advanced equipment to improve the design of coastal navigation projects. Research conducted at the station could eventually alter the way engineers design bridges, help people pick sites for beach nourishment projects, improve projections about where the shoreline might erode, determine how and why sandbars move, and predict what effect rock jetties might have on Oregon Inlet.

Kitty Hawk

Kitty Hawk Public Beach & Bathhouse
NC 12, MP 4, Kitty Hawk

Across the road from the ocean, a bathhouse and a small, free parking area offer visitors access to the beach as they arrive on the Outer Banks at Kitty Hawk. If you arrive too early for check-in, you can change into bathing suits here and enjoy a few hours at the ocean until it's time to head to your hotel or beach cottage. Public showers also are available to rinse off after one last stop in the sand on the way home. Another parking lot is available close by, right off Byrd Street.

Kitty Hawk Village
Along Kitty Hawk Road, west of US 158

If you want to check out one of the islands' oldest neighborhoods and see where the Wright brothers stayed when they first visited the Outer Banks, head west on Kitty Hawk Road, turning just north of the 7Eleven in Kitty Hawk. This winding, two- lane street dead-ends after about 3 miles at Kitty Hawk Bay. Drivers pass through at least two centuries in the process.

The old post office for this isolated village still stands on the north side of the road and was restored to become the town's police station. Several two-story farmhouses still stand along the shady streets and shallow canals. Boats on blocks and fishing nets tied to trees are strewn along backyards. On warm weekend afternoons, families ride horses down lanes lined with live oaks, waving to neighbors sitting on their covered porches. You can forget you're at the beach in this quaint, quiet community on the western shores of the Outer Banks.

Monument to a Century of Flight
Off US 158 Bypass, behind the Aycock Brown Welcome Center, Kitty Hawk
(252) 441-6584
www.icarusinternational.com

This sculptural garden was conceived by local artist Glenn Eure and brought to fruition by the nonprofit group Icarus International. It features stainless-steel pylons placed in ascending order by height, symbolizing the steps humans have taken to reach the heavens. Adorning the pylons are black granite slabs that name 100 of the most important moments in the history of flight. The courtyard contains 5,000 bricks, each engraved with a sponsor's message. (At the time of printing, about 600 bricks, three pylons, a flagpole, and numerous pavers and benches were still available for sponsorship.)

Outer Banks Music Showcase
Kitty Hawk Plaza, US 158, MP 4 1/2
(252) 261-7505
www.outerbanksmusicshowcase.com

Outer Banks Music Showcase, billed as "where Branson meets the Outer Banks," features America's favorite music. Local performers entertain an audience of all ages, weaving comedy and music from a variety of genres-country, show tunes, 1950s and 1960s pop, gospel, and patriotic songs-into family-friendly shows. There are two performances nightly in season. In 2005 tickets were $20.95 for adults and $11.95 for children age 12 and younger.

Kill Devil Hills

Wright Brothers National Memorial
US 158, MP 8, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-7430
www.nps.gov/wrbr

Set atop a steep, grassy sand hill in the center of Kill Devil Hills, the trapezoidal granite monument to Orville and Wilbur Wright is within easy walking distance of the site of the world's first powered airplane flight. Below where this lighthouse- style tower now stands, on the blustery afternoon of December 17, 1903, the two bicycle-building brothers from Dayton, Ohio, soared over a distance of more than 852 feet, staying airborne for an unheard- of 59 seconds in their homemade flying machine.

The monument was erected to honor Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1932. In the low, domed building on the right side of the main drive off U.S. Highway 158, the National Park Service operates a visitor center, gift shop, and museum. Here, you can view interpretive exhibits of humankind's first flight and see displays on later aviation advancements. Exhibits about the Wright brothers' struggles to fly include parts of their planes, engines, and research notes. Reproductions of their gliders are displayed in the flight room, and rangers offer free guided historical tours year-round.

The visitor center is itself an attraction. Opened in the early 1960s, it is recognized as a significant example of modernist architecture. It's one of only a handful of examples of modernist architecture built in eastern North Carolina during the 20th century, mainly because the National Park Service was one of a few groups in the region that had the financial resources to hire architects from outside the region.

