Roanoke Island Recreation (Including Manteo Recreation and Wanchese Recreation)

Dare County Airport Regional Airport Museum

• 410 Airport Road, Manteo
• Roanoke Island
• (252) 475-5570

The Wright Brothers weren’t the only famous pilots to fly on the Outer Banks. Located inside Roanoke Island’s airport is a small, two-room museum dedicated to the days when a Naval Auxiliary Air Station was based on Roanoke Island. In 1941, the U.S. Navy took over the county’s airfield, making it a training site for World War II aircraft. Check out the museum to learn about local heroes like “Kitty Hawk Kid,” Lt. Sheldon R. “Ray” Beacham. Beacham is credited for shooting down two Japanese Zeros in the South Pacific. Beacham and his VF-17 Squadron were one of the most famous Navy Fighter Squadrons, known for the skull and crossbones painted on the noses of their planes. You can also learn about Dave Driskill, who is credited with bringing aviation to the Outer Banks starting in the 1930s. The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is free.

Dare County Old Swimming Hole

• Airport Road, next to the Aquarium
• Manteo
• (252) 475-5910

For a soundside swimming session, head down Airport Road to the Old Swimming Hole. The entrance is just beyond the North Carolina Aquarium on the right-hand side, just before you get to the airport. This family-oriented access is the perfect place to go after a tour of the aquarium. The Old Swimming Hole has a great sandy beach, picnic tables, grills, a picnic shelter, a playground, a volleyball court and restrooms. Be aware that the depth changes fairly rapidly in places, so be very vigilant with your wee ones or with non-swimmers.

Elizabeth R Productions

• Various Locations
• Manteo
• (252) 473-1061

Elizabeth R Productions presents historically based dramas written by historian lebame houston and performed in part by acclaimed actor Barbara Hird as Queen Elizabeth I. Hird is committed to authenticity in her interpretation of the character of Queen Elizabeth I, and houston is committed to historical accuracy. The dramas have received international acclaim, but their home base is here on Roanoke Island.

In Elizabeth R, Hird gives a commanding performance as Queen Elizabeth I. It’s a one-woman, hour-long performance in which the Queen spills the intimate details of her life, including her likes and dislikes, the reasons for making her decisions and information about her parents, her lovers and Sir Walter Raleigh’s colonies.

Shepherd of the Ocean is whimsical comedy about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh. The play premiered in 2006 at the international Sir Walter Ralegh Festival in Youghal, Ireland, receiving rave reviews during its three-week run. Set primarily in a time warp, the play is a flashback of Raleigh’s most cherished moments with Queen Elizabeth.

Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen is an outrageous musical farce based on the fact that Queen Elizabeth I and her half-sister Mary Tudor absolutely loathed one another during their lives, yet they were buried in the same tomb at Westminster Abbey. The show, set in present day, begins when the tourists have left the Abbey, allowing the ghosts to start their vocal bantering and arguing. The dialogue is a blend of contemporary issues and political satire about world and Roanoke Island events.

All of these productions are recommended for ages 14 and up. For the schedule of performances, call the number above or check www.outerbanksthisweek.com.

Found Colony Art School, Bead Store and Gallery

• 4450 Maritime Woods Drive
• Roanoke Island
• (252) 256-3034

Found Colony Art School is the result of the long-time dream of Lorri Chambers, the former owner of Ocean Beads Gallery in Nags Head. In her classrooms, Chambers offers affordable art classes and teaches art forms to anyone who is interested, from kids to adults to seniors, individuals to large groups. Chambers doesn’t have a set schedule of classes; instead, her students call her and tell her what they want to learn and Chambers makes it happen. From jewelry to collage to sewing and much more, people are learning new arts methods here. She welcomes organized groups that are looking for an arts activity. The bead store has more than 800 types of beads. The gallery sells local artwork, collectibles, vintage art and jewelry and much more. The gallery is off the beaten path. At The Elizabethan Inn, turn onto Hariot Street, then take a right on Driftwood. Look for a warehouse-type building with a green roof.

