Our next destination was the
Outer Banks. This 200-mile string of barrier islands separates the Atlantic
Ocean from mainland North Carolina.
We decided to stay here for a week to explore the area and rest.
The National Seashore
campgrounds aren’t open yet, so we camped at the KOA in Rodanthe. They have
reasonable off-season rates and our site is a stone’s throw over a dune to the
ocean.
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view from dune by campsite
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We spent our first day
exploring Hatteras Island as far south as
you can drive without getting a ferry.
We went to the Cape Hatteras
Light, one of four lighthouses on the Outer Banks. It’s the tallest brick
lighthouse in the US.
Both the lighthouse and museum were closed for the season, but we walked around
the grounds.
Barbara found a good birding
spot by the lighthouse.
We hiked a ¾ mile nature
trail at Buxton Woods.
Then Bill hiked the 4+ miles
from one end of Buxton Woods to the other. Barbara meanwhile drove to the far
end and started hiking toward Bill. We met while Barbara was searching for a
letterbox. We both spotted deer.
The Outer Banks gained the
nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic” due to over
600 shipwrecks. The Graveyard of the Atlantic
Museum at the southern
end of the island has the lighthouse’s original Fresnel lens (missing most of
the glass pieces) and a few other exhibits.
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the shipwreck shaped entrance
to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
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Our pictures don’t do it
justice, but we enjoyed another dolphin show when we walked out to the ocean by
the museum. We spotted fins, tails, spouts of water, and beaks as the dolphins
played.
Back at our campground, Bill
walked to the west side of KOA’s property where he got a good view of the sun
setting over Pamlico Sound.
campground: Cape Hatteras KOA, distance from Buck
Hall Recreation Area SC
390mi 7hr; distance to south end of Hatteras Island
34mi 49min
