Explore the Carolinas: In the two states to our south, you’ll find beaches, cities, and mountain towns that make for idyllic vacation spots. Before you pack the car and head down I-95 this summer, get the lowdown on some new-to-you locations in North and South Carolina — and find out what’s new this year at your old favorites.
The lighthouses of the Outer Banks have stood sentinel on the shore for centuries, guiding boats safely into harbor. Today, many offer tours that provide a glimpse into America’s maritime history — and make for Instagram-worthy snaps.
Ocracoke Lighthouse sits on the southern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore and is accessible via a free ferry. It’s the oldest still-operating lighthouse in North Carolina and turns 200 this year. Note that you can’t ascend the 75-foot structure.
Moving northward, you’ll find the Cape Hatteras and Bodie Island lighthouses, recognizable for their stripes — the former’s are angled, like a candy cane, while the latter’s look like your favorite Breton shirt. (The stripes distinguish the buildings in daylight.) It’s easy to visit both in one jaunt: They’re located about a three-hour round trip from Kitty Hawk.
Cape Hatteras in Buxton is the tallest brick lighthouse in the U.S., standing at 198.49 feet. It’s been rebuilt and moved since its 90-foot iteration in 1803. Because it’s under restoration, you can’t climb it this year, but you can stroll the grounds.
From May to October, mount the 200-plus steps of the 151-year-old Bodie Island Lighthouse in Nags Head and take in scenes of the Pamlico Sound and Atlantic Ocean. The picturesque grounds feature a former keeper’s quarters (the light was electrified in 1932) and surrounding marshlands and pines. Make sure to walk the wooden overwater bridges for a different perspective. Tickets are required and must be purchased online on the day of your climb.
At the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe, the first of seven such facilities built in North Carolina, you can discover the origins of the U.S. Coast Guard through self-guided or group tours. Book the latter two weeks in advance.
The petite Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo sits at the end of a pier in Shallowbag Bay. The façade is a replica of the third Roanoke Marshes lighthouse, a beacon for sailors and watermen. The Pea Island Cookhouse Museum is worth the 10-minute walk from the pier to learn about the African American men who served at the Pea Island Life-Saving Station: Richard Etheridge, the first African American keeper in the Coast Guard, and Herbert Collins, the last keeper of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station. The northernmost lighthouse is in Currituck Beach in Corolla. Constructed using more than 1 million red bricks, it houses a powerful Fresnel lens — a gleam that can be seen for 18 nautical miles. The self-guided experience runs through November and lets you climb the 220 spiral stairs at your own pace. The reward? Panoramas as far as the eye can see.
Featured photo by Steve Yokum, courtesy visitnc.com
This story originally ran in our May issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
