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Outer Banks, NC
Travelogue: Remember When...
Welcome to the Outer Banks Remember When Travelogue - a moderated
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comments.
I have been to Cape Hatteras on several occasions and have always
gone to Ocracoke Island via the ferry. We rented ATVS from a gentleman
who offers an awesome trip. Unfortunately, I have lost his number. Can
anyone help me?
-- Mary Welch - Saturday, May 22, 2004 at 13:20:31
I love the banks I have spent a coupe weeks out of each year there
for 19 years. It is the most perfect beach. I recommend this little
peice if heaven to any age.
-- Mitzi Frame - Monday, July 28, 2003 at 07:59:04
My family and I have been going to OBX for 3 years and its gonna be
4 in august. The first year i went there I love it i had only been
about the 2nd time i had ever been on a beach. I love waking up and
being able to here the waves crashing every morning. and for months
after i come home i dream about the beach and i would wake up and here
the waves in my head. my family goes down every year for 2 weeks in the
beginning of august. we are soo hooked that we even count down from the
day we get back till the next time we go. we had recently bout condoes
in manteo that are jus being built we are all so excited. Tell me bout
any good stories u have from obx...
-- Martin Zackowski - Saturday, July 5, 2003 at 22:28:21
I remember when Duck was nothing but lonely beaches where you could
arrive at dawn and watch the fishermen hauling in their nets with a
Jeep onshore. Once they gave my husband and me a nurse shark caught in
the net and we spent three hours removing the jawbones from this steely
sandpapered creature. Took it home, cleaned it up and had a real
conversation piece for many years--even the teeth had teeth! My husband
and I frequented the entire Outer Banks from the early '60's until he
died in 1976 and it will always be one of my most favorite places. Now
I have a Significant Other and am in my seventies; he's 65. He's never
been to the Atlantic Ocean and loves fishing and all the quaintness of
smelly old wharves and weathered buildings as I recall on Manteo. We're
coming to Baltimore on October 10, 2003 to visit my 90-year-old mom and
I want to rent a car, drive down to my old haunts on the Outer Banks
and Oregon Inlet. I'd like to show my honey what ocenfront really means
because the coastal comission in California believes in keeping
buildings a good distance from the surf. I'd like to be IN the surf!
I'd like to find a motel anywhere along the Outer Banks from Kitty Hawk
to Hatteras Island that is very close to the water's edge, has two
beds, air conditioning and is clean and under $100 for the nights of
October 11, and 12th. I would also be requiring another single room for
my sister who will be traveling with us. Please email me with any and
all possibilities. If we find what we're looking for we'll gladly
confirm it by credit card. I remember eating great breakfasts on the
Kitty Hawk fishing pier and can almost smell that fried fish, grits and
hush puppies! I would appreciate any places that provide good food and
lodging contacting me by either email or snail mail as soon as
feasible. Thanks so much! Laura Ireland
-- Laura Ireland - Saturday, June 28, 2003 at 11:04:53
I, too, grew up going to the Outer Banks with my grandparents. AFter
I graduated, I didn't return to this wonderful area until I was in my
upper 30's with 3 kids of my own. I will never forget seeing my
children wonder at all of the beauty of the Outer Banks, as I did when
I was a child. I have ticket stubs from the Lost Colony from 1967, when
it cost $2.75 for a seat. I remember KFC being the only restaurant in
Nags Head, and I remember the wonderful man who owned The Shipwreck
gift shop. He used to feed the turtles every evening out back of his
shop. I return every year now with my family, and I always bring a
picture of granny and grandaddy, who have passed away years ago, but I
bring them with me in their picture, so I'm returning the favor they
gave me as a child. We stay in Rodanthe, and I cannot wait until we go
again this year.
-- Glenda Anthonson - Wednesday, June 4, 2003 at 16:26:40
July of 1999 will mark my 29th summer on the Outer Banks. My first
memory is sitting on the Hatteras Island Pier fishing with my grandpa
(he passed away in 1990). I can also remember being too young to stay
out late with my aunts and uncle at the game room by the pier. That is
where I first heared a Billy Joel song. To this day "Only The Good Die
Young" reminds me of Cape Hatteras. I can't wait for the summer to
come. My back yard in Ohio has multiple wooden walkways and there is
always sand somewhere in or around my house...I was "homesick" the
summer that my son was born in 1993, because I was too pregnant to
travel so far from home. Thanks to all the wonderful people that have
let me call the Outer Banks my second home...Rondanthe I'll be seeing
you soon!!!!! "Cause I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind....."
-- Rebecca Rowley submitted 5/19/1999
submitted 5-99 i have lived most of my thirty years in elizabeth
city just 50-60 miles away from the outer banks. needless to say i have
had too many outer banks experiences to mention them all. it is still
one of my favorite places to visit. i remember my parents taking my
sister and i to duck to the camp ground that is now row after row of
cottages. at the time my sister and i thought we were at the end of the
earth! we spent our days on the beach collecting star fish and shells.
we would walk the small distance to winks for candy. at that time,
winks was the only sign of life in duck. i miss those days of solitude.
i still love the outer banks and my family and i visit often. we make a
point to get the entire family together for a week out of the summer to
lay around and play on the sand. to me, there is still nothing quite
like the outer banks. sitting on the porch early in the morning,
watching the pelicans fish is just what the doctor ordered! i'm sure i
still have plenty of outer banks memories to make!
-- submitted 5/13/1999
Okay, there are certain places you have to go for certain things to
eat on the Outer Banks. HURRICANE MO'S for the best steamed oysters
ever (beer and wine only)! CAPT'N FRANKS for the best hot dogs! CLARA'S
for the absolute best ever she-crab soup! DAIRY MART for the best
hamburger you will ever put in your mouth (outside dining only!)
ELIZABETH'S CAFE all around yummy! For great tuna taco's, it's gotta be
GOOMBAY'S. JOHN'S DRIVE IN for tuna boats with fried okra and don't
forget the peanut butter milkshakes (outside dining only!) THE OASIS:
you have to go get the BELLRINGERS! Raw oyster on a saltine cracker
with horseradish, hot sauce and a jalapeno; a buck a piece. Your nasal
passages will be clear for weeks. My record is six. If Mark makes them;
I can only do three. THAI ROOM for the sauteed soft shells. We lived on
the Outer Banks for nearly 10 years but go back at least twice a year.
Just got back from our 11 days during Easter 99. Had a wonde! rful time
-- B&J submitted 4/16/1999
My family & I have been visiting the outerbanks since 1958. An we
have hundreds of wonderful memories of this beautiful place. I think
the most wonderful memory is the time when on the spur of the moment my
husband & I invited my brother & his wife to go on a vacation with us.
