OUTER BANKS

(includes Avon Village, Beaufort, Buxton, Coinjock, Corolla, Duck, Fruitville, Harkers Island, Kill Devil Hills, Manteo, Morehead City, Nags Head, Ocean Isle Beach & Ocracroke)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
●Orange Blossom Bakery & Cafe – 47206 Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Buxton); 252-995-4109; orangeblossombakery.com; try yeasty, apple “ugly.”
●Seaside Bakery – 7290 Beach Drive Southwest (Ocean Isle Beach); 910-579-3052; seasidebakery.net; great cupcakes.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
●Back Porch Restaurant & Wine Bar – 110 Back Road (Ocracoke); 252-928-6401; fresh, locally caught bluefish and crab; dine on peaceful, screened porch.
●Blue Point Bar & Grill – Waterfront Shops, Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Duck); 252-261-8090; goodfoodgoodwine.com.
●Sanderling Resort & Spa – 1461 Duck Road (Duck); 252-261-4111; thesanderling.com.



DIVES
●Aeolus – broken into pieces by hurricanes in 1996 in 400' water; sand tigers.
●Indra – scuttled in 1992 in about 65' water; 330' former Navy landing ship.
●Proteus – 390' former luxury passenger liner; in 120'; intact rudder & 4-blade propeller; barracuda & sharks.
●Spar – sunk in 2004 in about 110' water; sand tigers.
●U-352 – WWII German U-Boat; discovered in 1974; intact conning tower.



HOTELS
●Cape Pines Motel – 47497 Irvin Garrish/N.C. 12 (Buxton); 252-995-5666 or 866-456-9983; capepinesmotel.com; just mile from Hatteras Lighthouse; 1 of most immaculate places you’ll ever stay and lovingly restored.
●Old Seaport Inn – 217 Turner Street (Beaufort); 252-728-4300; oldseaportinn.com; 3 guest rooms only; historic inn that is cozy sanctuary; walking distance from downtown waterfront.
●Sanderling Resort & Spa – 1461 Duck Road (Duck); 252-261-4111 or 800-701-4111; thesanderling.com; low-rise, cedar shingle buildings away from Outer Banks’ more touristy areas; Outer Banks only true resort; secluded ocean beaches; luxurious accommodations, lavish spa, variety dining options; adjacent to Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary.



RESTAURANTS
●Back Porch Restaurant & Wine Bar – 110 Back Road (Ocracoke); 252-928-6401; drink on peaceful, screened porch.
●Blue Point Bar & Grill – Waterfront Shops, Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Duck); 252-261-8090; goodfoodgoodwine.com; tough reservation; excellent food.
●Cafe Atlantic – 1129 Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Ocracoke); 252-928-4861.
●Captain’s Table – 47048 Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Buxton); 252-995-3117; try Harreras Clam Chowder (brothy, not creamy); excellent hush puppies.
●Corolla Village Bar-B-Que – 1129 Corolla Village Road (Coinjock, behind Historic Corolla Village, behind Twiddy Real Estate); 252-457-0076; take out only but lovely picnic location.
●Dockhouse Restaurant – 500 Front Street (Beaufort); 252-728-4506; dockhousenc.com; live music in evenings.
●Flying Melon Cafe – 804 Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Ocracoke); 252-928-2533; high quality food.
●JK’s – U.S. 158, milepost 9 (Kill Devil Hills); 252-441-9555; jksrestaurant.com; Caeasar salad and steak.
●Kill Devil Grill – 2008 South Virginia Dare Trail, milepost 7.5 (Kill Devil Hills, on Beach Road); 252-449-8181; restored 1939 diner that serves crabcakes, mahimahi sandwiches, and blue-plate specials.
●Lifesaving Station Restaurant – 1461 Duck Road (Duck, at Sanderling resort); 252-449-6654; thesanderling.com; cozy.
●Orange Blossom Bakery & Cafe – 47206 Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Buxton); 252-995-4109; orangeblossombakery.com; try yeasty, apple “ugly.”
●Ruddy Duck Tavern – 509 Evans Street (Morehead City); 252-726-7500; ruddyducktavern.com; hamburger to flounder.
●Thai Moon Carry-Out – 589 Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Ocracoke); 252-928-5100.



