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‘outer banks’: tv review.

Netflix continues nostalgia-baiting with 'Outer Banks,' a treasure-hunting teen drama that blends 'Goonies' and 'The OC' with a North Carolina setting.

By Daniel Fienberg

Daniel Fienberg

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As Netflix ‘s latest nostalgia-in-a-blender exercise, teen drama Outer Banks is designed to trigger memories of a dozen movies from the ’80s and at least as many TV shows, counting on those conscious and subconscious responses to carry viewers through 10 episodes that are reasonably watchable, but contain very few original pleasures.

So file away that Outer Banks is Goonies meets The O.C.  by way of Red Dawn and Netflix’s very own Stranger Things and possibly On My Block , with just a dash of a high-school Simple Plan  — and maybe your affection for those titles will carry you through the long stretches during which  Outer Banks  veers between stupid, ridiculous and, in little bursts, fun.

Air date: Apr 15, 2020

Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina — filmed with acceptable replication in South Carolina locations — the series is a story of class warfare and treasure hunting, not always in that order.

Our heroes are the Pogues, the blue-collar kids on an island fiercely divided between the haves and have-nots. John B (Chase Stokes) narrates and drives the story — and yet somehow, in 10 episodes, fails to generate a single Beach Boys reference even from older residents — as the son of a missing man obsessed with the Royal Merchant, a vessel sunk and vanished in 1829, but rumored to have gone down with $400 million in British gold.

John B lacks all guardianship, but he has lifelong friends in J.J. (Rudy Pankow), the troublemaking son of an abusive drunk; Pope (Jonathan Daviss), the allegedly smart kid who never does anything smart the entire series; and Kiara (Madison Bailey), technically more economically comfortable than her pals but allowed to tag along because they all seem to be in love with her.

If the Pogues are the scrappy poor kids in this landscape, their rivals are the Kooks, children of the resident upper class. Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), briefly formerly Kiara’s best friend and now her antagonist, is perhaps the queen of the Kooks, dating ultra-preppy Topper (Austin North), a WASP-y jerk so repellent he makes William Zabka’s pre- Cobra Kai version of Johnny Lawrence look reasonable and endearing. The premiere features a beach party brawl in which the only reason Topper doesn’t bellow “Welcome to The OB, bitch!” at his vanquished foe is probably because creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke assumed audiences would be able to fill in the blanks themselves. It’s the same reason none of the Pogues literally announce, “Pogues never say die!” You’ll just be thinking it.

Oh, and Sarah’s wealthy father is played by Charles Esten, easily the most recognizable member of the cast (though Adina Porter as the local sheriff probably comes close), which ultimately means exactly what you think it does.

So … plot! John B and his friends find several clues related to his dad’s disappearance, clues that might lead them to the Royal Merchant and its life-changing bounty. Or maybe they’ll just get caught up in increasingly serious conflict with the Kooks or in various storms that knock out power for much of the region so that even though Outer Banks is set in the present day, reduced availability of cellphones and computers means it could just as easily be 1984.

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Directed primarily by Jonas Pate, Outer Banks looks like nostalgia feels. Much of the series is lensed through a cloying golden haze as if every second were taking place at Magic Hour, even if none of the series is actually taking place at Magic Hour. It’s actually very pretty, so kudos to cinematographer J.B. Smith, even if much of the perpetual gloaming was surely achieved through postproduction. Confusion about the passage of time both within individual episodes and within the first season as a whole — you could tell me these 10 episodes take place over four days or over two months and I’d probably believe you — is just one of many narrative problems.

When Outer Banks is going about its treasure-hunting business, there are engaging moments, some entertaining following of clues and one use of Gullah that I desperately wish had been an intentional piece of the show’s cultural awareness rather than a one-off detail that most viewers will surely ignore. The treasure hunting offers a couple of minor thrills and some off-kilter notes of humor, but it’s usually followed quickly by class warfare material undone by how absurdly one-dimensional every Kook other than Sarah is.

The last three episodes, which easily could have been condensed as two (or maybe even one) hours, become the rare example of a show in which narrative momentum relies exclusively on every single character doing the dumbest thing possible. I kept watching in the hopes that several poorly conceived secondary villains might die violent deaths, which isn’t exactly what you want in a show in which most of the characters are supposed to be 16 (even if the actors playing the parts appear to be in their mid-twenties, as befits the genre).

That the Kooks are all cartoonish doesn’t necessarily mean that the Pogues are marvelously developed characters. Like, if you removed the references to the scholarship interview Pope is preparing for, he might not have any dialogue, while reducing Kiara to “object of affection for all” leaves that character with no real agency of her own other than “Who will she end up macking with?” And yes, the characters in Outer Banks say “macking” a lot and I don’t know if the dependence on dated slang is meant to point to their isolated geography or if it’s just more nostalgic pandering.

Stokes, who looks and sounds like a less dynamic Penn Badgley, and Cline, also calling to mind your pick of comparable ingenues, have an occasionally appealing chemistry even if almost nothing in their characters’ relationship makes any sense in the event that the season takes place over a week.

The show is positively littered with characters and plot threads that feel like they might have been relevant or even important in a 13-episode season or a YA novel that offered more breathing room. The entire non-Sarah Cameron family, in fact, feels like it was left on the cutting-room floor, including apparent stepmom Rose (Caroline Arapoglou), confusingly aged daughter Wheezie (Julia Antonelli) and older sibling Rafe (Drew Starkey), whose capacity for doing contrived, illogical things is only rivaled by the black-sheep brother on this season’s Ozark .

It’s hard to put a finger on the exact demo Outer Banks is going for. It’s full of underaged drinking and drug use and the characters swear up a storm, but there’s an oddly puritanical streak to the way the show depicts sex when it isn’t ogling the beach bods of its teenage characters. So the ideal audience age is somewhere between the age I was when I saw and loved Goonies the first time, the age I was when I rewatched Goonies and could see all of its flaws and the age I am now, when I can see Goonies through both clear and nostalgic glasses. So maybe I’m the audience? Unfortunately, I’m already able to see this show’s flaws far too clearly.

Cast: Chase Stokes, Rudy Pankow, Jonathan Daviss, Madison Bailey, Madelyn Cline, Charles Esten, Austin North, Drew Starkey Creators: Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke Premieres: Wednesday (Netflix)

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What Is Outer Banks , the Random Show That Won’t Leave Netflix’s Top 10?

Ever since Netflix introduced its Top 10 feature a few months ago, I’ve eyed it with skepticism. How could it be possible that fully half the list at any given time is populated by shows I’ve never heard of? Case in point: Outer Banks , a series whose promotional photos consist mostly of teens frolicking around in swimsuits. Have you also spent the past month seeing Outer Banks on Netflix’s ( probably very misleading ) hit list and wondering what it is and why it’s so popular? Have you wanted to know where it falls on a scale of “teen show adults might like too” to “teen show that will make adults want to gauge their eyes out”? Read on as I attempt to answer those questions.

Is Outer Banks kinda like The O.C. for Gen Z?

It definitely seems that way at the beginning! The main character, John B (played by Chase Stokes, a name up there with “Harry Styles” in ridiculous heartthrob perfection), is a teenager living on one of the islands off North Carolina that make up the Outer Banks. The wealth disparities there are pretty stark: There’s the rich side of the island, where the residents (called “Kooks” in local slang) enjoy mansions and yachts and golf courses, and then there’s John B’s side of the island, where the working-class people (known as “Pogues”) live. It’s all very Chino vs. the O.C., and John B’s home life has shades of Ryan Atwood, too: His father disappeared, the uncle who’s supposed to be his caretaker has peaced out, and the local child protection agency is on his case.

After all this is established, though, the story takes a turn out of National Treasure : John B and his friends find a shipwreck, and he becomes convinced that his dad, who’s lost at sea and presumed dead, left behind clues to a hidden fortune. So this show is only part soap opera—it also has a strong element of mystery/adventure that, if you were expecting The O.C. 2.0, might take you by surprise.

Wait, back up—“Kooks” and “Pogues”?

Yeah, it’s weird! Teenagers giving names to the different social groups is the kind of unrealistic trope that nevertheless happens all the time in pop culture—think the “Plastics,” the “ the 09ers ” in Veronica Mars (another show Outer Banks is sort of reminiscent of, though it’s less clever), and The Outsiders , the last of which Outer Banks’ creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke have name-checked as one of their inspirations. That said, Kook and Pogue are particularly out there as nicknames! Bustle says the terms come from surfing and fishing, but according to Us Weekly , they’re not really used the way the show uses them in real life. Beyond Kooks and Pogues, this show generally loves a quirky name—there’s John B (why the B?), and his core group of friends includes both a Pope and a Kie, and meanwhile there’s a Kook named, gloriously, Topper.

Does the show have hot people and forbidden romances and love triangles?

Yes, yes, and yes. John B barely wears a shirt, a dress code honored by many of the young men of Outer Banks , and he (along with both of his best male friends) has a crush on his wealthier-than-him friend Kie. But there’s also definitely something between John B and the rich girl whose dad’s boat he works on. Said rich girl is of course dating the aforementioned Topper. Oh and that dad/boat owner is hot too.

Chase Stokes looks familiar, who does he remind me of?

Penn Badgley. Others have said Justin Bieber , but I feel confident that Badgley is a stronger reference point.

Is the mystery element of the show actually … good?

At first I didn’t think so—it felt at odds with the rest of the show’s pleasantly chill vibe. But once you understand that it takes the first few episodes for Outer Banks to morph into a different kind of show, one that’s a little less Dawson’s Creek and a little more Revenge , it might suck you in, ridiculousness aside. My hypothesis is that this may be the secret to its popularity—it’s pulling in the teen soap audience and the Stranger Things audience at once.

But who’s it for exactly? Should an adult watch it?  

It’s for teens and teens at heart—and since everyone is regressing in quarantine, that number probably includes more people than it used to. Plus, its scenic backdrops are pretty to look at in a time when we’re all staring at walls.

Is that an endorsement for The O.C. fans?

Adjust your expectations. Outer Banks certainly isn’t as quotable. Its characters aren’t as memorable. But sure, if you liked Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood, I’d venture a guess that you might appreciate John B and co.

In the trailer for the show , someone says, “woogity, woogity, woogity.” What’s “woogity, woogity, woogity”?

To be honest, I feel like this isn’t properly explained. Hopefully in Season 2.

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Thursday, November 7, 2019 10:00 AM by Aaron Tuell

OUTER BANKS, N.C. -- As far as coastal vacation destinations go, the Outer Banks of North Carolina has an incredible history. From the birth of a nation to the birth of aviation, the Outer Banks has played a key role in the history of North Carolina, the country and the world.

Shifting Sands

The barrier islands of the Outer Banks were created thousands of years ago from a high ridge of sand dunes that survived the melting of the earth’s glaciers. Barrier islands earn their name by shielding the coastal mainland from the ocean’s surging waves and storms. Each chain of barrier islands is unique depending on the weather and tides in its area. Because the waterways and coast along the Outer Banks is in constant motion, its wide variety of climates, wildlife and landscape is ever-changing.

Exploring the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are thought to have been inhabited by humans more than 10,000 years ago. Historians believe the first people to live on the chain of islands were the Carolina Algonkians, also known as Croatans, who lived near Cape Hatteras from approximately 1000 to the 1700s, when contact with European explorers led to the demise of the tribe.

Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano, the first European explorer to land in the Outer Banks in 1524, mistakenly believed the chain of islands to be an isthmus dividing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Sixty years later, Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched English explorers Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, who successfully navigated an entrance through the islands to the coast. The explorers’ two ships landed at Roanoke Island, where crews disembarked and found a land of abundant resources and peaceful natives. More than 40 English ships visited the Outer Banks over the next three years, allowing the English to gain a foothold in colonizing the New World.

The Lost Colony

In order to further colonize the New World, Sir Walter Raleigh sent an expedition of three ships led by John White to the Outer Banks. The expedition, which included women and children for the first time, arrived at Roanoke Island in 1587. Colonists used the abandoned cottages, fort and military quarters of former British explorers for a permanent settlement. One month after their arrival, Virginia Dare, granddaughter of Gov. John White, was born as the first English child on American soil. Shortly thereafter, John White left the 117 colonists on the Outer Banks to return to England for food, supplies, and more colonists. However, due to war with Spain, White was unable to come back to the American settlement for three years. When he returned, the colony had disappeared.

Roanoke’s houses were deserted and its treasures gone. White’s family and the other English colonists had vanished, leaving no trace except for two cryptic carvings: “CRO” was scratched into the trunk of one tree near the bank of the Roanoke Sound and “CROATOAN” was etched into another, near the deteriorating fort. These mysterious messages led White to believe the settlers had gone to live with friendly Croatans on Hatteras Island. There were no signs of struggle or violence at the deserted settlement site.

