ATLANTIC SENTINELS • THE LIGHTHOUSES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS

“While persistence offers no guarantees, it does give ‘luck’ a chance to operate.” 

― Tom Shippey

In many of the online motorcycling forums in which I participate there is always talk of “Bucket List” rides…discussions about the places where people dream of traveling.  Some of the posts seemed to be penned by wishful thinkers who have resigned themselves to the fact that they will never have the opportunity to make their dreams come true, and some are being reported, in real time, by folks that are actually out there living the dream.  The difference between the dreamers and the achievers is often the possession of one simple quality…persistence.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina, referred to as OBX on those cute little oval-shaped black-on-white bumper stickers that adorn many cars (and the aluminum luggage cases of ADV motorcycles), had been an elusive target of mine for many years.  I set out for the Outer Banks for the first time in September of 1999.  I had an extremely rare weekend off from my busy schedule as a professional wedding photographer, leaving me a ten day window in which to travel, so I loaded up the HD Dyna Wide Glide® I owned at the time and headed south.  The Dyna could hardly be characterized as an ideal touring machine, but it did, at least, offer a conventional swingarm and traditional rear shock absorbers (albeit shorter than stock to add to its raked chopper styling), along with a detachable windshield and “sissy bar” luggage rack.  I was 22 years younger then and good-to-go on that less than ideal “touring” machine.  I wound up putting close to 50,000 miles on that beast before coming to my senses again, and trading it in on my second of three Harley-Davidson® touring bikes.

 

My destination on day 1 would be Virginia Beach, taking a 400 mile long route that would offer lots of opportunities for the rest stops that would be needed due to the lack of comfort afforded by the ridiculous low-profile saddle that was custom made for that bike by a leather craftsman friend of mine.  I headed down the Garden State Parkway through New Jersey to its end at Cape May, hopped the ferry (a welcome 2 hour break) over to Lewes, Delaware, then continued south the entire length of The Delmarva Peninsula to The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel into Virginia Beach.  I spent the night in Virginia Beach, had an awesome fresh seafood meal, and took in a fantastic concert at The Virginia Beach Amphitheater.

The next morning I headed south for The Outer Banks but the trip was not destined to be. Hurricane Floyd, a massive category 4 storm was approaching and The Outer Banks were being evacuated.  I was stopped by law enforcement and turned away on my southbound route long before crossing over to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; all traffic being run in the evacuation directions north and west.  Hurricane Floyd ultimately made landfall in The Cape Fear region of North Carolina as a category 2 storm and my Outer Banks trip went down the drain with its rainfall.

 

My second attempt to visit The Banks was much more successful.  This trip wouldn’t take place until the spring of 2011, long before the official start of The Atlantic hurricane season.  My girlfriend and I had left New York about 10 days prior and had traveled through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia before turning back north towards home.  We were riding aboard a much more appropriate Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited® touring bike…model FLHTCU, or whatever letters The Great American Motorcycle Company decided to pull out of the bowl of alphabet soup to adorn this model.   Leaving from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina we took the coastal route north to Cedar Island, North Carolina and boarded the ferry to Ocracoke Island on The Outer Banks.  It was a spectacular, picture-perfect riding day with sunshine, bright blue skies and lovely temperatures.

Arriving on Ocracoke Island we found a small motel, freshened up and walked next door to the Back Porch Restaurant for one of the finest steaks I’ve ever had in my entire life.  After all, how bad can a perfectly-cooked filet mignon be when it is served with the house blue cheese sauce? According to the souvenir recipe books being sold in the restaurant’s lobby the simple recipe consisted of equal parts of just two ingredients…aged blue cheese and butter.  We spent the remainder of the evening visiting some of the local attractions in this little barrier island town, either on foot or by bicycle drawn carriages, the “taxis” that serve the mass transit needs of this quaint village’s visitors and residents alike.

 

The next morning we would head north and ride the entire length of The Outer Banks to a spot a bit north of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, a 100 mile route that is bordered by The Atlantic Ocean to the east and on the west by Pamlico Sound and Albermarle Sound.  What a difference a day makes.  In contrast to yesterday’s stellar weather this morning greeted us with temperatures in the low 50’s, wind, drizzle and a dense, cold fog. It was a miserable, damp ride with near zero visibility, affording no views whatsoever of this supposed Atlantic wonderland.  About all that was visible was the pavement 200 feet ahead, some sand dunes near the side of the road and the occasional lights of a few oncoming cars that peeked through the fog while they, too, “enjoyed” this stretch of oceanfront road.  I mused that we may as well have not left Long Island, as a similar riding experience could have been had 20 miles from home on any cold, foggy winter day traveling a deserted Ocean Parkway on Fire Island, NY.

Leaving The Banks behind at Kitty Hawk we made a quick stop at the local Harley-Davidson® dealership in Harbinger, NC; not because I needed another long-sleeved souvenir shirt for my collection, but because I needed one for additional warmth.  Almost on cue as I put on the shirt the fog dissipated, the sun came screaming out and the temperature rose to a splendid number.  Off came the new shirt and thus came the end of my second trip to The Outer Banks.  I still really hadn’t seen any of it.

I would return to The Outer Banks in 2019, again during The Atlantic hurricane season, but with no threatening weather developing anywhere within 1,000 miles. My girlfriend would be on her annual pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach with her children and grandchildren.  I love them all dearly but the idea of spending eight days in one of the most humid cities on earth, on a hot sunny beach, building sand castles, eating bologna sandwiches infused with gritty sand, playing lifeguard and visiting countless amusement parks and arcades is just not my idea of the perfect vacation experience.  I had plenty of that as a child and only now can appreciate the efforts and sacrifices my parents made towards providing a wonderful childhood for my sister and I.  There can be no denying the efforts and sacrifices my girlfriend makes for her offspring either.  She works extremely hard all year long; not only to finance this family expedition, but in gathering vacation supplies and acquiring lots of special surprises to make the experience so much more rewarding for them.  

