Tag Archives: Wright Brothers

Outer Banks Treasure:Wright Brothers Memorial & Museum

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Yes, we know its been a little while since our last Outer Banks Treasure series video, but fear not, we are back! What is the one thing you think of when you think of the Outer Banks? Of course the beach, but I remember when I was in grade school, the first time I heard the name “Outer Banks” it was in North Carolina History class and it was while learning about the Wright Brothers and the first flight. As you know, the purpose of the OBX Treasure videos is to really give you a glimpse at some of the amazing places that make the Outer Banks special. The choice was obvious here, the Wright Brothers Memorial & Museum is a one of a kind place that can only be found here in the Outer Banks and is a remarkable piece of history you have to visit at least once.

Like I have said a number of times, being a local you don’t always get the chance to enjoy some of the things that are the whole reason you live there! Sounds crazy but honestly I have not been to the beach in about 2 weeks. Its a disgrace but when you live and work in a place like the OBX you are busy with day to day life that you don’t have time. Well, the same idea applied in this situation, I had NEVER been to the Wright Brothers Memorial and have wanted to go for a long time but just never got around to it. After hearing some coworkers talking about doing their daily run up and down the monument I thought, jeeze, I need to get down there and do an OBX Treasure while I’m at it.

It was awesome! I wish I could of had my family there to see some of the amazing things inside the museum. There was so much history in this one little spot, it was amazing. I don’t want to give too much info because I want you all to see it for yourself, but seeing the plane reproductions, the very parts they used on the first model planes, and even the bikes the Wright Brothers made and sold to fund the experiment of flight was unbelievable.

After making my way through the museum and hanger exhibits I was ready to climb up to the monument. If you have been in the Outer Banks lately you know that the mosquito’s have been terrible after Hurricane Irene. Since I am allergic to mosquito’s I should have been more prepared for my climb but regardless it was worth every minute. The view from the top of the monument was great. You could see the beach and the sound and enjoy the Outer Banks from a completely different view. It was also pretty neat to touch the monument and read the engraved words that surround it. All I can say was it was beautiful.

I am so glad I got the chance to visit this little piece of history and even more excited to share it with you. I hope that when I move down to Kill Devil Hills I can get my morning workout here. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to start the day. I know we use this quote alot but it is one of the most important things to remember “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”-Ferris Bueller. Enjoy the video everyone!

Kitty Hawk, NC: Named after a goose or a mosquito hawk?

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Kitty Hawk, NC

The Virginian Pilot recently released an article titled “What’s in a name? Kitty Hawk, NC”, raising questions about where exactly the name of the city originated. This sparked some interest with me and I thought I would share it with you all. Kind of fun to learn how cities get their names, especially in this case. Funny thing is that even the Mayor of Kitty Hawk said “I don’t know if anyone really knows” in reference to where the name of Kitty Hawk came from.

There have been some rumors and speculations about how the name came about. One idea is that it originates from a Native Indian name for the area related to the hunting of geese, as in “Killy honker” or “Killy honk.” This is the story that the town embraces. Another idea traces the roots to the large number of mosquito hawks found in the area. So the nickname “Skeeter Hawk” could have morphed over time into “Kitty Hawk,”

Historians note that the town first showed up on English maps in the early 1700s as “Chickehauk” and “Chickahawk.” By the late 1700s, land deeds referred to settlements there as “Kitty huk,” “Kitty hark,” “KittyHawk,” and finally “Kitty Hawk.”

What do you guys think? Since no one really knows we could always come up with our own elaborate story of how Kitty Hawk got its name. ;) Either way both stories are funny. I’m not sure how “killy honk” or “skeeter hawk”  turned into Kitty Hawk but I sure am glad its around because it is a beautiful place to call home.

 

Spotlight on the OBX: Kill Devil Hills

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Kill Devil Hills

Kill Devil Hills

Let’s spin the “Spotlight” towards Kill Devil Hills today. KDH (as it is lovingly known around these parts) has a little something, something for everyone – awesome beaches, gorgeous houses, great restaurants, the Wright Brothers, playgrounds, skate parks, an awesome fishing pier, fantastic local shops, amazing art, and the list rolls on…

The oldest township in the Outer Banks, Kill Devil Hills should not be confused with Kill Devil Hill, where the Wright Brothers made the first successful flight in a powered machine. The Wright Brothers Memorial Monument stands sixty feet high on the ninety foot high Kill Devil Hill.

Situated in the middle of the northern Dare County beaches, KDH is the most populated of the Outer Banks town. The majority of our OBX locals reside here, with a total population of approximately 7,500.