Ghost Fleet Dive Charters

• 219 Thicket Lump Drive, Thicket Lump Marina
• Wanchese
• (252) 202-1784

Ghost Fleet Dive Charters offers dive trips in the waters off the Outer Banks, long known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic for the numerous shipwrecks. A trip with Captain Gene Berry could include one of many shipwrecks, including several U-Boats that were sunk off the coast during WWII. Or they’ll take you to some of their new discoveries that have never been fully explored. The captain knows where the best conditions are located daily, depending on visibility, currents and weather, and his experience will lead you to the best trip for your chosen day. They supply certified dive masters to assist divers. The dive boat Just 4 Diving is docked at Thicket Lump Marina in Wanchese.

Granpa’s Shrimping and Crabbing Tours

• 303 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo Waterfront
• Manteo
• (252) 473-1475, (866) 473-1475

See how the local seafood is caught. On this tour, the captain pulls a small, commercial-type shrimp net behind the boat. Passengers get to sort the catch and examine the shrimp, fish and crabs that are harvested — and they get to take home anything that’s of legal size. This is a fantastic, hands-on experience for all ages and a great way to learn about life in the sea. Outer Banks Cruises/Capt. Johnny Dolphin Tours is the booking agent for this tour; call them and they’ll help you arrange your tour.

Island Farm

• 1140 U.S. Highway 64
• Roanoke Island
• (252) 473-6500

Roanoke Island’s Island Farm is a re-creation of the Etheridge family’s 1850s Roanoke Island working farm. Visitors feel as if they’ve stepped back more than 150 years as they explore the farm and see interpreters dressed in period attire carrying out the daily activities of the time – tending animals, blacksmithing, hoeing corn, doing laundry, making corn cakes. Hands-on activities and demonstrations may include woodworking, textile work, cooking demonstrations, ox-drawn wagon rides, 19th-century toys and games and farm and garden work. Visitors take self-guided tours of the Etheridge House and Farm, interacting with interpreters along the way. Activities vary daily and by season and are weather dependent. Standard admission costs $6 per person, with children 5 and younger admitted for free. After opening day for the season, which is April 21, 2011, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following schedule: Wednesday to Saturday from June through October; Thursday through Saturday in April, May and November.

It’s Royalty Salon, Gifts and Spa

• 205 Budleigh Street
• Roanoke Island
• (252) 473-2209

It’s Royalty is a full-service hair salon and a spa, which specializes in nails, makeup and facials. There’s also a nice gift shop here selling purses, belts, accessories, artwork and other small gift items.

Jet Boat Dolphin Tours

• Nags Head Waterworks, Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
• Wanchese
• (252) 441-0477

Jet Boat Dolphin Tours offers its dolphin tours on a 34-foot, 30-passenger boat that gives a thrilling ride at 40 knots, so they can find the dolphins fast and cover a lot of ground — or water, that is — in two hours. They start the tour with a search for the dolphins and almost always find them. Then they take you to see local attractions such as Oregon Inlet, Wanchese Harbor, the Manteo waterfront and the Elizabeth II, Jockey’s Ridge and Colington Island. The boat is U.S. Coast Guard inspected and the captains are U.S. Coast Guard licensed. Nags Head Waterworks is based on the causeway and also offers parasailing, Jet Ski rentals and kayak rentals. Boarding for the Jet Boat Dolphin Tour is at Broad Creek Marina in Wanchese. Call for reservations and directions.

Kitty Hawk Kayaks Kayak & Surf School

• MP 1, 6150 N. Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk
• (252) 261-0145, (866) 702-5061

Enjoy a kayak tour to some of the finest flat-water kayaking destinations on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk Kayak and Surf School offers multiple specialty tours across the Outer Banks, including tours in Kitty Hawk Woods, ocean paddling, night paddling on Roanoke Island, Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges and in Corolla. New this year is a night-time Bioluminessence Tour in Nags Head. Surf kayak and standup paddleboard lessons and rentals are also available. Ask about the overnight trips on the Roanoke River and their Coastal Explorer Camps for kids with field trips, surfing lessons and kayaking. The Surf School offers daily lessons and three-day surf camps throughout the summer, plus yoga and surf retreats during the fall and spring. Surfboards are available for rent as well. All instructors and guides are ACA and NSSIA certified. The friendly, professional staff promises your entire family will have fun. 

