A quick trip to the Outer Banks

We took a trip to Walmart and Home Depot the other day, which are approximately 70 miles away from Mattamuskeet, on the Outer Banks. This consisted of going to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge visitor center, Bodie Island visitor center and lighthouse (part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore), and the towns of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. We happened to get a gorgeous 60 degree day, and enjoyed a walk on the Atlantic Ocean beach.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.


Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 13 miles long and ranges from 1/4 mile to 1 mile wide. The objectives are to provide nesting, resting and wintering habitat for migratory birds. They provide environmental education, wildlife observation, photography and fishing.



Bodie Island Lighthouse was built in 1872 and has its original 1st-order Fresnel lens. The current lighthouse is the third one that has stood in this vicinity. It stands 156 feet tall. It was renovated and was made climbable to the public in 2013, 219 steps, only open for climbing in the summer. There is also a boardwalk that goes to an observation deck of marshlands and birds.



Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk are very much tourist towns, with some of the businesses closed for the season. Most of the houses in Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills by the shore are built up on stilts. Kill Devil Hills is also the home of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which we’ve been to before. We really liked it, but I’ve heard the visitor center is closed for renovations, and that is a lot of the experience and information in there.