The Philadelphia architectural firm of Ehrman Mitchell and Romaldo Giurgola designed the building to reflect the natural environment of the Outer Banks and symbolically portray flight in static form. The horizontal roof with a shallow concrete dome reflects the surrounding landscape of beach and dunes, while the overhang of the dome represents the soaring possibilities of flight. The National Historic Register-listed structure is considered a key work in the Philadelphia School of expressive modernist architects.

The 100th anniversary celebration of the first flight was held in December 2003. An olive-shaped, domed Centennial Pavilion was added for the celebration and will remain on the grounds. It holds an exhibit hall and an auditorium. The Centennial Pavilion houses an expanded U.S. Air Force exhibit and an expanded NASA exhibit as well as new exhibits from the Cirrus Corporation and the Wright Experience. The Wright Experience details the story of replicating the original Wright flyer. In a nearby temporary facility, one of the two Wright Flyer replications is stored. The facility is open occasionally for viewing, but not at regularly scheduled times. Harry Combs, recently deceased Wright Brothers historian and aviator, donated more than $1 million to build and replicate the flyer housed here.

Outside the exhibit center, four markers set along a sandy runway commemorate the takeoff and landing sites of each of Orville and Wilbur's December 17 flights. Reconstructed wooden sheds replicating those used at the Wrights' 1903 camp and hangar also are on the grounds and open to visitors. These sheds are furnished with tools, equipment, and food canisters similar to those the brothers used. A short hike takes you from the visitor center to the monument hill, but if you'd rather drive or ride, parking is available closer to the base of the hill. Paved walkways make access easy. The grass is filled with cacti and sand spurs, so you're advised to stay on the paths. Also, be aware that the walk up the monument hill is longer and more strenuous than it looks. On a hot summer day, consider visiting the site in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not as strong. At the bottom of the south side of the monument hill, a sculpture added for the 100th anniversary celebration of flight is displayed. It re-creates Orville flying the plane, with Wilbur running alongside and local John Daniels taking the historic photo of the event. Besides tours, the Exhibit Center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial offers a variety of summer programs. Grounds and buildings are open to vehicles from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Labor Day through Memorial Day. Hours are from 9:00 A.M.to 6:00 P.M. in the summer. Thirty-minute flight-room talks are given by rangers every hour on the hour, year-round. Expect the entire tour to take about one to two hours. Add an additional 30 minutes if you'd like to attend a program. Cost for entry at the guard gate is $3.00 for adults ages 16 and over, and admission is good for seven days. Persons age 15 and younger get in free, as do seniors with Golden Age Passports and other passports, which are available at the gate.

Outer Banks Opry
First Flight High School
Veterans Drive off Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 256-2081
www.outerbanksopry.com

The Outer Banks Opry entertains with a family-oriented evening of music and fun for all ages. Weekly guest performers join regular headliners Coyote and Molasses Creek. The Opry is held at First Flight High School on Friday at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under the age of 12.

Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills
(252) 441-2525
www.nature.org

If you've had a little too much sun, or if you'd like to spend time in a secluded forest on a part of the Outer Banks few people get to see, allocate an afternoon for The Nature Conservancy's Nags Head Woods Preserve, west of US 158. The maritime forest itself is well hidden, and many rare plant and animal species live within this protected landscape. It's one of the most tranquil settings on the Outer Banks. The Nature Conservancy, an international, nonprofit conservation organization, oversees this maritime forest. Nags Head Woods is not a park--it is an example of a successful private-public partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the towns of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, and private landowners. More than 5 miles of trails and footbridges wind through forest, dune, swamp, and pond habitats as well as graveyards and farm sites from the 19th and 20th centuries. Trails are open to visitors on weekdays from 10:00 A.M.to 3:00 P.M., while members of The Nature Conservancy are welcome during any daylight hours. No camping, firearms, picnicking, or alcoholic beverages are allowed in the preserve. Bicycling, pets on leashes, and other activities that might damage the trails are restricted to the Old Nags Head Woods Road, which winds from north to south through the woods.

