Eggshells in The Outer Banks (OBX) Rally, North Carolina
Friday, Oct. 9th — Monday, Oct. 12th 2015
We’re living large for Columbus Day weekend at Camp Hatteras! Spread your wings to be the "First in Flight" in discovering The Outer Banks while sharing the nest with other fiberglass eggs. Whether you want to climb above the high-water mark of several historical lighthouses, or just stick your toes in the sand, The Outer Banks is overflowing with pioneering activities.
For rally registration and information, please go to our Web site:
http://www.gardentablet.net/eggshellrally/
We have a ton of NC-SC-VA SOI Members that have been wanting a local gathering. Having been to the Outer Banks in my younger days this should be a really good event.
Our Trailers:
2015 19 Escape
Buying or Selling Molded FG Trailers:
Fiberglass-RV-4Sale
Our Web site has been updated with more information, and a chance to win a free campsite for the rally weekend! Sign up now and start planning your trip to Eggshells in The Outer Banks.
http://www.gardentablet.net/eggshellrally/index.html
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
To help you plan a fun-packed weekend for Eggshells in The Outer Banks, we’re presenting a suggested activity each week until the rally. At the rally, we’ll also have complete itineraries. This week’s feature:
Graveyard Of The Atlantic Museum
59200 Museum Drive
Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2995
At the end of N.C. Highway 12 just past the ferry docks, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum attracts a lot of attention with its ship-like building, porthole windows and curved timbers. One of three North Carolina Maritime Museums operated by the North Carolina Division of Cultural Resources, the museum focuses on the maritime history and shipwrecks of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, often called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Exhibitions cover five centuries, with shipwreck artifacts and memorabilia on display. Changing exhibits tell dramatic tales of lifesaving, piracy, maritime culture and underwater heritage.
View the original 1854 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Fresnel lens, the Enigma machine from the U-85, the bell from the Diamond Shoals Lightship, artifacts from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge and exhibits exploring Hatteras Island during the Civil War, including artifacts from the Monitor. Discover Hatteras’ amazing link to the Titanic. See unusual artifacts that have washed ashore as well as vintage diving and sport-fishing fishing equipment.
The museum features year-round programming for people of all ages. Enjoy creating coastal crafts, movie nights and presentations by experts in maritime history, food, art and culture. For a daily schedule of activities go to the website at ncmaritimemuseums.com and view the calendar for more information.
From April through mid-October, hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free; donations are appreciated. Discover fun, beautiful and educational souvenirs, books and gifts in their Meekins Chandlery Gift Shop, with hours corresponding to Museum hours.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
To help you plan a fun-packed weekend for Eggshells in The Outer Banks, we’re presenting a suggested activity each week until the rally. At the rally, we’ll also have suggested itineraries for all your OBX time. This week’s highlighted activity is:
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
NC Highway 12
Hatteras Island, NC
(252) 987-2394
The refuge’s visitor center, located on the northern end of Hatteras Island about 4 miles south of Oregon Inlet, is a good place to start a Pea Island visit. It gives an introduction to the ecosystems and wildlife of the refuge and the activities that are permissible there. You may also pick up informational brochures, the National Park Service’s newspaper and trail maps. A restroom and plenty of parking are available. You may start your walk on North Pond Wildlife Trail here.
The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Beyond the visitor center, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 13-mile stretch of pristine barrier island. The beaches are wonderfully devoid of people most of the time, and there are several access points for getting to the beach. Pea Island is also great for surfing, surf fishing, shell hunting, kayaking, photography and other eco-friendly outdoor activities. Driving on the beach is not allowed here. Leashed pets are allowed on the beach but not on the walking trails or overlooks.
North Pond Wildlife Trail is a good, flat, easy trail that starts at the Pea Island Visitor Center, about 4 miles south of Oregon Inlet. Park in the parking lot and look for the North Pond Wildlife Trailhead behind the restrooms. A sturdy, handicapped-accessible boardwalk leads back into the marshy areas around North Pond where you’ll see a variety of birds and wildlife. The trail turns into a hard-packed natural surface that extends for a half-mile and ends in a two-level observation tower where you can see from sea to sound.