Kitty Hawk Kites Parasailing

• Manteo Waterfront
• Manteo
• (252) 441-4124, (877) 359-8447

Kitty Hawk Kites takes several parasailing trips a day from the Manteo waterfront, launching fliers anywhere from 600 to 1,200 feet above the water. This is a safe, experienced, trusted company. You can fly solo or go with one or two other people. The hour-long trips accommodate up to six fliers at a time, with each flier getting about 10 minutes in the air. Trips are booked through Kitty Hawk Kites, and advance reservations are recommended. The boat is docked on the Manteo waterfront. Call Kitty Hawk Kites to reserve.

Lost Colony

• Waterside Theatre, 1409 National Park Drive (off U.S. Highway 64)
• Manteo
• (252) 473-3414

More than 400 years ago, 117 men, women and children sailed from Plymouth, England, in an attempt to settle on Roanoke Island. They vanished just two years later. The only clue left behind was the word “CROATOAN” carved in a tree. The Lost Colony is their story.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, The Lost Colony is performed summer nights by a company of more than 100 actors, dancers, singers and technicians in the historic outdoor Waterside Theatre. Come see epic battles and Indian dances. Experience the sorrow and heartbreak of tragedy and loss. Witness the pageantry of the queen and her court, and celebrate the birth of Virginia Dare. There is music, laughter, romance and dance.

An Outer Banks tradition and cultural treasure, The Lost Colony educates, enriches and entertains — don’t leave the Outer Banks until you see it.

The Lost Colony is performed Monday through Saturday nights from May 27 through August 20, 2011. Show time is 8:30 p.m. Upper Level seating is $20 for adults and $18 for seniors (62 and older). Lower Level seating is $24 for adults and $21 for seniors. Children 12 and younger pay $10 in either level. Groups of 10 or more save up to $4 per person. Advance reservations are recommended. For tickets, call (252) 473-3414 or purchase online at www.thelostcolony.com.

Take a backstage tour for a behind-the-scenes look at how The Lost Colony comes to life, from weaponry and stunt demonstrations to actors putting last-minute touches on makeup. Tours begin at 7:30 p.m. and cost $7 per person.

New in 2011 are Waterside Sunset Picnics. Enjoy a scrumptious gourmet picnic as the sun sets on the Albemarle Sound. Picnics include an appetizer, entree, side dish and dessert. Tables are available or bring a blanket to sit on. Cost is $16 for adults and $8 for children.

Manteo Bike/Multi-Use Path

• U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo

A wonderful asset to Roanoke Island is a paved, 7-mile multi-use pedestrian path that runs the entire length of the northern part of the island alongside U.S. Highway 64/264. It’s perfect for bicycling, walking, jogging, in-line skating, baby strolling and dog walking. On all but the nastiest days, the path is filled with a blend of Roanoke Island residents and visitors greeting one another. The path winds all the way to the north end of the island, canopied by shady trees along much of the route. At the north end, the path ends at a little beach on the Croatan Sound. There are a few picnic tables, a sandy beach, a pond and a National Park Service interpretive exhibit about the Freedmen’s Colony.

About midway along the path, you come to an entrance to Roanoke Gardens on Mother Vineyard Road. This neighborhood, known as Mother Vineyard, provides a delightful detour from the main path. In this neighborhood grows the largest scuppernong grapevine on the island, the mother of all vineyards, said to date to the 1500s. If you turn east onto Mother Vineyard Road, you’ll do a nice loop through this beautiful and serene section, getting a peek at some local homes, well-manicured yards and the vineyard, and also catching views of Roanoke Sound, Nags Head and Jockey’s Ridge along the back stretch. The full loop will bring you around to Scuppernong Road, which leads back to the bike path.

If you’re headed to Roanoke Island just to use the bike path, you can park your car at Roanoke Island Festival Park or in downtown Manteo. Downtown Manteo’s quiet residential streets are also perfect for running, walking and biking.

Manteo Boardwalk

• Manteo Waterfront
• Manteo

A great place to stroll and pass some time is the boardwalk that winds along most of the Manteo waterfront. One end is quiet, with benches that look out over the sound and marsh grasses tickling the edges of the walk. The boardwalk stretches from Marshes Light development marina to downtown Manteo, past Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse and a children’s playground with swings and a pirate ship for climbing on, past a gazebo that hangs over the water, past the busy waterfront docks, where transient and resident sailboats and motorboats fill the slips, and ends at the Cora Mae Daniels Basnight Bridge that leads to Roanoke Island Festival Park. Alongside the public docks, storefronts and restaurants line this portion of the boardwalk, and their customers spill out onto the boardwalk to enjoy the breeze. Boat and kayak tours leave from this area of downtown.