Theories about the colony’s disappearance vary. Some say the colonists were killed by natives or carried away in a skirmish. Others think they attempted to sail home to England and were lost at sea. Still others believe they left to explore the Carolina mainland or other areas of the Outer Banks. The fate of the Lost Colony has been debated by historians for more than 400 years, and remains unknown today. The intriguing mystery has inspired “The Lost Colony,” America’s longest running outdoor symphonic drama, which has reenacted Roanoke’s story for more than 60 years at Waterside Theatre in the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island.

Maritime History

With its shifting sands and storms, the coastline of the Outer Banks proved treacherous for many ships. Hurricanes and nor’easters, which still threaten the Outer Banks, ended the voyages of many ships and hundreds of lives. Because its shoals became the burying grounds for many ships, the shores of the Outer Banks were dubbed the Graveyard of the Atlantic by American statesman Alexander Hamilton.

After the Civil War, steamers replaced sailboats that once traveled the Outer Banks’ coast. Yet even these iron vessels succumbed to the Outer Banks’ dangerous shores. In 1874, seven U.S. life-saving stations were established on the Outer Banks to help save sailors’ lives and salvage ships. The stations’ keepers, known as surfmen, were mostly rugged Outer Banks natives who patrolled the shores at all hours of the day and night, ready to rush into the surf at the first sign of a ship or sailor in trouble. The Outer Banks’ life-saving stations witnessed many maritime firsts, including the first all-African American surfmen staff at the Pea Island station. Outer Banks surfmen invented a lifesaving device known as the "breeches buoy" to haul shipwreck and storm victims onto the shore. The device’s pulley system was attached to a life preserver fitted with short pants, which kept victims afloat in even the highest seas. Before becoming part of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915, the Outer Banks lifesaving stations saved thousands of lives during hurricanes and storms.

When the Civil War erupted in 1861, the inlets of the Outer Banks became important military targets. The Hatteras and Ocrcoke inlets became encampments for both sides of the conflict. Nearly 600 Confederate soldiers were stationed at Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark on opposite sides of the Hatteras inlet. Several months later, Union troops had pushed opposing forces north to the Confederate stronghold of Roanoke. Union forces numbering 11,500 soldiers launched an attack on Roanoke Island in February 1962, after which 1,050 Confederate were forced to surrender. Union troops held Roanoke Island and most of the Outer Banks for the rest of the Civil War.

Many Outer Banks landmarks suffered the destruction of war. The original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was destroyed by Union forces. Confederate soldiers blew up the Bodie Island Lighthouse to prevent their Union enemies from using it as an observatory.

As Confederate forces retreated from Roanoke Island, the Outer Banks became home to thousands of former slaves. The refugees settled near the Union headquarters, creating churches, a school and a community that evolved into a government-sanctioned colony – later called the Freedman’s Colony. Major General John G. Foster, Commander of the 18th Army Corps, ordered Union chaplain Horace James to establish a colony for former slaves and the families of black Union soldiers. In the summer of 1863, James designed a New England-style village stretching from Weir’s Point to Pork Point on the north end of Roanoke Island. Freed slaves were provided with lots to build their own homes and jobs in shad fisheries and the sawmill. The colony became a self-sufficient village, growing from about 1,000 former slaves to 3,500 free American citizens at the end of the Civil War.

World War II

Although most of the combat of World War II was waged on other continents, the Outer Banks was the site of some military action. German U-boats prowled the coast along shipping lanes, destroying at least 60 Allied vessels and lending the treacherous wartime waters of the Outer Banks the nickname “Torpedo Alley.” The enemy submarines experienced losses as well. The first German U-boat sunk by Americans lies in a watery grave off the coast of Bodie Island. This coastal area has a greater concentration of sunken U-boats than any other place on the American coast. Many Outer Banks residents recall blackouts each night during the war to prevent enemy ships from detecting the shoreline.

The First Flight

The Outer Banks became known as “Home of the First Flight” following the monumental aviation event that took place over 100 years ago on Dec. 17, 1903. Bicycle shop owners Orville and Wilbur Wright spent years developing the 40-foot glider that would become a history-making aircraft. As their glider lifted off the ground at 10:35 that morning, the Wright Brothers achieved the first successful powered flight along the beaches of Kitty Hawk. Though the glider flew for only 12 seconds and 120 feet, it was an accomplishment that forever changed the world.

For more information about the Outer Banks and its history, contact the Outer Banks History Center at (252) 473-2655.

Author: Aaron Tuell

Aaron conceives and contributes to award-winning projects in public relations, social media and travel customer outreach. He has extensive experience working with national media outlets, celebrity projects, social media strategy and oversight, commercial broadcast and web video production, marketing photography, publicity and promotion, and working with (and as) news media.

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Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in North Carolina’s Outer Banks

By Hannah Lee Leidy

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

For sandy beaches and legendary surf conditions, to historic lighthouses, shipwreck diving sites , and wild horses, the Outer Banks is a unique East Coast beach vacation. No single island or town bears the official name Outer Banks —rather, the term refers to the string of barrier islands cupping North Carolina’s entire coast, a divide between the inland and the Atlantic.

Born of 19th-century fishing villages and game hunting retreats, this destination now provides a year-round haven for surfers, artists, environmental researchers, families, and retirees. While many businesses close during the quiet winter months, come summertime the islands swell with life, drawing visitors to the family-friendly beaches and historic attractions.

Towns on the islands, running north to south, range from sleepy fishing hubs to commercial centers with ritzy, seaside resorts. Their small sizes make it easy to explore several towns in a day, by following N.C. Highway 12 through each. The 148-mile, mostly two-lane highway lives up to its name as the Outer Banks Scenic Byway —it traverses the Cape Hatteras National Seashore between towering sand dunes, past expansive views of the sound and ocean, and through each town before ending (quite literally) on the beach in northern Corolla. Here's what to do in Outer Banks, and everything else you need to know to plan a visit. 

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Getting there

Unless travelers charter a boat or plane, they reach the Outer Banks via car. Virginia’s Norfolk International Airport is the closest if you arrive by air. From there, rent a car and make the 1.5-hour drive south. A bridge connects the North Carolina mainland to the town of Kitty Hawk . Once on the island follow U.S. 158 South to get to the towns of Kill Devil Hills , Nags Head , and Hatteras Island . For the northern towns of Southern Shores , Duck , and Corolla , follow N.C. Highway 12 north along the scenic, two-lane road that hugs the island’s sound-side. Bridges connect the islands together, except for Ocracoke Island , which is reached by the NCDOT Ferry.

What to do in the Outer Banks

Bodie Island Lighthouse on Bodie Island

Pretty much any beach-oriented activity thrives on these sandy shores: surfing , swimming, strolling at the water’s edge, sunbathing, picnicking, skim boarding, fishing . Plentiful public access points lead beachgoers over the dune line that separates the shore from the road, with the exception of Southern Shores and Duck. While public parking is available at many beaches, the high volume of visitors in-season makes carpooling a good idea.

Southern Shores and Duck beaches, which are public, can only be reached by private access points belonging to cottages or home-owners’ associations. They provide residents and guests a quiet escape to savor the surf and sand without the crowds.

The Outer Banks’ ocean varies from swimmable surf to hazardous conditions. Each island’s west side, however, has a sound with calmer, shallow waters for swimming and watersports. Companies such as Nor’Banks Sailing and Watersports outfit both experienced sportsmen and newcomers for kayaking, standup paddle boarding, jet-ski rides, sailing, parasailing, and cruises in the Currituck Sound.

The Outer Bankswaters teem with game fish like bluefin tuna, cobia, and marlin. Private charters from the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center whisk both amateur anglers and old salts into the Gulf Stream current for half- or full-day fishing trips. Keep what you catch (within North Carolina Fishing Regulations ); local restaurants like Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar and Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe offer the option to cook your fish for you.

No sea legs? No problem. Climb atop the Currituck Beach Lighthouse , Bodie Island Lighthouse , and Hatteras Lighthouse for striking views of the mile-wide islands parting the ocean and sounds. Take to the skies hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge State Park , home to the largest living sand dune on the East Coast, with Kitty Hawk Kites . Or, stay at sea level by visiting the spot where the first flight occurred, at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.

Andrew Sessa

Laura Walsh

Ryan M. Moser

Anastasia Miari

For shopping, follow the town of Duck’s sound-side boardwalk or central sidewalk for an entirely local and walkable shopping corridor. Gear up for water sports at Duck Village Outfitters with new and used surfboards and kayaks. Find Bauhaus-style decor and eco-friendly homeware at Modern Beach House , and browse two floors of titles at Island Books . Between the boutiques and galleries, plenty of bistros, wine bars, and coffee shops line the boardwalk and road through town for your choice of pick-me-up.

Where to eat

Homegrown roasters and independent coffee shops are fixtures within the Outer Banks community. Front Porch Café roasts more than 20 different coffee bean varieties in house, and its three locations feature local artists’ paintings, photography, and ceramics. Duck’s Cottage , a cozy one-room coffeehouse, is also part indie bookstore so you can enjoy a latte while perusing paperbacks.

John’s Drive-In has been an Outer Banks cornerstone for four generations. The window-service joint across the road from the beach in Kitty Hawk specializes in coastal Carolina mainstays like battered fish baskets and barbecue sandwiches. Only open for lunch in the warmer months, they almost always have a line of people waiting for thick milkshakes and crunchy fried mahi sandwiches (look for ‘dolphin sub' on the menu).

The Blue Point in Duck, Outer Banks

For elevated food, drink, and hospitality with a dreamy backdrop, make dinner reservations at The Blue Point . This 32-year-old Duck establishment pairs classic Southern staples like pimento cheese and sweet-potato ham biscuits with New South dishes: Go for the tuna carpaccio, or seared sea scallops over curried lentils. Grab a seat at their outdoor bar during golden hour for a waterfront sunset, accompanied by a cocktail or bottle of Burgundy.

Where to stay

The Corolla Village Inn in Corolla, North Carolina

Most people visiting the Outer Banks stay in vacation rental houses (here are 11 of our favorites ), which can range from 1920s cedar-shake cottages to palatial homes that sleep up to 20 people. If you don’t want to commit to an entire house, there are a handful of chain hotel brands and boutique inns. Just steps off the dirt road in Historic Corolla Village, the Corolla Village Inn ( rooms from $265 per night ) offers Cape Cod-inspired rooms and suites behind a veil of live oaks. A communal fireside lounge and spacious front porches invite guests to unwind with a glass of wine at the end of the day.

For a boutique hotel feel but with all the amenities of a resort, you can't go wrong with The Sanderling ( rooms from $399 per night ), a longtime oceanfront favorite just north of Duck that's family-friendly, and comes equipped with a pool, tennis courts, spa, and several spots for meals—from a casual poolside cafe to upscale fine-dining spot overlooking the sound. 

Mom’s Sweet Shop in Kill Devil Hills has earned a spot at the cool kids’ table by pairing vintage clothing, accessories, and skate gear with a soft-serve/smoothie counter. This nouveau-cottage-style shop also surprises many with a one-bedroom apartment ( rooms from $195 per night ) available as a nightly accommodation. The shop’s boho aesthetic inspires every inch of the open floor plan, and its location just one block from the beach positions guests within 15 minutes of shops and restaurants throughout Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head—in other words, come here for that small-town flavor that brought you to the Outer Banks in the first place. 

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Where is the Best Place to Stay in Outer Banks?

There is no wrong answer to this question. Whether you're looking to stay somewhere more upscale with community amenities and a resort-style feel, or your dream OBX vacation is a beach box with direct access to the sand, you'll find that every area of the Outer Banks is awesome. There's something for everyone with plenty to do and see, making every spot on the Outer Banks the perfect place to come for vacation, a work retreat, a celebration, or a family escape. Each city has its own unique quirks and idiosyncrasies, so be sure to do your research before picking your favorite spot (or try them all out at different times of the year).

Fortunately, we're here to help make your OBX beach vacation fun, fulfilling, and hassle-free. Keep reading for our suggestions and see what you think. You can also give us a call at (800) 395-2525 to talk to one of our highly-trained Guest Service Specialists who are standing by and ready to help you pick not only the best town, but the best beach house for your next Outer Banks vacation.

If you're looking for upscale homes with lots of resort-style amenities, easy access to sight-seeing, and a more secluded environment, then you might want to consider the northernmost beach,  Corolla . Corolla beaches tend to be a little bit less crowded throughout the year, though you will find that there are plenty of easily accessible beach accesses that span from Duck up to Carova, where you'll enter the 4x4 area. This is definitely the place to stay if you're looking for that out-of-the-way, modern feel while still enjoying the seclusion that comes with the Outer Banks. Many of our Corolla homes offer swimming pools and hot tubs as well as community amenities such as tennis and pickleball courts available for use during your stay.

