Moon Coastal Carolinas Read online

  TRANSPORTATION

  The closest major airport to this region is the Norfolk International Airport (ORF, 2200 Norview Ave., Norfolk, VA, 757/857-3351, www.norfolkairport.com), approximately one hour’s drive from the northern Outer Banks. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU, 2600 W. Terminal Blvd., Morrisville, NC, 919/840-2123, www.rdu.com) is 3 to 5 hours’ drive from most Outer Banks destinations.

  Only two bridges exist between the mainland and the northern Outer Banks. U.S. 64/264 crosses over Roanoke Island to Whalebone, just south of Nags Head. Not too far north of there, U.S. 158 crosses from Point Harbor to Southern Shores. Highway 12 is the main road all along the northern Outer Banks.

  Roanoke Island

  Roanoke Island was the site of the Lost Colony, one of the strangest mysteries in all of American history. Its sheltered location—nestled between the Albemarle, Roanoke, and Croatan Sounds, and protected from the ocean by Bodie Island—made Roanoke Island a welcoming spot for that party of ocean-weary English people in the 1580s. Unhappily, they lacked the ability to make one of the bed-and-breakfast inns in Manteo or Wanchese their home base, so that after a hard day of fort-building they could relax with a hot bath and free wireless Internet. Instead they cast their lots in the wilderness, and what befell them may never be known.

  At the northern end of Roanoke Island is the town of Manteo and the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. This is where most of the attractions and visitor services are concentrated. At the southern end is Wanchese, where some of Dare County’s oldest families carry on their ancestral trades of fishing and boatbuilding.

  S FORT RALEIGH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

  Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (1401 National Park Dr., Manteo, 252/473-5772, www.nps.gov/fora, park daily dawn-dusk except Christmas Day, visitors center Sept.-May daily 9am-5pm, June-Aug. daily 9am-6pm, park admission free, admission charged for Elizabethan Gardens and The Lost Colony) covers much of the original site of the first English settlement in the New World. Some of the earthworks associated with the original 1580s fort remain and have been preserved. The visitors center displays some of the artifacts discovered during this restoration effort. Two nature trails in the park explore the island’s natural landscape and the location of a Civil War battle.

  Within the National Historic Site, two of Manteo’s most famous attractions operate autonomously. About 60 years ago, Manteo’s Elizabethan Gardens (252/473-3234, www.elizabethangardens.org, hours vary, $9 adults, $6 children) was conceived by the Garden Club of North Carolina as a memorial to the settlers of Roanoke Island. Much of the beautifully landscaped park recreates the horticulture of the colonists’ native England in the 16th century.

  Also within the park boundaries is the Waterside Theater. North Carolina has a long history of outdoor drama celebrating regional heritage, and the best known of the many productions across the state is Roanoke Island’s The Lost Colony (Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Roanoke, 252/473-3414, www.thelostcolony.org, $30 adults, $28 seniors, $10 children). Chapel Hill playwright Paul Green was commissioned to write the drama in 1937 to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Virginia Dare’s birth. What was expected to be a single-season production has returned almost every year for over 75 years, interrupted only occasionally for emergencies such as prowling German U-boats.

  Waterside Theater, where The Lost Colony is performed

  OTHER SIGHTS

  The North Carolina Maritime Museum (104 Fernando St., Manteo, 252/475-1750, www.obxmaritime.org, hours vary, free), whose mother venue is located in Beaufort, operates a branch here on Roanoke Island. In addition to the many traditional Outer Banks working watercraft on display, the museum holds boat building and handling courses at its George Washington Creef Boathouse. Visitors not enrolled in classes can still come in and watch traditional boat builders at work in the shop.

  The Lost Colony

  On July 4, 1584, an expedition of English men commissioned by Walter Raleigh dropped anchor near Hatteras Island. Within a couple of days, local Native Americans were coming and going from the English ships, scoping out trade goods and offering hospitality. They got on famously, and when the English sailed back to Europe to tell Raleigh and the queen of the land they had found, two Indian men, Manteo and Wanchese, came along as guests. It seems that Wanchese was somewhat taciturn and found London to be no great shakes, but Manteo got a kick out of everything he saw and took to the English.