Today, Kill Devil Hills is one of the most popular vacation destinations on the Outer Banks. The many beach accesses make for an easy trip to the beach with lots of public parking. Lifeguards are stationed every half mile or so, making KDH beaches ideal for families with children. With thousands of rental homes, great restaurants, sports and activities, and shopping, Kill Devil Hills is at the center of an Outer Banks vacation.

I’ll zip it so you can enjoy the tour…

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 6.20.11 – Great start to the week…

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Outer Banks - 6.20.11 - Great start in Kill Devil Hills

Outer Banks - 6.20.11 - Great start in Kill Devil Hills

Good afternoon. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, June 20, 2011.

This video was shot at the Wright Brothers Memorial and the Hayman St. beach access, both in Kill Devil Hills, at 9:00 AM.

Happy belated Father’s Day. Hope all of the Dad’s enjoyed their day. I was lucky enough to share Father’s Day with with my boy’s first birthday, so it was a great day. Happy birthday Finn!

It was a great day because of the weather too. The weekend was gorgeous with 80 degree temps, sun, and a light breeze, and the great weather is going to continue this week. The 10 day forecast is sun, 80′s, and a few isolated thunderstorms. The showers will not be widespread, and really the plants could use a drink.

Unfortunately, not much surf to report. A small bump out there today (happy International Surfing Day, by the way), but not much going on, and the wind isn’t going to cooperate to start the week. But the wind will switch offshore around Wednesday, and we could have some fun knee to waist longboard waves towards the end of the week. Coupled with the great weather, it should be fun to catch any surf rolling through.

Outer Banks fishing is going strong. Offshore is seeing dolphin, tuna, and a few bill fish mixed in. Cobia are hot near shore. The bridges, piers, and Sound are all active with a wide variety of fish – croaker, sea mullet, spot, speckled trout, blue fish, Spanish mackerel. And the great news is that surf fishing is getting more consistent as well. Great time to be fishing on the OBX!

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Treasures: Kitty Hawk Kites

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Hang Gliding Lessons

Well it is pretty obvious that the Outer Banks is made up of people who have a deep love for nature, the ocean, our beaches and pretty much anything that keeps us outside and active makes us happy. Luckily there is place nestled on all corners of the island that brings the connection between us together. Offering everything from kayak tours, dolphin watching, hang gliding lessons, wake boarding, and tons of other awesome outdoor activities that keep locals and visitors engaged with the beautiful landscape of the Outer Banks.

The place I am talking about is Kitty Hawk Kites one of the great landmarks of the OBX, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take an exclusive tour of the Nags Head store with founder and president John Harris. Showing us all the neat custom designed t-shirts, outer banks memorabilia, Wright brother’s merchandise, huge selection of Life is Good merchandise and pretty much every type of Croc imaginable, John gives you a chance to preview the store before you head down for your vacation. There is so many neat things in there that it is a must stop on your next Outer Banks trip. Not to mention the kids will love it and Club Seaside guests are offered a complimentary paddle board clinic with Kitty Hawk Kites!

There are too many things to name that make Kitty Hawk Kites a real Outer Bank Treasure, so sit back and relax and take it away John..

U.S. News Loves the Outer Banks

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Outer Banks - 2.16.11 - Sun Up on the Sound

Outer Banks - 2.16.11 - Sun Up on the Sound

The U.S. News Travel Section recently highlighted the Outer Banks. The article gives a quick overview of some great OBX attractions, and then goes on to list their Top 11 “Best Things to Do in the Outer Banks.”

Here’s what U.S. News had to say:

“The Outer Banks have activities for relaxation and for adventure. The quiet beaches are the main draw to the area, but others visit OBX for the horseback riding, hang gliding and water sports. Touring the shipwrecks off the coast, sightseeing at Corolla’s Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Kill Devil Hill’s Wright Brothers National Memorial or Nag’s Head’s Jockey’s Ridge State Park make a happy medium for recent vacationers who desire a more balanced getaway.”

U.S. News Top 11 “Best Things to Do in the Outer Banks”:

1. Outer Banks Beaches
2. Jockey’s Ridge State Park
3. Cape Hatteras National Seashore
4. Pirate Adventures of the Outer Banks
5. Stop-N-Shop Beach Shop
6. Wright Brothers National Memorial
7. Roanoke Island Festival Park
8. Currituck Beach Lighthouse
9. Bodie Island Lighthouse
10. North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island
11. Tanger Outlets Nags Head

Outer Banks Snow Report – 2/10/2011 – Beach, surf, & fishing are taking a snow day!