Corolla is also a great place to stay if you're interested in easy access to shopping and restaurants, as there are plenty of walking paths and sidewalks to help you get to the shops and places to eat, meaning you won't even have to get in the car in many areas to enjoy a fun vacation experience. Check out the  Timbuck II Shopping Center  where you'll find more than 60 shops, activities, and restaurants overlooking the Currituck Sound. For sightseeing, definitely visit the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and take a Wild Horse Tour in the 4x4 area where the pavement meets the sand. Take a tour of the Whalehead Club and visit the Currituck Banks Reserve for even more adventure!

It takes a little bit of extra time to get to Corolla, especially during the summer months. Once you've made it into Dare County, you'll take a left at the first major intersection after you pass Home Depot (don't worry, it'll make sense once you get here). Just keep in mind that it's a two-lane road up to Corolla, so plan ahead for traffic and hit the bathrooms and fast-food steps before heading north. With a little bit of extra planning, though, it's certainly worth the drive! You'll be able to get a glimpse of Southern Shores and Duck as you head north, so make sure to take note of the exciting restaurants and shops to visit once you're all settled in. As the trees start to give way to sand dunes and beach grass, you'll know that you're on your way to luxury and seclusion in Corolla.

Though similar to Corolla in that it's a little more out-of-the-way than say Kitty Hawk or Nags Head,  Duck  is a quaint little village with a great town-center with fun local shops and restaurants that has a unique feel, setting it apart from the southern beaches. The highlight of Duck is definitely the Town Park and Boardwalk, both of which are easily accessible from many of our beach houses, townhomes, and condos in Duck. This is the place to stay if you're less concerned with sight-seeing and more focused on getting away from the fast-paced stresses of daily life in favor of gorgeous sunrises over the ocean and hypnotizing sunsets on the sound.

With lots of sidewalks and walking paths, Duck is a great town for bikers, runners, and walkers as well as shopping, with the gorgeous  The Scarborough Faire Shopping Village . Also in Duck,  The Waterfront Shops  are home to more than 27 boutiques, restaurants, and other shops connected with a boardwalk that allows you an unbeatable view of the Currituck Sound. Walk to Duck Donuts in the morning for breakfast before enjoying an exciting jet skiing or kayak tour on the sound with Kitty Hawk Kites Watersports Center. Duck is ideal for families and people who want to feel like they're part of a small, coastal community during their stay.

There are no public beach accesses in Duck, so if you'll want to make sure that your vacation rental offers a beach access if you're not planning to drive. As a result, the beaches in Duck are clean, unpopulated, and a beautiful place to relax away from it all. Like Corolla, you'll take a left at the intersection in Kitty Hawk to head north on the two-lane road, so plan ahead for a little bit of traffic and waiting time before checking-in. The wait will definitely be worth it, though, as Duck truly is a unique place to make your home away from home.

Southern Shores

Southern Shores  is a quick stretch between Duck and Kitty Hawk and offers some relatively empty beaches because there are few public access/parking areas. If you're looking for easy access to some of the best that the OBX has to offer, this is a great place to stay because it's a quick ride to activities north or south. Southern Shores is a great place to stay if you want your OBX vacation to feel more like staying at home, just with access to the sound on one side and the beach at the other, as many of our OBX beach houses in this area are also part of quiet residential neighborhoods and communities. It's very easy to get to Southern Shorts, since you're techincally here as soon as you make it across the Wright Memorial Bridge, though keep in mind, you may still have to make that left turn past the Home Depot to get to your rental property (I promise, it'll make sense once you see it. Trust me), so plan for a little traffic during the summer, but it won't be too bad.

Southern Shores is great if you're wanting not only a residential vacation experience, but easy access to things like grocery stores and gas stations as well as parks and playgrounds . There are several parks throughout Southern Shores and northern Kitty Hawk, so it's easy to get the kiddos out and running around to let off some steam. You'll also find that the OB-Xscape Room is really close as is the Kitty Hawk Pier and The Marketplace and Southern Shores Crossing where you'll find Walmart, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, CVS, and several restaurants and fast-food places that make it easy to grab a meal on-the-go. Like Duck, there aren't any public beach access to the Southern Shore beaches, though many vacation rentals do offer parking passes and private accesses. If not, it's just a short drive to Kitty Hawk, less than a few minutes, where you'll find plenty of beach accesses, many with parking spaces and lifeguard stations.

Central Outer Banks Towns

If you're looking to spend your vacation right in the middle of the action, picking a vacation rental in  Kitty Hawk ,  Kill Devil Hills , or  Nags Head  will be your best bet. These areas tend to be the busiest, with plenty of easily accessible beach access and the most options for restaurants, bars, shopping, and activities on the OBX. If you're wanting your Outer Banks vacation to be filled with sightseeing, adventure, and plenty of days at the beach, this is definitely where you'll want to stay for a more "traditional" beach vacation. The central beach towns were the first to start building up over the years and so you'll get more choices as to locations, types of beach houses, amenities, and activities. If you grew up coming to the Outer Banks and want to continue this tradition with your family, staying in Kill Devil Hills or Nags Head are more likely to bring back that 80's nostalgia of beach box houses, fishing piers, and days spent surfing or skimboarding with the added bonus of being close to grocery stores, doctors offices, and multiple shopping centers.

That being said, you'll still be able to find houses with community amenities, swimming pools, and hot tubs up and down the central Outer Banks, though the vibe is certainly a little more beachy laid-back in these areas. This also where you'll find many local hangout spots and lots of public beach accesses with a variety of amenities including bath houses and lifeguard stations. Don't forget restaurants and eateries! Since this strip of land goes for quite a while, you'll find plenty of amazing eateries both on the highway or the beach road (NC Hwy 12) depending on the atmosphere you're looking for. Don't be afraid to try something new and definitely get some fresh, local seafood while you're here.

When you're on your way in, traffic tends to break up a little after making it through the interaction, but you still might find yourself waiting a little while to get past that point. The main road is a four-lane road with a turning lane, so it's easy to get where you need any time of the year. These areas tend to be a little more populated but that also means there's a lot more to do, including visiting the Wright Brothers Memorial or spending a day at Jockey's Ridge. So enjoy the sunshine, get those toes in the sand, and be kind to the folks working at the many locally-owned resaurants, bars, and stores to let the good times roll.

Southern Beaches

If you're looking for a quiet, secluded beach vacation that gets you away from the hustle and bustle of a vacation town, the southern beaches (Rodanthe, Salvo, Waves, Hatteras, Ocracoke) should be on your radar. There are less shops and restaurants here, but the peace and quiet is amazing. Anyone who's lived here a certain amount of time will tell you that there is something special about South Nags Head and the areas around Hatteras Island & Ocracoke. This is where you're going to find lots of beautiful landscapes and wildlife, unique watersports experiences, and that peace and quiet that you can only get in a place that's untouched by modernization, all while still being just a short drive away from all the action in Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.

Staying on the southern beaches also gives you spectacular access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which offers a few benefits... 

• First, great views of sunsets over the sound because there are no houses impeding the view.
• Without multiple rows of houses flooding to the closest beach, the beach tends to be a bit less crowded.
• One of my favorite local tips...you have easy access to Pea Island. Possibly the best beach on the Outer Banks. Head south over the Bonner Bridge and pull over on the side of the road. Then, you'll have to hoof it over the dunes (it's worth the effort), and enjoy the amazing Pea Island beach all to yourself. Oregon Inlet isn't too shabby either, you can drive your four wheel drive vehicle right out on the beach and enjoy an awesome day in the sand.

The southern beaches aren't entirely, remote, though, so you'll still be able to visit some amazing art galleries and local restaurants right in your backyard. The culture on Hatteras Island is very different than the rest of the Outer Banks. It's pleasant and slow, relishing in the laid-back beauty of everyday life and living life on tidal time. You'll find some amazing surfing and kiteboarding in Canadian Hole near the soundside and Roanoke Island and Manteo are just a short drive away. This means that if you're wanting to enjoy some history at Fort Raleigh National Park, see The Lost Colony production, or visit the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island , there's no better place to be. 

The only real draw-back is the drive down, though it's a pleasant and relaxing drive when you give yourself the chance to embrace untouched natural beauty. You'll see lots of beach grass and sand dunes that are home to lots of amazing wildlife, lighthouses , and some of the best stargazing skies in the world. You won't find as many options for grocery stores, so you may want to consider shopping before heading south. The tranquility of this area is unlike anything you'll find anywhere else, arguably, in the world. The same could be said for Ocracoke, where you can take a trip across the water to a remote island with ties to Blackbeard that ensure an unforgettable Outer Banks vacation.

BOOK YOUR STAY TODAY

So whether you're hoping to come for a short stay getaway or you're excited to introduce the kiddos to some important North Carolina history while recreating memories of your childhood beach vacation, we've got the perfect place for you to stay while you're in town. There really is no bad place to stay on the Outer Banks, so why not plan a yearly trip and maybe stay in a different town each time? You're sure to find your perfect spot.

Keep an eye on our  specials and deals  and book now before your dream Outer Banks beach house fills up for the summer.  From oceanfront rentals to pet-friendly rentals , Seaside Vacations has it all. Give our wonderful Guest Services Team a call today at (866) 884-0267 or take a look at our  available rentals  to get started planning your next historic adventure to the Outer Banks. And don't forget about our  layaway plan , which makes booking your dream vacation easier than ever. So don't wait. We're booking Outer Banks vacation rentals year round and we're excited to help you create memories to last a lifetime. We're here to help make your OBX vacation fun, exciting, and hassle-free. Give us a call today!

We'll see you at the beach.

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About the Author:  Lauren is a mom, author, and travel enthusiast. She grew up on the Outer Banks and only left for a few years to get degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Nebraska-Kearney and complete a tour in the Coast Guard before making her way back to the beach in 2017. When she isn’t writing for the Seaside Vacations Travel Blog, Lauren can usually be found with a book and cup of tea in hand, planning her next travel adventure.

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Read a heart-pounding excerpt from the Outer Banks prequel novel featuring John B and JJ

Outer Banks: Lights Out publishes Nov. 23.

Sydney Bucksbaum is a writer at Entertainment Weekly covering all things pop culture – but TV is her one true love. She currently lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Chicago so please don't make fun of her accent when it slips out.

Before the Royal Merchant gold , before the Cross of Santo Domingo, before all those life-and-death treasure hunts on Outer Banks , there was just John B (Chase Stokes) and JJ (Rudy Pankow). And now fans can learn about what life was like for the two original Pogues in a new YA prequel novel based on the Netflix series.

Outer Banks: Lights Out , written by Alyssa Sheinmel, follows John B and JJ in an adventure that takes place before season 1. Full of action and even some romance for JJ (finally!), the novel is set during spring break, when the rich tourist Kooks take over and John B and JJ plan a fishing getaway to the notoriously dangerous Frying Pan Shoals — nicknamed Graveyard of the Atlantic for good reason. Soon after setting sail they meet a captivating Kook named Savannah, who ends up hitching a ride on their boat after the weather gets worse and her boyfriend leaves her stranded.

As a violent storm sets in, the three realize the only place to safely ride it out is a creepy abandoned hotel on the shoals' lighthouse platform. But it doesn't take long for the teens to realize they may not be alone like they thought. And when sparks start flying between JJ and the secretive Savannah, their adventure gets more complicated. The closer JJ gets to this mysterious new girl, the more he realizes he's playing with fire. Even if they make it out of this alive, can a Pogue-Kook romance survive the high-stakes shores of the Outer Banks?

Lights Out publishes Nov. 23, and EW has your exclusive first look via the excerpt below. Told from John B's point of view, it chronicles the teens' treacherous sail toward the lighthouse.

Excerpt from Outer Banks: Lights Out, by Alyssa Sheinmel

If the Light Tower could survive all those storms, right smack at the edge of the graveyard of the Atlantic, it can survive this storm. Which means, if we can get there, we can survive this storm.

JJ bends over the engine at the back of the boat while I stay at the controls. He uses his body to shield it from the rain.

"Flooded!" JJ shouts, which means the spark plugs are too wet to spark.

Savannah holds an enormous torch of a flashlight over him. (At least we remembered to bring that .)

JJ engages the choke — a small valve in the carburetor to reduce the amount of air added to the fuel. You can engage the choke to give it a boost of fuel, which is sometimes enough to make it turn, but you have to be careful to disengage the choke immediately to keep the engine from flooding all over again as too much fuel is pumped into the cylinders. JJ is much better at these sorts of things than I am.

"Try again," JJ shouts over the wind, pulling at the engine. I try the controls; nothing happens. JJ leans down again. A few minutes later he shouts, "Now!"

This time, the engine starts. JJ cheers and Savannah lifts her arms overhead like she's just run a race. For a second, I think they're going to actually hug.

I point us in the direction of the light tower. I have no idea whether it will be empty. Dad told me it used to be a Bed and Breakfast, and it's privately owned these days.

JJ makes his way across the boat to me, walking with his knees bent for balance. He puts a hand on my shoulder. "What's the plan?"

"Light tower," I say. JJ nods; he doesn't need me to explain. Most of the lessons my dad taught me, he taught JJ, too.

