Outer Banks, Inn-to-Inn

We’ll gather in the late afternoon for an orientation meeting, followed by our first group dinner. Founded in 1793, Elizabeth City was one of the earliest trade hubs in the region, utilizing the newly constructed Dismal Swamp Canal, a commercial water passageway that connected the city with the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, Virginia. If you arrive early, you’ll want to visit Elizabeth City’s historic waterfront and make a stop at the Museum of the Albemarle, which details the history and culture of the thirteen counties making up northeastern North Carolina.

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll pedal inland and through the sleepy river town of Hertford. (Not far from the community is the burial site of the legendary disc jockey Robert Weston Smith — far better known as Wolfman Jack.) Continuing on, we’ll pass several farms and historic plantations before crossing the 3.5-mile bridge spanning Albemarle Sound. Our overnight location, Plymouth, is situated on the Roanoke River. Founded in 1787, it developed into a major port for shipping agricultural products such as corn, tobacco, cotton, and timber, lending the town a rich historic fabric and a unique atmosphere. After dinner, we’ll have an opportunity to take a stroll along the community’s attractive riverfront.

After a short cycling day through lush farmlands, we’ll have the afternoon to see Washington, the “Heart of the Inner Banks.” Founded in 1776, Washington’s colorful, crepe myrtle-lined streets along the Pamlico River showcase fascinating architecture, with some structures dating back to Colonial times. You may want to take time to visit the Turnage Theater, a restored vaudeville venue; hop off your bike for a self-guided walking tour; or stop in at the North Carolina Estuarium, which features exhibits on the unique ecology and wildlife of North Carolina’s coastal rivers and sounds. Come evening, you might opt to board the Belle of Washington for a relaxing sunset cruise on the waters of the Pamlico River.

Shortly after setting out, we’ll spin along the Pamlico River to Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina. It was incorporated in 1705 as the colony’s first shipping yard. In 1718 the Bath area became the short-lived home of Edward Teach, better known as “Blackbeard” (“short-lived” because the notorious pirate met his maker in a battle with a contingent of the British Royal Navy in November of that year). After a short ferry ride across the Pamlico, we’ll be greeted by leisurely riding over gentle terrain through farm and forest as we continue our journey. Oriental, the “Sailing Capital of North Carolina,” is our home for the night.

The flat terrain and pleasant, low-traffic roads of this region make for some wonderful bicycling, as we’ll continue discovering today. Beginning with a jaunt down to Minnesott Beach, we’ll take a short ferry ride across the Neuse River to the reaches of the Croatan National Forest. Known for its rich diversity of habitats, here we might spot wildlife as varied as alligators, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and bald eagles. We’ll finish the day by settling in at the intimate fishing village of Cedar Island.

After catching the morning sunrise over Pamlico Sound, we’ll wheel aboard a ferry for the two-hour ride to Ocracoke Island. There we’ll take a break for lunch and visit Ocracoke Lighthouse, built in 1823 and the oldest light station in North Carolina still operating. We’ll then pedal to the other end of the island, where another ferry awaits to whisk us across Hatteras Inlet to Hatteras Island. Our overnight location in Buxton is just a short ride from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, whose unusual black-and-white “spiral” paint job makes it the most iconic of North Carolina’s many lighthouses.

Quiet villages, abundant wildlife, and more incredible cycling mark today’s ride through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Windswept beaches, pristine marshes, crystal waters, and sun-dappled waters will present endless photo opportunities — so make sure your camera’s batteries are charged as we leisurely make our way to the popular beach town of Nags Head! After dinner, you’ll want to take time to visit Jockey’s Ridge, the largest sand dune on the East Coast, and/or to enjoy a stroll along one of the town’s three piers and admire the rows of historic cottages overlooking the sea.

Today’s journey will gradually take us inland, providing opportunities to learn more about two of the most innovative cyclists in world history. The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were high-school dropouts who opened a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, and spent much of their youths fascinated with the concept of human flight. Our final riding day will take us through Kitty Hawk, where in December of 1903 the brothers fulfilled their dream, lifting off in the Wright Flyer, the world’s first piloted aircraft. Here they continued to test their winged inventions until the death of Wilbur in 1907. We’ll finish the day back in Elizabeth City, where our adventure began only eight days earlier, armed with new friends, great stories, and a newfound (or renewed) sense of appreciation for the history and beauty of this special region of the country.