  In 1585 a new expedition set out for Roanoke, this time intending to settle in earnest. When they reached the Pamlico Sound, their bad luck began. Most of their store of food was soaked and ruined when seawater breached the ship, so from the moment they arrived on shore they were dependent on the goodwill of the indigenous people. Manteo and Wanchese went to Roanoke chief Wingina to discuss the plight of the English. Wanchese, a man of superior insight, tried to convince Wingina to withhold help, but Manteo pled the colonists’ case convincingly, and the English were made welcome. Winter came, and the colonists, having grown fat and happy on the local people’s food, were doing precious little to attain self-sufficiency. Then a silver cup disappeared from the English compound. It was posited that the thief came from a nearby village, which was promptly burned to the ground. Worried about his own people, Wingina cut off food aid, hoping the English would either starve or go away. Instead, they killed him. Three weeks later, an English supply ship arrived with reinforcements of men and material, but they found the colony deserted.

  Yet another attempt was made, this time with whole families rather than gangs of rowdy single men. A young couple named Eleanor and Ananais Dare was expecting a child when they landed at Roanoke, and soon Virginia Dare was born, the first English child born in the New World. Relations with the Native Americans grew worse, though, when the Roanoke people, now under the leadership of Wanchese, were unwilling to aid a new wave of colonists. Manteo, still a friend, tried to enlist the help of his kinfolk, but they were facing lean times as well. John White, leader of the expedition and grandfather of Virginia Dare, lit out on what he planned would be a fast voyage back to England for supplies and food. Through no fault of his own, it was three years before he was able to return. When he did, he found no sign of the settlers, except “CRO” carved on a tree, and “CROATOAN” on a rail.

  Thus began 400 years of unanswered questions and speculation that will probably never be resolved. Some believe that the English colonists were killed by the local people, some that they were captured and sold into slavery among Native Americans farther inland. Several communities in the South of uncertain or mixed racial heritage believe themselves to be descendants of the lost colonists, and some evidence suggests that this might in fact be possible. The answers may never be found, and for the foreseeable future, the mystery will still hang heavily over Roanoke Island and its two towns: Manteo and Wanchese.

  The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island (374 Airport Rd., 3 miles north of Manteo, 866/332-3475, www.ncaquariums.com, daily 9am-5pm, $10.95 adults, $8.95 children) is one of three state aquariums on the North Carolina coast. It’s a great place to visit and see all sorts of marine fauna: sharks and other less ferocious fish, crustaceans, octopuses, turtles, and more. Like its sister aquariums, it’s also a research station where marine biologists track and work to conserve the native creatures of the coast.

  Roanoke Island Festival Park (1 Festival Park, Manteo, 252/475-1500, www.roanokeisland.com, Feb. 19-Mar. and Nov.-Dec. daily 9am-5pm, Apr.-Oct. daily 9am-6pm, $8 adults, $5 ages 6-17, free under age 6) is a state-operated living history site. The highlight is the Elizabeth II, a reconstruction of a 16th-century ship like the ones that brought Walter Raleigh’s colonists to the New World. There are also a museum, a reconstructed settlement site, and several other places where costumed interpreters will tell you about daily life in the Roanoke colony.

  SPORTS AND RECREATION

  The Outdoors Inn and Outfitters (406 Uppowoc Ave., Manteo, 252/473-1356, www.theoutdoorsinn.com) offers scuba instructi
on, beach dives, dive boat charters, and swimming lessons. Kayak tours include wildlife and dolphin watching, birding, salt marsh, and photography tours.

  TOURS

  The Downeast Rover (sails from Manteo waterfront, 252/473-4866, www.downeastrover.com, daytime cruises $30 adults, $15 ages 2-12, sunset cruises $40) is a reproduction 19th-century 55-foot schooner that sails from Manteo on daytime and sunset cruises. Cruises last two hours and depart three times daily at 11am, 2pm, and sunset. To see the Outer Banks from the air, your options include a World War II biplane or a closed-cockpit Cessna through Fly the Outer Banks (410 Airport Rd., Manteo, 252/202-7433, $38-98), or a biplane through Barrier Island Aviation (407 Airport Rd., 252/473-4247, www.barrierislandaviation.com, $40-150).

  ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS

  Outer Banks Epicurean Tours (252/305-0952, www.outerbanksepicurean.com) are a wonderful way to dine royally while learning about the rich culinary traditions of this region and how the Banks’ natural history creates this unique cuisine. The four-hour tours, which start at $95 pp (not including alcohol), give a good introduction to the native fish and shellfish of the area and the heritage of the people who harvest them, as well as bees and beekeeping, local wineries and microbreweries, coastal barbecue, indigenous and colonial cuisines, and many other topics.