For more information, write to The Nature Conservancy at 701 West Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. All donations are welcome, and memberships start at $25. Monies support the preserve's environmental education and research programs.

Nags Head

Jockey's Ridge State Park
US 158, MP 12, Nags Head
(252) 441-7132
www.jockeysridgestatepark.com

The East Coast's tallest sand dune and one of the Outer Banks's most phenomenal natural attractions, Jockey's Ridge has long been a favorite stop for tourists. In the early 1970s, bulldozers began flattening the surrounding dunes to make way for a housing subdivision. A Nags Head woman, Carolista Baum, single-handedly stopped the destruction and formed a committee that saved Jockey's Ridge.

State officials made the sand hill a protected park in 1975, but the dunes are unruly. Since then, the steepest side of the hill has shifted more than 1,500 feet to the southwest. Jockey's Ridge is also getting shorter. At the turn of the 20th century, the highest mound was estimated at 140 feet. In 1971, it was about 110 feet tall.

Today, the 1.5-mile-long, 420-acre-plus dune-which varies from 90 feet to 110 feet in height-is open to the public year- round until sunset. It's a popular spot for hang gliders, summer hikers, small children who like to roll down the steep slopes, and teenagers who delight in sandboarding or flinging and flipping themselves down the sandy hills. Sandboarding is allowed only from October 31 through March 31. More than one million people visit Jockey's Ridge each year.

Park headquarters is near the northern end of a parking lot off the west side of US 158. You'll notice an entrance sign at MP 12, Carolista Drive, in Nags Head.

A visitor center, museum, and gift shop are near park headquarters. The free museum features photo displays of the history and recreation at the dune and a diorama of the animals that inhabit the area. Information panels of plants and animals and an auditorium where slide shows and videos are shown are also at the facility. Maps available from the park ranger indicate walking areas. Two trails-the Soundside Nature Trail, a very easy 45=minute walk, and Tracks in the Sand, a 1.5=mile trek-are open to hikers looking for a change of scenery. Jockey's Ridge State Park offers natural history programs throughout the summer, including stargazing and wildlife discovery evening hikes and early-morning bird-watching and natural history discovery adventures. Fantastic educational programs for kids are also offered, but rangers warn that they fill up fast, and many require advance registration. Call for program schedules. Sheltered picnic areas are available for lunches.

It's a long hike to the top of the ridge. Bring shoes or boots. Don't try it barefoot in summer; you'll burn your feet. Also, some lower areas around the dune are covered with broken glass. At the top of Jockey's Ridge, you can see both ocean and sound. Cottages along the beach look like tiny huts from a miniature train set. Kite-flying and hang-gliding enthusiasts catch the breezes that flow around the steep summit, shifting the sand in all directions. (See our Recreation chapter for information on hang gliding.)

If your mobility is impaired, a 360-foot boardwalk affords wheelchairs and baby strollers a slightly sloping incline onto a wooden platform overlooking the center of the dune. For the visually impaired, audio guides are available at the park office. Park rangers can also provide a ride on a four-wheeler to the top of the dune if you call in advance.

The park opens at 8:00 A.M.every day except Christmas. Closing time depends on the season: November through February, 6:00 P.M.; March and October, 7:00 P.M.; April, May, and September, 8:00 P.M.; and June through August, 9:00 P.M.

This is sunset-watching central, especially in the summer months, when hundreds of people may climb the dunes to watch the sun sink into Roanoke Sound. A soundside access is on the southwest side of Jockey's Ridge. This also provides access to a great beach on the gentle sound waters.

Nags Head Beach Cottage Row Historic District
NC 12, MP 12-13, Nags Head

The long row of rustic, weather-worn cottages on the ocean in Nags Head around mileposts 12 and 13 is famously known as the "Unpainted Aristocracy." The homes have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. They feature the "Nags Head style" cedar siding grayed in the wind and salt, wraparound porches, propped-open shutters, dormers, and gabled roofs. Although Nags Head was a vacation destination earlier, it wasn't until 1855 that an Elizabeth City doctor built the first house on the oceanfront. He was lonely, so he sold the land around him to other people who vacationed in the wooded area by the sound. By 1885 13 homes sat at the ocean's edge.