After North Pond Wildlife Trail ends, you may keep going on an unpaved service road that takes you all the way around the pond. This service road connects with the Salt Flats Wildlife Trail, and at the end (NC Highway 12) you can either turn back and go the way you came or cross over the dunes and walk along the beach to get back to the visitor center. The entire loop, if you take the beach route, is about 4 miles. The northern leg of the North Pond circuit is prone to excessive mosquitoes at all times of the year. Don’t let that keep you away; just bring insect repellent.
You may also park at the Salt Flats Wildlife Trailhead, a little over a mile north of the visitor center. This trail ends at a disabled-accessible overlook, which provides views of the Salt Flats area as well as North Pond. You’ll see a lot of birds on these trails no matter what time of year you’re here, but this hike is most phenomenal in the fall and winter when thousands of migratory birds are resting over on the pond. You’ll see snow geese, Canada geese, tundra swan and numerous species of ducks. You may pick up trail maps at the Visitor Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day or from the racks on the front porch after hours.
Guided bird walk programs are offered at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge year round, and other programs — Turtle Talks, Soundside Adventures and Birds and Their Adaptations — are offered in the summer months. Canoe tours are offered during the warmer months as a fee-based program. See http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Pea_Island/visit/plan_your_visit.html for a list, or call the visitors center.
To learn more about Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuges Visitors Center on the north end of Roanoke Island, about a quarter-mile past the entrance to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The center’s exhibits offer information about Pea Island and 10 other refuges in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. The staff that manages Pea Island also manages Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Dare County mainland; see the separate entry on the new center in the Roanoke Island site.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
To help you plan a fun-packed weekend for Eggshells in The Outer Banks, we’re presenting a suggested activity each week until the rally. At the rally, we’ll also have suggested itineraries for all your OBX time. This week’s highlighted activity is:
Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station
23645 NC Hwy 12, Milepost 39.5
PO Box 5
Rodanthe, NC
(252) 987-1552
Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm April - Nov
With its two stations and five outbuildings, Chicamacomico (pronounced chik a ma COM i co) is the most complete site of remaining life-saving stations in North Carolina and one of the nation’s most complete sites. This site is located on Hatteras Island in the village of Rodanthe on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The Chicamacomico Historical Association is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization who’s purpose is to restore, preserve, protect, educate and interpret the rich history of these valiant men and their dedication to the U.S. Life-Saving Service, as well as interpreting the history of the buildings and artifacts. They are open to the public from mid-April through November, and provide visitors with tours, programs, reenactments and special events.
• It sits at the most eastern point in North Carolina.
• It’s the largest, most complete USLSS complex in the nation.
• One of the few USLSS sites in the nation with all its original buildings.
• All buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
• One of 39 destinations listed by the Outer Banks Scenic Byways.
• Has one of only two 1874 USLSS stations in the nation open to the public.
• Was the first operational station in North Carolina.
• Now the only USLSS site in the state open to the public as a museum.
• Is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in no government budget.
• Is the only place anywhere to regularly perform the full Beach Apparatus Drill…and most importantly,
• …The scene of the most highly-awarded maritime rescue in American history! (SS Mirlo, August 16, 1918).
The Association owns and operates the museum site and the museum shop and raises its own funds. 100% of all admission fees, gift shop purchases, memberships, and donations go directly to the preservation, restoration, and operation of this historic site.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
We’ve been working with local businesses to offer you a fantastic time in The Outer Banks, including a free campsite for the rally weekend. Sign up now before the September 8th drawing! Details can be found at the free campsite entry Web page.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
The Elizabethan Gardens
1411 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954
Phone: 252-473-3234
Open daily, hours vary seasonally
Horticulturists, nature lovers and history buffs will find something unique each season at The Elizabethan Gardens. The Gardens were kept to entertain Queen Elizabeth I during her reign, and as a living memorial to the time when Sir Walter Raleigh's lost colonists lived in this very place over 400 years ago. These fanciful and elaborate gardens contain over 500 different species of plants.
The Elizabethan Gardens is a 10.5 acre public garden located within Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The Elizabethan Gardens, Inc. is a subsidiary of the Garden Club of North Carolina. Existing for over 50 years, the Gardens have progressed to become one of the most unique and beautiful gardens in America.
The Elizabethan Gardens is located adjacent to The Lost Colony's Waterside Theatre and Fort Raleigh National Historic Park on Roanoke Island.