It was our first vacation without our children. As they are all grown
now with families of their own. My brother hadn't been there for about
twenty years & his wife had never been there. None of us had alot of
money & just a couple small dome tents. We all camped on the same site
& shared resources & anything else we had. It was almost like being a
kid again. We now look forward to going down together each summer. An
hopefully some day our children will all start taking thier families.
This summer we will be visiting the outerbanks twice. More if time
allows. An we will be taking my younger sister & her family. As she has
not been there for twenty years. I'm sure this will be another of those
wonderful years. Maybe when my husband & I retire we could move to this
beautiful place. Hope to see everyone this summer.
-- Debbie Price submitted 3/16/1999
Salt air. That's the first thing that tells me I'm back where I
truly belong. I stick my head out of the window as we cross the bridge
and take deep breaths. I'm home, a giddy voice inside my head screams!
I can't take it all in fast enough with my eyes. Those old familiar
sights. The weatherbeaten cottages. Hello, old friends! I say this to
myself with a smile. I search for my first glimpse of the ocean. And
there it is, in all it's majesty and mystery. The water, which soothes
my soul, which has a magical way of easing all the pains I've suffered
since my last visit. We always have our first meal at the Nags Head
Pier. Because it has always been my father's favorite place, it is
special to us. It's where he reconnects with our "island." We always
laugh because while we're there, we begin to plan when we will come
back for breakfast--the best meal at the pier. Funnier still is that I
must always have a tuna salad sandwich on toast for breakfast. We
recall the many morning walks that would eventually lead us there. We
remember when there wasn't a McDonald's, a shopping mall or even a
large grocery. We used to buy our groceries for the week at the Giant
in Norfolk and hold them on our laps all the way to the island. There
were no radios, TVs or phones to distract us from the beauty that
surrounded us. We'd call Grandma at the first and last of the week from
one of the two pay phones in Southern Shores. We'd get glass jugs of
chocolate milk at one of the mom and pop stores and chug it all the way
back to the cottage. We'd get the world's best malts at Miller's Drug
Store. We'd buy Krispy Kremes in boxes at the store, not at drive-thrus.
We'd climb the dunes and always be stunned by the view from up top.
We'd go to the widow's peak at night to take in the moon and the stars,
and the Wright monument, lit up for all to see. We'd marvel at the
brothers' imagination and foresight. We'd drive to Manteo for a magical
visit to the Christmas Shop. Mom buys each of us an ornament every
year. We'd go to the Lost Colony and speculate on the story's true
ending. We'd walk along Manteo's waterfront and have wonderful sundaes
at the old drug store. On the way back, we'd stop at Buck's for the
best spiced crabs around. There are a million memories here for me and
my family. The breeze that gently caresses, the roar of the surf, the
hot sun, the laughter, the waves crashing down on you, the gentle
nights. There is no other place like this on earth for me. Reading
others' recollections, I was surprised to find that we are not alone in
our love for the island. Why? I guess I believe the magic of the Outer
Banks wraps around you and makes you feel as though it's all for you.
It's one place you can truly and easily live each day as if it were
your last. It makes us better people--most of the time, anyway! As
always, I can barely stand to count the days until I'm back where I
feel the most alive. And while it saddens me to see the continual,
perhaps unnecessary growth, it will remain the island of my memories.
The island where a little girl dreamed big dreams, loved her family and
skipped in tune with nature's beauty. 3-12-99
-- Mz. Sassy submitted 3/12/1999
My memories of the Outer Banks revolve around cars... it seems that
every time I return, its in a different vehicle, and each vehicle seems
to end up with its own "Outer Banks" story that my friends never tire
of hearing (yeah, right)... It all started with my Dad's old 1967 VW
Beetle... It was the late 70's, and my sister (who was a high school
senior) decided it might be amusing to take her "little" brother
along... years later, in the mid 80's I drove the very same vehicle
(after having restored it) back to the Outer Banks, only to drive into
a hurricane (how was I to know that the Outer Banks were closed...
nobody stopped me until I got to Whalebone Junction!) The sand blowing
against the car was not the best for my fresh paint job, but we
survived... A couple of years prior to that, a high school friend of
mine and I drove his VW Thing to the Outer Banks... ( A VW Thing being
a sort of Jeep type vehicle that VW sold inthe US briefly in 1973 and
74)... it had one drawback... two-wheel drive... of course this did not
prevent us from trying to get out on the beach, after all, we had snow
tires! And we did succeed... it was the return trip back to the road,
where we got stuck in sand so soft, that once we were able to get
ourselves through it, (through the use of bits of carpet, seaweed and
whatever else we could scavenge and throw under the tires) we
discovered that the sand had worn our snow tires down to slicks...
Another vehicle that made the trip was my 1967 VW camper bus (do you
see a trend?)... it saw the beach from the paved campground parking
spot, but still made for a pleasant nights stay with a icebox full of
Corona and the wind blowing through the open windows... my high school
friend and I recently returned in his Porsche Boxster for a quick blast
through the Outer Banks, although he fretted about the damage that the
spray from the ferry to Ocracoke was causing to his expensive paint
job... well, this year I am looking forward to the opportunity to hit
the beach for real... having purchased a Land Rover, I hoping that we
won't be needing the carpet bits and seaweed this time! And I'm sure it
too will end up with its own fair share of stories... I guess what
sticks in my mind about each one of these trips is that even though the
Outer Banks have become more and more commercialized over the years, it
still has that certain charm, peace and solitude that you can't find
just everywhere... and thats what keeps me coming back, year after
year.
-- Erik_Heine submitted 2/09/1999
I have many wonderful childhood memories of the Outer Banks. On my
first trip I was only five years old. My parents packed myself, two
sisters and brother in our old pick-up truck with a camper on the back
(this was legal back then!). There was a hurricane and they wouldn't
let us cross the Oregon Inlet bridge so we went inland and "camped" at
the side of the road. I will NEVER forget the next day...The sky was
clear and as we walked up the steps and boardwalk over a dune I looked
in awe and asked my Dad "Where's the other side" (We grew up around
many lakes in Indiana) There were so many sea shells!!! We stayed for a
week at the KOA and filled our big cooler with shells. Mom still has
the conch shell my younger sister and I found...It is in perfect shape.