Many of the cottages are still in the original families. Nine of the original 13 are still standing. Two were replaced with similar structures, one was destroyed by fire, and one was razed. Several of the other cottages in the mile-long row between mileposts 12 and 13, though not of the original 13 homes, are historic in their own rights, having survived since the early 1900s. The land around these homes is private, and the homes are occupied. Feel free to drive by or walk by and admire, but please respect the owners' privacy and don't trespass on their property.

Jennette's Pier
MP 16 1/2, Nags Head
(252) 441-6421
www.jennettespier.net

Jennette's Pier is a local historic landmark that lost most of its pier during Hurricane Isabelle in 2003. Just before the hurricane, the North Carolina Aquarium Society had purchased the site. In 2006, the remaining pier house will be taken down and rebuilt, and a 1,000-foot concrete pier will be constructed. Plans are for the pier to have wooden rails and decking to create a traditional feel, yet the concrete pylons will make the site much more substantial. Look for the pier to reopen in 2007.

		Duck U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility NC 12, Duck (252) 261-6840, ext. 401 www.frf.usace.army.mil Set on a former Navy weapons test site, the Waterways Experiment Station of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has helped scientists study ocean processes since 1977. This 173-acre federally owned scientific mecca has gained a reputation as one of the premier coastal field research facilities in the world. Just north of Duck Village, the site includes state-of-the-art equipment to monitor sand movement, wave forces, water currents, temperatures, and sedimentation. Its 12 full-time employees regularly host dozens of scientists from around the globe to conduct experiments on sand movement, beach erosion, and coastal dynamics. In 1997, during the world's largest near-shore research experiment, 250 coastal engineers gathered at the research facility to study the near-shore zone of breaking waves to determine the dynamics of beach erosion. The public is invited to tour the research facility from mid-June through mid-August. One free tour is held each day, Monday through Friday, at 10:00 A.M. Reservations are not necessary, and the tour is held rain or shine, except in lightning. The tours last about an hour and a half, sometimes longer, and include an ecolecture about how the sound and ocean waters coexist, barrier island environments, and ocean currents. Researchers lead the tours onto the beach, into the observation tower, and into the research facility. The public is not allowed on the pier because of the great amount of research equipment there. Since part of the tour is outside on a sandy trail and on the beach, participants should be prepared for a strenuous walk. Besides the 1,840-foot pier, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' experiment station owns a 125-foot observation tower and a 35-foot-tall Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy, the CRAB, which carries people and equipment from the shore into the sea. The Corps works in cooperation with the U.S. Army and Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, using the latest technically advanced equipment to improve the design of coastal navigation projects. Research conducted at the station could eventually alter the way engineers design bridges, help people pick sites for beach nourishment projects, improve projections about where the shoreline might erode, determine how and why sandbars move, and predict what effect rock jetties might have on Oregon Inlet.
		Kitty Hawk Kitty Hawk Public Beach & Bathhouse NC 12, MP 4, Kitty Hawk Across the road from the ocean, a bathhouse and a small, free parking area offer visitors access to the beach as they arrive on the Outer Banks at Kitty Hawk. If you arrive too early for check-in, you can change into bathing suits here and enjoy a few hours at the ocean until it's time to head to your hotel or beach cottage. Public showers also are available to rinse off after one last stop in the sand on the way home. Another parking lot is available close by, right off Byrd Street. Kitty Hawk Village Along Kitty Hawk Road, west of US 158 If you want to check out one of the islands' oldest neighborhoods and see where the Wright brothers stayed when they first visited the Outer Banks, head west on Kitty Hawk Road, turning just north of the 7Eleven in Kitty Hawk. This winding, two- lane street dead-ends after about 3 miles at Kitty Hawk Bay. Drivers pass through at least two centuries in the process. The old post office for this isolated village still stands on the north side of the road and was restored to become the town's police station. Several