Outer Banks - North Carolina

[suenc]

Life Saving Service Merged in 1915 to become the United States Coast Guard

In 1790, the Revenue Marine was created as a seagoing service of the United States, while the Life Saving Service began in 1848 - the two were merged in 1915 to become the modern United States Coast Guard. Today, the Coast Guard is a large branch of the country's uniformed Armed Forces (see quotes below - Source) consisting of a wide variety of seagoing vessels and aircraft. As w/ the other major United States Armed Forces, there is a Coast Guard Academy located in New London, CT, which was founded in 1876 (last pics below). Dave






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I didn’t realize the Coast Guard was an actual branch of the Armed Services, thought it was a supportive adjunct. My sister was a civilian financial analyst for the Coast Guard for many years; they treated their employees in military fashion, regulating the exact order of getting off the shuttle bus, and greeting them with “Ahoy” instead of “Hello.”

 

[giradman]

We saw many many houses that could easily be washed away in a storm. Some were dangerously near the ocean, which probably wasn’t true when they were built. I usually like oceanfront views, but would be fearful of living near the ocean now.

So true - some of the 'houses' virtually on the beach were older structures likely 'grandfathered in' - many will disappear in the next major hurricane. Susan & I debated buying a small second home or condo on or near the Carolina shore for decades, but finally decided we preferred to go to different places (rather than being 'chained' to the same location), and did not want to risk storms. Dave

 

[suenc]

So true - some of the 'houses' virtually on the beach were older structures likely 'grandfathered in' - many will disappear in the next major hurricane. Susan & I debated buying a small second home or condo on or near the Carolina shore for decades, but finally decided we preferred to go to different places (rather than being 'chained' to the same location), and did not want to risk storms. Dave

Also, we decided we didn’t want the hassles of ownership and upkeep, leaving those chores to others.

 

[suenc]

GREAT! Susan is back on her iMac and commenting - yes, I agree w/ the above - Wilbur had his head in the clouds, I guess? You had better luck w/ Bernie Baruch last month at Brookgreen Gardens -
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“Head in the clouds”. Hahaha.

 

[giradman]

“Head in the clouds”. Hahaha.

LOL! Susan finally got my comment!

Below is a pic of the print I bought and showed previously - finally framed by me - quarter sawn white oak w/ some beautiful rays - cannot quite get a good image because of the flash, sorry - hanging in our hallway - love this print of a watercolor painting - shows the lighthouses, some shipwrecks, and selected historic events, and was inexpensive (bought in Ocracoke Village). Dave
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[giradman]

New Bonner Bridge Over Oregon Inlet Projected to Open in Fall of 2018!

The current Bonner Bridge (which we drove over on our recent trip to the OBX) is over 50 years old and had an expected lifespan of 30 years - the bridge should have been replaced already but for various reasons the date has been delayed (see quotes below); finally, the NEW bridge should be opening at the end of next year - we'll probably have to make a return visit (we did see a LOT of the new bridge a few months ago). The second YouTube video below shows a nice 'visualization' of the new bridge which pretty much parallels the old one - parts of the original Bonner Bridge will remain, in part as fishing piers. Dave

The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge is a two-lane automobile bridge spanning the Oregon Inlet, between Bodie Island from Pea Island, in Dare County, North Carolina. The bridge carries NC 12 and is utilized by local and seasonal tourist traffic. The 2.7-mile (4.3 km) bridge was built in 1963 and is dedicated to Herbert C. Bonner. Prior to the building of the bridge, Hatteras Island was only accessible by air or ferry. Ferries could carry a maximum of 2,000 people per day. The ferries cost the state $500,000 per year to operate, and there were very long lines waiting for the ferries during peak season. The Bonner Bridge cost $4 million to build and moves up to 14,000 cars a day in both directions. Of that amount, the state of North Carolina paid $1.5 million, and the federal government paid $2.5 million. The arrangement for a portion of the state's cost to be paid by the National Park Service was arranged by Rep. Herbert C. Bonner, for whom the bridge is named. (Source)

The Federal Highway Administration has approved the plan to replace the bridge over Oregon Inlet that connects with Pea Island and lies within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The final alignment of the bridge has not yet been determined. Once a final alignment is chosen, construction of the new bridge, which will be longer and curve farther inland, will begin. It will cost approximately $1.3 billion and should by completed by 2014, although it is likely to be later. On July 26, 2011 NCDOT awarded a $215.8 million contract to replace the bridge. In September 2013 the last of the legal obstacles were handled after a judge ruled in favor of the new bridge to be constructed. Construction was set to begin in early 2013 but was halted once again after an appeal was filed by the SELC. The new bridge should open to traffic in spring 2015 and the majority of the existing bridge will be demolished by 2016 (a portion will remain as a fishing pier). (Source)

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[giradman]

Thousands Evacuate Hatteras & Ocracoke Islands After Massive Power Outage!

On Thursday, the construction crew building the new Bonner Bridge drove a steel casing into a MAJOR underground power line causing a complete outage to Hatteras & Ocracoke Islands ("The Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative said in a news release that PCL Construction told the utility it had driven a steel casing into an electric transmission cable while working on the new Bonner Bridge on the state's coast, inadvertently cutting off power to Ocracoke and Hatteras islands." - Source).