"I'll keep an eye on the engine," JJ says. "You just get us there."

I've been on the water in choppy conditions before, but I've never rode through anything like this. At times, it's like we're in a canyon between monster waves; and then suddenly we're on the top of a crest, and nothing I do at the controls matters — all I can do is hope that when the wave crashes, we'll still be right side-up.

Through the rain, I see JJ wrapping Savannah in a life-vest, and then handing her a rope; she ties herself to the side of the boat. Without a word, JJ ties a vest around my shoulders, a rope around my waist, then does the same thing to himself.

Since the light tower isn't actually in use, the light in the lighthouse won't be lit. Which means it'll be all but impossible to see in the darkness. Which means I could be sending the boat directly towards it — we could literally be smashed to bits against one of those steel legs.

I could kill us all.

Related content:

• Are the Pogues actually superheroes? Outer Banks stars address all those near-death experiences
• Outer Banks showrunners break down season 2 finale ending and tease season 3
• Outer Banks star Drew Starkey unpacks Rafe's dark season 2 journey

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The Daily Iowan

Opinion: Netflix show Outer Banks teaches relevant lessons during coronavirus pandemic

The new show teaches important lessons of family and perseverance.

Angela Stansbery , Opinions Columnist April 30, 2020

A modern-day Goonies : that’s how the new Netflix show Outer Banks  is described. The show follows a group of high schoolers who live on the Cut, an area of working class that always has tension with those on Figure 8, the families with two homes. Their adventure begins after a hurricane when John B. continues the search for treasure that ultimately got his father lost at sea.

The show has ranked in the top 10 on Netflix since release and sat at the number one spot for TV shows for nearly two weeks.

The release of Outer Banks acts not only as a distraction during the pandemic, but teaches relevant lessons such as perseverance and the importance of family.

Outer Banks is a great distraction regardless of the messages it teaches. With everyone stuck at home, TV shows and films have become a part of everyday life. New content is highly anticipated on any platform, so one of the reasons this show was consumed as quickly as it was can be attributed to the sheer desire of distractions.

However, in a time where it seems as if the pandemic will never end, a show with the message of perseverance is important. The characters in the show are seen fighting against adversity and striving toward their goals even when the odds seem stacked against them.

By watching this show, viewers are shown what it means to push forward even when times are hard. This show motivates people to keep fighting even when the world seems to be falling apart.

Outer Banks  also shows strong messages related to the importance of family. While the group of friends is not related, they are immensely close and protect each other in a way that blood relatives might. In the show, they stand up for each other when others are trying to push them down, take the fall when others mess up and comfort each other when their home lives get hard.

This message is increasingly important and relevant during the pandemic because it reminds everyone to check in on their family and friends. The show encourages viewers to support their loved ones during such a hard time as this. Outer Banks teaches that even when everyone is in hot water, including yourself, it’s important to still comfort and protect those you love and be there for support when and if they fall.

The show couldn’t have come at a better time. Its success, while greatly attributed to the writing and film production, also should be granted to the timing. The themes and morals this show stands on are exactly what people need to hear in this exact moment in time. If the show were released last year or maybe even next year, the impact would still have been great, but it wouldn’t have been as meaningful. The show, during the pandemic, can resonate with everyone.

The show’s messages are what allows the viewers to connect with the show so deeply. Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, Outer Banks teaches relevant and much needed lessons such as perseverance and the importance of family, which has helped it skyrocket to success.

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The Outer Banks – History Through the Ages

What are the Outer Banks? To the visitor, they are wind, sand and fun. To the artist, they are a thin line of beauty drawn at the edge of a blue, blue sea. To lovers of the past, they are the cite of events that created not just Outer Banks history but history that impacted humankind. To the resident, whose family has lived there for generations, they are, quite simply, home.

How do you describe these wind and sea swept bar­riers to the ancient sea? 

Let's begin with the land: with geology. 

Geologists call the Banks a prime example of the land form called the barrier island. They are made entirely of sand, without the keel of rock that anchors most islands firmly to the earth. It is a fascinat­ingly evanescent phenomenon in geological terms, a land form so transient that changes are visible from year to year. A phenomenon that is, even now, in the process of passing forever out of existence. 

As most people know, the level of the ocean has changed steadily throughout geological history, as a result of water released or stored up in the great polar icecaps. When, during the ice ages, great amounts of water are withdrawn from circulation, the consequent lowering of the sea extends coastlines far out into what is now the ocean. 

This is, as most authorities now agree, how the Banks were formed. They are surprisingly recent. As the last great ice age, some 20,000 years ago, drew to an end, the sea was more than 400 feet lower than it is now. The area we now call North Carolina extended some 30 miles farther out, to the edge of the North American Continental Shelf. The polar icecaps, warmed by some still mysterious climatic change, then began to melt, and the sea rose. 

The Banks must have begun as dunes, at the very edge of that an­cient shore. Rivers from inland contributed silt to build them up. But as the sea rose, the dunes were submerged, becoming sand bars.

Thousands of years passed. The waves kept rolling in, and the bars grew. They also moved, pushed westward and southward by the prevailing northeast winds and seas. The rising sea flooded the low land behind them, forming estuaries that we today call the sounds. The Banks grew and broke to the surface once again. 

A few thousand years later, the rise in the ocean slowed, though it continues today at an accelerating rate. The Banks had a breathing space. Life began to take root as rain leached the salt from the sand. Beach grass and other vegetation helped to keep sand in place, further slowing the rate of migration. 

Present-day Outer Banks Geology

Today the Outer Banks seem, to our short-lived eyes, a permanent land form. We see today a string of narrow, low islands, an average of 12 feet above sea level, from a few thousand feet to 3 miles across, punctuated by narrow inlets. But they're not permanent; they are alive, and they are moving even now. Two examples:

1. Oregon Inlet. Note, as you drive across the Herbert Bonner Bridge, the expanse of low, flat land under the northern piers. This land was not there when the bridge was built in 1964. It's land that has moved in since then, more than a mile of it. Bodie Island is extending itself southward. All the islands are moving south. 

The new bridge that will be finished in the fall of 2018 will span large sections of dry land that are often inundated by ocean overwash during big storms.

2. If you know anything about shells, examine closely those you find at the surf line at Nags Head or Coquina Beach or Hatteras. You will notice many old fresh and brackish water snail and oyster shells. You may also see large flat chunks of what looks like dried horse manure. This is peat, formed in freshwater bogs. How did these materials get to the sea side of the islands? Answer: They didn't move. They stayed right where they were and the islands have migrated over them. All the islands are moving west.

Of course, it's all happening very slowly. Don't cancel your reserva­tions; it will be thousands of years before the Banks rejoin the North Carolina mainland. But it's fascinating to understand how dynamic, moving and living the Banks are. 

Within these living islands, five major natural communities have evolved in response to different conditions. The Ocean Beach habitat is between the surf line and the dune line. There is little vegetation in this area, but clams, ghost crabs and a few other small marine animals exist or venture above the surf line. Primarily the Ocean Beach habitat belongs to the birds: willets, sanderlings, plovers, terns and gulls. All are present, especially during the sum­mer months. 

The Barrier Dune habitat is manmade but is a distinctive com­munity nonetheless. The 14-foot barrier dunes along the eastern shore were stabilized with plantings of sea oats, beach grass, cordgrass, panic grasses and such shrubs as wax myrtle, bayberry and baccharis. These plants are all salt-resistant and have deep, ex­tensive root systems that hold the sand against the wind and sea. Mice, rabbits and small harmless snakes live here, as do toads, racerunner lizards and, again, many birds.

Behind and partially protected by the dunes is the Herb-Shrub habitat. This extends clear across most of the center of the islands, except where submerged by moving dunes. Characteristic plants are wax myrtle, bayberry, yaupon, live oak, cordgrass and blackberry. Rabbits and mice are more common there amid the dunes, and larger animals (raccoons, foxes, mink) are seen along with toads, frogs and lizards and their predatory snakes. Land birds live here, includ­ing marsh hawks and short- eared owls. 

The Tidal Marsh habitat is found on the sound side of most of the islands. Its cordgrass, rushes and other salt or brackish water plants nourish a vast variety of life: waterfowl, muskrats and nutria, falcons and hawks, ducks. Much of Pea Island, a wildlife refuge famous for its birds, is marsh. Amid the sheltering roots of the marsh plants grow many of the shrimp, crabs, mollusks and fishes that later leave the marshes and enrich the sea.

The last habitat on the Banks, the Maritime Forest, is found at its widest points, where shelter from salt-carrying wind is best. Thick forests of live oak, loblolly pine, dogwood and red bay alternate with freshwater ponds. Gray squirrel, opossum and white-tailed deer live here. The Banks were like this – wild – when human beings arrived, and history, properly speaking, began.

Outer Banks History – Early Inhabitants 

The early movements of the Indians are shadowy; little of their lore crossed the gulf that separated their culture from that of the invad­ing whites. Apparently North Carolina was settled between 500 and 1000 A.O. by Indians of Algonkian stock. By the late 1500s these had diversified into various tribes, speaking dialects of the original tongue. The Poteskeets were found around Currituck Sound; the Roanoaks on Roanoke Island and the nearby mainland; the Croatoans on what is now Hatteras. They ranged widely along the Banks, living on fish, shellfish, wildfowl and deer and cultivating maize, beans, cucurbits (a gourd like plant) and sunflowers.

The first European eye to rest on the Banks may have been Italian, for Giovanni Verrazzano sailed and mapped these coasts in 1524; or may have been Spanish, for Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon and others had learned to use Cape Hatteras as a shortcut from the West Indies back to Spain. But the Spanish, then masters of the riches of the Inca and Aztec, had little interest in gold-less forests and sand. They decided not to follow up their explorations and claims with colonies. It was left to the English, relative latecomers to explora­tion, to step in; and beginning in 1584, they did. 

It was on Roanoke Island, where Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is now, that the first English colony in America was planted in 1587 containing men, women and children, intending to create a permanent stronghold in the New World. It failed. But the English kept trying, and a few years later John Smith succeeded at Jamestown Island.

In some ways, residents of the Banks still look north to Virginia as their homes, since so many have relocated here from Virginia cities. This may reflect their ancestry, for the Banks were permanently settled by second-genera­tion English who trickled down from Jamestown, Wiliamsburg and Norfolk, leavened by fugitives from the King's justice and shipwrecked mariners. These early settlers were the direct ancestors of today's numerous Midgetts, Baums, Grays, Etheridges, Burruses, Tillets, Manns, Twifords and other old and famous families of the Banks. They settled at the islands' widest points, where forests offered shelter: Kitty Hawk, parts of Hatteras and Ocracoke as well as Roanoke and Colington islands. It was not an easy life they led, but it was a free one and doubt­less healthier than the cramped and plague-haunted cities of Olde England. 

Outer Banks History – War and Inlets

There was one part of the Banks that did flourish in those early days, though, and that was Ocracoke. The inlet, deeper then, was an important place of entry for ocean-going vessels. But Ocracoke was also  attractive to another sort of seagoing entrepreneur: the pirate. And old Occacock's most notorious citizen was Captain Edward “Blackbeard” Teach. 

The Bankers, independent in spirit then as they are now, sided firm­ly with the patriot side during the Revolution. Ocracoke was an important port of entry for French war supplies, and the inhabitants had several lively skirmishes with British would-be invaders. But the inlet silted up later, after Oregon Inlet opened in 1846, and in any case the large new steamers drew deeper water than the sounds and inlets of eastern North Carolina could provide. Ocracoke, and its sister village, Portsmouth, began to decline. 

The War between the States brought several sharp battles early in the war. At Hatteras Inlet (August 1861), Chicamacomico (October 1861) and Roanoke Island (February 1862), the Federals won their first victories of the war and established a control over the Banks that lasted throughout the conflict. The inhabitants, few of whom owned slaves, were not strongly attached to the Southern cause, and many took the oath of allegiance to the United States. 

As if to reward them, the postwar years saw a steady flow of Federal dollars to the Banks, and they were spared Reconstruction. Naviga­tional improvements had become unavoidable, and three fine new lighthouses (Currituck Beach, Bodie Island and Hatteras) were built between 1870 and 1875. These provided employment to locals as lighthouse keepers and assistants and a flow of something new to these bare islands – cash. Seven stations of the U.S. Life-saving Service were also built along the coast from the Virginia border to Cape Point, Hatteras.

Outer Banks History – Boom Times

Changes were taking place in the Banks' internal economy as well. Nags Head was becoming the area's first and finest summer resort. Commercial fishing and wildfowl hunting replaced wrecking and whale oil as sources of income. 

The 20th century, destined finally to end the fabled isolation of these low, remote islands, began with a symbolic event: the ar­rival of the brothers Wright. The history of their failures and their final success is probably the best-­known story of the Outer Banks, though the Lost Colony must run a close second. 