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Outer Banks - 2.10.11 - Snow at Avalon Pier

Outer Banks - 2.10.11 - Snow at Avalon Pier

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Snow Report for Thursday, February 10, 2011.

This video was shot at the Wright Brothers Monument and the Avalon Pier (both in Kill Devil Hills) at 9:00 AM this morning.

The Outer Banks has turned into a winter wonderland. Snow is falling and the wind is blowing. There’s a heavy wind coming out of the north at 20+ mph, and about an inch of the white stuff is on the ground.

No sledding at the Wright Brothers Monument yet, but the kids are out of school today, so I suspect there will be some flying down the hill soon.

No surf today. The fish are still biting, but boats won’t be able to make it out of Oregon Inlet, so the fishing is on hiatus today as well.

The snow is pretty, but I’m ready for spring. Bring on the sunny, warm weather. The good news is the sun will return tomorrow and stay through the weekend, and temps will climb back to the 50′s by the weekend.

Enjoy the snow while it lasts!

Outer Banks - Wright Brother Monument in the Snow - 2.10.11

Outer Banks - Wright Brother Monument in the Snow - 2.10.11

Outer Banks - Wright Brother Monument in the Snow - 2.10.11

Outer Banks - Wright Brother Monument in the Snow - 2.10.11

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 1.14.11 – Pretty Sunrise, Afternoon Surf?, Fish are Biting

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Outer Banks - 1.14.11 - Pretty Sunrise

Outer Banks - 1.14.11 - Pretty Sunrise

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Friday, January 14, 2011.

This video was shot in Kill Devil Hills, near the Wright Brothers Monument, at 7:15 AM.

Pretty sunrise this morning, but it’s a chilly day. Bright sun and blue skies, but temps will be in the high 30′s today. Light wind out of the northwest at about 10 mph, so the windchill isn’t too bad. The weekend will warm up a bit.

A small amount of swell is coming through, and the wind may switch to the west early in the afternoon, so there could be some clean, waist high surf coming through later today.

The rock fish are still biting. There are a lot of reports of boats heading out of Oregon Inlet catching their limit. Also hearing reports of tuna being caught by the off-shore fishing charters.

Enjoy!

What the Heck is Kill Devil Hills?

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Kill Devil Hills

Kill Devil Hills

My guess is that just about everyone that comes across the name Kill Devil Hills for the first time does a double take to make sure they read/heard it correctly, and then follows up with something to the effect of “What the heck is Kill Devil Hills?”

No doubt, it is a crazy name…pretty cool in a swashbuckling, pirate kind of way, but crazy none-the-less.  So where did this oddity begin?

The Virginia Pilot recently ran a great article trying to get to the bottom of this mystery.  It doesn’t seem like there is a great answer, but there is some darn good history.

First of all, let’s get one point straight.  The Wright Brothers took off from Kill Devil Hills…not Kitty Hawk.  They alerted the world to their success from a telegraph in Kitty Hawk, but the actual flight was in Kill Devil Hills.

One notch in the cool belt for KDH.  But I digress.

As for the name.  According to a local Outer Banks historian, “Killdevil Hills” first appeared on a map in 1808, and a printed map in 1814 adjusted the name to “Kill Devil Hills.”

Great, we have some inclination of when it appeared, but what the heck does it mean?  This is where things get a bit blurry.

The Town of Kill Devil Hills endorses the theory that the name comes from rum-carrying ships that ran aground along the dangerous coastline, i.e. the Graveyard of the Atlantic.  The town’s official explanation states that rum from the shipwrecks was taken by locals and hidden in the dunes, and its potency was “strong enough to “kill the devil.”   Probably the most believable…especially considering the locals I know.  :)

Some other theories are:

  1. A local OBX’er made a deal with the devil and eventually wound up in a deep pit on top of one of the tall dunes.
  2. A bird know as the killdeer once thrived in the area and the nickname “Killdeer Hills” eventually morphed into Kill Devil Hills.  That one is not that fun.  Where’s the pizzazz?  Where’s the swashbuckling?
  3. A theory that sailors use to say that the area was so tough to navigate around that “it was enough to kill the devil.”

I’m sticking with the rum theory.  It makes me feel like a pirate when I drive through town.

Another interesting KDH fact…Is it Kill Devil Hill or Kill Devil Hills?  You’re all right.  It’s both.  Kill Devil Hills is the town name, and the largest dune is referred to as Kill Devil Hill.

Some quick KDH stats:  Kill Devil Hills is located in Dare County, the town today includes more than 6,000 full-time residents, shops, hotels, restaurants and the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a tourist attraction and monument in the scrubby hills where the first flight occurred.