After a fun but chilly, drizzly day shopping, we saw hope for a bit of warmth and sunshine to the south, so we grabbed the opportunity to drive down to Kitty Hawk, about twenty-four miles south.
Seeing lots of fun sites along the way, I took lots of mental notes for more things to do on another trip down here.
SAND DUNE
Arriving at Kitty Hawk, we were met by a lone hill, a former sand dune from which the Wright Brothers tested their airplane.
Due to all the winds on the island, by the time this spot became a national park, the original sand dune had grown and shifted, as sand dunes often do.
Thus, the park service laid sod to protect it from further change.
SHELTERS
En route to the hill were these shelters…
…this one which they lived in…
…while testing their airplane which they stored here in between flights.
TEST FLIGHT
While standing on top of the hill and looking down where I had come from, the area to the left of the shelters in the distance are marked with how far each test flight went.
Obviously the Atlantic Ocean is easily viewed from here. Check this video for panoramic shots.
Opposite this view and below the hill is a replica of that moment sculpted in bronze.
So neat to walk through the sculpture, evidenced by my difficulty in getting a clean shot, since many guests wanted to mount the plane and lay on it as the Wright Brothers did in flight.
LOCAL RESIDENTS HELPED
After exploring the grounds, we enjoyed the informative museum, where I appreciated learning all the connections to the Outer Banks islanders who befriended and helped the Wright Brothers make history.
In fact, some of those local residents are part of the sculpture, since they helped with the test flights.
Wilbur borrowed a sewing machine from one of the local ladies to sew modified coverings for the glider’s wings.
When he was done, he gave her his remnant French sateen fabric, from which she sewed dresses for her daughters.
NAGS HEAD SAND DUNE PARK
After leaving here we enjoyed an interesting lunch of hamburgers at a nearby pirate restaurant.
During lunch we decided we had plenty of time to drive to Roanoke for the afternoon.
En route to Roanoke, just a short distance from Kitty Hawk is this massive sand dune park in Nags Head that helps me imagine Kitty Hawk when the Wright Brothers were there.
