With the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Intercoastal Waterway on the other, NC 12 is the route on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Along the way you'll see lots of sand dunes and people flying kites because of the wind. It is due to this same wind that the Wright brothers chose this area and the famous Kitty Hawk, which you'll be driving through, to originate the man-powered flight. This route will also take you through historical lighthouses at beautiful places such as Bodie Island, Hatteras, and Ocracoke. The scenery along the route is beautiful in any direction you look. The narrow strip of land you'll be traveling through on this east coast trip is surrounded by wonderful and unique water scenery from north to south.
Towns/Cities You'll Pass By/Through
The towns along the route are not large but have plenty of things to see and do. As you drive through the towns you'll see beautiful tall and narrow coastal homes on both sides of the streets.
The best town along this route is Manteo. Here you'll find plenty of shops and quaint little restaurants. The town also has a beautiful restored old town area and a great peer where you can fish or charter a sail boat.
Attractions & Points-of-Interests Along the Way
The towns along the way have plenty to offer. Plan to spend at least a couple of days exploring this stretch of land as you'll never run out of things to do here. There are all kinds of campgrounds and tones of places to pull off and walk along the beach. Hatteras and Ocracoke have good shopping and many restaurants. History buffs will love the museum and park dedicated to the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. The cost of gas along the route is pretty high and gas stations going south are pretty far apart.
Reviewed by MountainMan on February 25, 2010 (2 out of 2 members found this review useful.)
Comments: My family and I took a vacation here last Fall (09). The area was new to us and we absolutely loved it. There are a lot of things to do along this strip of land and my only regret is I didn't visit more of the historical points of interest like Kitty Hawk and Roanoke Island. Overall I highly recommend this area.
Reviewed by BRTP Partners on February 25, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Attraction or Point-of-Interest recommendation: The Wright Brothers National Memorial
From NPS.gov: "Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorates two ingenious brothers from Dayton, OH who, in 1900, choose the sparsely populated area known as the Outer Banks to conduct a series of experiments that three years later resulted in the world's first heavier than air, powered controlled flight. The story of these brothers embodies the American ideal of hard work overcoming all obstacles. Wilbur and Orville Wright were not just lucky bicycle mechanics but succeeded because of study and scientific experimentation. Their story is the realization of a dream that had existed for centuries; it is not simply about building the first plane but rather about how they scientifically solved the problem. It is a story about those who inspired and those who aided the brothers as well as the coastal area of North Carolina before, during and after the dream came to life." For more information on this National Memorial go to :NPS.gov
