Getting There
The 16-mile, four-lane Chesapeake Expressway linking Virginia and North Carolina makes it easier to reach the Outer Banks. The motorway links Interstate 64 in Chesapeake, Virginia, to North Carolina and the Outer Banks. The 5.2-mile-long Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, the longest bridge in the state, opened in August 2002, providing a much-needed alternative transportation link between the mainland and the barrier islands. The other routes are: from Raleigh, via U.S. 64; and from Wilmington, via the Cedar Island ferry. N.C. 12 (also called Virginia Dare Trail or the Beach Rd. from Kitty Hawk to Whalebone Junction) runs the length of the Outer Banks, from Ocracoke to Corolla. The four-lane U.S. 158 Bypass runs from Kitty Hawk to Whalebone Junction.
The nearest airport to Nags Head is 80 miles northwest in Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk International Airport (tel. 757/857-3351; www.norfolkairport.com) is served by American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), Continental Airlines (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com), United Airlines (tel. 800/864-8331; www.united.com), Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/225-2524; www.nwa.com), and Southwest Airlines (tel. 800/435-9792; www.iflysa.com).
Visitor Information
Contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, 704 S. Hwy. 64/264, Manteo, NC 27954 (tel. 877/OBX-4FUN [629-4386]; www.outerbanks.org), for information about accommodations and outdoor activities. The bureau is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, and Saturday to Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Special Events
On Roanoke Island, where it all happened, Paul Green's moving drama The Lost Colony is presented in the Waterside Theater from June to late August, Monday to Saturday at 8:30pm. It's the country's oldest outdoor drama, running since 1937. All seats are reserved. Contact the Waterside Theater, 1409 National Park Dr., Manteo, NC 27954 (tel. 866/468-7630 or 252/473-3414; www.thelostcolony.org), for Visa or MasterCard bookings. Tickets cost $16 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $8 for children 11 and under.
In Kill Devil Hills, December 12 to 17, 2003, the First Flight Centennial (www.firstflightcentennial.org) held a celebration of the Wright brothers' 1903 aeronautical feat, featuring a re-creation of the original flight in what is being touted as the only accurate reproduction of the Wright Flyer. If you didn't make the celebration, you can browse the First Flight Centennial Photo Album or order the Official First Flight Centennial Video (check the website).
The traffic along the Outer Banks can be maddening in summer. Avoid gridlock by arriving or leaving on days other than Saturday and Sunday, when the weekly rentals begin and end.