During Eggshells in The Outer Banks rally weekend:
Big Fall Plant Sale
Oct 9 - Oct 10 2015
Fall is the perfect time to plant to ensure a beautiful spring garden and this signature clearance event is timed just right. Enjoy 30-50% discounts on many varieties of perennials, shrubs, ornamentals grasses and trees. For info or details, call 252-473-3234.
Quilt Show
Oct 10 - Oct 11 2015
Once again the Tea Cup Quilters will display their handiwork at The Elizabethan Gardens. These local fabric artists have a reputation of supporting local organizations and sharing their talents with the community. Display will show during regular hours of operation during the month of October inside Odom Hall.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
We have a winner! Congratulations Bill and Cookie from Friendswood, TX. They were selected for the free campsite for the rally weekend. Thanks to our great sponsors for contributing to the success of Eggshells in The Outer Banks.
Speaking of sponsors, not only are they paying for a free campsite, but we also have gift cards, gift certificates, products and more to give away. We want you to get the most out of The Outer Banks!
We’re enthusiastic to have all of you join the OBX nest on Columbus Day Weekend, and we’ve managed to squeeze in one item of voluntary participation for each of you to bring:
• One empty 1-dozen egg carton…we’ll demonstrate why when you bring the container.
Registered participants get the Schedule of Events for Eggshells in The Outer Banks. This lays out the itinerary for our planned weekend, and gives an idea of how much free time there is to explore.
When you arrive to the rally, there will be three suggested itineraries posted for the weekend. Sometimes there’s not enough time to research everything an area has to offer, so Eggshells in The Outer Banks has done some footwork for you to nudge you out of the nest.
See you soon, after our incubation of excitement...
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
To help you plan a fun-packed weekend for Eggshells in The Outer Banks, we’re presenting a suggested activity each week until the rally. At the rally, we’ll also have suggested itineraries for all your OBX time. This week’s highlighted activity is:
Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve
Off NC Highway 12
Buxton, NC
(252) 261-8891
Buxton Woods is one of the largest remaining maritime forests in the Southeast. It consists of pine- and oak-covered dune ridges interspersed with maritime swamp forest and unique marshy wetlands known locally as sedges.
It’s a very rare ecosystem for a barrier island, and most visitors don’t even realize it exists. The North Carolina Coastal Reserve, a program of the NC Division of Coastal Management, maintains more than 1,000 acres of the woods for research, education and recreation and offers some great hiking trails for the public to experience this amazing ecosystem.
On a walk here you might see one of 360 species of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons, along with gray fox, white-tailed deer, mink, river otter, box turtles, salamanders or snakes. Two rare butterflies (northern hairstreak and giant swallowtail) and a moth (Messalina underwind) can also be found here.
Buxton Woods – National Park Service Nature Trail
46375 Lighthouse Road
Buxton, NC
(252) 995-4474
Near the lighthouse on the NPS grounds is a 3/4-mile trail through the maritime forest of Buxton Woods. From NC Highway 12, turn onto Lighthouse Road and continue around the curve to the right past the lighthouse. The trailhead is on the right at the picnic area. A pine needle-covered path leads back into the forest. Along the way there are informational signs about the maritime forest ecosystem and the health of Buxton Woods. You’ll pass Jennette’s Sedge, a naturally occurring freshwater pond. This is a mostly flat, easy walk, though the terrain is uneven in places. Bring bug spray.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
To help you plan a fun-packed weekend for Eggshells in The Outer Banks, we’re presenting a suggested activity each week until the rally. At the rally, we’ll also have suggested itineraries for all your OBX time. This week’s highlighted activity is:
U.S. Weather Bureau Station/Hatteras Welcome Center
57190 Kohler Road
Hatteras Village, NC
(252) 986-2203
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, weather observations gathered near Cape Hatteras were important for forecasters all along the East Coast. The Hatteras Island weather station was so critical that in 1901 the U.S. Weather Bureau constructed a dedicated Weather Bureau building in Hatteras village, one of only 11 such buildings constructed in the nation at the turn of the century. The building still stands in Hatteras village and is next to the red & white Burrus Grocery Store at the corner of Saxon Cut and Kohler Roads.
The National Park Service restored the building to its original 1901 appearance, yellow exterior and all. The NPS had the benefit of the original building plans to aid in its restoration, so the building is true to the original. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau operates a visitors/welcome center in one room of the building; stop by to pick up tourist information and also to see the interior of this historic building. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily March through December.
RV Compass: Unconventional Rallies for Independent RVers
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