Non-residents, which would be thousands of people this time of the year, were ordered to leave the two islands - generators have been brought in for an unspecified time period, so those w/ plans in the next few days or week are in limbo. This event will have a major impact on the local economy (lodging, food, tourism, etc.) since the summer months are the peak visiting time for the Outer Banks - many businesses 'shut down' for the late fall and winter. My cousin & her family are due a visit next month, so hope the cable is repaired by then. I cannot imagine how Susan & I would have felt (words not appropriate for a forum, I suspect - ) - Dave

They were among thousands of tourists on Ocracoke and Hatteras islands who have been ordered to pack up and evacuate after a major power outage early Thursday. A transmission line was cut during construction work on a bridge, knocking out electricity to the two tourist meccas. "We were all upset," said Bruhl, 22, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, who left Ocracoke by ferry. "We got out of there early; it was so hot in the house." It's unclear how long it will take for the outage to be repaired. The situation has inconvenienced travelers and a region dependent on tourist dollars at the peak of vacation season. (Source)

 

[giradman]

Well, we had a trip planned to return to the Outer Banks in the spring of this year (2020) BUT the pandemic led to cancellation, as with the rest of our trips planned - wanted to drive over the new Oregon Inlet bridge, discussed a few posts back in this thread.

BUT - am now reading the recently published book below, The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island by Scott Dawson, a Hatteras native and local historian. In the last 10 years or so, much archeologic research has been done on the island (see quote at bottom from Amazon) which has shown that the remaining (unknown number) colonists on Roanoke Island simply moved to Hatteras (then called Croatoan) and assimilated with the 'friendly' native population.

SO, for those that have been following this story over the years (for me, decades), then this new book is highly recommended. Dave

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The Lost Colony is a myth that began in 1937 by a play of the same name. In the fiction version of history a colony vanished leaving a cryptic message carved onto a tree that said Croatoan. For far too long the true history of the Croatoan Indians has been reduced this mysterious word carved onto a tree by a 16th century English colony in America. The name of the tribe has been associated with ghosts and mystery and the unknown in general. In reality, the Croatoan people lived on Hatteras Island and had been friends and allies of the English for years before the message on the tree was carved to indicated the colony had simply relocated to a place the English were extremely familiar with and had lived before. Archaeologists teamed up with local Hatteras Island author and president of the Croatoan Archaeological Society, Scott Dawson to investigate the obvious location of the "lost" colony. They dug the lost colony up over a 10 year period. We now have physical evidence of the colony assimilating with the Croatoan Indians. This book presents the real history so often overshadowed by myth and propaganda and is backed by hard science. If you seek truth you have found it. About the Author: Scott Dawson is a native of Hatteras Island whose family roots on the island trace back to the 1600s. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a BA in psychology and minor in history and is a well-known local historian, local author and amateur archaeologist. He is president and founder of the Croatoan Archaeological Society Inc. and has participated in a decade of archaeological excavations and research on Hatteras Island under the direction of Dr. Mark Horton. He also serves on the board of directors of the Outer Banks History Center. (Source)

 

[scifan57]

Sometimes a virtual trip can be just as interesting as an actual trip.

 

[suenc]

Well, we had a trip planned to return to the Outer Banks in the spring of this year (2020) BUT the pandemic led to cancellation, as with the rest of our trips planned - wanted to drive over the new Oregon Inlet bridge, discussed a few posts back in this thread.

BUT - am now reading the recently published book below, The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island by Scott Dawson, a Hatteras native and local historian. In the last 10 years or so, much archeologic research has been done on the island (see quote at bottom from Amazon) which has shown that the remaining (unknown number) colonists on Roanoke Island simply moved to Hatteras (then called Croatoan) and assimilated with the 'friendly' native population.

SO, for those that have been following this story over the years (for me, decades), then this new book is highly recommended. Dave

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I hope we can soon take all the trips that we had to cancel . Traveling to the NC coast is always a treat.

 

[giradman]

New Oregon Inlet 'Marc Basnight Bridge'

A couple posts back, pictures and videos were shown of the old Herbert C. Bonner Bridge spanning Oregon Inlet and declared obsolete - the replacement bridge named after a local businessman and long term state congressman is officially the Marc Basnight Bridge (see brief quote below - the link has much more about Oregon Inlet and the Bonner Bridge). Pics below show the new bridge nicely compared to the older one - the last video is Scifan..'s 'virtual tour' showing the early deconstruction of the Bonner structure; a portion(s) will be left as a fishing pier, I believe. That new bridge was going to be a highlight for us earlier this year - hopefully, same time next year? Dave

Marc Basnight Bridge - The official groundbreaking for construction of the new bridge was held on March 8, 2016. The project cost $252 million and the new bridge was expected to open in February 2019. A crew working on the bridge on July 27, 2017, severed a power cable and caused a widespread blackout on the Outer Banks islands. 50,000 tourists had to be evacuated until power was restored August 3, 2017. The 2.8-mile-long bridge opened February 25, 2019. On March 7, 2019 state board of transportation voted to name the new bridge for Marc Basnight despite the fact that during its three-year construction it had already become widely known as the New Bonner Bridge and had been repeatedly referred to as such in news articles. The decision to name the new bridge for Basnight was controversial and was opposed by many residents of Hatteras Island who wanted it to be named for Bonner. (Source)

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