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 TM
Fabulous Legends and True Tales
Make the Outer Banks of North Carolina
A Prime Place for an Island Adventure
By Murray D. Laurie
 There is a little castle on the Outer Banks of North
Carolina, one that appears and disappears magically as the winds blow.
Surrounded by golden sand, it sometime submerges below the surface, only to
emerge a little more antiqued each time. Some say it is inhabited by elves
that stir up the hurricane winds off the shore of the Banks. Some say it was
once part of a miniature golf course that was covered up by the shifting
sands of Jockey’s Ridge.
The castle is in the village of Nag’s Head, a comical
name that may refer to the belief that wreckers once tied lanterns to the
necks of wild ponies to lure unsuspecting ships to shore, although why a
sensible sea captain would fall for that one is a bit hard to believe. But
there were wreckers, those who plundered the ships that ran aground or were
tossed up on shore by angry wind and waves.
This sandy ledge elbowing out into the stormy Atlantic
wasn’t called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for nothing. There is many a
story to be told of tragic shipwrecks and daring rescues by the brave men of
the Lifesaving Service who kept watch at their stations that dotted the
Banks. Even today, beachcombers pick up treasures that wash ashore from some
of the more than 2,000 ships that have been lost along the treacherous
coastline. Old buttons, bottles, and pieces of eight may mingle with
seashells to be found on your morning stroll along the water’s edge.
 Perhaps you’d rather dwell on the mystery of the Lost
Colony that disappeared from nearby Roanoke Island, leaving only a cryptic
word carved into a tree as they faded from history. The chilling tale that
begins in the court of Queen Elizabeth I and ends in the dark forests of the
New World is told with dramatic flourish all summer long in an outdoor
theater near the pretty town of Manteo. You might do a double take on
Manteo’s waterfront when you spy the gaudy 16th-century sailing
ship anchored across the bay, a regal feature of the Festival Park that
brings that era of our colonial past alive.
Then there are the bloodcurdling legends of Bluebeard,
alias Edward Teach, the infamous pirate who found shelter near Ocracoke at
the so-called Teach’s Hole. Captured at last, his head was lopped off in
1718 and displayed as a warning to other wannabe buccaneers. There is still
a certain wildness about Ocracoke and Hatteras for those who would venture
into those remote shores. It’s possible to camp out in the Hatteras National
Park and gaze up that the stars that once shone on the dark anchorage of one
of the world’s most notorious pirates.
 Some say that even the five lighthouses that stand
guard on North Carolina’s Outer Banks have haunting stories flashing from
their lights. You can visit these sentinels of the shore and even climb to
the top of two to take in the breathtaking views. Ahoy! Is that a sail I see
on the horizon? Perhaps ‘tis the ship come to rescue the Lost Colony!
To fly! That is our modern magic! The true tale of how
man finally broke the bonds of earth and soared like a bird for the first
time one hundred years ago may be one of the most gratifying reasons to
explore the Outer Banks. The Wright Brothers of Dayton, Ohio, chose these
once almost deserted sand dunes to launch the gliders they built to test
their theories of flight. Beginning in 1899, they came each year, finally
achieving the success they dreamed of on December 17, 1903, when they flew
the first manned and powered flight at Kitty Hawk. Visit the Wright Brothers
Memorial Park in 2003 and celebrate the centennial of the First Flight. You
may encounter an air race, a flight of balloons, or a recreation of the
original flight if you plan your visit carefully.
 Chasing legends may be one of the best excuses for
visiting the Outer Banks, but there are so many more that it exhausts the
imagination. Picture golden sand beaches with dolphins frolicking offshore,
superb fishing, a delightful collection of beach cottages from the funky and
off-beat to the authentically historical and outrageously luxurious, water
sports ranging from kayaking to windsurfing, aerial sports from kite flying
to hang gliding, nature excursions to view wild ponies or observe the richly
varied bird life, and, for the young and crazy, some pretty amazing
miniature golf courses and video arcades.
Like most beach communities on the Atlantic shore, the
Outer Banks are inclined to be crowded in the summer season when they absorb
vacationers from the steamy cities and overheated hinterlands. I’d advise
planning a trip in the Spring or Fall when the weather is gorgeous and the
pace a little slower. Winter can be wonderful too. It’s delightful to curl
up with a good book and know that you will have the beach to yourself when
you feel like taking a walk. Measure out island time enough to dwell on the
mysteries of the Outer Banks, the shifting sands, the Elizabethan dream of
conquest, the echoes of the colonists never to be seen again, the Native
Americans who befriended them, the legends of pirates and wreckers, the
mournful cries of those lost at sea, and the magic of flight.
For schedules of First Flight events, accommodations
and information, go to
www.outerbanks.org.
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