  SHOPPING

  Manteo Booksellers (105 Sir Walter Raleigh St., 252/473-1221 or 866/473-1222, www.manteobooksellers.com, daily 10am-6pm) is a great independent bookstore, specializing in Outer Banks history and nature, but with a wide selection for all tastes.

  Endless Possibilities (105 Budleigh St., 252/475-1575, www.ragweavers.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm) is an unusual sort of a shop where you can buy purses, boas, rugs, and other adornments of home and body made from recycled secondhand clothes. All the profits go to support the Outer Banks Hotline Crisis Intervention and Prevention Center, a regional help line for victims of rape and domestic violence, as well as an HIV/AIDS information center. And if you happen to be in Manteo long enough, you can even take lessons here to learn how to weave.

  ACCOMMODATIONS

  Under $150

  The Island Guesthouse (706 U.S. 64, 252/473-2434, www.theislandmotel.com, rooms from $60 off-season, from $85 high season, cottages from $125 off-season, from $200 high season, pets welcome for a fee) offers simple and comfortable accommodations in its guest house, with two double beds, air-conditioning, and cable TV in each room. They also rent out three tiny, cute cottages. Another affordable option is the Duke of Dare Motor Lodge (100 S. U.S. 64, 252/473-2175, from $42 high season). It’s a 1960s motel, not at all fancy, but a fine choice when you need an inexpensive place to lay your head.

  A top hotel in Manteo is the Tranquil House Inn (405 Queen Elizabeth Ave., 800/458-7069, www.1587.com, $109-239). It’s in a beautiful location (though it’s hard not to be on this island), and downstairs is one of the best restaurants in town, 1587. The Scarborough Inn (524 U.S. 64, 252/473-3979, www.scarborough-inn.com, $75-125, depending on season) is a small hotel with 12 guest rooms and great rates, the sort of old-time hotel that’s hard to find these days.

  Over in Wanchese, the Wanchese Inn (85 Jovers Lane, Wanchese, 252/475-1166, www.wancheseinn.com, from $69 off-season, from $129 high season) is a simple and inexpensive bed-and-breakfast. It’s a nice Victorian house with modern guest rooms, and there is a boat slip and available on-site parking for a boat and trailer. The Island House (104 Old Wharf Rd., 866/473-5619, www.islandhouse-bb.com, $85-175) was built in the early 1900s for a local Coast Guardsman, with wood cut from the property and nails forged on-site. It’s very comfortable and quiet, and a big country breakfast is served every day.

  $150-300

  The S White Doe Inn (319 Sir Walter Raleigh St., 800/473-6091, www.whitedoeinn.com, from $175 off-season, from $350 high season) is one of North Carolina’s premier inns. The 1910 Queen Anne is the largest house on the island and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Guest rooms are exquisitely furnished in turn-of-the-century finery. Guests enjoy a four-course breakfast, evening sherry, espresso and cappuccino any time, and a 24-hour wine cellar. Spa services are available on-site, and you need only step out to the lawn to play croquet or bocce ball.

  The Cameron House Inn (300 Budleigh St., Manteo, 800/279-8178, http://cameronhouseinn.com, $130-210) is a cozy 1919 arts and crafts-style bungalow. All of the guest rooms are furnished in a lovely and understated craftsman style, but the nicest room in the house is the porch, which has an outdoor fireplace, fans, and flowery trellises.

  The Roanoke Island Inn (305 Fernando St., 877/473-5511, www.roanokeislandinn.com, $150-200) has been in the present owner’s family since the 1860s. It’s a beautiful old place with a big porch that overlooks the marsh. They also rent a single cottage on a private island, five minutes away by boat, and a nice cypress-shingled bungalow in town.

  FOOD

  Located in the Tranquil House Inn, with a great view of Shallowbag Bay, S 1587 (405 Queen Elizabeth Ave., 252/473-1587, www.1587.com, June-Aug. daily 5pm-9pm, Sept.-Oct. Wed.-Sun. 5pm-9pm, Jan.-Feb. Fri.-Sat. 5pm-9pm, closed Nov.-Dec. dinner entrées $18-29) is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in this part of the state. The menu is of hearty chops and seafood, with local ingredients in season, and a full vegetarian menu is also available on request. The wine list is a mile long.

  Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café (Nags Head-Manteo Causeway, 252/441-5405, www.lonecedarcafe.com, spring-fall Mon.-Wed. 5pm-close, Thurs.-Sat. 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-close, Sun. 11am-close, lunch entrées $6-18, dinner entrées $18-31) is a water-view bistro that specializes in local food—oysters from Hyde and Dare Counties, fresh-caught local fish, and North Carolina chicken, pork, and vegetables. It’s one of the most popular restaurants on the Outer Banks, and they don’t take reservations, so be sure to arrive early. The full bar is open until midnight.

  The Full Moon Café (208 Queen Elizabeth St., 252/473-6666, www.thefullmooncafe.com, high season daily 11:30am-9pm, call for off-season hours, $10-30) is simple and affordable, specializing in quesadillas and enchiladas, wraps, sandwiches, a variety of seafood and chicken bakes, and quiches. Despite the seemingly conventional selection, the food here is so good that the Full Moon has received glowing reviews from the Washington Post and the New York Post—quite a feat for a little café in Manteo.

  The Magnolia Grille (408 Queen Elizabeth St., 252/475-9787, www.roanokeisland.net, Sun.-Mon. 7am-4pm, Tues.-Sat. 7am-8pm) is a super-inexpensive place for all three meals and snacks in between. They’ve got a great selection of breakfast omelets, burgers, salads, soups, and deli sandwiches, with nothing more than $7.

  TRANSPORTATION

  Coming from the mainland, you’ll reach the town of Mann’s Harbor on the inland side of Croatan Sound, and there you have two choices for crossing to Roanoke Island. If you take U.S. 64/264, to the left, you’ll cross the sound to the north, arriving in Manteo. If you stay straight at Mann’s Harbor you’ll be on the U.S. 64/264 Bypass, which crosses to the middle of the island, south of Manteo. Proceed until you get to the main intersection, where you can turn left onto U.S. 64/264 to go to Manteo, or right onto Highway 345 toward Wanchese.

  To reach Roanoke Island from the Outer Banks, take U.S. 158 or Highway 12 to Whalebone Junction, south of Nags Head, and cross Roanoke Sound on the U.S. 64/264 bridge.

  Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  To many Americans, Cape Hatteras is probably familiar as a name often repeated during hurricane season. Hatteras protrudes farther to the southeast than any part of North America, a landmark for centuries of mariners and a prime target for storms. Cape Hatteras, the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” lies near Diamond Shoals, a treacherous zone of shifting sandbars between the beach and the Gulf Stream. Two channels, Diamond Slough and Hatteras Slough, cross the shoals in deep enough water for a ship to navigate safely, but countless ships have missed their mark and gone down off Cape Hatteras. The 1837 wreck of the steamboat Home on the Shoals, which killed 90 passengers, led Congress to
pass the Steamboat Act, which established the requirement of one life vest per passenger in all vessels.

  In 2003 Hurricane Isabel inflicted tremendous damage and even opened a new channel right across Hatteras Island, a 2,000-foot-wide swash that was called Isabel Inlet. It separated the towns of Hatteras and Frisco, washing out a large portion of the highway that links the Outer Banks. For some weeks afterward, Hatteras residents had to live as their forebears had, riding ferries to school and to the mainland. The inlet has since been filled in and Highway 12 reconnected, but Isabel Inlet’s brief reign of inconvenience highlighted the vulnerability of life on the Outer Banks.

  BODIE ISLAND

  The 156-foot Bodie Island Lighthouse (6 miles south of Whalebone Junction), whose huge Fresnel lens first beamed in 1872, was the third to guard this stretch of coast. The first light was built in the 1830s, but it leaned like the Tower of Pisa. The next stood straight but promised to be such a tempting target for the Union Navy during the Civil War that the Confederates blew it up themselves. An unfortunate flock of geese nearly put the third lighthouse out of commission soon after its first lighting, when they collided with and damaged the lens. The lighthouse is not open to the public, but the keeper’s house has been converted into a visitors center (252/441-5711, call for hours). This is also the starting point for self-guided nature trails to Roanoke Sound through the beautiful marshy landscape of Bodie Island.