The boom years began in 1930-31. The rest of the country was in a depression, true, but these years marked the completion of the first road accesses to the beach, the Wright Memorial Bridge across Cur­rituck Sound to Kitty Hawk and the Washington Baum Bridge from Roanoke Island to Nags Head. Paved roads down the islands fol­lowed, and development began. 

Another milestone was passed in the late 30s when the federal government decided to “save” the Banks. Six Civilian Conservation Corps camps were established, and millions of dollars were spent erecting sand fences and planting sand-binding vegetation along 115 miles of shoreline. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore was offi­cially established in 1953 and now controls most of the land from Whalebone Junction down to Ocracoke Inlet, with exemptions for the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras and Ocracoke villages. The National Park Service also ad­ministers the other two most popular visitor attractions, the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh. 

World War II saw the Outer Banks' isolation end – with ex­plosions. In 1942 Hatteras abruptly became the war's front line as Hitler's U-boats struck at American merchant shipping. Scores of vessels went down, many in sight of the beach's horrified residents. But the tide turned here, eventually, and the first U-boat sunk by Americans lies a few miles off the beach of Bodie Island. 

The postwar period saw two concurrent booms; short-term visitors, attracted by the National Park Service facilities and the sea, and longer- term summer residents. The now-ubiquitous beach cottage, built on piers or posts in case of hurricane flooding, appeared first at Nags Head and has spread steadily north. Until the 1970s, the per­manent (winter) population of the area had not changed much since 1900. That population has grown significantly, however, in the past few decades. These permanent residents, many of whom own, run or work in seasonal establishments, derive most of their in­come from services to visitors, though with the increased local population, many businesses now stay open year round. Boat building and commercial fishing are still im­portant in Hatteras and Wanchese. 

These independent, somewhat clannish Outer Bankers deeply love their home is­lands. It is for the visitor, though, that the Outer Banks seem to have been designed. 

For camping, fishing, swimming, wind surfing, SUPing, surfing; for biking, running and golf;.for beachcombing, bird watching and just lying on a fine sand beach in the sun. For vacationing, honeymooning, winding down, taking it easy, dropping out, goofing off. For learning a little American history firsthand. For getting to know the sea and wind again. That's what the Outer Banks are really for.

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• Season 1 Characters
• Season 2 Characters
• Season 3 Characters

Pope Heyward

• View history

Pope Heyward is one of the main characters in Outer Banks . He is portrayed by Jonathan Daviss .

He is the smartest of the Pogues and has a scholarship on the line — his ticket to a life outside of the Outer Banks. John B describes Pope as 'the brains on the operation'. Although Pope is always up for an adventure with his friends, he is also the cautionary voice in the group. He is constantly thinking of possible consequences to their actions and warns the group when he feels that they are about to do something stupid. His warnings, however, often fall on deaf ears.

• 1 Early Life
• 2.1 Biography
• 3.1 Season 1
• 3.2 Season 2
• 3.3 Season 3
• 4 Personality
• 5.5 Sarah Cameron
• 7 Physical Appearance
• 8.1 Season 1
• 8.2 Season 2
• 8.3 Season 3
• 12 References

Early Life [ ]

History [ ], biography [ ].

Pope lives on the poorer side of town known as The Cut. His father owns and runs Heywards , a seafood store, which provides seafood for the entire island. Pope's father, Heyward is a legendary character in Outer Banks who can provide anything for anyone on the island. Pope is described by John B as a bit of a weirdo at times or an oddball but also the smartest person he knows. Pope is under a lot of pressure from his father to excel in academics, his dream is to study medicine.

Throughout the Series [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

Pope gets into shenanigans with The Pogues throughout Season 1. He helps his friends on their quest to find the gold from The Royal Merchant ship wreck. They successfully find the gold, but get into a lot of trouble along the way.

Secretly, Pope crushes on Kiara the whole season and he makes a move at the end of Season 1. She pushes him away at first but eventually kisses him back. Pope was in the running for a merit scholarship for college but he left his interview halfway through to help the Pogues get the gold, messing up his chances to get a scholarship.

Season 2 [ ]

In Season 2, Pope finds out that John B is actually not dead and he's thrilled. He, Kie, and JJ go on a mission to clear John B's name. During season 2 Pope finds out he is related to Denmark Tanny , the slave that escaped as thr Royal Merchant sank and brought the gold to shore. After finding that out, he decides to be adamant in getting the cross of Santo Domingo and the Royal Merchant gold.

Season 3 [ ]

Pope and the Pogues are getting by on the deserted island. They see a plane and flag down the pilot- thinking they are going to be rescued.

The group agree that he is their only chance of getting off the island so they just go along with what he says. They get on the plane. JJ asks Jimmy why he was flying in this area and he tells them it’s to fish for Wahoo. The group realize Wahoo aren’t in season and so he must be lying. They see a photo of the boat they used before in Jimmy’s bag and this confirms their fears. They fight with Jimmy and the plane crashes in the water. John B, Sarah, JJ, Pope, and Cleo swim away.

Pope and The Pogues are desperate to find Kiara, who was separated from them after the crash. They try to find her but Carlos and his men find them first -determined to kidnap them still. The Pogues run away.

Pope goes back to the Outer Banks. He introduces Cleo to his parents.

The Pogues try to steal the cross from Ward but Rafe gets it first and melts it.

Later, the Pogues try to find their way to South America to rescue Big John. They get on Ward’s plane to fly down to Venezuela. They find Big John and eventually the treasure. They're thrilled.

In a flash forward 18 months later, Pope is about to go to school. An old man approaches the Pogues complimenting their discovery of El Dorado. He has a proposition for them- help him find Blackbeard’s treasure.

Personality [ ]

Pope is the most responsible out of the group and always wants to do the safe and legal thing. He is more quiet and calm than the others. He wants to stay out of trouble because he wants to get a scholarship for a college. This doesn't work out very well because the group constantly breaks all kinds of rules and gets into trouble a lot.

Pope is caring and protective. Sometimes he doesn't know what he wants. Although he is usually the one that tries to calm down his friends when they get into fights, he can get angry and aggressive, especially when it's about his friends.

Relationships [ ]

Cleo and Pope met on Coastal Adventure in the second season. At first, she pointed the knife at him and they had a fight until Pope mentions John B and Sarah, who Cleo already knew from when they were in Barbados. Pope brings Cleo to John B and Sarah and she decides to help them get the Cross. Cleo helped Pope and they jumped on the water to get on the ship with John B and Sarah. She gets stranded on the island with them and becomes an official Pogue.

In the third season, Pope and Cleo become close friends. He talks to her about the scolarship and they even light up a fire to get the attention of the plane that rescues them. During their trip to the OBX, they create the "No-Love Club" after Cleo cheers Pope up because of Kiara. When they arrive to Kildare, Pope asks his parents to let Cleo move in with them because she helped them and she doesn't have a place to stay. Pope's parents agree and Cleo develops a great relationship with them. When Pope walks Cleo into her room she tells him that she never had her own room and he tells her that now she does. When he leaves, she lies on the bed and says "Thank you, Pope" with a smile on her face. During the season, Cleo is the person that is there for Pope the most. They lie to a police officer and pretend to be a couple who wants to run away to get married so they can steal the cross from the train. When he thinks of shooting Rafe because he melted the Cross, Cleo is the one that puts talks to him and stops him. He has a breakdown and cries in her arms. They later walk home together and Cleo looks at him smiling while she goes into her room. Pope also smiles when he turns back. Cleo is the one that convinces Pope's parents to let them go to South America. In the final episode of the third season, Cleo tells him that all her life the only thing she ever thought about was surviving but during those months with him, she felt her life could be different. She says that she wants to quit the No-Love Club and kisses him on the cheek. He smiles at her and they share a kiss. In the last scene, they are seen holding hands and smiling at each other. Cleo and Pope are happily dating.

Main page: Kiara and Pope

Pope's feelings for Kiara are evident from fairly early on the first season. He watches on with jealousy as John B and Kiara dance together in The Wreck and is angry at Kiara when she focuses mainly on John B and the trouble he is in. He comforts Kiara when she gets upset over John B's relationship with Sarah . He drunkenly admits that he is in love with her on the night that John B is deemed a person of interest in the murder of Sheriff Peterkin . However, Kiara rejects him and tells him that it can never happen and that they want different things. Pope is angry and the next morning he is cold and distant. Later that day, when Kiara, JJ , and Pope helps John B escape, Pope tells her that he's fine just staying friends, but Kiara kisses him, and when John B and Sarah are deemed missing persons after getting lost at sea, Pope holds Kiara's hand for comfort and they embrace and hold on to one another, devastated. In The Gold , Kiara asks Pope if he wants to hook up, but he rejects her because she is high. In Homecoming , they hook up. In My Druthers , Kiara breaks up with Pope because she never saw him as nothing more than a friend.

Main Page: JJ and Pope

JJ and Pope are probably the closest duo of the group. When Rafe and Topper beat Pope up when he was delivering groceries on Figure Eight, JJ, helps him with his revenge. When Pope gets caught by the police, JJ takes the fault even if it meant getting beat up by his abusive father , and when he was in jail he smiled because he knew taking the fault for Pope was worth it because it was a close friend of his, even when he knew what was going to happen to him later.

An episode after, Pope was worried about JJ and asked for him, but a few minutes later he sees JJ and hugs him very tightly, then JJ, jokingly and platonically, kisses him on the cheek and said "I love you too man". Pope sees bruises and cuts on JJ's face and asked him if Shoupe did it, to which JJ responded that it was his dad. Pope told him that it was his fault (Pope to JJ that it was Pope's fault) and that he was going to say to the police that he had all the fault, JJ was telling him to shut up, but then he grabs Pope's face and said to him "for once in your life trust someone else". [1]

JJ has also stepped between a gun and Pope to protect him, while Pope put his hands on JJ's shoulders to keep him in line. Pope is often seen calming JJ down as well as stopping him from doing stupid things. They are seen hanging out with each other outside the story's plotline. JJ helps Pope through all his struggles and always has his back whenever times are hard.

When JJ revealed the bruises on his abdomen that were given to him by his father, Pope was initially shocked and sad for JJ, but there for him nonetheless. [2]

Pope and John B are best friends. They remain close throughout the first season, except when Kiara and John B get closer. Pope has a crush on Kiara so he lashes out in one episode saying "Why is it always about John B?". In the end, he cares about him and grieves him when he thinks he is dead. In the beginning of Season 2 , Pope and the other pogues do everything they can to try and clear John B's name.

Sarah Cameron [ ]

Pope and Sarah are friends and they care about each other. When Sarah first joined the Pogues , Pope and JJ both welcomed her into the group with open arms while Kiara didn't due to her history with Sarah. Pope along with JJ and John B , lured Kiara and Sarah onto Heyward 's boat and then stranded them, and by doing so made them make up and become friends again, which works. Pope and Sarah, along with the other Pogues, searched for the gold together and in season 2 , The Cross of Santo Domingo. After John B was framed for the murder of Sheriff Peterkin , he, JJ and Kiara helped Sarah and John B to escape on The Phantom, and later on when they were presumed dead at sea, he grieved them both.

Physical Appearance [ ]

Pope is a handsome teen boy who is usually seen wearing button up t-shirts, shorts and a cap. He is African-American. He is of above average height and has a lean yet athletic build. 

Appearances [ ]

John B (Describing Pope): "And that's Pope, the brains of the operation... finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship. And the smartest person I know. Little bit of a weirdo. His father's this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get for you. Now, I'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter. He was a Pogue, just like the rest of us."

Pope: "Yeah, you have a death compass."

Pope: "I'm gonna loose my merit scholarship"

Pope: "Well If you come up too fast, nitrogen gets into your blood, and you get the bends." JJ: "Bends like, bend over?" Pope: "The bends kill you."

Pope & JJ (In unison): "Woogity woogity woogity!"

• He was on the math team [3]
• He was a finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship before he lost it after walking out during the interview. [4]
• He wants to go to college and study forensic pathology and become a coroner. [3]

Gallery [ ]

References [ ]

• ↑ Midsummers , 1x05
• ↑ Dead Calm , 1x07
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pilot , 1x01
• ↑ The Bell Tower , 1x09
• 1 Rafe Cameron
• 2 JJ Maybank
• 3 Sarah Cameron

Screen Rant

Outer banks: 10 unpopular opinions about the netflix show, according to reddit.

Netflix's Outer Banks has made fans want to go on a gold hunt of their own, but not every fan on Reddit has popular opinions on the series.

Netflix's  Outer Banks has made fans want to go on their own gold-hunt expedition while exploring the islands of North Carolina. The Pogues living their best lives and only relying on each other for comfort and support was inspiring for all friend groups watching (unless a friend group considers themselves a Kook). However, not everyone is as obsessed with the series as others.

RELATED:  5 Things That Make No Sense About The Pogues (& 5 About The Kooks) On Outer Banks

On  Reddit , fans have come together to discuss their unpopular opinions on the show and its characters. As exciting and surprising as the two-season series is, some fans aren't convinced with some of the storylines, relationships, and lifestyle of the main characters.

