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By Bob & Tanya Waite
The drive takes nearly seven hours but with stops for food restrooms and coffee, Tanya and I expect to be at the Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk around 6 p.m., eight hours from our departure time. We like taking long drives and viewing the scenery. On this drive we look forward to seeing a bridge. Now, there are many bridges along the route we take, but only one of them is a tourist attraction in its own right—the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. This bridge-tunnel has its own website (www.cbbt.com) that gives you everything from the history of the bridge to maps that show the islands it spans, overlooks and even the location of a fishing pier.
While crossing the 17.6 mile bridge we marvel at the Chesapeake Bay and seagulls that whiz by the car at what seems to be supersonic speeds. The tunnels are shiny clean and coming up to each new span is a delightful experience. The waters of the Chesapeake are deep blue and look a little rough. A sense of smallness comes upon us, heightening the awe of God’s creation. We are almost sorry to hit the bayside shore of Virginia Beach.
From the Virginia Beach side of the bridge to Kitty Hawk is a little over 85 miles. We check into the hotel around 6:15 p.m. The lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks is stunning. There are wonderfully colorful seating arrangements, a huge brightly lit aquarium with colorful fish swimming in the light and a fireplace imbedded in a stone wall and above it is a large tv screen. Inside on the same floor is the Aviator Tavern which is a restaurant and bar.
We check in and go to our room. Tanya is busy taking photos of the room. I am relegated to a corner. I explain that I am tired and want to stretch out a minute. She points to the sofa and allows me to sit there. “Really?” I ask. Tanya assures me she’ll be done in a minute. I smile, saying under my breath, “That’s my girl.”
The room is perfect. It is a little more minimalist than the Hilton Garden Inn we stayed at when traveling to Ocean City Maryland for Christmas, but the shelves and little drawers alongside the closet are perfect for our large assortment of body products, vitamins, clothing accessories and so on. There is a Keurig coffeemaker, microwave and a refrigerator. Next to each side of the bed is a shelf with reading lights. The couch, which is a sofa bed, is within easy view of the tv, and we both plan to sit there after we eat at the Aviator Tavern.
It is around 7 p.m. when we enter the Aviator Tavern—both of us are hungry from a long day of driving, and we are very tired of the on-the-road food which we ate at several fast food venues on the way. The Aviator has a rustic appearance with a half wall made of pine planks surrounding the space inside the hotel. It also has a large model of the Wright Brothers’ famous plane hanging from the ceiling over the bar.
Our server is Dee Thornley, who is also a singer and performs at Tap That in Kitty Hawk. She is very winsome and tells us about specials for the day, the soup of the day and other things as she takes orders for our drinks. She also gives us several recommendations of places to see while we are in Kitty Hawk. Tanya tells her that she is appreciated. They talk for a short while and we are both impressed with the casual southern hospitality shown us.
On the menu are six appetizers, all of which sound delicious. We pass on those, although I almost order the Dynamite Shrimp, which is hand breaded then fried and served with Napa cabbage and peanuts tossed in dynamite sauce.
For our entrées, Tanya orders the Pan Seared Salmon that is topped with lemon dill sauce and served with jasmine rice and a vegetable medley. I order the Grilled Ribeye, with sautéed cremini mushrooms and onions topped with house made garlic butter with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley. Tanya loves her salmon and I love the steak. We rave about the vegetable medley. Back at the room we plan to watch a movie, but we both drift quickly into a deep sleep.
After getting up and having breakfast, we exit the back door of the hotel and go to the beach. Since this appears in the Spring issue we are here in early January and the temperature outside is about 17 degrees warmer than at home but nonetheless chilly. Outside it is sunny and a we see a trail from the property that leads us right to the Kitty Hawk Pier. The hotel actually owns the pier, since they bought and remodeled it. This was after the pier was smashed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. The newly renovated Pier House opened in 2008 and now serves as a unique setting for wedding receptions and other social events, enhanced by the environment and tradition of the Outer Banks. But the pier itself still remains open to the public for fishing.
The Pier House is closed for the season, but we walk to the end of the pier and take photos. There we meet a young man who works at the hotel who is taking his morning break. He tells us that he recently moved to the area to be with his family. Like Dee, our server at the Aviator Tavern, he loves the Outer Banks. The sun is bright and the wave caps are reflecting the light of the late morning sun in a way that makes the ocean sparkle. Tanya says, “Look at God.” I say, “His creation points to His glory and immense power.”
We walk on the beach. The beach has fine sand that gets increasingly courser as we walk toward the sea. The tide is slowly coming in and there are broken shells on the beach left by its earlier exit. We are transfixed by the constant rolling of the waves. Down the beach are several people in wetsuits surfing.
Behind the hotel is the outdoor swimming pool. In the warmer months the Surf Shop Tiki Grill which has Burgers, Melts, Salads and Flatbreads is open for guests swimming or sunning themselves by the pool. There is also a fountain with water coming out of a swordfish’s mouth. Tanya with her iPhone camera in hand kept saying, “Let me get this.” I kept saying, “Come on I want to get moving.” She retorted, “Do not be anxious for anything.” That stopped my mouth. I laughed and we stayed a few more minutes.
Eventually we do get moving and drive South to Nags Head and the bridge to Roanoke Island to visit Manteo, which www.outerbanks.org says is “the heart of Roanoke Island, and the center of visitor activity.” To call this small coastal town on the protected Shallowbag Bay picturesque doesn’t do it justice. The marina and waterfront, the replica Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, and “… the slow, quiet residential streets surrounding the community’s core are beautiful enough to persuade more than a few visitors to move here.” It is the County Seat of Dare County and it is where the North Carolina Aquarium/Roanoke is located. I am looking forward to this jaunt also because it is the site of the Lost Colony—one of America’s most enduring mysteries.
