Author: Stan Deatherage | Published: November 13th, 2009

Nags Head North to Corolla

  For me, Nags Head is the jumping off point for exploring North Carolina's Outer Banks. From this central locale; one can quickly move 3 to 4 miles south on US Hwy. 12 and be at the northern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore; or head 4 to 5 miles west on US Hwy. 64 across the Roanoke Sound and be on Roanoke Island, where Manteo is located, or move north about 25 miles on US Hwy. 158 and then to US Hwy. 12 all the way to Corolla. Check your map: Nags Head is nearly at a three way cross point on the Outer Banks, and any cross point on the Outer Banks is unique.


   Click map to enlarge to a much larger map of northeastern North Carolina.

  In Whalebone on the west side US Hwy. 158 between the Highway and the Roanoke Sound, there is surprisingly some fine shopping at the Tanger Outlet Center. This is straight-up "shop till you drop" purchasing of name brand merchandise for less and with the Tanger coupon book, sometimes much less. There no specialty, or beach, or sporting items sold here, so save some money for the many other specialty shops that often offer some great bargains for products you can't find anywhere else.

  While many restaurants make Nags Head home, summer is the season when they are all open and ready for business. In late spring, restaurants that are not open year round open. These same eating establishments will close in early autumn. For the sake of the discussion within this article, I will discuss only the winter season, which, of course, limited my access to the availability of food out. Fortunately, my time share had a fully functioning kitchen as space for us to prepare our sustenance. When we did eat out, we dined at Kelly's in northern Nags Head and to a lesser extent the Thai Room (very limited winter schedule) in Kill Devil Hills.

  We enjoy Thai food, and since there are no Thai restaurants in my hometown, we take advantage of trying Thai establishments at every opportunity. Kelly's is more of the standard of fine cuisine that offers delicious food at reasonable prices. Almost every night, Kelly's offers an "early bird special," and a couples menu ranging in the 35.00 to 40.00 range per couple. On one night, my wife and I enjoyed grilled tuna (her plate) and grilled sword fish (mine) with garden vegetables, orzo and a salad with a bottle of Chardonnay. The second night, we were delighted to have; a generous portion of prime rib, stuffed potato, garden vegetables and a salad, with a side of sweet potato biscuits that are very tasty with a smidge of butter on them. Considering the steamed oysters and grilled T-bones (my time share has a charcoal grill on the patio), I gained weight, and no manner of walking / hiking would forestall the effects of the delicious victuals.

  Speaking of which, walking and hiking is always my favorite activity when vacationing. The catch is: one must vacation where there are interesting places to walk, and there is no shortage of such in the Nags Head area. Jockeys Ridge State Park (as mentioned in the previous article on North Carolina's Outer Banks) is one huge hiking of sand extravaganza, with fabulous panoramic views, especially at sunrise and sunset, where the sun rises and sets over a large body of water. I visit here every time I am in the area for an extended time.



  Further north on the west side of US Hwy. 158 is the is the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The preserve is 1092 acres of a combination of high forested hills, with mostly wetlands in the bottoms, undulating and eventually draining into the Roanoke Sound. There are a variety of walking trails, with some leading down to the sound, exposing, as one enters from the hilly thicket of tall pines and live oaks, a sandy beach and splendid views. Nags Head Woods was at one time a community, with shops and two churches originated in the late 19th century and was a viable community through part of the great depression. When we visited, it was starting to rain, so suffice it to say, we only walked the shortest trail and I took no pictures. This locale, like many points of interest here on the Outer Banks, will be revisited and eventually reported.

  In that same vicinity of Kill Devil Hills, NC is the Thai Room restaurant. That same rainy Saturday that we visited Nags Head Woods, we ate lunch there. The pork drunken noodles were ordered to be spicy and they did not disappoint. My wife ordered the Tom Yum soup, a delicious concoction featuring shredded chicken and coconut milk. It was as light as it was delightful and an inexpensive treat.

  Not all days are dark and rainy in the winter months on these sandy, far eastern islands. One sunny Saturday, we headed north for Corolla and the Currituck Light Station, a landmark I had not previously visited. So northward we sojourned through Kitty Hawk, NC on US Hwy. 158 and then to US Hwy. 12 through Southern Shores and up through the quaint village of Duck, NC (Dare County's northernmost most municipality), then Sanderling and eventually to the Village of Corolla. Duck is so very appealing as sits right on the shores of the Currituck Sound, with its unique shops surrounded by a number of exclusive neighborhoods. As previously mentioned, I will revisit this locale at a later date.

  Corolla is where US Hwy. 12 ends and beach access road begins, with the Virginia border just a few miles north. This sandy strip north of Corolla is also home to the Currituck National Wildlife Reserve. This is the same reserve where the wild mustangs roam throughout the dense brush and the variety of oaks that flourish amongst the dunes from the Currituck Sound to the Atlantic Ocean.

  About 1 to 2 miles back south on US Hwy. 12, in the vicinity of Corolla Village, presently a historic snapshot of the former fishing / sustenance village of the 19th century, is the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. The 162' tall light house, constructed with a brick exterior and never painted, was built in 1875 to fill a "dark spot" along the Outer Banks, nearly equal distance between light house in Cape Henry, Va. and Bodie Island Station. The Victorian styled "Keepers House" was completed in 1876 as a duplex that housed the two "Keepers" needed to run the light house, and their families.

  The "Keepers House" was shuttered when the light house was electrified and automated in 1939. In the late 1970's the house had deteriorated to a point that it would have to be renovated or razed. In 1980 the restoration began and 1991 it was completed and was open to the public along with the light house.

  The lighthouse has 214 steps and can be accessed by the public, when in season and when it is not being repaired. The day that we visited it was under repair and we were not allowed to expend our energy for the big climb.



  Adjacent to the Currituck Beach Light Station is the venerable Whalehead Club at Currituck Heritage Park. In October of 1922, Northern Industrialist Edward Collings Knight, Jr and his bride, Marie Louise Le Bel, acquired the Whalehead Club, and soon thereafter began construction of a 21,000 sq. ft. private residence on the Currituck Sound. In 1925 it was ready, and waterfowl enthusiast Edward and Marie Louise moved into their "cottage" on the Atlantic Flyway.

  The Whalehead Club is situated on 39 acres on the Currituck Sound with many self guided walking trails and temporary docking facilities, for small boats visiting the park, and boat launches for those seeking to tour the sound. The park hours are from dawn to dusk year round, and from April through November one can tour the spacious Whalehead Club from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for 7.00 US.



  Also located on the 39 acre sound side Heritage Park is The Wildlife Center of Wildlife Education. This facility, run by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, is part museum, part educational classroom. Within the walls of this facility are large galleries, exhibiting the working culture of the region; antique duck, geese and swan decoys, replicas of hunting boats, and stories of those who made their living on the water, just to make reference to a few of its exhibits. Also in the lobby is a stuffed black bear killed on the mainland in the estuary that is simply huge. The kids will love it.

  On the grounds of the park is an abundance of live oaks among the scattered loblolly pine. From almost any vantage on the grounds one can view the rustic brick Currituck Lighthouse with these magnificent trees in the foreground. Overall our trip to finally see the Currituck Light Station was a success; however, I will return when it is possible to climb to the top. Moreover, we discovered landmarks that previously unknown to us, and on our next journey up the sandy coast, I bet we will discover even more. Until then ... stay tuned.

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