The Outer Banks - Jim & Karen Colyer

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The Outer Banks are a string of islands off the North Carolina coast. On September 1, 1983, Karen and I ferried 27 miles across Pamlico Sound to Okracoke Island. This ferry ride was one of the highlights of our trip. We took the car on the boat. Water was on all sides. It was drizzling rain. Birds glided overhead, and Karen spotted jellyfish swimming by. We spent the night on Okracoke.

The next morning, we headed up the islands. The deserted beaches were peaceful, and we collected shells. Crabs saw us and scurried to their holes in the sand. On Hatteras Island, we started up the black and white striped lighthouse. We backed down. Karen was pregnant. There had been a miscarriage in March, and we were taking no chances. On Bodie Island, we passed through towns whose fame had preceded them, Nag's Head and Kitty Hawk. At Kitty Hawk, we saw the spot where the Wright Brothers made the first flight in 1903. There was a replica of the Flyer. We crossed over to Roanoke Island, the site of Sir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony, England's first attempt to settle in America. Our trip maintained a colonial flavor. In Virginia, we visited Williamsburg, that colony's capital in the 18th century. We passed through Virginia Beach and Richmond to loop back to I-40.

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