6. Watch a
rescue drill at Chicamacomico Life Saving Station in Rodanthe.
Before the U.S. Coast Guard existed, life saving station volunteers rescued crew
members from sinking ships just off shore. Tour the station, one of the Outer
Banks originals, and see a dramatic summertime program of historic rescue re-enactment.
7. Climb to the top of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. More
tourists flock to the 193-foot lighthouse than to any other natural or historic
attraction on Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Climb
this black-and-white, spiral-striped lighthouse from April to October.
8. Beat
a Hopi ceremonial drum and make a wish at the Frisco Native American
Museum & Natural History Center. Learn about the life and times of the
area's early Native inhabitants. This place in Frisco maybe has more artifacts
per square inch than anywhere else, and each one has a mesmerizing story. Just
ask.
9. Bike down the oldest street on Ocracoke Island: Howard Street. According to locals, this privately-owned, modest dirt road will never be paved or coated with anything other than oyster shells. The best time for checking out the
historic houses, old family cemeteries, moss-covered fences, and Village Craftsmen store is just after a rain when the tree-canopied street drips
a fresh, woodsy scent.
10. Pretend you're a pirate at Teach's Hole. Blackbeard's retail lair for kids, this Ocracoke Island store
is packed with eye patches, pirate flags, and treasure chest booty of all kinds.
Young mates actually enjoy learning history at the store's fun Edward Teach
(a.k.a. Blackbeard) exhibit.
11. See cannon balls and platters from
Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge. The Maritime
Museum in Beaufort displays artifacts from the 18th-century ship
that was discovered off the coast here in 1996. From atop this museum you can
see the fishing village's historic homes with rooftop Widow's Walks, balconies
where the wives of sailors and fishermen would wait and watch for their husbands
to return (or not) from sea.
12. Run with the wild horses on Shackleford Banks. Ancestors of these Spanish horses survived
16th-century shipwrecks by swimming to shore here. No fences separate you from
the island's animals, whose coats shine red in the late afternoon light. (But
remember, these are wild animals, not petting-zoo ponies.) Take a boat or
private ferry to Shackleford Banks from Harkers Island, Beaufort, or Morehead
City, or see the horses from Beaufort's waterfront.
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