My family tried to get back every two or three years as us kids were
growing up. Kitty Hawk, the National Seashore, the Okracoke Ferry, The
Hatterass Lighthouse...They will stay with me always. Married! now for
many years, with three boys (15, 11, and 5) and a new two-week old baby
girl, we're planning to visit the Outer Banks this next summer. It will
be my third trip with my own family. The last time we were there our
eldest (who is now a freshman in high school) was only in kindergarten.
I'll never forget that crazy weekend!!! It was spring break, I baby-sat
for a friends little boy all week. When my husband came home from work
on Friday night, it was 28degrees outside and we had snow and ice
everywhere. He looked at me and said "let's get out of town for the
weekend". Joking I said "let's go to the beach". He said "OK" and we
loaded up the two boys and our cocker spaniel in our 89 Mercury Tracer.
I had packed two changes of clothes for every one. I didn't even pack
my make-up. We left out home around 7pm and drove straight through the
night. We reached Hatterass about 11:30 Saturday morning. Checked into
the hotel and had a wonderful time!!! We stayed until ! noon Sunday and
drove straight home (we arrived home at about 10a m Monday morning).
When we checked into the hotel I didn't know we weren't allowed to have
pets in the room. When we went to walk on the beach and wade in the icy
cold water, I wrapped the dog in one of the boys sleeping bags and
carried him like a baby until we were over the sand dune. It was a
spontaneous trip that will stay in our memories forever. Just like my
childhood memories of our trips there. The scenery, the friendly
people, everything was wonderful. If we're ever ready to retire I would
dearly love to have a home there. (Or if we ever hit the lottery!)
Thank you so much for the memories. I would dearly love to hear from
someone there on the Island!!!!
-- Michelle Knight submitted before 12/31/1998
The Outer Banks...what can I say. I love it there. I first visited
Kitty Hawk in 1987 with my best friend. We went there during our spring
break during our senior year of high school..It was great!! We met a
lot of people, they showed us things that I will never forget. We saw
burial grounds in the woods at Nags Head. We slept all night under the
moon and star filled sky at the edge of Jockey's Ridge. A friend we met
lived on a side street next to the Ridge. It was basically his back
yard. We couldn't enjoy the ocean, it was much too cold for swimming,
but the sun was very warm for our beach filled days. My best friend and
I became air hockey champs among a arcade of strangers. We spent lots
of time at the bigges arcade I had ever been in. Which I was told is no
longer there. I met wonderful people, saw beautiful scenery and
promised myself that one day I would return. I always said if I was to
move south, I would move to the Outer Banks. Well it took me 11 years
to get back there, this time with my new fiance'. I told him once he
saw what life was like there, he would never want to leave. It didn't
take long for him to agree. We recently visited there this summer,
during the last week of July and the first week of August. The weather
was by all means HOT! HOT! HOT! We spent our days at the beach in Nags
Head, we stayed at a little motel called Pebble Beach. We were just
seconds from the ocean. We got up early just about every day to enjoy
the dawn of a new and exciting day. The temperature was about 88 at
10pm. During the day it was in the mid 90's. As the week went on, the
ocean started turning rough. We could tell there must of been a storm
moving in. Each of our last 3 days, the beach had washed away more and
more. By the last day we were basically sitting under the oceanfront
rooms. it didnt stop us from having a great time...lots of frozen
drinks and plenty of sunshine, and we went home with great tans and
wonderful memories. Although I must say that we planned our trip just
right because 2 weeks after we got home is when Hurrican Bonnie rushed
into the Outer Banks! It made me sad to think that we could possibly
watch on our tv the cruelty of mother nature just devestate our
favorite vacation spot. I am very glad to see that the Outer Banks
survived so well. A few familiar spots and I still remembered where my
best friends father lived, and the dunes..oh and the dunes..we climbed
Jockey's Ridge (Mike and I) and we walked all the way down to the sound
side and waded into the water, it seemed that we walked a mile away
from the shore. We just stood there and waited for the most beautiful
sunset to happen. What wonderful pictures we took. It was like a
dream!! (and I grew up near Oswego New York - where the sunsets are
ranked in the top 5 of the country.) If you ever get the chance to
visit the Outer Banks, please do. You will wonder why you havent done
it before now. p.s. We are planning another trip after we get married
in May of 1999. Hopefully we will do a September trip with some of our
friends this time. Thanks for the great memories!! I will never in a
life time forget the fun filled times and wonderful people that made
such an impact on my life. I hope to someday have children of my own
and share with them this wonderful experience!
-- Melissa Winterhalt submitted before 12/31/1998
My family started going to Nags Head in 1964 when I was one year
old. We have gone back every year since. We used to stay at the Sand
Dollar. Jewell Graves was the owner of the court. Every Sunday night
she would have a party for everyone so that the atmosphere was that of
family. She would bring out an old record player and have kool-aid and
the kids would all play and dance to the music. Also, every night that
it was open, we would go to the Circus Tent (P.S. does anyone know what
happened to the Herminutics???) and get ice cream. I have the best
memories from my childhood, teenage years and adulthood of Nags Head.
We started taking my daughter when she was one year old and she loves
it too! It was a sad occasion for us when Jewell sold the Sand Dollar.
We had met many wonderful people there over the years, and we still
meet many of them down there, however, we stay in a condominium (when
everyone is there we have almost two floors rented for all of us). Nags
Head and the Outer Banks is a wonderful place and I long to live there
some day.
-- Jennifer Ford submitted 6/2/1998
I'm just sending this letter to express the greatness of the OB. My
family and I started coming to the outer banks in the year 1972. We
stayed at Durant motor court. After many years staying there, in
propably every room. My father bought a piece of property in Hatteras
village south . Several years later he was able to build a house.My
summers were filled with great fishing , great sun, great times with
families we met over the years and of course the great food. Now that I
am older and married with my own son we still manage to visit the OB
several weeks a year and we still love the simple life of Hatteras. We
go deep sea fishing 4 times a year with the infamous capt. Eddie
skeckle of the SEA BEAR good times and always catch fish.. But one
thing you learn with fishing with EDDIE, Don't let him intimadate you,
he just gets so excited when a fish is hooked. Well after sitting here
in connellsville pennsylvania over the winter ,I'm ready for the sun
and fun of ! Hatteras
-- David Elcock submitted 3/29/1998
My family has been going to Kittyhawk since my father was a
teenager. his parent's built a cottage as a Christmas present, and it
was one of very few cottages that completly survived the Ash Wednesday
Storm with no water damge at all! (There's a picture of it in the
book). It has always been a place where I can relax, reflect, and cast
my cares to the world. A couple years ago I even got to frolick with
the dolphins out in the ocen (and Imean way out!) My girlfriends and I
have been holding the "estrogen trip" for three years now. Every
September, my girlfriends and I go down to the beach, eat lots of ice
cream and good food (la Primavera is excellent!), and have time to
catch up and talk with each other, and drink lots of Birch Beer from
the Corolla Brew-Thru1 (the guy at Kittyhawk refused to sell us very
much, weenie!) So hi to Ray and John! I love the Beach, and now at 22 I
will be having my Honeymoon there. I hope that all the new people who
go will take care of the beaches and Corolla! It makes me sick that
they had to put the Corrolla horses in the preserve a few years ago,
and I just hope that people pick up after themselves and realize that
to some, this is the most special place in the world!
