Roanoke Island and Outer Banks, North Carolina

"Dr Seuss trees" on Roanoke Island, an island between the mainland and Outer Banks.

Sir Walter Raleigh found investors and staked his own fortune on three voyages to the New World in ships similar to this between 1584 and 1587.  This was Great Britain's first attempt to establish a colony in North America.

When a British ship returned to Roanoke in 1590, all traces of the 1587 settlement had disappeared.  No evidence was found of this "lost colony" until 1895 when an archaeological dig found evidence of an earthen fort.  The following photo is a reconstruction by the National Park Service of that fort.

We haven't passed by any libraries yet, but here is a bookstore in the town of Manteo on Roanoke Island.

We drove to the Outer Banks and visited the 100-foot tall sand dune, Big Kill Devil Hill.  Early gliding experiments here taught the Wright brothers the principles of flight and they modified their gliders accordingly, then practiced, practiced, practiced, hauling their gliders up the hill over a thousand times. 

There is a monument at the top of the hill honoring them.  It includes busts of each brother.  Here is Orville, seeing the future of his "flying machine."

A life-sized bronze and stainless-steel sculpture near the hill recreates their historic 1903 powered flight.

We stopped at Jockey's Ridge State Park south of Big Kill Devil Hill and hiked to and climbed the 100-foot tall Big Dune, part of the tallest natural sand dune system in the eastern United States.

From the top we could see the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Roanoke Sound on the other.

Jim hang gliding.

We ended the day on a beach in Nags Head.