two-story farmhouses still stand along the shady streets and shallow canals. Boats on blocks and fishing nets tied to trees are strewn along backyards. On warm weekend afternoons, families ride horses down lanes lined with live oaks, waving to neighbors sitting on their covered porches. You can forget you're at the beach in this quaint, quiet community on the western shores of the Outer Banks. Monument to a Century of Flight Off US 158 Bypass, behind the Aycock Brown Welcome Center, Kitty Hawk (252) 441-6584 www.icarusinternational.com This sculptural garden was conceived by local artist Glenn Eure and brought to fruition by the nonprofit group Icarus International. It features stainless-steel pylons placed in ascending order by height, symbolizing the steps humans have taken to reach the heavens. Adorning the pylons are black granite slabs that name 100 of the most important moments in the history of flight. The courtyard contains 5,000 bricks, each engraved with a sponsor's message. (At the time of printing, about 600 bricks, three pylons, a flagpole, and numerous pavers and benches were still available for sponsorship.) Outer Banks Music Showcase Kitty Hawk Plaza, US 158, MP 4 1/2 (252) 261-7505 www.outerbanksmusicshowcase.com Outer Banks Music Showcase, billed as "where Branson meets the Outer Banks," features America's favorite music. Local performers entertain an audience of all ages, weaving comedy and music from a variety of genres-country, show tunes, 1950s and 1960s pop, gospel, and patriotic songs-into family-friendly shows. There are two performances nightly in season. In 2005 tickets were $20.95 for adults and $11.95 for children age 12 and younger.
		Kill Devil Hills Wright Brothers National Memorial US 158, MP 8, Kill Devil Hills (252) 441-7430 www.nps.gov/wrbr Set atop a steep, grassy sand hill in the center of Kill Devil Hills, the trapezoidal granite monument to Orville and Wilbur Wright is within easy walking distance of the site of the world's first powered airplane flight. Below where this lighthouse- style tower now stands, on the blustery afternoon of December 17, 1903, the two bicycle-building brothers from Dayton, Ohio, soared over a distance of more than 852 feet, staying airborne for an unheard- of 59 seconds in their homemade flying machine. The monument was erected to honor Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1932. In the low, domed building on the right side of the main drive off U.S. Highway 158, the National Park Service operates a visitor center, gift shop, and museum. Here, you can view interpretive exhibits of humankind's first flight and see displays on later aviation advancements. Exhibits about the Wright brothers' struggles to fly include parts of their planes, engines, and research notes. Reproductions of their gliders are displayed in the flight room, and rangers offer free guided historical tours year-round. The visitor center is itself an attraction. Opened in the early 1960s, it is recognized as a significant example of modernist architecture. It's one of only a handful of examples of modernist architecture built in eastern North Carolina during the 20th century, mainly because the National Park Service was one of a few groups in the region that had the financial resources to hire architects from outside the region. The Philadelphia architectural firm of Ehrman Mitchell and Romaldo Giurgola designed the building to reflect the natural environment of the Outer Banks and symbolically portray flight in static form. The horizontal roof with a shallow concrete dome reflects the surrounding landscape of beach and dunes, while the overhang of the dome represents the soaring possibilities of flight. The National Historic Register-listed structure is considered a key work in the Philadelphia School of expressive modernist architects. The 100th anniversary celebration of the first flight was held in December 2003. An olive-shaped, domed Centennial Pavilion was added for the celebration and will remain on the grounds. It holds an exhibit hall and an auditorium. The Centennial Pavilion houses an expanded U.S. Air Force exhibit and an expanded NASA exhibit as well as new exhibits from the Cirrus Corporation and the Wright Experience. The Wright Experience details the story of replicating the original Wright flyer. In a nearby temporary facility, one of the two Wright Flyer replications is stored. The facility is open occasionally for viewing, but not at regularly scheduled times. Harry Combs, recently deceased Wright Brothers historian and aviator, donated more than $1 million to build and replicate the flyer housed here. Outside the exhibit center, four markers set along a sandy runway commemorate the takeoff and landing sites of each of Orville and Wilbur's December 17 flights. Reconstructed