-- Diane E. Klein submitted 3/11/1998
We are inquiring about the "beaches" of the Outer Banks. We will be
vacationing somewhere on the Outer Banks this summer and one of our
primary concerns is the "beach". We are looking for a wide beach where
we can spread out and not be bothered by other beach-goers (and
vice-versa as we have three active youngsters!). We also want a beach
with a gradual slope into the ocean (our children are under 10) and
weak undercurrent. We would appreciate your comments and/or
recommendations. Thanks! Mark Lynam Mount Joy, PA
-- Mark Lynam submitted 2/22/1998
My parents started taking my four siblings and I to Avon in about
1979. There was one general store and the "Froggy Dog" burger joint.
The beach was so quiet. What a perfect family place. We made multiple
trips over the years, but it has been several years since we've been
there as a family. This year, we will be going to Nags Head in the
middle of October to celebrate my parents 35th wedding anniversary (and
my second)! I can't wait! It's been about seven long years since I've
been there. It's time to introduce a new generation to the treasures
the Outer Banks hold for all who visit.
-- Meg submitted 9/27/1997
I remember going to the outer banks in the early 70's when there was
no ocean threat to the Hatteras lighthouse. When Jeanettes Pier had
small cabins for rent for 'fishermen'. SAM & OMIE'S RESTAURANT was the
only place to get breakfast one the beach in the winter. deserted
winter beaches beaches existed in Kitty Hawk, and the beach road was
straight, not curved, in favor of some motel complex that detracts from
what people come to the Outer Banks for. I remember when the mall did
not exist on the by-pass and even when the by-pass wasn't . I guess
this is progress?
-- submitted 8/24/1997
So fondly remembered- the ferry to Hatteras, the home-cooked meals
at the CG Station at Buxton, the friends all called Midgett, keeping
the Loran Station on the air during the hurricanes and during the
electrical storms when the lightning would repeatedly hit the 300'
tower.
-- Jay Folk submitted 8/21/1997
I came to the Banks as a kid at the Croatan and grew up into being
dining room hostess one magic summer with all the great beach music.I
know someone remembers the Casino and the Jokers and eating midnite
breakfast at the Pier.This was before the explosion of people. Last
trip was Hugo week with our 2mo old daughter-evacuation forced us
inland more directly into the path-she slept in a dresser drawer.Please
take care of this special place on Earth and keep it simple as a
reminder of simpler times.
-- L.Reece submitted 8/18/1997
The first time that I went to the outer banks was in 1967. I was
very energetic and people chased me everywhere and all of the time. My
father Johnny Deweese,Mother Bonnie, brother Johonny, cousin Junior, My
Grand mother and various parental friends made the journey. I remember
eating water melon (my favorite food of the period), running after sea
shells with my mothers mother, my beloved Maw Maw Juel.
She and I would run from shell to shell in and infinite quest for the
next and always more beautiful ones. My father and brother loved to
fish and did so endlessly. I would be either with my Grandmother or
with my mother as all small boys usually are. As I think back to those
times, I remember them as the happiest times of my life. Since that
time nothing has been the same. Soon my wife and I will return to the
place that I remember as a small child. This time I know that it will
be covered with eaterys and hotels, gift shops and the like and not the
barren but adventurous place that I remember it to be, but perhaps I
can regain a small portion of my youth there. I can close my eyes and
see that small blond man child running the beach in the red shirt,
salior hat and white shorts. He is stalking the camera like a wild
beast, smiling his snaggle-tooth grin with his arms raised hi. I can
see my mother in perfect health as well as my father and my grand
mother. My fater has passed on now and my grandmother is in bad
health... Perhaps I will see my fater there as He watches over me as I
know My Grandfater does. I hope he will be along on this new journey
that I am about undertake and that He remembers the good times that we
had there like I do. So on the first Friday of August, 1997 my new
journey begins and for six days I will be reclaiming my youth but more
importantly my memories and the best times of my short life. I dedicate
this small humble passage to my Beloved Grandfather Brice Hicks....An
Infinite speck in an Finite Universe.
-- Steaphon DeWEESE submitted 7/30/97
Posted 07/01/97 Year: August 1989. Went to Outer Banks on vacation
and to get married. I had been going there since 1973(Captn Franks was
one of the first business on the way in)...anyway we were married by
the Magistrate in Manteo on the day Matlock was being filmed. Met the
cast. Ate breakfast with the cast. Courthouse was to crowded to perform
the ceremony so we went across the street to the docks and with the
Elizabethean II in the background, we were properly united. Magistrate
kept all the extras away but we did get a standing ovation and an
ivitation to dinner at the Green Lantern.....wonderful day, wonderful
marriage, wonderful place to start it all.
-- Star submitted 7/02/1997
I can remember when The Lost Colony first opened and President
Roosevelt came into Elizabeth City to open the coast guard station. I
was visiting the jeannettes who had the fishing pier. I used to come
down fron New York to visit my friends in Elizabeth City and then we
would run over to Nags Head. At that time there were no electricity
only lanterns. Tomorrow I will be down to Duck as my son has a place on
Poteskeet Road near the beach. I am going on 82 and still going strong.
-- John Kerfoot submitted 5/15/1997
Hooked on the Outer Banks since first TV news assignment there in
1977. Visited Harker's Island where the voices of the locals sounded
faintly Elizabethan, like their ancestors of 500 years before. I
remember, too, when Les and Sally Moore were removed from the store and
home they built on a spit of sand at the southern tip of Cape Lookout.
They built the place themselves and helped countess lost fishermen,
hundreds of stranded boaters, and sold the things these people needed
for a peaceful Sunday afternoon on the ocean. Les and Sally were in
their 70s, I'd suspect, and had run the store and lived next door for
about 17 years, but the National Park Service forced them out because
park policy allowed no commercial ventures, even a small bait and beer
shop built and run by two wonderful people who just wanted to live
independently on a beautiful piece of Outer Banks near the Cape Lookout
lighthouse.