A delightful stroll over the Cora Mae Basnight Bridge provides you with a commanding view of the Elizabeth II, Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, the Manteo waterfront marina and the working waterfront on Dough’s Creek. At the end of the bridge, follow the sidewalk to the boardwalk at Roanoke Island Festival Park. The trailhead is reached by a crosswalk to your left through the parking area. A sign announces the entrance to the boardwalk.

This relaxing nature walk weaves its way alongside a tranquil waterway used by local watermen to access Shallowbag Bay and Roanoke Sound. To your left, you will observe the expansive vista of a black needle rush salt marsh that provides habitat to numerous aquatic species. Continuing along, you are surrounded by a maritime forest of Atlantic white cedars, red cedars, loblolly pines, live oaks, myrtles and hollies before the boardwalk pauses at a dock overlooking Jockey’s Ridge and the soundside shore of Nags Head.

Continue left along the paved walkway that circles the Pavilion lawn to the second path to your left. A sign announces the entrance to the park’s award-winning Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration project. This shoreline restoration project is a collaborative effort among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Wilmington District, State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Division of Water Resources and the Roanoke Island Commission. Other federal, state, local and non-profit agencies played major roles in restoring the shoreline by building a rock sill, planting marsh grasses and maritime forest and creating a one-acre oyster reef outside the sill.

This pathway and boardwalk lead to a dock on Shallowbag Bay. Interpretive signs placed along the path illustrate the unique components of the project through photographs, sketches and descriptive text. This self-guided tour provides visitors with an opportunity to learn more about the value of environmental restoration and management of aquatic and maritime forest resources, a first-hand look at the beneficial effects of restoration methods and information to assist in identification of aquatic plants, animal and native tree species found in and around the Roanoke Island Festival Park.

From here you can walk back to Manteo’s downtown area, or stay and explore all of the great activities at Roanoke Island Festival Park (see Attractions).

Manteo Skate Park

• Uppowoc Street, behind the College of the Albemarle on U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo

Manteo built a killer skatepark for the local kids (and the few adults who are still at it). It’s free to skate here, but be sure to bring protective equipment. The park is located behind the College of the Albemarle campus. There are usually experienced skaters there who are willing to offer newcomers to the sport helpful advice, and these same long-time skaters regularly organize competitions.

Manteo Waterfront Boat Ramp

• At the end of Ananias Dare Street, Waterfront
• Manteo

A free public boat launch is located at the waterfront, right beside the bridge that leads to Roanoke Island Festival Park. Parking is on site, but there a no long spaces for boat trailers.

Manteo Waterfront Playground

• On the waterfront beside the Weather Tower
• Manteo

Manteo provides a nice playground along its waterfront right beside the Weather Tower and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. Here, caregivers can relax on one of the benches and enjoy the panoramic view of the sound, Nags Head and beyond while keeping a watchful eye on their charges. Swings, a play ship and slides keep the wee ones happy.

Miss Broad Creek

• 708 Harbor Drive, Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park
• Wanchese
• (252) 473-5344

The Miss Broad Creek, a 61-foot head boat, offers a Sunset Cruise starting at 6 p.m., and you may bring your own beverages on that cruise. It’s best to call ahead for a reservation. The boat also takes two bottom-fishing trips a day, both half-day, from 8 a.m. to noon or 1 to 5 p.m. The Sunset Cruise is $20 per person. Fishing costs $40 per person or $30 for children 12 and younger, and they offer discounts if you pay in cash.

Nags Head Diving at The Outdoors Outfitters

• 312 U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-1356

Nags Head Diving at The Outdoors Outfitters offers scuba diving lessons, referral dives, beach dives and kayak dives and has a full-service scuba shop carrying Aqua Lung and Cressi scuba gear. New this year, The Outdoors Outfitters is offering scuba diving charters, spear-fishing charters and sportfishing charters aboard their 38-foot boat, The Diving Pirate, based at Broad Creek Marina in Wanchese. They also have the largest selection of spearfishing guns and supplies from Riffe, Cressi, Omer and JBL. Nags Head Diving offers NAUI certification courses from open water to instructor level. Online classes are now available. Nags Head Diving is based at The Outdoors Outfitters in downtown Manteo. They also offer kayak rentals and tours and bike rentals, bike tours and camping gear rentals. Stop by or call the shop.