Roanoke Island was the site of England’s first attempt at permanent settlement in North America. In 1587, more than 100 colonists led by John White established a colony near what is now Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. When White returned from England three years later, the settlement was abandoned, with no clear trace of the colonists except the word “CROATOAN” carved into a post. No one has ever since been able to solve the mystery, although there have been claims using evidence that later proved to be fraudulent.
Crossing the bridge leading to Roanoke Island we decide to visit the North Carolina Aquarium before going to the center of Manteo. Walking in we are able to have a photo taken of us on a large screen where we could see ourselves with a large sea turtle, an alligator and other sea creatures. A woman on the staff, who gave us directions and was very hospitable took our photo with Tanya’s trusty iPhone. Tanya says, “I want the alligator.” I retorted, “Me too!”
As we entered the hallways of the Aquarium, we passed many fresh water exhibits with fish swimming behind glass that I, as a freshwater fisherman, recognized—some I didn’t. One glass case has the smallest Rattlesnake species and it was very small and hard to find since its camouflage blended perfectly with its surroundings. Tanya sees through a tiny frog’s camouflage right away and raises her voice in excitement saying, “There you are!” to a green tree frog sitting on a plant, blending perfectly with its green surroundings.
We visit an area that looks like a tropical forest and there we see alligators, including one that is pure white. There are benches in this area and on them are three teenage girls talking and texting. Tanya looks at them and says “Hi!” but gets no response, so she says it again only louder. The girls begrudgingly respond and say, “Hi.” We both laugh and move on. I wonder why friendliness is so hard for teenagers, even in North Carolina.
The aquarium is large, so we do not go to the dolphin pool or the outside exhibits, but wander around inside. Two exhibits stand out for us: Sea Treasures and Delicate Drifters. At Sea Treasures, we walk through a sunken ship to find sea treasures and marine life living off the North Carolina Coast. “Delicate Drifters” is a large room, brightly lit, where our eyes are full of wonder at the ethereal world of sea jellies. Throughout the aquarium we see large and small sharks and some creatures so odd, that I cannot attempt to describe. We finish the tour and leave for the heart of Manteo.
As we walk on the red brick sidewalks heading towards the Manteo waterfront, Tanya, the deep lover of everything clean and orderly, says, “This town is clean!” I notice too. There isn’t a speck of litter on the streets, the sidewalk—anywhere. All the buildings and stores we pass have meticulous upkeep. The period look of this area is stunning. Federal and Colonial structures abound. We walk into the Magnolia Market Pavilion and it is open and structurally sound. The floor is made of slate and lights decorate the ceiling of the overhang. The market is closed.
As we get closer to the waterfront and the lighthouse, we notice little shops and interesting boutiques. There are 12 restaurants in the town and one looks particularly interesting—the 1587 Restaurant & Lounge. Then we come to the planked path leading to the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse—a lighthouse that reminds me more of a small coastal cottage with its white exterior accented with black shutters and a brick-red roof. Walking around the back of the lighthouse we see across the water, the Elizabeth II, which is a replica of the original ship that brought the colonists who first came to Roanoke Island. This is part of Roanoke Island Festival Park, a 27-acre site where you can explore life as it was for the first English settlers in 1585. Costumed interpreters bring the Settlement Site and the Elizabeth II ship to life. We do not visit but plan to go there on a future trip. Instead we head back to Kitty Hawk to eat at Steamers, which is very close to our hotel.
Steamers bills itself as “an upscale, beach casual restaurant on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.” It has both indoor and outdoor dining. We are led by the hostess to the second floor. Through the large windows we can see the town of Kitty Hawk. The blue wooden plank walls give it a nautical feel. Our server, Holly, visits our table and asks us about drinks. Tanya asks for water with lots of lemon and I ask for a Coke.
We decide not to order appetizers, although the selection looks delectable. I could go for the Fried Calamari or the Carolina Oysters Nest. Our drinks come and we order. Tanya orders the Calabash Shrimp Boat, which includes big fat fried shrimp, Zuni Slaw, crispy skin-on fries and Steamers Cocktail Sauce. I order the Fish & Chips which includes golden fried seasonal fish, Zuni Slaw, Carolina tartar crispy and skin-on fries.
Our food is beyond expectations, from the artful presentation to the subtle tastes. I beg Tanya for a shrimp, which is lightly breaded and fried without any greasy taste. It is so fine. My fish is also lightly breaded and melts in my mouth. It is by far the best Fish & Chips I ever ate. Zuni Slaw is Cole Slaw southern style and instead of mayo, vinegar is used. Again fine. Casual dining, my foot, this restaurant is fine.
I have a dessert, but Tanya declines. The Chocolate Temptation Cake lives up to its name—delicious and rich as can be. And I am intoxicated by its dark chocolate icing and heavy flourless cake. Tanya tastes it and says, “That’s good, but too rich.” I love rich.
Leaving Steamers, we head back to our room bemoaning the fact that tomorrow we have to leave. Back at the hotel, we sit on the balcony viewing the ocean and talking about our trip and how much there is yet to see the next time we come to the Outer Banks. By 11 p.m. we drift into a sound sleep and are ready to return to Bucks County, which is itself a great place to visit and we are grateful we live there.
Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine and Tanya is his wife, travel companion and the co-writer of this department.