-- Skip submitted 4/27/1997
There is not a time of my life that has not included the coast of
North Carolina.
My aunt & uncle had a family-owned store on Waterlily, an island then
but a peninsula now, located on the Intercoastal Waterway. As a child,
I would ride the "mail boat" across Currituck sound to Corolla (Ka-ral-ah)
to deliver mail to my uncle who ran the PO there. No way to drive, only
the "pole road" from Duck, it was sand & you had to have a 4 wheel
drive & check in w/ the guard to get past. Wild boar, wild ponies and
YELLOW FLIES ruled back then. We were lucky our uncle was overseer of
the Knight mansion, that glorious copper-roofed building that the
husband had built for his wife because women weren't allowed to stay in
lodges & hunt way back then. Uncle would let us roam the many rooms,
explaining how it had also been a home for boys, etc.
Hot and cold running water as well as sea water faucets. There was a
real Esther Williams swimming pool on the property, so deep as to be
fit only for fancy dives and experienced swimmers. An ancient safe
whose combination was long since forgotten sat in one room, I can only
imagine what might have been in it. There were fancy tiles on the
bathroom walls, most of which were eventually stolen.
We would at times get Ambrose Twiford to ferry us across Currituck
sound, making our way under that old wooden bridge to dock at the
mansion. It was quite a walk across to the ocean. Deep brush, boar
snags and yellow flies always a contention. But once we reached the
ocean - OH! Looking up and down the beach, as far as you could see, no
one in sight. There were only about 15 people who considered themselves
"residents" at the time, and almost all of them my kinfolk! Nowhere
could you find a more virgin expanse of ocean front in all of North
Carolina. We loved seeing the wild horses and their offspring
frolicking around the mansion.
After a long day, we would take the skiff back throught the shallows to
the "big boat' that was anchored in the deeper water. It was also fun
to journey to Monkey Island, a small island between Waterlily and
Corolla. My sister and her husband were care takers there for a few
years. No telephone, only a CB radio for communication and a boat the
only way on and off their island. Talk about roughing it! Once a month
trips to the mainland for supplies, the rest of the time catering to
the hunters & fishermen......
I now live in Greenville and really miss my HOME. Folks are gone and
making a living there was seasonal at best. But I go back every chance
I get, to see the places that I will always love.
-- submitted 4/24/1997
I have grown up with summer vacations at Cape Hatteras. My parents
took the 4 of us kids camping each year at Cape Point Campground in
Buxton. It used to be so popular, that we had to wait in line to get
in. Now, it stays about half full in the middle of July. I remember
watching the first steps on the moon from a television connected to the
bathroom in the campground. Everyone brought their lawn chairs and sat
around to watch. There was so much static on the TV you really couldn't
tell what you were watching. I also remember the surf being extremely
rough during that time and thinking the men on the moon had something
to do with it. Now we take our two children each year. We are taking a
break from the camping while our kids are small (but I think I 'm
getting spoiled). Camping in Buxton is truly away from it all. No
phones, TV, electricity. I just wonder why camping isn't as popular any
more?
-- Diane Brown submitted 3/24/1997
My extended family and I have been visiting South Nags Head for 16
years this summer. We've seen houses we once rented washed away. I'm
eighteen now (yes, I was three when I first saw the outer banks), in
college and working, but I will still go to nags head, even if I can't
go with my family. I'll be the girl flying the little yellow diamond
kite down on the national seashore. And say hi to my Manteo kin --
Izzy, Mollie, and Buffalo Dyal!
-- Erin Higgins submitted 3/24/97
My family has been traveling to the outer banks now for over thirty
years. I myself have only been going there for eighteen years. My
grandma told me when she and my grandpa first visited the outer banks,
there wern't even paved roads. The roads were made of old air plane
landing mats from the war. Driving down the main strip you would never
guess that now. I love the outer banks because of the peacefulness of
the area. I'm always afraid the tourism is going to go crazy and it
will never be the same. Then I return there for a visit a realize, no
matter how big the towns get, the ocean is always the same. P.S.We love
to stay at the Bucaneer in Kitty Hawk.
-- Shannon Hemminger submitted 2/23/1997
I went to the Outer Banks to fish the pier at Rodanthe during the
second week in May almost every year fron 1977 to 1985. Haven't been
back since '85. Keep those good reports coming in. It brings back good
memories from times past. One of my favorite stories has to do with an
older guy from Ohio named Ralph. Ralph had poor eyesight and needed
help on the pier to tie on tackle etc. We all got to know him from
helping him from year to year. One day he came on the pier laughing at
himself. The night before he had been on the screened porch on his
cottage working on his gear. He had made friends with the couple across
the street that day. Looking up from his tackle, he saw that the woman
was on the porch across the street waving at him. So he waved back.
Every time he looked up she would wave, and he would wave back. This
went on for a good while and finally Ralph decided that the polite
thing to do would be to walk across the street and have a
conversation.! He got half way across the street and stopped in his
tracks. The lady had hung a pair of pink long johns out to dry. Ralph
had spent an hour waving at a pair of women's underwear flapping in the
breeze. The wind never stops blowing on Hatteras Island. Another story
has to do with my young daughter who finally confessed that she always
wondered each year why I would leave for a week to go visit a lady
named Kate Hatteras. I'm going back! My wife and I will be going to
Hatteras Island the first full week of October in 1997.
Any advice on where to go and what to do? Things have changes since
1985! Mike B. 02/15/97
-- Mike Bradford submitted 2/15/1997
IN 1993 I believe it was I went to the outer banks on vacation with
my family. I have not been back though. I will always remember the
beach. The only other time I had seen the ocean was when I was 3. I am
now 16 and remember both experiences with the ocean. My parents have
told me they would take me and a friend back to the shore for a week
after I graduate. I can't wait to return. Last time we saw the wild
horses several times and I, being a extreme horse lover can not wait to
see them again especially since their was a foal with them last time. I
wonder how big the foal has gotten.
-- Jessica Underwood submitted 2/14/97
Ca-ra-la with a hard "c" is the way "Northern" Corollians say it.
Ka-raw-la is the way I and the "Southern" Corollians say it. Definately
named after the flower and not the car. The Japanese weren't even
around then, so what do they know anyway. And why is the car called a
Corolla? You can e-mail Toyota for me and find out. But, maybe it was
named after us (the village). If so, everyone is mispronouncing it. In
fact, let's start that rumor right now--the car was named after a
small, quaint village on the Outer Banks of NC. Besides, how romantic
is a Toyota anyway? Now for a little Outer Banks history and Bob
White's theory on the name.
