Visit The Outer Banks

Mindful Travel: Connecting With Outer Banks People and Culture

Traveling somewhere new can feel even more distinctive when it is done with intention. In the Outer Banks, that might mean eating at local restaurants, trying regional foods, learning from residents, or giving back through volunteer work.

By June Russell-Chamberlin on Jan. 18, 2023

Retired chief of police Francis D'Ambra has spent plenty of time considering what may have happened to the Lost Colony, which disappeared from Roanoke Island 400 years ago, though he does not quickly give away his personal theory. He knows the history of the island deeply and shares it during a historical walking tour through Manteo. Along the waterfront and town streets, D'Ambra helps visitors picture Manteo’s lively past through photographs and stories about fires, floods, moonshine, and Mayberry.

The source page includes attributed remarks from Francis D'Ambra, Manteo’s retired police chief, centered on Dare County as a place of beginnings, the unusual concentration of historic firsts near Manteo and Roanoke Island, the value visitors find in cultural and historical experiences, and the lasting connection travelers can feel to the Outer Banks after learning its stories.

Afterward, while the group gathered around enormous pretzels at Lost Colony Tavern, D'Ambra shared his theory about the Lost Colony and Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. The experience became a clear example of mindful travel: supporting the local community while building connections with residents, history, and culture. Hearing D'Ambra’s view of the place he calls home made the visit more meaningful and created the kind of memory travelers want to pass along.

In a welcoming, laid-back destination like the Outer Banks, mindful travel can also be easy, enjoyable, and delicious. It can be as simple as choosing a family-owned restaurant for dinner or learning to fish from the veterans on Jennette's Pier. Here are five ways visitors can travel mindfully while creating an unforgettable Outer Banks experience.

1. Spend time with the community

A tour, class, or hands-on experience is one of the most effective ways to connect with the Outer Banks community. Bird watchers can join a birdwatching tour. Travelers who like to fish can cast into the Atlantic alongside local fishermen on Jennette's Pier in Nag's Head. At the Pier House, located at the start of the pier, visitors can rent or buy what they need for a few hours of fishing for seasonal catches such as king mackerel, bluefish, black drum, Mahi Mahi, flounder, trout, puffers, rays, and many more. Beginners can take classes offered by the Pier for both adults and families.

There are many other ways to meet people and experience local culture. Spend time with surfers in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, or book a surfing lesson. Go farther offshore on a fishing charter. Join a dolphin-watching tour. Talk with farmers at the farmers market while collecting picnic supplies, or plan around one of the many festivals held throughout the year. Visitors can check for local events and take part, or choose an activity that matches their own interests.

2. Find Outer Banks artists

To connect with the culture of the Outer Banks, look for local artists and artisans. Their work includes paintings, pottery, woodworking, jewelry, and more, often shown at galleries, craft fairs, festivals, and community events.

In Kill Devil Hills, KDH Cooperative Gallery & Studios features work from more than 40 local artists. Some members of the cooperative also lead workshops and classes. Additional galleries can be found in downtown Manteo, the Gallery Arts District in Nags Head, and throughout other Outer Banks towns. Festival options include the New World Festival of the Arts in August and Rock the Cape on Hatteras Island in late May and early June.

3. Eat Like a Local

Asking residents where to find the freshest seafood and best local dishes is always worthwhile. Many distinctive Outer Banks restaurants are locally owned, so a memorable meal can also help support the community. With so many places to choose from, these are a few options to consider:

4. Volunteer

Giving time during a vacation is a meaningful way to support the local community. It does not need to take over the trip; even one afternoon, whether solo or with family, can assist non-profit organizations. Animal lovers can look into walking dogs for the Outer Banks SPCA on Roanoke Island. The Beach Food Pantry in Kitty Hawk welcomes volunteer help as well. Festivals often rely on volunteers to keep events running smoothly. Visitors can also watch for organized beach clean-up days, or bring a garbage bag to the beach and remove trash and debris on their own schedule. A full list of non-profit partners is available on the source page.

5. Step into the history

The Outer Banks has a long record of firsts, including the first English colony in the New World and Orville and Wilbur Wright's first powered flight at Kitty Hawk. Museums and historic sites throughout the area help tell that story.

Roanoke Island is the place to explore the mystery of the Lost Colony and the region’s early history. The candlelit Manteo Historic Walking Tour, led by D'Ambra, is one of the most engaging introductions to the area’s past. After the tour, he offers guests Mother Vine Muscadine Preserves. Sir Richard Grenville is credited with planting the vine in 1585, making it the oldest cultivated grapevine in America.

At Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, visitors can learn what archaeologists have discovered about the Roanoke Colony. A small museum near reconstructed earthworks and the outdoor theater where The Lost Colony is staged during the summer displays artifacts and historical information. Roanoke Island Festival Park offers hands-on experiences at the Settlers Site, American Indian Town, and the Elizabeth II sailing ship.

Island Farm on Roanoke Island presents farm life from the mid-1800s. At this living history site, costumed interpreters demonstrate everyday work such as blacksmithing, weaving, and caring for animals. In Kill Devil Hills, Wright Brothers National Memorial shares the story of persistence that led to the first powered flight in 1903. Several lighthouses and maritime museums, including the free-admission Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, highlight the seafaring history of the Outer Banks.

However visitors choose to practice mindful travel, learning some history and supporting local entrepreneurs can lead to Outer Banks memories that last.

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Author

June Russell-Chamberlin is an Oregon-based travel writer and photographer. Before moving into travel journalism, she spent 30+ years writing and editing magazines. She now brings together her curiosity, love of travel, and interest in adventure through stories and images about the Pacific Northwest and destinations beyond it. Her interests include off-the-beaten-path adventures, history, culture, food, and wine. She is a member of IFWTWA.

Her work has appeared in Travel Awaits, Travel Squire, Play,Stay,Eat, Backroad Planet, and The Elks Magazine.

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