Outer Banks, an incredible impact on history

Most people I know enjoy the convenience of flying, but I bet many don’t often think about all the experimentation and hard work that went into something that is so much a part of our everyday world. I know I didn’t…

Kitty Hawk, one of the towns of the Outer Banks, is the location of the Wright Brothers Memorial, and the area where the momentous first 12-second flight took place.  The Wright Brothers first arrived in Kitty Hawk in 1900, they selected this specific area because of the constant wind gusts, the sand dunes, and the isolation away from press and onlookers.  Countless years of determination and experimentation with gliders, wind tables, and wing design finally led to the achievement of the very first flight in 1903.

The Visitor’s Center, built in 1960 and originally created to translate what the Wright Brothers were trying to do while in the area, is slated for reopening in the fall. The new Visitor’s Center  will house more exhibits with interactive activities, meshing new ideas and technology to hold true with the original concept, not that of a museum but of a place that will orient you to what the whole site is about; to have a better experience in the park, and understand the enormous effort and ingenuity it took to get to that moment in 1903.   

Visitor’s Center

Upon arriving at the park, you will notice the winds, a never-ending force… an element that was very needed for all of the initial experimentation.  To be honest, I hadn’t really thought much of it, but until you experience the constant force, you don’t appreciate it for what it is.

Checking out the reconstructed camp buildings the Wright Brothers built on the site in 1903, you get a glimpse of how they lived… one of the buildings housed their living quarters and workshop, and the other was used as a hangar. Before these buildings were built, they actually lived in tents… can you imagine trying to sleep through the night and hope that the tent doesn’t blow away on you?

Although the landscape and dunes have shifted throughout the years since, the Brothers made approximately 1000 flights ( glider flights) before their infamous first flight.  They mastered flight in the air before they moved on to powered flight, giving them the insights and flying skills necessary to achieve this incredible milestone.

Climb the hill to the top and look around the memorial, the 60-foot high monument built in 1932, is the largest monument ever built to honor someone who was still alive (Orville). Once at the top, you feel the full force of the winds and can see spectacular views for miles around you.

After checking out the monument on Kill Devil Hill, climb down to the sculpture by Stephen H Smith depicting the very first flight.  Climb aboard the flyer and stretch yourself out, imagining yourself in the shoes of the Wright Brothers during that historic day in 1903.

I left with a much greater appreciation for something that has made my life, and my experiences much easier.

An Area of Firsts

Along with being the birthplace of flight, the Outer Banks is an area of many other firsts …

• The Outer Banks is known as America’s First Beach…. And has been named in the top 10 beaches of North America several times, and listed number two on the Forbes America’s Top 10 Beaches of 2018.
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore was one of the first National Seashores to be established to preserve the shoreline, It encompasses more than 28,000 acres along the Outer Banks. One of the top attractions along that shoreline, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, stands at a height of 208 feet and is one of the tallest brick lighthouses in the US… made to be climbed… all 257 steps of it ( the equivalent of 12 stories)!  Well worth the climb up the spiral stairs to the top to see the amazing views. Interesting fact…this lighthouse had to be moved 2900 feet inland to a safer spot due to the erosion of the beach.  Can you imagine what a feat that must have been, and what it took to preserve it? Another reason this lighthouse has to be seen! But, please take note, it is not an easy climb for all, and people with breathing and heart conditions must be aware.

• Located on the historic Fort Raleigh site, the “Lost Colony “ performance is the oldest running outdoor play in the US ( it celebrates its 81st season this year). The play retells and commemorates the original colonists that first landed on this site in Roanoke Island to create a settlement and the mystery surrounding their disappearance just a few years later. It is also home of the first English born child ( Virginia Dare). The play runs to  end of Aug,  but there is also a wine festival scheduled for September.

• Before the existence of the Coast Guard, Chicamacomico was one of the first of seven life-saving stations built along the Outer Banks coastline to save and rescue the many vessels that passed through the treacherous “graveyard of the Atlantic”. The men stationed here patrolled the beaches looking for wrecked ships, performing many daring and brave rescues. The most notable rescue in 1918, of the sailors from a British tanker torpedoed by a German U-boat during WW1.  It is now one of the few stations remaining on the East Coast that is open to the public.

Combining History and Spirits

In 2015, four friends with a keen interest in rum, an affinity for the distilling process and a respect for the local history, opened the first ever “legal” distillery in the Outer Banks Area.  Outer Banks Distilling is located in a historic building in Manteo, a perfect backdrop for the production of the “Kill Devil Rum”.  

Inspired by the Pirate legends of the area, and the history of rum in the Outer Banks, the distillery logo is a stylized pirate ship.  The Kill Devil name comes from two sources. The first, stories of rum being made at the time in order to stop the sickness that came from drinking tainted water (people who became sick were thought to have the devil inside), and the belief that the rum was strong enough to “kill the Devil”.  The second, from stories of the rum caskets that washed ashore from the countless shipwrecks of the area in the early 1900’s, the locals would gather up all the rum and hide it in the sand dunes of the area, which were aptly named Kill Devil Hill. So, it is fitting that a rum distillery in this area would be so named.

The Tour

The distillery offers tours and tastings during the week, the owners go through the interesting process they use,  which usually begins with molasses, but may change depending on what batch they are making. They took their time in learning all about the best distillation processes and use a  custom-made 300L – 9 plate rectifying column, copper still from Germany. The passion this group of men has for the process shows through all the stages of distillation. Their motto “from Molasses to glasses” is important because they make everything from scratch, using only raw products in the making of their rum.

A few times a year they make up special batches ( Shipwreck Series) but are sold out very quickly.

Once the tour of the distilling room and process is done, you head back into the tasting room with its beautiful bar; you can check out the artifacts from local shipwrecks. There is a ship’s wheel from the wreck of the Irma in 1925 and many other items, so along with learning a bit of local history, you get to taste their delicious rum! My favourite just happens to be the Pecan Honey … so smooth. You will have to taste it for yourself! 

This distillery is a must stop on a trip to the Outer Banks!

Tours are available throughout the week after 1 PM,  but you must be 21 years old to participate. Also worth noting,  tasting room area is air conditioned, but the distillery floor is not and it can get quite warm during the summer months.

And More…

The towns of Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo, Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras and Ocracoke in North Carolina are collectively known as the Outer Banks. It is the ideal place to relax and explore with your family, the entire area is steeped in history.  There is so much to do in the area, but… can also be the perfect beach getaway if that is all you want. Be prepared to though… the seafood found here is amazing!

* DISCLOSURE:  I was generously hosted by Outer Banks Visitors Bureau  throughout my stay, however, all opinions are my own.