Corolla was really named Whalehead Beach after the whale that washed
ashore here. It was so big that a man (hopefully taller than your
average Japanese) could stand up in its mouth.
Around the turn of the century, when the Guv'mint established a post
office here and others up and down the Outer Banks (it was their way of
paying off the local politicians for their votes and favors, since
there was no other work the Guv'mint could dole out, and lord knows
there was no other reason to have post offices up and down the coast),
anyway, when they established the Post Office, they (the Guv'mint)
named it Corolla instead of its real name, Whalehead Beach. They did
this at the other Post Offices also, named them for something other
that the local name for the place. Consequently, it drove the locals,
historians, mappers and everyone crazy because the names that had been
in use for hundreds of years were gradually replaced by the name for
the local post office, which of course, let to much confusion.
You are the first person I've met that even had a clue as to what
"Corolla" means--it is an inner part of a flower. A very obscure fact
to be sure, and what it has to do with the Outer Banks is indeed hard
to fathom, (except that we do have flowers).
My theory is that:
(1) the locals were so mad about the Guv'mint renaming their beach,
they purposely mispronounced the name, knowing that this would only
lead to more confusion down the road. Knowing the locals as I do, this
is very plasible--they would get back in the George Bush way (you
know--a "kinder, gentler way"), but get back they would.
(2)My other guess, and this intrigues me a lot, is that Corolla is
really an "Elizabethian" word that the locals were using that the
Guv'mint corrupted (get it) it into "Corolla". Make no mistake about
it, you can still hear Elizabethian words and phrases today, and around
the turn of the century, Outer Banks language was probably more Old
English than it was "Americanized" English. Now, my question for those
of you out there in the wide, wonderful web; who may know a thing about
navigating to say, Oxford, England, or who may have a better grasp of
the Queen's language (the first Elizabeth); or just plain has a better
theory about Ka-raw-la--is it possible that Corolla is an "Old English"
word?
Bob White,1/31/97, The Inn at Corolla Light, e-mail:
PS Thanks to all the folks who have been saying such nice things about
the Inn on the net.
-- Bob White submitted 1/31/97
Toronto in April is not the most pleasant experience, especially
after a long Canadian winter. A group of about eight of us had just
graduated from journalism school (at Ryerson in Toronto) and decided to
take off for a week after school was over. One of my girlfriends had
spotted an add in the Globe and Mail for a beach house in Rodanthe,
available to rent for a week. We jumped in our cars and left Toronto at
6 am, and due to unforseen circumstances, arrived at our incredible
beach house 22 hours later. It was worth it! We had the beach to
ourselves and spent the week sleeping in the sun and drinking
margheritas. We're all split up now, with jobs and such (I'm in
Edmonton, Alberta, trying to survive the winter) but maybe one day
we'll all make it back. It's a fond memory.
-- T. Larose" submitted 12/31/1996
I remember when I was a Girl Scout before 1959 and in high school.
Our troop went on a camping trip every year. About that time we went to
Cape Hatteras, before it was a National Park, and pitched our tents in
the sand just 50' or so from the cape. There were no showers or
facilities of any kind there, just the framework of structures to be
constructed later. We had a wonderful time there. One day we took the
mail ferry to Ocracoke and when there, drove with the mailman down the
hard sand crest of the island. When evening came, he took us back to
the ferry landing by way of the wet sand on the shore. I will never
forget that trip. When I returned I told my parents about Ocracoke and
Hatteras. Within a few weeks they took a trip there and eventually
bought property on Ocracoke from Myra Wahab. I believe that is the way
it is spelled. That has been a part of our family's story for almost 40
years. They still return for the Fourth of July weekend and have a
reunion. I have not been able to return for a long time, but my heart
remembers the wonderful camping trip, the ponies, the fiddler crabs,
the community store and much more. Thanks .
-- submitted 12/10/1996
MANTEO, KITTY HAWK, OUTER BANKS AND RESTAURANTS, ETC. I HAVE NOT
VISITED THIS AREA SINCE 1945 WHEN IT WAS ALMOST NOTHING MORE THAN SAND,
WATER OPEN SKY AND A GREAT NAVAL AIR STATION ON RONOAKE ISLAND.WE FLEW
OVER THIS AREA WITH OUR TORPEDO BOMBERS AND FIGHTER PLANES MANY TIMES
-- CHESTER SAMEK submitted 11/17/96
I've been chasing a long time dream for the most of my adult live. I
rember hooking up with my frist blue . how my heart felt like it was
racing a maraton I didn't know what a blue fish was at the time i
didn't care , I was hooked. I didn't know who was more excited me or my
dad .he was a great man, fishing was a passion that he handed down to
and every day i get to look out at the waves Ithank him for my
experiences . I have three great kids myself and like my dad i dream
that one day that they to will look at me like i smiled at my dad so
proud . I'm heading to the outer banks in november it been a long time
,but if i keep the memory with me i will be a great day of fishing.
-- frank lanni submitted 10/26/96
In the 60's, we visited Ocracoke {actually my mother not having a
real understanding of time and ferry travel stranded us there} we
stayed in a place called ???Boons' Sound Inn, ??? Booth's Sound Inn,
very close to the light house. Does anyone remember it??? What is the
proper name? Is it still there? We slept {so hot you couldn't sleep} on
a screened in poarch with the bugs hitting on the screen so hard you
thought they would bust through at any moment. At supper [an original B
And B] evenyone at fresh catch. I can still see that large fish being
brought out from the kitchen.
-- Robby submitted 10/11/96
I've been going to the Outer Banks since 1953. I've got pictures of
me standing next to my father - holding on to his knees - with all the
family - getting ready to to get in our Mercury and drive those many
miles from Huntington, WVA to Nagshead - 4 children, a colie-dog, and 2
parents, in a 1953 Station Wagon - one would call the car a "woody"
today.
We drove at night. The 2 backseats put down to make a bed for 4 kids in
sleeping bags and Rusty - our tri-colored colie. Mommy and Daddy drove
at night. It was an easier drive at night. No AC...the kids could sleep
(or so they hoped). No "Interstates" back then. Our biggest route was
Route 60 - the WVA turnpike. Somehow Rusty always managed to put her
next to mine on these trips. I was young, but I still knew that
"dog-breath" wasn't something you really needed up your nose -
Mom was truly a co-pilot - making sure Dad had enough coffee and that
his glasses were always clean. How many more miles? How much longer? -
my brother's and I demanded...mile after mile...lying in the
back...becoming mesmerized by the "clk..clk" "clk..clk" of the cement
highway echoing as we made our way up that wonderful ribbon of
highway.... TO THE BEACH.
