The Wright Brothers Monument Kitty Hawk

This was our second year visiting the Outer Banks! After a night of heavy rain and high winds we woke to clear skies with 39 degree temps. In spite of the chill, we drove from Elizabeth City to the Outer Banks and hiked the Wright Brother's Multi-Use Trail along the Catawba River and through the lovely neighborhood of Kill Devil Hills in Kitty Hawk. The sky was bright blue, the air crisp and chilly.

View along the multi-use trail 

Beautiful cove on the Catawba River

After hiking, we visited the Wright Brothers Monument, learning a lot about the early days of aviation and the tenacity of the brothers from Ohio who spent their lives learning to fly. Their work was the beginning of powered flight and led to aviation as we know it today.

Wright Brother's National Memorial Visitor Center

Full Scale replica of 1903 Wright Flyer

Hangars at Wright Brothers National Monument

Flight Distance Markers

Fourth Flight Marker 852 feet

End of 4th flight marker

Monument

Monument overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

First Flight Airstrip

First Flight Airstrip

Before returning to Elizabeth City, we drove to Manteo and walked the river trail to the Roanoke Island Festival Park. This was our daily walk last year when we stayed in Manteo. We drove the Manteo loop, over the highway 64 bridge, crossing from the northern tip of Roanoke Island to Manns Harbor, then back over the causeway to Nags Head. The bridge was closed last year. Only one lane was open this year.

By midweek, the temperature had dropped to 34. We drove to the Dismal Swamp Canal Visitors Center and hiked the boardwalk trail through swampy marshes, then north on the canal trail until it ended. It runs along the Dismal Swamp Canal which some Loopers transit on their way north to Virginia from North Carolina. It's shallow so we were not able to take our deep draft Alberg 35, Mystic, through but we transited it in our Coronado, Keewatin in 1982. 

The Martha Washington trail was just off the Canal Trail. We walked about a mile on it before turning back. We hopped on the Supple Jack Trail that appeared to run parallel to the canal trail but turned back because it headed away from our car. It was beautiful, shaded and covered in moss. A deer was eating new shoots in the swamp. She raised her head to acknowledge us but continued on with her meal, unbothered by our presence. The trails are very swampy. 

We enjoy seeing new places but also love visiting the special areas we've seen before. North Carolina continues to draw us back. We find adventure each time we are there.

Dismal Swamp Canal mile 26

Hiking the canal trail

Supple Jack Trail Dismal Swamp