Was Pope Poorly Written?

Pope  was one of the best characters in the show because his backstory was beautifully fleshed out. Unlike his friends, Pope had dreams of college, enjoyed school, liked following the rules, and fans learned a lot about his family's history. However, one Redditor  was "disappointed with how Pope was written."

They felt that Pope played into the “'scrawny smart nerd' trope," but in actuality, Pope was adding depth to the friend group. His interests in higher education and working contrasted that of his friends. Furthermore, in season 2, fans learn all about Pope's family history, which made him far more interesting than, say, someone like Kiara. The popular opinion was that Pope's differences added range to the Pogues.

John B. And Sarah Are Overrated

John B. and Sarah's relationship went from zero to 100 in just a few episodes. They went from tolerating each other to loathing each other to being in love with each other. Nevertheless, the popular opinion is that fans shipped this relationship and wanted to see more of it throughout the series.

RELATED:  John B & Sarah Vs. Kiara & JJ - Who Was Outer Banks Best Ship?

Contrastingly, Fellea felt that the couple was overrated. "My unpopular opinion is that I don’t care for Sarah or her pairing with John B. I skipped half of their scenes," they wrote. However, their relationship was an important subplot in the show and helped both grow.

The Ward Family Drama Isn't Interesting

At the start of the series, the Cameron family was seen as some of the best characters . As Kooks, they were a tad out of touch with the rest of society, but Ward Cameron worked for his wealth and wanted to give back. This is why he hired John B. to work on his boat. As the series went on, the skeletons came out of the Camerons' closet, proving they weren't what they seemed — this is where the story got interesting.

In a contrasting opinion, Stick7_ didn't care for the dramas within each family. "I honestly don't care about the whole Cameron family drama," they wrote. But without the Cameron family drama (Rafe and Ward being murderers, Rose being aware of the crimes, and Sarah rebelling against her family, etc...), there's no subplot to the series.

Rafe Shooting Peterkin Was Understandable

Sheriff Peterkin proved herself helpful when she realized it was Ward Cameron who killed John B.'s dad and went to the airport to arrest him before he flew off to the Bahamas.

RELATED:  Outer Banks Season 1 Episodes, Ranked According To IMDb

As Peterkin is attempting to arrest Ward, Rafe Cameron comes out of nowhere and shoots Peterkin dead. Rafe claimed he killed her to save his dad and to prove he was a better child than Sarah. It was one of the best episodes in season 1 as it was the true start of all of the Camerons' problems. DoggoDynamics , however, understood where Rafe was coming from. "Rafe had every (personal) reason to shoot Peterkin," they wrote. A majority of fans beg to disagree because no matter how much Rafe wanted his dad to love him, shooting a sheriff was not the way to go.

Topper Isn't That Bad

Fans were hoping for more of a backstory on the Kooks and the Pogues in season 2 , and why they didn't get along, but it wasn't fleshed out. Instead, season 2 showed their disapproval of each other even more.

With Topper being Sarah's on-and-off Kook boyfriend, he's had his good and bad moments. But the popular opinion is that he's done some incriminating, sickening things in the name of love. Luke1350a , however, thinks Topper wasn't "that bad." But as fans pointed out in the comment section, he tried drowning John B. while bringing up the death of his father. He also pushed John B. off a tower, which should have killed him. Topper was gutted by his love for Sarah but attempting to murder her new boyfriend  twice does not make him a good guy.

JJ Is A Bad Influence

JJ was a wildcard for the Pogues. He was dedicated to his friends and was willing to die for them but he also had a horrifying backstory that explained his loyalty and love for his friends. JJ also brought comedic relief and funny quotes to rather dark scenes .

The popular opinion is that fans love JJ because he's doing the best he can despite having an abusive father and a rough upbringing. He shows persistence and defiance and proves he's worthy of being loved. But VeganChilli feels like JJ is a "bad influence." They continued saying, "I know JJ is a fan favorite but he’s stupid and acts really immature. He [is] impulsive and an overall bad influence" for the Pogues.

...And So Is Pogue Life

Redditor VeganChilli continued saying that not only was JJ a bad influence on the group but Pogue life, in general, sent a "terrible message to its audience." However, with  Outer Banks being a show based on mystery and intrigue, it's not going to be realistic in all areas.

They felt the show "glamorized Pogue life," with teenagers running all over town solving mysteries. But that theme of the show is what's popular with viewers. It's the absurdity of it all — it has endless possibilities and adventure unfolds around every turn.

John B. Is A Boring Character

John B. is the main character and narrator of the show.  Outer Banks wouldn't have a series if it weren't for John B.'s mission to finish the gold hunt that his father couldn't finish.  John B. didn't always make the smartest choices , but he was also a teenager who had been through an unimaginable tragedy.

Nevertheless, Honey_Bee99 felt that John B. "wasn't a good character." They wrote, "He doesn’t actually have much of a personality besides being nice." In contrast, John B.'s calm and level-headed personality is what often evened out the Pogue friend group.

JJ & Pope > JJ & John B.

With JJ and John B. growing up in shady homes with parental figures who weren't really parenting, they leaned on each other for support. As much as they loved Pope and Kiara, Pope and Kiara would never be able to understand what it was like growing up in a broken home. It's JJ and John B.'s outlaw attitudes that prompted some of the worst Pogue decisions .

However,  SevereCartographer26 thinks JJ and Pope have a better "bromance" than JJ and John B. With Pope and JJ being incredibly different, they learned a lot from each other but there was nothing like the brotherly bond between John B. and JJ.

The Show Is Unrealistic

The beauty of drama/action/mystery shows is that they're thought-provoking and entertaining to watch. The reason why  Outer Banks is so popular with fans is that it's outlandish yet makes fans wish they were a part of it. But not every fan enjoyed  Outer Banks' theatrics.

User  DogTron64 wrote that the Pogues were the "villains of the show," "the characters are unlikeable jerks," and that there's no explanation as to how John B. was able to financially live alone for so long. However, all of these dramatics and questions are what made the show entertaining to watch in the first place.

NEXT:  10 Teen Drama Action Shows To Watch After Binge-Watching Outer Banks

Photo Essay: My Outer Banks

by Mark VanDyke | Jul 24, 2017 | Carolina Coastlines , North Carolina | 0 comments

Photography is a game of vision, and vision is unique to each photographer. How each of us views a place is some complex derivation of personal experiences, learned knowledge, and personal attributes—all of which cannot be duplicated, only imitated.  It’s my belief that if we want to render unique and powerful photographs of place we must first understand ourselves and second develop a relationship with the place (and it doesn’t have to always be a friendly relationship either—knowing why you dislike/fear/are uncomfortable is just as important).  The more intently we honor who we are uniquely within a place—what we notice/don’t notice, how we feel/don’t feel–and translate that emotion and understanding into our photographs through subject choice, composition, colors, mood, technical decisions etc., the more others will engage us and our work meaningfully.   This blog is about my own experiences, my own memories, my own understandings of the Outer Banks of North Carolina:  this is my Outer Banks.

I’ve been visiting the Outer Banks my entire life, long before I can even pull meaningful memories. My folks often reference momentous events that we all experienced there as family, my sister, mother and father and I— things I should remember, like riding out a hurricane in a rental home.  Details like mattresses off the bed and over top of us in the hallway or was it the bathroom (wait, weren’t we on stilts?).  I don’t remember any of that.  The truck my father used to drive out onto the isolated deep sand beaches to fish the surf.  A smaller world where the only technology available to understand an ominous advancing sky was the radio.  I don’t remember any of that either.  Too young I guess.  I do know that the choice my folks made to visit the Outer Banks shaped and spoiled my own vision of what a proper beach should be and very few if any locations have ever measured up to the Outer Banks.

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By Mary Ellen Riddle for OuterBanksVoice.com Three Cape Hatteras Secondary School students in the DECA club were state finalists at a March competition in Greensboro, vying against more than 5,000 students. As a result, they are headed to Anaheim, California this month to compete in the DECA International Career Development Conference Competitive Events program. Emma Riggs, Ann [...] Local News  |  Full Article

The North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) recently launched a new webpage on Buxton Beach with background information, resources, and details on how the NCCF has become involved in calling for action to fix the contaminated Buxton shoreline. A three-tenths-of-a-mile section of the Buxton oceanfront has been closed since September 1, 2023, after two offshore hurricanes [...] Local News  |  Full Article

Westbound lanes of Washington Baum Bridge to reopen Friday

April 22, 2024 | local news.

Outer Banks motorists can expect a much smoother ride between Nags Head and Manteo this summer as the westbound lanes of the Washington Baum (Pirate’s Cove) Bridge on U.S. 64 reopen to traffic on Friday. Beginning tonight, traffic will be switched to both outside lanes as workers make final preparations for a compete traffic shift [...] Local News  |  Full Article

Buxton Civic Association launches online petition for immediate ac ...

April 22, 2024 | local news | by: joy crist | 1.

The Buxton Civic Association (BCA) recently launched a Change.org petition to encourage the public to demand an immediate solution for the environmental and public safety hazards at Buxton Beach. The online petition is part of a flood of recent initiatives by the BCA to quickly facilitate a resolution for the roughly 500-yard shoreline at the end of [...] Local News  |  Full Article

Early Voting for North Carolina’s 2024 Second Primary Electi ...

April 21, 2024 | local news.

Early voting for North Carolina’s 2024 statewide second primary election—which will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, for the Republican candidates running for the offices of North Carolina Lieutenant Governor and North Carolina Auditor only—will begin on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Also known as a runoff election, a second primary election is held when [...] Local News  |  Full Article

Donald Christopher Oden

April 19, 2024 | local news.

NOVEMBER 2, 1977 – APRIL 16, 2024 On April 16, 2024, Donald Christopher Oden, 46, of Orange Park, Florida, passed away. Born November 2, 1977, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Don was the precious son of Jane Oden and the late Dan Oden, Sr. Don is survived by his partner, Jennifer Rodriguez; his brother, Dan [...] Local News  |  Full Article

Test Pile Project to Begin at Alligator River Bridge

N.C. Department of Transportation contractors will soon begin driving as many as 18 concrete test piles into the bed of the Alligator River, an important step in the project to replace the Lindsay C. Warren (Alligator River) Bridge on U.S. 64 between Tyrrell and Dare counties. Skanska USA will be overseeing the test pile project, [...] Local News  |  Full Article

Work underway to repair and replace sandbags on Ocracoke Island; S ...

April 18, 2024 | local news | by: joy crist.

A project to repair and replace sandbags along N.C. Highway 12 on the north end of Ocracoke Island is underway, and a single-lane closure is in effect due to the ongoing work, per an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). “While work is in progress, there will be a short single-lane closure [...] Local News  |  Full Article

NC State researchers predict active 2024 hurricane season

April 18, 2024 | local news | by: sam walker.

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season begins in less than two months, and already a pair of preseason predictions are calling for it to be a busy one. On the heels of researchers at Colorado State University making their highest-ever early call for the number of hurricanes, a team at N.C. State University is [...] Local News  |  Full Article

SELC joins Buxton Civic Association to push for action at Buxton Beach

April 16, 2024 | local news | by: joy crist | 1.

The Buxton Civic Association has joined forces with the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) to push for the immediate remediation of a 500-yard section of Buxton shoreline. The Buxton Civic Association (BCA) was formed in early April to create a united community voice for the growing public safety and environmental issues that have stemmed from [...] Local News  |  Full Article

The Cape Point Campground in Buxton opened for the 2024 season on Saturday, April 27, per a recent announcement from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). The CHNS’ other seasonal campground – the Frisco Campground – opened on March 30, however, the Cape Point Campground’s opening was delayed due to excessive rainfall-related flooding in the area. According to the National Weather Service, Cape Hatteras had 13.86 inches of total rain in March, which made it the wettest March on record. (The average rainfall for March at Cape Hatteras is 4.43 inches.) “The Cape Point Campground will open loops D, E, and F, today at 3:00 p.m. [and] the restrooms on loop D and showers on loop F will also open today,” stated CHNS in a Saturday update. "Due to continued flooding of low-lying areas, all other campsites and facilities in Cape Point will remain closed until conditions improve. [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

FAQs for Buxton Beach added to Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s ...

April 16, 2024 | seashore news | by: joy crist.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) has added a new FAQ section to its Buxton Beach webpage in order to provide essential information on the evolving public safety and environmental issues that are occurring along a 500-yard stretch of Buxton shoreline. “Frequently asked questions for the Buxton Beach Access closure were developed by [the] Cape [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

Bodie Island Lighthouse opens for climbing on April 19

April 15, 2024 | seashore news | by: joy crist.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse, recognized by its unique horizontal black and white stripes, will open for climbing this year beginning Friday, April 19. Climbing tickets go on sale at 7 a.m. and may only be purchased on the same day of your intended climb. Tickets are only available for purchase at www.recreation.gov/ticket/252034/ticket/10087143. Pro tip: Create your www.recreation.gov account [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

National Park Service seeks information on human-caused fires at F ...