wooden sheds replicating those used at the Wrights' 1903 camp and hangar also are on the grounds and open to visitors. These sheds are furnished with tools, equipment, and food canisters similar to those the brothers used. A short hike takes you from the visitor center to the monument hill, but if you'd rather drive or ride, parking is available closer to the base of the hill. Paved walkways make access easy. The grass is filled with cacti and sand spurs, so you're advised to stay on the paths. Also, be aware that the walk up the monument hill is longer and more strenuous than it looks. On a hot summer day, consider visiting the site in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not as strong. At the bottom of the south side of the monument hill, a sculpture added for the 100th anniversary celebration of flight is displayed. It re-creates Orville flying the plane, with Wilbur running alongside and local John Daniels taking the historic photo of the event. Besides tours, the Exhibit Center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial offers a variety of summer programs. Grounds and buildings are open to vehicles from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Labor Day through Memorial Day. Hours are from 9:00 A.M.to 6:00 P.M. in the summer. Thirty-minute flight-room talks are given by rangers every hour on the hour, year-round. Expect the entire tour to take about one to two hours. Add an additional 30 minutes if you'd like to attend a program. Cost for entry at the guard gate is $3.00 for adults ages 16 and over, and admission is good for seven days. Persons age 15 and younger get in free, as do seniors with Golden Age Passports and other passports, which are available at the gate. Outer Banks Opry First Flight High School Veterans Drive off Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills (252) 256-2081 www.outerbanksopry.com The Outer Banks Opry entertains with a family-oriented evening of music and fun for all ages. Weekly guest performers join regular headliners Coyote and Molasses Creek. The Opry is held at First Flight High School on Friday at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under the age of 12. Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills (252) 441-2525 www.nature.org If you've had a little too much sun, or if you'd like to spend time in a secluded forest on a part of the Outer Banks few people get to see, allocate an afternoon for The Nature Conservancy's Nags Head Woods Preserve, west of US 158. The maritime forest itself is well hidden, and many rare plant and animal species live within this protected landscape. It's one of the most tranquil settings on the Outer Banks. The Nature Conservancy, an international, nonprofit conservation organization, oversees this maritime forest. Nags Head Woods is not a park--it is an example of a successful private-public partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the towns of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, and private landowners. More than 5 miles of trails and footbridges wind through forest, dune, swamp, and pond habitats as well as graveyards and farm sites from the 19th and 20th centuries. Trails are open to visitors on weekdays from 10:00 A.M.to 3:00 P.M., while members of The Nature Conservancy are welcome during any daylight hours. No camping, firearms, picnicking, or alcoholic beverages are allowed in the preserve. Bicycling, pets on leashes, and other activities that might damage the trails are restricted to the Old Nags Head Woods Road, which winds from north to south through the woods. For more information, write to The Nature Conservancy at 701 West Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. All donations are welcome, and memberships start at $25. Monies support the preserve's environmental education and research programs.
		Nags Head Jockey's Ridge State Park US 158, MP 12, Nags Head (252) 441-7132 www.jockeysridgestatepark.com The East Coast's tallest sand dune and one of the Outer Banks's most phenomenal natural attractions, Jockey's Ridge has long been a favorite stop for tourists. In the early 1970s, bulldozers began flattening the surrounding dunes to make way for a housing subdivision. A Nags Head woman, Carolista Baum, single-handedly stopped the destruction and formed a committee that saved Jockey's Ridge. State officials made the sand hill a protected park in 1975, but the dunes are unruly. Since then, the steepest side of the hill has shifted more than 1,500 feet to the southwest. Jockey's Ridge is also getting shorter. At the turn of the 20th century, the highest mound was estimated at 140 feet. In 1971, it was about 110 feet tall. Today, the 1.5-mile-long, 420-acre-plus dune-which varies from 90 feet to 110 feet in height-is open to the