![]() The refuge was created in 1964, but the road through its 14,595 acres feels timeless, surrounded by dense salt marsh outlined by distant stands of trees. 12 - and quickly enter the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors arriving in Down East from the north begin at the Cedar Island ferry terminal on N.C. The book introduces readers to the varied communities along the byway. “People were very proud that, at long last, they had been recognized for being important.”Īmspacher, along with cultural anthropologist Barbara Garrity-Blake, co-authored Living at the Water’s Edge: A Heritage Guide to the Outer Banks Byway. “I know for the people Down East, when the signs went up, people were very proud,” Amspacher says. In spring 2016, roadside signs - featuring iconic images of a lighthouse and a boat nestled in the dunes - were installed along the byway to guide drivers. “It means that when you leave Beaufort, you sail downwind and east to go around Cape Lookout and the banks.” “Down East is a sailing term,” says Carteret County historian Connie Mason, explaining the unusual name. From there, it squiggles down the stretch of inner coastline known as Down East, ultimately reaching its southern-most point in the village of Bettie. The byway then skips over to Cedar Island in Carteret County via ferry. A ferry takes travelers to Ocracoke Island in Hyde County. “And that’s a big deal.” Other National Scenic Byways include Route 66 and the Las Vegas Strip.įrom its northern terminus at Whalebone Junction in Dare County, the byway runs south along Hatteras Island. “There are only 150 nationally designated Scenic Byways, and the Outer Banks Scenic Byway is one of them,” Goodloe-Murphy says. The byway received federal status in 2009. “It’s a testament to folks really supporting the project,” she recalls. The committee’s former chair, Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy, still is impressed by the cooperation among the three county jurisdictions. ![]() The representatives ultimately merged to create a regional advisory committee. In 2003, representatives from Dare, Hyde and Carteret counties began updating planning documents to request federal recognition for what was then a State Scenic Byway. The Outer Banks National Scenic Byway has been in the works for over a decade. “We need a quality, education-based, heritage-based, resource-based visitor experience - and that is what the scenic byway program is grounded in,” says Karen Amspacher, Carteret County chair of the byway advisory committee. The byway is a natural fit for Down East. This summer is the perfect opportunity to discover the sun-washed roads of this corner of North Carolina. The byway’s southern range includes an area in Carteret County known as Down East, with expanses of marsh interrupted by small communities where fishing is a way of life and locals tell stories of generations past. BOTTOM: The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is a destination for all seasons, even in the snow. TOP: South Core Banks stretches into the distance from the top of Cape Lookout Lighthouse.
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