April 15, 2024 | seashore news.

On Sunday morning, National Park Service law enforcement rangers responded to a report of two wildfires adjacent to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site’s Freedom Trail. Both fires were safely extinguished and posed no risk to public safety. Since the fires are suspected of being human caused, the National Park Service is asking the public for [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

Seasonal ORV routes in front of villages close on April 15

April 14, 2024 | seashore news.

Seasonal off-road vehicle (ORV) routes in front of Hatteras Island villages and the Ocracoke Campground become pedestrian-only starting on Monday, April 15. These routes, which run parallel to the towns of Hatteras, Frisco, Avon, and the Tri-villages, open to ORVs annually in the winter months when the visitor population is low, and close from April [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore will maintain gravel portion of Fl ...

April 12, 2024 | seashore news.

As a result of feedback received from the public during a two-week-long comment period, including residents that live on Flowers Ridge Road in Buxton, Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) has decided not to pave the 400-foot-long section of the road that leads into the private neighborhood. The Seashore requested funding for the road paving project [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

Scaffolding around Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is 95% complete; Tempo ...

April 11, 2024 | seashore news | by: joy crist.

Despite multiple storms over the past few weeks, there have been waves of progress on the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project, starting with the tower of scaffolding. “We are closing in on 95% complete, so we expect to be done with the outside [scaffolding] by the end of April,” said Ed Milch, General Superintendent for [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s Frisco Campground reopens ...

March 31, 2024 | seashore news.

The National Park Service’s Frisco campground reopened for the 2024 season on Saturday, March 30, per an update from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). Hatteras Island’s other seasonal CHNS campground, the Cape Point Campground in Buxton, remains temporarily closed due to flooding of low-lying campsites from the recent heavy rains. The Frisco and Cape [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore announces two-week public comment ...

March 28, 2024 | seashore news.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) invites public review and comments on a proposed project to pave a small section of road at the intersection of Lighthouse Road and Flowers Ridge Road in Buxton. Public comments will be accepted from March 28 through April 10, 2024. The current roadbed at the Seashore’s boundary is gravel [...] Seashore News  |  Full Article

On Saturday at 8:34 p.m., SpaceX launched the Falcon 9’s European Commission’s Galileo L12 mission to medium Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and folks on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands were able to catch the show from multiple locations. This was the 20th flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, Intuitive Machines IM-1, and 13 Starlink missions. The launch added to the Galileo constellation, Europe's equivalent of the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), according to Space.com. Twenty-eight Galileo satellites have been launched to date, and the Galileo satellites reside in medium Earth orbit, approximately 14,430 miles above the planet. For more information on Saturday's launch, as well as upcoming SpaceX launches [...] Island Features  |  Full Article

Nonprofit dedicated to saving the 1898 Oregon Inlet Life-Saving St ...

April 24, 2024 | island features | by: james d. “keeper james” charlet.

Its name is the Outer Banks Coast Guard History Preservation Group. The broad name is to match its broad objective, starting with rescuing the 1898 Oregon Inlet U.S. Life-Saving Service (LSS) Station No. 16. Here is the Oregon Inlet LSS Station’s brief background, or ‘How It Got into This Mess.’ It started in 1988 when [...] Island Features  |  Full Article

Hotline Thrift Store is returning to Hatteras Island with a new Fr ...

April 22, 2024 | island features | by: joy crist.

The Hotline South Thrift Store has been a Hatteras Island fixture for two decades, but for a brief spell in 2024, the island community was concerned that the store was in danger of permanently closing. After leasing retail space in Buxton for roughly 20 years, the store discovered in 2023 that they would need to [...] Island Features  |  Full Article

Oyster Roast on May 11 will benefit the Frisco-Buxton Pathway

April 20, 2024 | island features | by: joy crist.

The community is invited to an oyster roast on Saturday, May 11, at the Frisco Woods Campground, with oysters, barbecue, Lost Colony Beer, a bounce house, and live music, which will all combine to raise funds for the Frisco-Buxton Pathway. The Oyster Roast is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is $40 for adults and [...] Island Features  |  Full Article

CHSS Theater Program’s biggest production yet, “The Li ...

April 19, 2024 | island features | by: joy crist.

Since December 2023, the talented students at Cape Hatteras Secondary School (CHSS) have been working hard to launch one of their most ambitious theater productions yet. The upcoming production of “The Little Mermaid,” which is hitting the stage April 19-21, has a crew of approximately 100 students and volunteers working behind the scenes, perfecting every [...] Island Features  |  Full Article

Outer Banks Real Estate and Business

Dare Housing Task Force to convene special April 22 meeting with state senators

April 22, 2024 | real estate | by: mark jurkowitz.

From OuterBanksVoice.com Following up on a decision taken at the April 16 Dare County Housing Task Force meeting, that group will hold a special meeting on Monday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m. with State Senators Norman Sanderson and Bobby Hanig. The agenda for the meeting states it is being called to “discuss the housing challenges that are currently affecting the community.” At that April 16 meeting, The Task Force agreed to reach out to legislators in Raleigh and invite them to meet to hear feedback that will likely include a discussion of changing the legislation that provided $35 million in state funding for affordable housing in Dare County. That money came with a major string attached, a provision that restricted Dare County municipalities’ from regulating housing developments within their borders. That provision generated a lawsuit from the six Dare County towns and a resolution [...] Real Estate  |  Full Article

Dare Housing Task Force wants to incorporate more community voices ...

April 18, 2024 | real estate | by: mark jurkowitz.

From OuterBanksVoice.com Meeting one week after the county commissioners voted to cut ties with its remaining affordable housing partner and return $35 million in housing funds to the state, the Dare County Housing Task Force made several decisions on how to move forward—including one that involves broadening and restructuring the group. Following the suggestion of [...] Real Estate  |  Full Article

Coastal property owners yet to embrace roof-girding grants

April 16, 2024 | real estate | by: catherine kozak.

From CoastalReview.org Maybe one North Carolina insurance provider should join the industry trend and advertise: “Hello Beach Plan policyholders! Do you need a new roof? Want to save on your property insurance? How about we help you out with as much as $8,000 toward a much stronger roof that is fortified to withstand storms? And [...] Real Estate  |  Full Article

N.C. Insurance companies ask for rate hike for mobile homes

April 15, 2024 | real estate.

North Carolina Insurance companies have filed a request with the N.C. Department of Insurance to increase insurance rates for mobile home policies. The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents insurance companies and is not a part of the Department of Insurance, has requested an overall state average increase of 82.9% for mobile home fire policies [...] Real Estate  |  Full Article

Anti-regulation sentiment may be fueling insurance crisis

April 8, 2024 | real estate | by: catherine kozak.

First of a two-part series by Catherine Kozak, Coastal Review When Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey met last month in Manteo for a brief overview and Q&A with community members worried about property insurance issues, he stressed that his office had limited power over building code changes and insurance company business decisions in North Carolina that [...] Real Estate  |  Full Article

State offering free flood insurance online conferences this year

March 28, 2024 | real estate | by: sam walker.

From SamalkerOBXNews.com Five online conferences will be held between April and October to provide vital information regarding the need for flood insurance in North Carolina. The 2024 conferences will be similar to the ones offered in 2022 through WebEx, and will be free of charge to the public, insurance agents, adjusters, real estate agents, engineers, [...] Real Estate  |  Full Article

Outer Banks Fishing Report

From CoastalReview.org Coastal recreational and commercial fishermen will have to report certain fish harvests under a new North Carolina law that takes effect later this year. Preliminary details are scant as to how the two state agencies tasked with overseeing the reporting requirements will implement the program, one that is slated to be discussed during a combined virtual public hearing next week. The N.C. Marine Fisheries and N.C. Wildlife Resources commissions have opened a public comment period ending May 20 on the temporary rules, which were established under the North Carolina General Assembly’s Regulatory Reform Act of 2023. The mandatory harvest reporting requirements were tucked into the controversial law, one environmental advocates referred to as a “pro-polluter” bill for cutting favors to industries that control hog and poultry farming, discharge per- and polyfluoroa [...] Fishing  |  Full Article

Public comment period opens for temporary rules to implement new m ...

April 24, 2024 | fishing.

A look at the new Oregon Inlet Fishing Center building

April 23, 2024 | fishing | by: jack danz.

Humpback whale that stranded on Pea Island found entangled in fish ...

April 18, 2024 | fishing | by: joy crist.

Division of Marine Fisheries seeks Eastern oyster and hard clam ad ...

April 17, 2024 | fishing, marine fisheries accepting credit cards in time for fy 2025 licens ..., april 3, 2024 | fishing, community news, may is community sailing month on hatteras.

Taking a minute for ourselves Those of us who live here on Hatteras are looking forward to a busy summer as we clean cottages, mix drinks, manage reservations, stock shelves, repair everything that breaks, and all work together to help our summer visitors make those precious memories that keep them coming back to Hatteras year [...] Community News Brief  |  Full Article

Ocracoke island-wide yard sale set for May 4

April 23, 2024 | community news brief.

Ocracoke is an island where folks think they can find the purported treasure of Blackbeard, but island homes and businesses will unveil their own treasures for all to peruse and plunder as the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association hosts the spring Ocracoke Island-Wide Yard Sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. [...] Community News Brief  |  Full Article

Meet the Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week Gracie

April 22, 2024 | community news brief.

Meet the Outer Banks SPCA pet of the week, courtesy of their latest video produced by Dare County’s CURRENT TV. For more information on this pet, and the many other Outer Banks pets currently up for adoption, visit the Outer Banks SPCA website at https://www.obxspca.org/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/obxspca/

Edgecamp Pamlico Station Hotel to open in Rodanthe in June

From OuterBanksVoice.com A new hotel is set to open in Rodanthe this June, according to representatives of Edgecamp Pamlico Station. The new lodging facility is a 14-suite-style boutique hotel that will be located at 24267 NC 12 in Rodanthe with an ownership team led by Richard Fertig, CEO of Stomp Capital and Owner of Edgecamp Pamlico Station. [...] Community News Brief  |  Full Article

Marilyn Kay Pokorny

April 26, 2024 | obituaries.

December 31, 1946 – April 21, 2024 KITTY HAWK — Marilyn Kay Pokorny went to meet her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 21, 2024. She was 77. Marilyn is survived by her husband, John; her son Jeffrey John, MD (Anne) and daughter, Jody Lynn (Ross); her grandchildren John Russell, Christopher Thomas, and Caden [...] Obituaries  |  Full Article

Michelle “Micky” Montague

Long-time Wanchese citizen Michelle “Micky” Montague, 64, died unexpectedly in Manteo. NC April 23, 2024 of natural causes. Micky was honest, funny, down-to- earth, and kind. She adored her family and friends all over the Outer Banks. Survivors include her daughter, Gretchen Montague of Manteo; her son, James Montague of Michigan; five grandchildren (and one [...] Obituaries  |  Full Article

Alexander M. Engart, Jr

Alexander M. Engart, Jr. died peacefully April 19, 2024 in Nags Head, NC at the age of 78. Mr. Engart was a longtime resident of Southern Shores, NC. For many years, he worked as a successful local architect. Survivors of Mr, Engart include several cousins and their families. Plans for memorial services are pending at [...] Obituaries  |  Full Article

George S. Garrick

April 25, 2024 | obituaries.

On April 21, 2024, George S. Garrick, a lifelong resident of the Outer Banks and Currituck, passed away at the age of 73. George graduated from J.P. Knapp, in Currituck, in 1968. He worked in many different occupations throughout his life, including retail grocery, mobile home sales, real estate, and building supply sales. George was [...] Obituaries  |  Full Article

Michael Ray Zona

May 3, 1947 to April 21, 2024 Michael left this earth at his Southern Shores home with his wife Geri by his side.  Michael was born to Ruth Harriet Hughes Zona and Albert Joseph (Bucky) Zona on May 3, 1947 in Greensburg, PA, just minutes behind his twin sister, Michele.  His parents as well as [...] Obituaries  |  Full Article

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The Outer Banks 4 Pages 1034 Words

             The Outer Banks: A Great Place to Live or Vacation              Located approximately 330 miles south of New York City, outside of the city pollution and the high population is Dare County, North Carolina. Founded in 1870, Dare County is located on the eastern part of North Carolina and contains all of the Outer Banks between Hatteras Inlet to Caffeys Inlet, Collington and Roanoke Island, as well as a small portion of mainland North Carolina. With its climate, location, and relaxed lifestyle, it is hard to not fall in love with Dare County as a place to live or occasionally visit.              When vacationing to the Outer Banks, there is much more to do than just lay around on one of the many beautiful beaches. Dare County is the home of the Wright Brothers Memorial, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, the Elizabethan Gardens, Jockey's Ridge State Park, several beautiful lighthouses, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. On a historical level, Dare County is full of historic information. The Wright Brothers Memorial marks the historic site of where Wilbur and Orville Wright first flew in an airplane. A sixty-foot tall granite pylon on the top of Kill Devil Hills stands as a tribute to the first flight. After retracing the paths of the four flights that Wilbur and Oliver made the day, visitors cam view a replica of the original plane as well as other exhibits about firsts in the world of flight. Also, Fort Raleigh was the site of England's first attempt to colonize the United States in 1585. A few years after the colonists had settled in America, a group from England came to check their progress; surprisingly, they found no traces of the colonists, and till this very day, the mystery of the Lost Colony has never been solved. Further down the coast, standing 208 feet tall is the Cape Hatteras lighthouse; the barber-pole type of striping allows the lighthouse to be seen from very far away on a clear day, and its intense light guides pe...