Native Island Board and Paddle

• Magnolia Market Square, across Queen Elizabeth Avenue from Tranquil House Inn
• Manteo
• (252) 473-9700

Native Island Board and Paddle offers standup paddleboard (SUP) lessons, rentals and tours. On a SUP tour, they’ll lead you through Shallowbag Bay and into the Roanoke or Croatan sounds, for a closeup view of the marshes, tributaries and waterfront attractions. Don’t be shy about paddleboarding. It’s as easy as kayaking, only you’re standing up and getting a little balance training and core-muscle toning at the same time. These trips are best for ages 8 and up, though littler ones may be able to ride along on the nose of the board. Native Island also offers surf lessons. They’ll come to you, if you’d like, with surfboards and paddleboards for a day of lessons and fun. Stop by the shop in downtown Manteo or call about prices for lessons, rentals and tours.

Nautics Hall

• Elizabethan Inn, 814 U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2103

Nautics Hall at the Elizabethan Inn is a fitness site offering fitness classes, water aerobics, a regulation-size indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a weight room with free weights, machines and cardio equipment, a sauna and a whirlpool. Weekly passes are available; call for prices.

OBX Biplanes

• 410 Airport Road, Dare County Regional Airport
• Roanoke Island
• (252) 216-7777

Take a dream flight in an open-cockpit Waco biplane with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. This beautiful airplane looks like an antique, but you’ll be glad to know that it is modern, manufactured in 1990 with all the safety amenities that will put your mind at ease. Don your flying helmet (goggles and long scarf optional!) and enjoy your spot in the front seat while the pilot does his work from the back. The plane can take up to two passengers (including young children if they’re accompanied by an adult) on this thrilling ride. The shortest tour is around Roanoke Island. The Barnstormer Tour is approximately 20 minutes and the Deluxe Tour is approximately 35 minutes, but there are hourly rates if you want to go a little longer. OBX Biplanes is a sister company to Coastal Helicopters.

Olde Towne Creamery

• 500 U.S. Highway 64/264, corner of Ananias Dare Street
• Manteo
• (252) 305-8060

Olde Towne Creamery rents bicycles for kids and adults, including tri-bikes with three wheels. While you’re there you might as well enjoy something sweet — fudge, true Italian ice, 24 flavors of premium, hand-dipped ice cream, smoothies, sundaes, milk shakes and banana splits. Ice cream cakes are also available; call ahead to order. They also offer real-deal Italian meatball hoagies, NY-style all beef hot dogs and N.C. barbecue. There’s indoor and outdoor seating. Hours are 1 to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Outer Banks Air Charters

• 400 Airport Road
• Roanoke Island
• (252) 256-2322

Charlie Snow, who owns Outer Banks Air Charters, offers standard and custom air tours of the Outer Banks, but mostly his business is an air charter service. An FAA air carrier, Outer Banks Air Charters flies to and from airports all over the country or to other specialized locations. He brings a lot of people to the Outer Banks from Norfolk, Raleigh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York and Boston, but he’ll fly anywhere. Snow is a retired National Park Service engineer and experienced pilot.

Outer Banks Marathon, Outer Banks Sporting Events

• Ends in downtown Manteo
• Manteo

If you’re a runner or walker, or if you like to swim-bike-run, you don’t want to miss out on these events on a flat course with awesome scenery and the spirited residents of the Outer Banks cheering for you all along the way. On November 12 and 13, 2011, you can participate in the sixth annual Outer Banks Marathon, the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon or the Kelly’s Hospitality Group Fun Run. The course for the marathon begins in Kitty Hawk, travels on through Kill Devil Hills and around the Wright Memorial, goes through Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. The Gateway Bank Half-Marathon begins in Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. Walkers are welcome. There is a $25,000 prize purse for the marathon. Several other events are held on Saturday, November 13, including an 8K, 5K and a 1-mile Fun Run. The Outer Banks Triathlon is scheduled for September 10 and 11, 2011, and includes Sprint, Half and Olympic distances. The Triathlon races start on Roanoke Island. In April (2012 date TBA), the Flying Pirate Half-Marathon and First Flight 5K are held on the central beaches. For information and to register, go to www.obxmarathon.org.