Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

by: Elizabeth Ann Wares

Nags Head has grown into a summer resort area and has some of the best beach recreation on the North Carolina Coast. The name of the town has many tales associated with it. The most popular is the story that pirates would tie lanterns to the necks of their horses or nags, and walk them on the beach at night. The ship captains, thinking this was a safe opportunity to rob the ships. This is a far cry from Nags Head’s attraction today. Once a remote area, Nags Head now has accomodations ranging from classic, old timey cottages to oceanfront vacation homes. Other options include cozy cottages, quaint bed and breakfasts, hotels and motels.

Whether you are single, a couple, or a family, the area is well suited for virtually any type of vacation plans. Nags Head has a reputation as a top notch recreational destination. Watersports and fishing related activities abound. Let’s not forget the world renowned Oregon Fishing Inlet. This area is home to some of the top world-class deep sea fishing. There’s always the poular amuesment parks with miniature golf, waterslides, and go-karts.

The world’s tallest sand dune on the east coast calls Nags Head it’s home. Jockey’s Ridge is approximately 100 feet tall. Feeling adventurous? Jockey’s Ridge is the ideal place to hang glide. Or if you want to chill out, you can walk the beach, watch the sunrise, or enjoy a breathtaking sunset, or just explore the numerous nature trails.

There’s tons of opportunities to pick up souveniers along the way. There are outlet stores, an indoor mall and many local specialty shops. No vacation would be complete without checking out the local restaurants. There are many locally owned restaurants as well as all of the national chain restaurants. The selection of food is excellent. From chicken fingers to filet mignon. Make sure to try the seafood, since much of it is locally caught, and therefore, extremely fresh!

Right down the road (from Nags Head) is the town of Kill Devil Hills. You can easily spend a good half day here, without seeing all the sights. This town became famous when the Wright Brothers made history when they flew the first airplane here in 1903. The Wright Brothers National Memorial is made of granite, rises 61 feet into the air and is the focal point of this town. A 314-acre national park honors this momentous event with a flight museum and an airstrip. Take one of the air tours of the Outer Banks. Its a spectacular, and exciting way to get a bird’s eye view of these islands.

The Visitor’s Center, is a gorgeous glass covered structure that showcases a replica of that simple canvas-covered 605-pound doubled-winged plane, which Orville Wright flew on that history-making day. Looking at it today, it’s hard to imagine that it could even get off the ground.

A popular attraction for kids and adults alike, is kite flying. One of the reasons the Wright Brtothers picked this area was because it is so windy. This makes for consistently soaring kite flying. The Park Service supplies simple box kites and 20 feet of string. It’s normal to see dozens of kids and adults (acting like kids) laughing and with huge smiles on their faces, with their own flying contraptions in a pleasant five mile an hour breeze. When you visit, be sure to make time for touring the various museum exhibits. You can even attend a ranger conducted program, take a tour of the reconstructed camp buildings and the first flight trail area, and climb up Kill Devil Hill to view the memorial pylon.

Located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills offers residents and visitors alike, a unique and relaxing environment with plenty of fascinating, and fun things to see and do year-round.

About The Author
Elizabeth Ann Wares is an avid traveler and shares travel and vacation tips. She is the webmaster of Airfare X, a leading resource for discount airfare: http://www.airfarex.com

elizabeth@airfarex.com

By Harry Hoover

Rampaging Indians, yellow fever, pirates and drought would be enough to put most towns out of business. Bath – North Carolina’s first incorporated town – celebrates its tenacity in 2005, the town’s 300th anniversary.

Europeans settled on the banks of the Pamlico River in the 1690s, drawn by the access provided by the river and the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, just 50 miles way. But Indians had lived here for centuries before these French Protestant colonists moved in from Virginia.

In 1701 John Lawson, surveyor general of the colony and author of the first history of Carolina, ended his epic 1,000-mile journey to survey the state on the banks of nearby Adams Creek. St. Thomas Parish set up the first public library in North Carolina that same year. Shortly thereafter, a community began to coalesce, and in 1705 the town was incorporated.

Lawson was among the first 13 purchasers of lots. By 1708, there were 12 homes and about 50 souls in the town of Bath. One of the residents was Christopher Gale, first chief justice of the colony.

Bath became North Carolina’s first port of entry, and thrived with trade in tobacco, furs and naval stores. A flourishing shipyard and gristmill added to the economic well-being. But prosperity did not keep Bath out of hot water.

1711 shaped up to be the kind of year that could have submerged Bath. Cary’s Rebellion, a revolt over religion and politics, immersed the town in an armed struggle between Quakers and Anglicans. So intent on fighting, the townspeople neglected their farming duties and the harvest suffered. A drought ensued, and then yellow fever hit the weakened community. The worst was yet to come.

For years colonists had overrun favorite hunting grounds and prime village sites of the local Tuscarora Indians. John Lawson had gotten word that the Indians were planning reprisals and went to talk with them. The Tuscarora killed Lawson and then attacked nearby New Bern, slaughtering 130 people in less than two hours. Survivors fled to Bath for protection. The fighting continued into 1715 until a peace treaty was signed between the combatants.

A time of peace and renewed prosperity followed, and then pirates appeared on the horizon. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the Pirate, made Bath his home. The town boomed, thanks to pirate booty. Teach, who had been pardoned by resident Governor Charles Eden, was accepted in even the best homes of the town. But once a pirate, always a pirate. Blackbeard and his men went on one last rampage in 1718 before being hunted down and killed by the British Navy.

Over the next 50 years or so, Bath would remain at the center of the action. In 1776 a new town named Washington was built 15 miles up the Pamlico River and Bath’s power circled the drain.

The town’s diminished role saved it from Union occupation in the Civil War and has left it almost as it was in the 1700s. And that is good for visitors to this tough and picturesque town that time could not conquer.

North Carolina native Harry Hoover writes about his home state for a number of online and offline publications, including VisitNC, the North Carolina Tourism official website.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harry_Hoover