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Monday, April 29, 2024

April 29: Single vehicle crash in Manteo brings charges against the driver/Coast Guard reports medevac of person with head injury/CRC and RRC spar over Jockey’s Ridge environmental protections.

One injured, one arrested in Manteo crash

Celebrate the lives of Charlie Griffin and Chad Dunn…

Dare County Housing Task Force picks up the pace

Dare County Land Transfers

Three Cape Hatteras Secondary students move on to…

Local Links

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By Mark Jurkowitz  | Outer Banks Voice  Manteo Police Chief Brad Eilert has provided this information about an April 27 crash that resulted in a serious injury to a passenger and criminal charges against the driver. Full story

The single-vehicle crash occurred yesterday morning, shortly before 6 a.m. A Honda Civic was traveling southbound on US 64 near McDonalds when the driver lost consciousness. The vehicle crossed the center lane and northbound lane, then struck the roadside curbing causing the vehicle to become airborne when leaving the roadway. The vehicle went through a shrub and crepe myrtle tree. The vehicle then struck a McDonald’s light pole and came to rest in the grassy area along the highway at McDonald’s.

Three Cape Hatteras Secondary students move on to International DECA competition

By Mary Ellen Riddle | Outer Banks Voice Three Cape Hatteras Secondary School students in the DECA club were state finalists at a March competition in Greensboro, vying against more than 5,000 students. As a result, they are headed to Anaheim, California this month to compete in the DECA International Career Development Conference Competitive Events program.  Full story

Next meeting slated for April 30 By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice The Dare County Housing Task Force, which has significantly picked up the pace of its work, will meet for the third time in two weeks when it convenes at the Dare County Administration Building on April 30. Full story

This forecast is brought to you through our news gathering partnership with WTKR News 3.

Coastal Resources Commission makes new effort to include environmental protections for Jockey’s Ridge

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice By a unanimous show of hands at its April 25 meeting in Manteo, the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) approved revised language providing Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) protections to Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Full story

Southern Shores may become 2nd Dare County community to ban balloon releases

By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice At its May 7 Town Council meeting, Southern Shores may become the second Dare County municipality to approve a ban on releasing balloons within town boundaries. Full story

Series of informational meetings scheduled for Dare Early College

The Dare County Schools announced on April 25 that it will host a series of faculty and community meetings at each of the county’s middle and high schools. The meetings are designed to offer accurate information and address any questions regarding our secondary education program as it pertains to the possibility of a Dare Early College opening August 2025. Full story

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to activate temporary beacon on April 25

The contractor for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project, Stone and Lime Historic Restoration Services, plans to switch the lighthouse’s source of light from the current beacon to a temporary, fixed beacon the evening of Thursday, April 25. The temporary beacon will be visible for 18 miles and flash every 7.5 seconds. Full story

SBI still investigating March shooting by Dare Deputy

By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) confirmed this week that it is still investigating the shooting of a woman by a Dare County Deputy in Colington on March 17. Full story

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center gets major facelift

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice After two years of construction, the centerpiece of an improved and more resilient facility at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center opens its doors to the public on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024. Full story

February 2024 occupancy revenue drops from previous year 

Overall, 2024 occupancy dollars for January and February down 38% By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice Last month, the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau reported that January 2024 occupancy and meal collections had dropped 52% and 24% respectively from the January 2023 numbers. Now, newly released February 2024 data show another notable drop in occupancy collections from the previous year. Full story

What’s happening on the Outer Banks?

Kitty Hawk Kites has long been a leader in hosting events on the Outer Banks, with annual festivals covering the spectrum of celebrations – from festivals, hang gliding, and kiteboarding to watermelons, pirates, and more! Kitty Hawk Kites is pleased to announce this year’s event schedule , featuring events spanning North Carolina’s Outer Banks.   Full story

‘We’re excited to follow this journey’

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum to reopen

Unraveling a Manteo murder mystery 

Adianna Barbosa selected to NC Military Child Honor Band

Celebrate the lives of Charlie Griffin and Chad Dunn on April 28

This week in the Meeting Room

2024 Dare Nights at The Lost Colony

Jeanette Gray Finnegan Torok of Buxton, April 18

Marilyn Kay Pokorny of Kitty Hawk, April 21

Michelle “Micky” Montague, April 23

Alexander M. Engart, Jr., April 19

Five Manteo High athletes announce their commitments

Manteo High School soccer star Kenzie Flynn Honored for 100 goals

First Flight girls lacrosse team priming for playoff run

OBX Soft Shell Crab Week

OBX Rod and Custom Festival: An Event for Car Lovers

Cape Point Campground opens for 2024 season

NAMI OBX established to support mental health in the Outer Banks

First Annual Out of the Shadows Suicide Walk to be held May 4

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Emergency Food & Shelter Funding Available

No injuries in Kill Devil Hills structure fire

On April 22, at 5:14 p.m., the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department responded to a structure fire on the 2000 block of Smithfield Street. Upon arrival, firefighters quickly worked to contain a fire that started on the back of the house to the utility room. The fire did not get into the main living area of the house. Full story

Westbound Lanes of Pirate’s Cove Bridge to Reopen Friday

Outer Banks motorists can expect a much smoother ride between Nags Head and Manteo this summer as the westbound lanes of the Washington Baum (Pirate's Cove) Bridge on U.S. 64 reopen to traffic on Friday. Full story

Edgecamp Pamlico Station Hotel to open in Rodanthe in June

A new hotel is set to open in Rodanthe this June, according to representatives of Edgecamp Pamlico Station. The new lodging facility is a 14-suite-style boutique hotel that will be located at 24267 NC 12 in Rodanthe with an ownership team led by Richard Fertig, CEO of Stomp Capital and Owner of Edgecamp Pamlico Station. Full story

Sawin kicks off campaign for District 1 NC House seat

In an April 19 release, Democrat Susan Sawin announces her official campaign opening in her campaign for the District 1 NC House seat that represents part of Dare County. She will challenge incumbent Republican Representative Ed Goodwin. Full story

Dare County Tourism Board Recap | April 2024

Outer Banks Visitors Bureau  

Nags Head teen Will Deane heads for the World Junior Surfing Games By Maggie Miles | Outer Banks Voice It's the time of year when 16-year-olds are typically found daydreaming in classrooms, envisioning summer breaks filled with beach days, skatepark sessions, and perhaps part-time gigs bussing tables or working in retail, all while relishing the company of friends. Will Deane is gearing up for a different kind of summer experience. Full story

Regulatory dispute over Jockey’s Ridge frustrates local officials

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice As the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) and North Carolina Rules Review Commission (RRC) head to court over regulatory language for coastal development and use, Jockey’s Ridge State Park is in danger of losing its Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) protections. Full story

Dare Housing Task Force to convene special April 22 meeting with state senators

By Mark Jurkowitz  | Outer Banks Voice Following up on a decision taken at the April 16 Dare County Housing Task Force meeting, that group will hold a special meeting on Monday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m. with State Senators Norman Sanderson and Bobby Hanig. The agenda for the meeting states it is being called to “discuss the housing challenges that are currently affecting the community.” Full story

More than a championship

Recalling Manteo’s magical 1974 baseball title season By Ken Mann The Manteo High School Redskins 1974 baseball team will be honored on May 2 for winning the school’s first state championship Full story

N.E.S.T. says to watch out for sea turtles

N.E.S.T. volunteers recently installed signs along the Corolla 4WD beaches in Currituck County. The 4WD beaches serve many purposes including as the main area roadway, for wildlife habitat and for beachgoers to enjoy the beach. Full story

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Managing meandering waterways in a changing world

Just as water moves through a river, rivers themselves move across the landscape. They carve valleys and canyons, create floodplains and deltas, and transport sediment from the uplands to the ocean.

A new paper out of UC Santa Barbara presents an account of what drives the migration rates of meandering rivers. The two authors compiled a global dataset of these waterways, analyzing how vegetation and sediment load effect channel movement. “We find a global-scale trend between the amount of sediment that rivers carry and how quickly they’re migrating, across all variables,” said lead author Evan Greenberg , a doctoral student in the Department of Geography.

Their results, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters , contrast with previous work that emphasized the stabilizing effect of vegetation. In this paper, the researchers highlight how the activity of meandering rivers emerges from the interplay between sediment deposition and bank stabilization by vegetation. Some of the world's most important waterways are meandering rivers, so properly understanding their behavior is crucial to managing these natural phenomena in a changing world.

Two forces, called bar push and bank pull, act on a river bend. Bar push is caused when deposition on the inside of a bend forms a sandbar, which pushes the curve outward. At the same time, erosion on the opposite bank pulls the bend even farther outward. Sediment load has a stronger effect on the former, while the stabilizing presence of vegetation has more influence on the latter.

Scientists have proposed various hypotheses as to which factor exerts a stronger influence on meander migration. “This is a pretty contentious topic and keeps going back and forth,” said senior author Vamsi Ganti , Greenberg’s advisor and an associate professor in the geography department.

To investigate these dynamics, Greenberg and Ganti collated existing measurements of river migration rates and added data from approximately 60 additional rivers. Altogether, they compiled data on 139 meandering rivers across the globe, spanning different regions, climates, sizes and vegetation regimes. The researchers modeled each river channel as a series of line segments using satellite imagery. They could then track how these segments shifted over time to measure the river’s migration.

The leading paradigm was that vegetation slows down this migration by stabilizing the outer bank against erosion. This contrasted with experimental evidence suggesting that sediment load could be an influential factor. Bank pull is stronger in unvegetated rivers, but as Greenberg and Ganti discovered, these tend to have higher sediment supply as well, making it difficult to distinguish the relative contributions of the two processes.

But Greenberg and Ganti’s analysis revealed a clear trend: Migration was faster for rivers that carried a lot of sediment relative to their size. The model also showed vegetation slowing down river migration, as suggested by previous studies. However, the effect was much more modest, with unvegetated rivers migrating four times faster than similar-sized counterparts, rather than the 10-fold increase reported by some of their colleagues. This suggests that bar push has a stronger influence on meandering rivers than bank pull.

That said, river behavior flows from the confluence of the two processes. “You can’t have one dominate the other in a meandering river,” Ganti said. “If you don’t have enough sediment supply, bank pull will outpace bar push, and you’ll end up with a braided river. And so it’s really the balance between the bar push and the bank pull that creates these stable meandering rivers.”

The migrating meanders of the Red River upstream of the Denison Dam on the boarder of Oklahoma and Texas. Credit : Evan Greenberg et al.

Dams provide a ready-made case study for investigating the contributions of these two mechanisms, since the structures trap sediment but scarcely affect vegetation. When the authors looked at the movement of three North American rivers above and below notable dams, they found that migration rates slowed downstream, where the river was starved of sediment. They could now be certain that sediment load was driving bend migration.

Greenberg is further investigating the effect dams have not just on meandering rivers, but on all the types of rivers that have floodplains. “We want to know what dams are doing to the migration of rivers,” he said.

Many of the world’s most important waterways are meandering rivers, and hundreds of millions of people live along their floodplains, Ganti said. “So knowing how rivers move is important for managing the risks that come with bank migration.

Vamsi Ganti

Vamsi Ganti's research seeks to quantify and understand the mechanics of physical processes that shape the landscapes on Earth and other planets, and to unravel the expression of these processes in the ancient sedimentary record.

In previous papers, Ganti has documented how sea-level rise and changes in sediment supply could affect river dynamics in the future. The results paint a picture of more active, less predictable rivers, especially when combined with more extreme weather and changing land use. For instance, scientists predict that many rivers will see increased sediment supply. “More sediment means that rivers can do more stuff,” he remarked.

Ganti plans to broaden the scope of their model. While geographers and Earth scientists have historically focused on meandering rivers, the majority of the planet’s waterways are wandering, multi-threaded rivers, he said. He and Greenberg are working on quantifying river mobility in general, across the many categories of rivers. Ideally, they want to develop a model that can describe a river’s migration as it changes type along the entirety of its length, from headwater to sea.

Harrison Tasoff Science Writer (805) 893-7220 [email protected]

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