public year- round until sunset. It's a popular spot for hang gliders, summer hikers, small children who like to roll down the steep slopes, and teenagers who delight in sandboarding or flinging and flipping themselves down the sandy hills. Sandboarding is allowed only from October 31 through March 31. More than one million people visit Jockey's Ridge each year. Park headquarters is near the northern end of a parking lot off the west side of US 158. You'll notice an entrance sign at MP 12, Carolista Drive, in Nags Head. A visitor center, museum, and gift shop are near park headquarters. The free museum features photo displays of the history and recreation at the dune and a diorama of the animals that inhabit the area. Information panels of plants and animals and an auditorium where slide shows and videos are shown are also at the facility. Maps available from the park ranger indicate walking areas. Two trails-the Soundside Nature Trail, a very easy 45=minute walk, and Tracks in the Sand, a 1.5=mile trek-are open to hikers looking for a change of scenery. Jockey's Ridge State Park offers natural history programs throughout the summer, including stargazing and wildlife discovery evening hikes and early-morning bird-watching and natural history discovery adventures. Fantastic educational programs for kids are also offered, but rangers warn that they fill up fast, and many require advance registration. Call for program schedules. Sheltered picnic areas are available for lunches. It's a long hike to the top of the ridge. Bring shoes or boots. Don't try it barefoot in summer; you'll burn your feet. Also, some lower areas around the dune are covered with broken glass. At the top of Jockey's Ridge, you can see both ocean and sound. Cottages along the beach look like tiny huts from a miniature train set. Kite-flying and hang-gliding enthusiasts catch the breezes that flow around the steep summit, shifting the sand in all directions. (See our Recreation chapter for information on hang gliding.) If your mobility is impaired, a 360-foot boardwalk affords wheelchairs and baby strollers a slightly sloping incline onto a wooden platform overlooking the center of the dune. For the visually impaired, audio guides are available at the park office. Park rangers can also provide a ride on a four-wheeler to the top of the dune if you call in advance. The park opens at 8:00 A.M.every day except Christmas. Closing time depends on the season: November through February, 6:00 P.M.; March and October, 7:00 P.M.; April, May, and September, 8:00 P.M.; and June through August, 9:00 P.M. This is sunset-watching central, especially in the summer months, when hundreds of people may climb the dunes to watch the sun sink into Roanoke Sound. A soundside access is on the southwest side of Jockey's Ridge. This also provides access to a great beach on the gentle sound waters. Nags Head Beach Cottage Row Historic District NC 12, MP 12-13, Nags Head The long row of rustic, weather-worn cottages on the ocean in Nags Head around mileposts 12 and 13 is famously known as the "Unpainted Aristocracy." The homes have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. They feature the "Nags Head style" cedar siding grayed in the wind and salt, wraparound porches, propped-open shutters, dormers, and gabled roofs. Although Nags Head was a vacation destination earlier, it wasn't until 1855 that an Elizabeth City doctor built the first house on the oceanfront. He was lonely, so he sold the land around him to other people who vacationed in the wooded area by the sound. By 1885 13 homes sat at the ocean's edge. Many of the cottages are still in the original families. Nine of the original 13 are still standing. Two were replaced with similar structures, one was destroyed by fire, and one was razed. Several of the other cottages in the mile-long row between mileposts 12 and 13, though not of the original 13 homes, are historic in their own rights, having survived since the early 1900s. The land around these homes is private, and the homes are occupied. Feel free to drive by or walk by and admire, but please respect the owners' privacy and don't trespass on their property. Jennette's Pier MP 16 1/2, Nags Head (252) 441-6421 www.jennettespier.net Jennette's Pier is a local historic landmark that lost most of its pier during Hurricane Isabelle in 2003. Just before the hurricane, the North Carolina Aquarium Society had purchased the site. In 2006, the remaining pier house will be taken down and rebuilt, and a 1,000-foot concrete pier will be constructed. Plans are for the pier to have wooden rails and decking to create a traditional feel, yet the concrete pylons will make the site much more substantial. Look for the pier to reopen in 2007.
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