I’m guessing it comes as no surprise to you that my concurrent vacation time would be spent on two wheels.  I headed south and west to visit a dear friend in Tennessee, and to ride the phenomenal roads of The Great Smoky Mountains.  After a couple of days carving up the glorious roads in the Smokies I pointed my current mount, the BMW®, towards North Myrtle Beach about 425 miles east.  I spent two days with the family unit before departing north towards home; choosing a route that would take me along…where else??? The Outer Banks of North Carolina.

 

I left Myrtle Beach at dawn with the dazzling backdrop of a blazing orange sunrise over The Atlantic Ocean.  The weather was absolutely perfect all day!  Following the coastal route I had taken before I found myself back at the ferry to Ocracoke Island.  The only glitch in this otherwise perfect day was that one of the vessels was undergoing an emergency repair and the ferry schedule had been modified to make up for the out-of-service craft.  It would be a 3-1/2 hour wait before the next boat would depart for The Banks.  I passed the time visiting with some of the other delayed travelers including a wonderful couple my age, who were touring the entire east coast of the United States by automobile; from Acadia National Park in Maine to Key West, Florida.  What a lovely pair.  They gave off the distinct impression that they “traveled well together”.

I also spent some time with the young (30-ish) guy and his canine companion who were traveling, completely self-contained, in the most extraordinarily equipped Jeep® overland vehicle I’ve ever seen.  Every need; electric, refrigeration, heat, air conditioning, etc was completely self-generated and required no RV park “hookup” for survival. The sleeping component was handled by a retractable tent arrangement that emerged from the vehicle’s roof.  He and his furry companion were off to enjoy a few days of absolute unplugged solitude on the famous Atlantic Ocean beaches of The Outer Banks.

After arriving on Ocracoke Island and checking into a different casual motel I rode over to The Back Porch, the restaurant I mentioned from my earlier OBX visit.  They were much busier during this week heading into Labor Day than they were back in the early spring of 2011 and didn’t have a “table for one” available.  I was saddened to find out that the filet mignon with blue cheese sauce was no longer on the menu as I had been dreaming of it all day.  I had a great meal, nonetheless, eating at the bar with some boisterous and welcome company.  No galavanting around town tonight either.  With a stellar weather forecast in sight I had a mission for tomorrow and it would start before dawn.

I would spend the day photographing the famous lighthouses of The Outer Banks starting with the one located right here in the heart of Ocracoke itself.  Arriving there at first light I was able to capture a beautiful view of this structure, just as the sun rose over the horizon, illuminating the tower against a backdrop of broken early morning clouds suspended over Pamlico Sound beyond.  It is this picture that appears at the head of this post.  The coastal region of The Outer Banks is often referred to by mariners as “The Graveyard of The Atlantic” due to the hundreds of ships that have sunk there as a result of acts of war, the handiwork of pirates, or the often savage temperament displayed by Mother Nature.

 

When I reach my next OBX stop in Hatteras, NC, I discover that there is actually a Graveyard of The Atlantic Museum where visitors can absorb all the history of the region that they desire.  I naturally make a stop in the town of Buxton, NC at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the iconic 210 foot tall structure being the tallest brick lighthouse structure in The United States.  The clouds from this morning have not dissipated and they once again provide a whimsical backdrop for a photograph; this time suspended over a deep blue midday sky.

 

Somewhere shortly after noon I stopped at a local seafood shack who’s name I never recorded.  All I can tell you is that it was a two story structure, with a bluestone gravel parking lot, painted blue and white, on the southbound side of the road, who’s dining room is on the second floor (as is almost everything of value on The Outer Banks…raised up high to survive hurricane storm surges).  One other thing I can tell you is that they serve the most delicious fish tacos with avocado that I’ve ever had in my entire life!  I don’t know if it was the fresh Mahi-Mahi that had purportedly been swimming just an hour or two earlier.  Maybe it was the secret house dressing and homemade slaw that topped the fare, or maybe it was just me experiencing the rapture of an absolutely wonderful day in the saddle.  

 

My next stop would be just north of Oregon Inlet to photograph the Bodie Island Lighthouse.  The friendly skies of the morning have been changing and it became apparent that an Atlantic storm was heading my way, a situation that I confirmed with a quick glance at my smart phone’s weather radar app.  I took a couple of quick photos of the storm brewing in the distance behind the lighthouse and made the decision to leave The Outer Banks before reaching Kitty Hawk, to “race” the storm west.  This route took me across Roanoke Island and through the open stretches of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.  A short while later I turned north heading across the bridge spanning the western most reaches of Albermarle Sound and called it a day in Edmonton, NC.

 

In all I only covered 170 miles that day, but they were beautiful, scenic, rewarding miles.  Quality, not quantity is what it’s all about.  The storm did not make it inland and a gorgeous sunset blanketed the waterfront of Edenton.  As an added bonus I discovered that there is yet another lighthouse right here in town, The 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse.  It was never on my radar, nor was it in the day’s plans, but at sunset it yielded one of my favorite photographic images from this trip.  My persistence paid off and my third trip to The Outer Banks was, in my eyes, a huge success.  Persistent effort has a way of paying off like that in all areas of one’s life.

We hope you enjoyed this photographic tour of the lighthouses of the North Carolina Outer Banks. Leave us a note in the comments below. Be sure to bookmark this site and subscribe to receive notifications when new posts hit the blog.