SERVICES
●Core Sound Kayaks Paddle – 1584 Harkers Island Road (Harkers Island); 252-728-2330 (ask for Dennis or Robin); capelookoutadventures.com; arrange kayak paddle to Shackleford Banks to see wild horses; also bird-watching.
●Coastal Kayak Touring Company – North Beach Outfitters, Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Duck); 252-261-6262; coastalkayak.org; kayak tour guide takes you on regional ecotours.
●Corolla Outback Adventures – 1150 Ocean Trail (Corolla); 252-453-4484; corollaoutback.com; tour guide takes you on drive through Carova Beach area (4-wheel access only).
●Kitty Hawk Kites – Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12, milepost 12 (Nags Head, at Jockey Ridge State Park); 252-441-4124; kittyhawkkites.com; instructs on hang-gliding.
●Outer Banks Kiting – Irvin Garrish Highway, N.C. 12 (Avon Village); 252-305-6839; windsurfing and kiteboarding lessons.
●Outer Banks Blue Realty Services – 3852 North Croatan Highway (Kitty Hawk); 252-255-1220 or 888-623-2583; outerbanksblue.com; handles rentals from Corolla to Nags Head.



SIGHTS & SITES
●Cape Hatteras National Seashore – 1401 National Park Drive (Manteo); 252-473-2111; nps.gov/caha/; lighthouse.
●Cape Lookout Lighthouse – 131 Charles Street (Harkers Island); 252-728-2250; nps.gov/calo; authorized in 1804, completed in 1812; mariners complained of almost running aground looking for light (13 argand lamps, each with 21" reflector – lamps’ wicks difficult to keep trimmed and often smoked up lantern room while burning, rendering light dim; in 1859, new, taller tower built (150'), 1^st successfully built tall, coastal light constructed in NC by WHC Whiting, Army Engineers Corps.
●Fort Macon State Park – 2303 East Fort Macon Road (Atlantic Beach, on Bogue Banks); 252-726-3775; ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/foma/main.php; 2^nd most visited state park in North Carolina, despite being 3^rd smallest park; Battle of Fort Macon fought during March-April 1862; fully restored fort, both sound-side & surf fishing, nature trails, ranger guided tours, protected swim area, refreshment stand, & bathhouse.
●Jockey Ridge State Park – 3933 Croatan Hwy (Nags Head); 252-441-7132; jockeysridgestatepark.com; tallest natural sand dune system in eastern US.
●North Carolina Maritime Museum – 315 Front Street (Beaufort); 252-728-7317; ncmaritimemuseum.org; among other things, relics from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge.
●Lost Colony – Waterside Theatre, 1409 National Park Drive (Manteo); 252-473-3414 or 800-488-5012; thelostcolony.org; National Parks Service play about New World’s 1^st colonists, running since 1937.
●Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge – 316 Marsh Causeway (Fruitville); 252-429-3100; fws.gov/mackayisland; habitat for migratory waterfowl, primarily the greater snow goose; located between Virginia Back Bay and North Carolina Currituck Sound; primarily marsh habitat; at times, flocks of over 12K snow geese may be observed on refuge after arrival in November; other wildlife species such as wading birds, shorebirds, raptors, neotropical migrants, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians use refuge habitats for food, cover, and nesting; 8K acres.
●Old Nags Head Beach Cottage Row – Beach Road, milepost 12 to milepost 13.5 (Nags Head); historic district.
●Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary – Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (north of Duck, between Duck and Corolla); nc.audubon.org/birds-science-education/pine-island; comprises 6K acres of dunes, shrub thickets, forest, and marsh; from ocean to sound, among few remaining examples of natural animal and plant assemblages once common on northern Outer Banks; harbors great diversity animals and plants; more than 350 plant species recorded, including at least 3 rare and threatened species; 202 vertebrate species, including 7 amphibian, 17 reptile, 19 mammal, and 159 birds; 2.5-mile, self-guided nature trail through shrub thickets and forest; 2 observation platforms.
●Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project – 3431 Arendell Street (Morehead City); 252-726-6841, ext. 157; qaronline.org.
●Southern Shores “Flat-Top” Houses – along Irvin Garrish Highway/N.C. 12 (Duck); architect Frank Stick’s works from between 40s-60s.
●Whalehead Club – Currituck Heritage Park 1100, Club Road, Irvin Garrish Highway/12 N.C. (just past milepost 11 on left, Corolla); 252-453-9040; whaleheadclub.org; spectacular, Art Nouveau structure with gleaming pink kitchen.
●Wright Brothers National Memorial – U.S. 158, milepost 7.5, 1401 National Park Road (Manteo); 252-473-2111; nps.gov/wrbr.