-- Toni-Lynn Trottier submitted 8/09/1996
I am a 39 year old surfer/fisherman from Atlantic City, NJ. I have
been going to the Outer Banks for 24 years. This year will be my 25th
year. I started out by going down with my friends in beat up old
station wagons in the early 70's. We would leave New Jersey at 1100 pm
or 12 midnight and drive all night longan reach your beautiful island
sometimes by sunrise, or a little after. We stayed in the lighthouse
campgrounds in Buxton many, many times. We then advanced to staying at
the Frisco campgrounds with Ward and Betty Barnett several times.
At some point in the 70's I started staying with Mrs. Anne Hodges and
her husband Fodie at the HODGES Motel in Buxton. My stays with Mrs.
Hodges at the Motel were very very very memorable. I look back at these
times in my life and consider these the most memorable moments I ever
had in my life, and still envision the incredibly good times I had with
my friends in the Buxton area as while the Frisco area. I can't put
into words the feelings I recall and think about each and every day of
my life. This place we call "Hatteras" has had such an incredible
impact on my life that I yearn to re-live those days and nights in
"Hatteras".
I am now married to my lovely wife Maureen, and we have two beautiful
children, Mark, my son, is 10 years old, and Marli, my daughter, is 4
years old. As a family we have come to yours shores for three years now
since my daughter was 1 years of age. This year we are coming again and
have rented a house with Midgett Realty and will be staying in Avon, at
AVONOVA, close to the beach. In past years as I've grown older my taste
has also changed as far as accomadations are concerned and have moved
up to renting houses, in either Avon or Buxton, and have done so,
probably for the past 10-15 years or so. I've rented from Hatteras
Realty, Midgett, and Outer Beaches, all shown me and my guests a great
house and vacation.
I so vividly remember still driving down Highway 12, with nothing
around, nothing. I remember entering Buxton and there only being the
"Jiminy Crickett's" Drive-In Restaurant, just past the Lighthouse Road
entrance, on the left side of Highway 12 as your headed south. I
remember the building being red in color with a screened-in section
that had holes in the screens and the mosquitos eating us alive. I
remember cruising in on 12 and seeing the Lighthouse shine in my eyes
every 8 seconds. I remember staying in almost every house on the
northside of Buxton. I remember so vividly the Bon-fires on the beach
and there being close to hundred people from everywhere in the country
being there and the friendships that I made while there. I remember
when the Tides restaurant was Capt. Daves, I remember the Lighhouse
restaurant that burnt to the ground, I remember when Scott Busby ran
his surf shop from in front of the gas station next to the restaurant,
a yellow colored shack, it was great. I remember traveling down on four
consecutive weekends in a row in a beat up yellow Dodge Colt, that had
no insurance and no registration, just wanted to surf, surf, and surf.
I remember the storms and watching the weather channel and feeling for
all you residents down there, who are so totally devoted to the
islands, and at times of despair, each other. I remember a friend named
Meriweather from Virginia, who carted us around in her baby Blue Volvo
stationwagon, beacuse we had no money for gas. I remember running out
of money and entering a sand sculpture contest in the front of the
lighthouse and winning first prize because the contest organizer felt
sorry for us, because we didn't have any money. we then went and bought
beer for the other contestants and drank it with them and they in turn
invited us to their rental house for dinner, that was the kind of
kinship and friendliness your island brings out in people.
I remember getting cut real bad in the surf one day, the waves were
about 7-8 feet at Motels, and i wiped on a wave and cut my leg, it
needed stitches but didn't have the money or insurance. I remember the
countless amounts of waves I caught at every break on the island. I
remember the surf, I remember the surf. I remember the sunsets on the
Pamilico sound. I remember the romances I enjoyed. I remember the walks
on the beach. I remember the smell of the island. I remember the
unending joy I encountered. I remember, I remember...
-- Mark T. Burns submitted 7/23/1996
My family has a long history on the Outer Banks. My father has been
visiting ever since the late 1940s, and his parents started visiting in
the 1920s. Things have certainly changed in my lifetime not to mention
what has happened in theirs. I love the peacful and relaxing pace of
the Banks. I have spent the last year trying to locate employment on
the beach. Not an easy task - be forewarned. I am very anxious to leave
the rat race of my federal job behind, and move to a more tranquil
setting. I always hear from prospective employers about how "dead" the
banks are in the winter or the "off' season as most put it. Personally,
as much as I have always loved my summers on the banks (for the last 27
years) I enjoy the "off' season even more. My parents have always owned
a home somewhere on the Banks, and we have had 2 houses at a time for
many years. Now they are down to one in Duck. I guess with age comes
the inability to keep up with more than one home at the beach. But we
all enjoy it!! I have converted all of my friends to Outer Banks
junkies. They are all holding their breath while waiting to see if I
land a new job there. I KNOW that I will see them more than I do now,
as everyone loves a good excuse to run off to the beach even if its
only for the weekend. The people of the Banks have always been the
friendliest that I have known. One of my favorite days was spent down
at Avon, when we still had a house there. My girlfriend was on her
first trip to the Banks and enjoying every minute of it. Since the
house needed supplies, as they often walk off, we went to Ace hardware.
I had purchased numerous items including clocks for the bedrooms. An
old-timer was at the counter just killing time, and he told us that we
did not need the clocks. My girlfriend - Casey - asked him why not. He
said that if she knew what time it was she know how little of it she
had left at the beach and would not enjoy herself. He told her that the
tides, the sun, the moon and stars would tell her what time it was.
Hopefully something will come out of my job search as my soul yearns
for the tranquil breezes, lazy days or nights and the occasional good
old hurricane ( I love a good storm ). I will be going back down soon -
I am sure - because with me it is always a spur of the moment thing to
do.
-- Andrea Bruce submitted 7/9/96
I knew I was hooked when I made my first trip to Ocracoke before the
hard-road was built on the island & they shut down the generator at
night. I have returned every year except for two years in the Army. See
you in September!!!!!
PS- Is there a site I can obtain the tides for Ocracoke so I can keep
my 24hr tide clock accurate? It's great to look at my clock and see
that it's high tide at the southern point.
-- E. Fred Moore submitted 7/2/96
I have been going to the Outer Banks since 1978 as a small child.
