In this scenic sand dunes and rolling surf of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station on Hatteras Island doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue trippingly. It does, however, offer groups a chance to see one of the few remaining sites in America chronicling the early U.S. Coast Guard and its incredible feats.
There is even more reason to take your groups to Hatteras in 2018 as it marks the 100th anniversary of the Mirlo Rescue, a dramatic effort to save those on board the Mirlo, a British tanker, when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1918.
The station and other surviving buildings from the late 18th century are in Rodanthe, the same Cape Hatteras village immortalized by Nicholas Sparks in his novels.
This may be history, but the Outer Banks focuses on the present and future as well. Groups are welcome at the North Carolina Aquarium, which recently re-opened after a $6.5 million renovation. A main feature at the Roanoke Island-based attraction is an interactive Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center.
If you plan to bring your group sometime in late this summer or early fall, they can be among the first to experience the visitors center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which is currently undergoing a multimillion renovation.
This will be the seventh year for the Outer Banks Seafood Festival, held the third Saturday in October. Celebrating the area’s local fishermen, seafood heritage and fresh Outer Banks seafood, it continues to be a favorite for group tours.
For more information, email Lorrie Love of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau or go to outerbanks.org.
Top photo: Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station on Hatteras Island
Photo by Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
