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The southernmost
lighthouse on the Outer Banks The Hurricane of 1944 was one of the
worst with water flooding the entire island and some homes having 25-30
inches in them. Water lapped against the doorstep of the lighthouse and
was seven inches deep in the keeper's house. The 1823 lighthouse was
controlled by both northern and southern troops during the Civil War.
Confederate troops removed the lens from the lamp in the early years of
the war, while Union troops replaced it in 1863.
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The first
successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine were
made here by Wilbur and Orville Wright on December 17, 1903. A 60-foot
granite monument dedicated in 1932, is perched atop 90-foot tall Kill
Devil Hill commemorating the achievement of these two visionaries from
Dayton, Ohio.
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The Bypass (US 158) and the Beach Road (NC 12) are marked by mileposts
that originate at the Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk and continue
through MP 21 in South Nags Head. An address that reads "MP 7, Beach
Road, Kill Devil Hills" is located 7 miles south of the Wright Memorial
Bridge on NC 12.
Once you cross the bridge into Kitty Hawk, you can't miss the
bigger-than-life signs that lead you to your destinations. To get to
Southern Shores, Duck, Sanderling, Corolla, or Carova, turn left on NC
12 and head north. For destinations south of Kitty Hawk, continue on US
158 to Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. Just over 16 miles south of the
bridge, the road veers right toward Roanoke Island and Manteo and
branches.
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A large granite
boulder at the first flight area near the reconstructed 1903 camp
buildings marks the spot where the first airplane left the ground.
Numbered markers indicated the distance of each of the four flights
made on December 17, 1903.
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Brother Eddie and myself at the base of the Wright Memorial, Kill Devil Hill, Kitty Hawk, N.C.
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Inside the
visitors center at Kill Devil Hill you will find the exact replica of
the first flight aircraft.
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The Washington
Baum Bridge from Roanoke Island leads to South Nags Head, where you can
choose to travel north toward Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk,
Duck, and Corolla, or south to Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. The
Cape Hatteras turnoff is on the right, about a mile from the bridge's
eastern terminus. At this intersection -- referred to as Whalebone
Junction -- you bear left onto US 158 in Nags Head or go straight to
connect with the Beach Road (NC 12), either of which takes you north
from Nags Head through Kitty Hawk. (Note that South Nags Head is
accessed in this area via Old Nags Head Road.) A right turn at
Whalebone Junction puts you on NC 12 toward Bodie Island, the Oregon
Inlet Fishing Center, and points south. If you continue on NC 12 across
the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge onto Hatteras Island, the road goes
through Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras
Village. A ferry in Hatteras Village goes to Ocracoke Island.
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First-time
visitors should stop at the visitor centers to see exhibits and obtain
information about the many recreational activities and natural features
in the seashore. Seasonally, a wide variety of guided programs can be
enjoyed to enhance your visit.
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First sight is a
deer who runs up to the car.
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Wildlife has been
aclimated to humans and automobiles so that they are very friendly and
unafraid.
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Assateague Island
wild ponies travel the beach near Chincoteague & Ocean City.
Assateague's south entrance is a 1/4 mile east of Chincoteague, its
north entrance is eight miles from Ocean City. Chincoteague and Ocean
City are gateways to Assateague Island and provide vacation lodging for
outdoor recreation like ecotours to see wild ponies. More than 300 wild
ponies wander the beaches, inland pine forest, and salt marshes.
Assateague became a National Park in 1965 and together with the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service Refuge and State Park, the land and water
boundaries of Assateague Island total over 48,000 acres in Maryland and
Virginia.
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Assateague Island
National Seashore.
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Assateague Island
is a vital resting and feeding area for a large variety of birds. The
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is located on Assateague Island
and is one of the most popular birding destinations in the United
States. Assateague birdwatchers enjoy the island's wealth of over 300
species of migratory and resident birds. Assateague is an essential
part of the Atlantic flyway and is prime habitat for thousands of
waterfowl and other birds with migrational instincts that carry them
north and south annually.
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