The first year I went with my family and we camped in a pop up camper
on the beach in Avon. After that year my family has vacationed there
every year for my entire life. A few weeks ago I turned 28 years old,
and as I write this my family is on vacation for 3 weeks at the Outer
Banks. I grew up on this beautiful island and consider my second home.
If you have not exprienced the beauty and pristine beaches of the outer
banks, you have to before it grows commercially anymore. When we first
started vacationing on the island, it was very desolate. You could
drive for many miles and see only a few beach houses. Now they are
scattered everywhere, and are as large as mansions. You can now stay in
condos, and big resorts that once never existed. My family almost
always stay in one of the small towns past oregon Inlet called
Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo. We prefer these areas as they are not as
populated as other areas such as Kitty Hawk, Nags Head.
I believe I have seen pretty much all of the sights on the Island
several times, and never grow tired of any of them. If you visit the
Outer Banks some of the must sees' are Hatteras Lighthouse, The Oregon
Inlet Marina, The Manteo Waterfront, The Lost Colony, The elizabethan
Gardens, and Ocracoke island. If you are in to walking trails and
wildlife, there is a plethora of birds and plant life to see.
The Outer Banks is a wonderful place to visit and vacation, but it is
also a wonderful place to live. When I was in college, I spent my
summers working on the island. I actually lived in a house in the town
of manteo with a group of friends, and worked at the Christmas Shop and
Wheeping Radish Restaurant. These are also 2 things you should
experience if you have the time. The Christmas Shop and Wheeping Radish
(A German Restaurant/Brewery) are both located in Manteo.
While spending my summers here, I experienced a lot of local flavor
which was a wonderful experience. I can honestly say that I have
memories on this small stretch of land that will be forever in my mind.
My brother got married on the beach in Salvo in 1991. It was so
beautiful. So, as you can see, not only is this my favorite place in
the world, it is also many others in my family.
I have been many places in the world, and visited many beaches, but my
heart always returns to the Outer Banks. My soul is on this Island and
I plan to spend many years to come vacationing and possibly living
there, God willing.
If you are thinking of visiting the Outer Banks, do youself a favor and
do it.
Some places to checkout that you may not know about:
The Duchess of Dare (a small family owned restaurant in Manteo near the
Waterfront, that you rarely see tourists in, as the locals prefer this
place and it is not widely known of).
The Weeping Radish, if you enjoy German food.
The Tides Restaurant which sits on the Bay right before you cross the
Bridge to go to Manteo.
The Christmas Shop
The Blue Whale (very tiny store in salvo)
The Manteo Waterfront.
In addition to the beauty of the sunny skies and beautiful beaches,
this island can also be a violent place to be in a storm. I happen to
love storms.
I have been on the Outer Banks through 2 hurricanes, and although it
was very very scarry, it was quite an experience.
So, take caution here as it is not like being inland. Enjoy!!!
-- Christine Porter submitted 6/20/96
My friend says I'm arrogant. not really.... I've been to the O.B.
since 1951... So...sorry for being whatever...but is there anyone who
shares the same timeline?
-- Toni-Lynn Trottier submitted 6/2/96
My family has been going to the Outer Banks since the early 1950's.
I remember the only way to Hatteras Island was by ferry. When I was
young the captain played his banjo and I danced on his bridge! Nagshead
not the same...over built...I was there when the only night life was
bingo and going to "rec" centre by the pier. My parents would have
cocktails and dinner at the Carolinian hotel - memories... My basement
is decorated with beach stuff....my desk faces laminated photos of the
sunrise and the sunset at Buxton... My dad retired and built a house on
Cottage Ave in Buxton...a nice walk from the Light House. I love the
place. Am going back July 6th...with my son and good friend. It's an 18
hour drive from Quebec...but worth every mile of it! A good place to
stop for a good snack and great view is the restaurant at the pier in
Rodanthe...
-- Toni-Lynn Trottier (submitted 6/2/96
The smell of fresh sea air assailed my senses first. The wind coming
through the open upstairs window,causing the curtains to brush my face,
carried the cry of seagulls. This was a typical morning on Ocracoke 25
years ago. My cousins and I eagerly looked out the window at the bright
new day, seeing the sun reflected in millions of diamonds on Silver
Lake. The smell of frying bacon and freshly brewed coffee wound their
way up the stairs. Dressing quickly we rushed downstairs eager to begin
another enchanted day. What would be have done without our bikes? We
rode from one end of the island to another..13 miles didn't seem so far
back then. We'd detour at sand paths to the sound and discover
marvelous treasures of hermit crabs, giant wading birds, blue crabs and
occasional flounder we'd disturb. We'd spend endless hours scouring the
north end of the island for shells. Always we'd find something we
hadn't found before.
I remember the night my cousins and I became offical "adults". We
were around 12 or 13. This particular evening my parents loaded the 3
of us, 2 aunts, my sister and a younger cousin in the car. My father
wanted to fish the south end at the incoming tide change and we kids
had excellent luck earlier in the day finding sand dollars in that
area. Dark takes on a new meaning on the outerbanks as it does when
your out on the water at night. This particular night seem darker then
any underground cave I can imagine. There was no moon. The fish were
biting so we couldn't get Daddy to leave. He finally quit and we all
piled in the car. Well guess what. The road was gone. The tide had come
in. The "road" back then was tire tracks in the sand. I guess there was
about 2 inches of water over the flats and the car got stuck. The
hardest driest sand can turn slick as oil when it gets wet I
discovered. Daddy went off looking for boards and an aunt paniced,
wandered off in the direction of the sound and started yelling into a
strong wind for help.3 steps and she vanished into the blackness. The 3
of us thought it was funny and cool until the terns decided we were
disturbing their nesting area and began to dive bomb us. It made the
movie "The Birds" very real for us. Dad finally came back with the
boards, placed them under the tires, sat down behind the driver seat
and said "You kids get in the car." All 5 of us moved to get in but
then he said, Except you 3..you push!! Which we did and got sprayed
from heat to toe with wet sand. We weren't considerd kids anymore! Its
something I'll remember forever.
I visited the outerbanks again last September. The house we stayed
in is now the local museum. Its been moved to another spot. The flats
now have a nice graded road going them. There are many more buildings
around the lake and lots more traffic but the place is still lost in
time. Hatteras seems to be more like the Ocracoke of my youth. Now I
visit the south end of Hatteras via 4-wheel drive. Still I find my self
wandering down sand paths,searching the shore for treasures and I still
find them. Suddenly 25 years melts away and I'm a little kid again,
amazed and excited at what I've discovered. Yelling for my husband to
come see. And there I am, lost in time, thats the magic of it all.
-- submitted 3/15/96
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