Graveyard of the Atlantic...Home of the First Motorized Flight...Fisherman’s Paradise...

These are the expressions that grace the colorful brochures of North Carolina's off-the-mainland coastal strip of barrier islands known to locals as "The Outer Banks." The fact is that the reality matches the hype! The area, much of it protected by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, stretches from the Virginia line at Nag’s head 100 miles southward to the Ocracoke Inlet, and on to more barrier islands.

The park was established by the federal government in 1953 and since has had much to offer travelers and tourists. There are scenic views, wild animals and bird-watching almost everywhere. The park even offers visits to several towering lighthouses, including the tallest on the east coast, which towers above at 208 feet high. Another site to see are the now-closed life saving stations that were forerunners of those later established by the U.S. Coast Guard. There are galleries for art lovers (I counted 35), museums for history buffs, and recreational opportunities for both the passive sightseers and the active adventurers, perfect for bikers and hikers, fishermen and sailors. The Outer Banks is more than a vacationland; it is a national treasure -- and not just for those, like me, who has always wanted to revel at seaside. I learned this about myself on a recent visit.

My sojourn to the North Carolina coast was prompted by the persistent chiding of friends from the south who kept telling me, "If you like the Cape [meaning of course "our" cape, Cape Cod], you'll love the Outer Banks." On a late September afternoon, I left our own seaside Shangri-La to see if they were right. From the moment I crossed the long bridge from the North Carolina mainland, very near to Kitty Hawk, I understood what was so appealing. I was immediately hooked.

Over the eight days I was there, I learned a good deal about the history and ecology of the area and the fragility of the land. I also learned of the concerns about the ever-present threat of natural disasters, mainly in the form of hurricanes, but also those created by over-zealous developers and kitschy souvenir shops. In my north-to-south wanderings along NC state Route 12, from Currituck County and the towns of Corolla and Duck to Cape Hatteras in Dare County, I was particularly taken with certain highlights. Let me mention my "Top Ten.”

1. The barrier banks themselves, a narrow strand, veritable flyway for birds and an enticing pathway for tourists who especially enjoy sand, sea, and seafood!

2. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum at the bottom tip of Cape Hatteras, an institution that is at once a place to visit, but also a focus of research on the history of the seafarers who sailed offshore and the shipwrecks and the treasures found on and near to Outer Banks.

3. The wild horses of Corolla, a hundred-strong herd of protected “mustangs,” all direct descendants of the small, versatile and hearty animals. They were the first horses brought to the new world by Spaniards in the 15th and 16th centuries. Local lore has it that the ancestors of the Corolla horses may have come ashore when the ships of their masters ran aground on the Outer Banks. Today there is a growing movement to study and preserve these animals and several other herds of these handsome Spanish Colonial steeds.

4. The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, a truly remarkable facility located in Corolla, offering school children and travelers an in-depth look at the roles of hunting and fishing and how they played a part in the development of the Outer Banks, particularly the north part located in Currituck County. The displays are both imaginative and informative.

5. The Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo on Roanoke Island is something quite unexpected. It is a memorial of sorts to the first English settlers. Its unique horticulture is overseen by, Carl Curnutte III, the director of “The Lost Colony” outdoor drama. It is at once very British and very American as it is carefully laid out, English-style, under a canopy of stately old pines and live oaks. A dominant feature is a huge bronze sculpture of the queen who reigned from 1558-1603, for whom it is named. The queen is holding a rose, many varieties of which abound in the gardens and on the walls.

6. The lighthouses, especially the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, Bodie Lighthouse and the Hatteras Lighthouse, are tourist attractions but also important towers that still send their beacons out to assist in navigation. As has long been the case, each has a distinctive pattern in its decoration, as well as its differently timed flash of light.

7. The Wright Brothers Memorial Site at Kill Devil Hills. Note the name! This site is named in memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright who were not only two bicycles mechanics, but inventors and adventurers as well. These two used this area, rather than the nearby and better-known Kitty Hawk, to test their gliders and eventually fly their motorized airplane, changing the world forever. Their feat was witnessed by five others whom are all memorialized. Their names are etched in a dramatic, bronze sculpture beneath a huge plinth that marks this historic achievement. On the site, there is a large building with a full-size replica of the original plane that took the first flight. There are also displays focused on the history of manned flight and the achievements of the Wright Brothers and other pioneers.

8. The huge dune at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, close to the Wright Brothers’ site, is said to be the largest on the east coast. Thousands of visitors hike to its summit to fly kites, hang-glide or just frolic on its slopes. Park rangers offer insights into the geology and ecology of the area. For those unable to climb, they offer dune-buggy service so they can experience the park, as well.

9. Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island is the site of “The Lost Colony,” long regarded as the first English settlement in North America. Named for the famed Sir Walter, the tiny enclave was established in 1584 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, but it was not meant to last. Several decades later, countrymen were to return to settle along the James River, in what is now Virginia. Today, Fort Raleigh is a National Historical Site, operated by the Park Service. It provides pageants, including what is said to be the longest running outdoor symphonic play, depicting the first confrontation between the European and native peoples and the early development of the country.

10. Last, but far from least, were some extraordinary people – each one Involved in my #2-#5 listing above, starting with Joe Schwarzer, a true kindred spirit (like me, he also began his career as an anthropologist). Today, Joe is a widely renowned nautical archaeologist who helped toestablish, and now runs, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. This museum is a treasure trove of artifacts and information about the 2000 ships that were found off Cape Hatteras over the last several hundred years.

Then there were three women of particular note: Karen McCalpin, the indomitable (some locals say formidable) head of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund; Sharon Meade, an extraordinary naturalist who almost single handedly created and built the Wildlife Education Center at Corolla, where she is now Curator and Public Relations Director, and Meghan Agrusto, keeper of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and its rich traditions. Each of these special people is involved in non-profit organizations to preserve, protect and promote places, animals, and traditions that are unique to the Outer Banks. There are hundreds of entrepreneurs here whose fine restaurants and seafood shacks, wine shops and souvenir stores, boat yards and tour companies form the backbone of the economy. These movers and shakers and the terrific staff of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, are key figures operating behind the scenes to maintain the core of what makes the Outer Banks especially appealing.

If I were to extend my list of highlights, I would cite the town of Manteo on Roanoke Island, a very handsome year-round community; some very tasty seafood restaurants up and down the Banks; a few hotels, too, including the very fine if modest Hampton Inn in Corolla; and the characteristic architecture of the houses built high off the water to protect them from the potential ravages of sea, sand and wind. Many summer people who come here own these large homes, some of them in whole complexes forming quasi-communities like those in the town of Duck. Many of the homeowners rent them out to vacationers for a week or more each summer. I’m thinking of renting one next year myself. I’ll return to introduce my wife to the area, learn more about the Outer Banks, and revisit my new friends in Corolla, Manteo, and Hatteras.

Peter I. Rose is a sociologist, ethnographer, photographer, and travel journalist. For 50 years he has been writing about people on the move and their encounters with others. His most recent book is With Few Reservations: Travels at Home and Abroad. He is also the editor of SoGoNow.com Travel Magazine.