We braved those more than 25 mph winds that made it seem colder than the 59 degrees that day. The Outer Banks jut out as barrier islands 26 miles from the US off the North Carolina shore. I had always wanted to see how people live there in those conditions. I got to see that in the lovely homes on the sand but there was so much more to see in the islands.
Those winds were what brought the Wright Brothers to fly their plane at Big Kill Devil Hill on Kitty Hawk where the Memorial to their conquest of air space is standing. In fact there is a Memorial to a Century of Flight built to commemorate the 100 years of aviation achievement since that success. There is a pillar for each decade laid out as a circle with a 120-ft. circumference. Inside is a time capsule, to be opened in 2103, by the heroes of the next century.
We were even treated to the lovely lighthouses that guide the ships that came in: Ocracoke, Currituck, Hatteras, and Bodie. I just don’t know why so many ships were still wrecked despite them. And, would you believe North America’s highest active sand dune is there for us to play in at Jockey’s Ridge State Park? That’s where anyone can enjoy activities like hang gliding, hiking, and kite flying
As a matter of fact, we were even given three bonuses: fabulous dining of crabs and mussels at the Carolina Seafood, finding the Inn at Rodanthe where Richard Gere and Diane Lane had a tragic love affair in the film of the same name, and hearing Mass at Our Lady of the Seas Church with the sea as a backdrop. These all blew us away in the three days we had at the Outer Banks.
Read Carol’s full article: Embracing the Outer Banks
About the Author
Carol Esguerra Colborn worked for pioneering IT companies in the Philippines before she migrated to the US. While teaching at universities in Seattle, she met and married Bill and they cruised North America in an RV for eight years. Now they travel the world and she maintains a blog, Cruising Past 70, about their travels. Her book about RVing, Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream has been published. A sequel, Cruising Past 70 is about to go to press. She also writes for Travel Awaits, an ezine. Carol has a BS, MBA, and DPA abd from the University of the Philippines.