Coastal Plain of North Carolina-

Visit the Coastal Plain from Brenda on Vimeo.

What can we do in the Coastal Plain area of North Carolina?

Go golfing, play at the beach, surf, build sand castles, swim go to the North Carolina Aquarium, see ships, see fish, wind surf, relax, swim at the pool, walk along the beach and collect sea shells. Visit lighthouses and quaint small towns.

North Carolina sits about midway down the U.S. East Coast. The 28th-largest state extends from the Appalachian Mountains in the west to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in the east, stretching more than 500 miles as it gradually loses elevation. Close to the coast, foothills transform to plains and swamps, while a sandy string of islands creates a barrier along much of the 300-mile coastline.

The Outer Banks stretches  around North Carolina’s northern coast.  A road connects the small, fragile islands for more than 100 miles. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse sits on it outermost bank.  Visitors may climb the 248-step stairs to the top of the black-and-white-striped lighthouse. Other activities include shelling, birdwatching, kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing. Farther south, the Cape Lookout National Seashore  features  beauty and expansive beaches. Except for the path to the visitor center on Harkers Island, no roads lead to this section of the Outer Banks, and visitors must reach the area via boat or scheduled ferry service. Giant sand dunes, grasslands and saltwater marshes dot the landscape, and wild horses wander the park.

Visit a warship USS North Carolina  from World War II while in Wilmington.  See what life on a warship was like.

The  Great Dismal Swamp lies in northeastern North Carolina and stretches into Virginia. A national wildlife refuge, the swamp extends more than 112,000 acres. Hiking and biking trails traverse the swamp where visitors see more than 200 bird species, as well as otter, raccoon, mink and red foxes.

North Carolina Aquarium featuring a 235,000-gallon saltwater tank, the theme of the aquarium is “The Waters of the Cape Fear,” which showcases both fresh water and salt water aquatic life in a journey down the Cape Fear River to the Atlantic Ocean.   More than 2,500 sea creature are on display at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

History comes alive —-Kitty Hawk marks the spot where the Wright Brothers made the world’s first powered flight in 1903. Nearby at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site ,colonists established the first English colony in North America in 1585. The colony vanished, and even today historians do not know why.

Inland on Pamlico Bay, Bath boasts several North Carolina historic sites, including the oldest church, first public library and first shipyard.

Sample some Pepsi while in New Bern at the place where it was invented by a New Bern pharmacist   in 1898.

Average temperatures along the NC coastline in January are around 40 degrees, while average temperatures in August hover just below 90 degrees on most of the coast.

Precipitation along the North Carolina coast is most often found in the form of rain, although once or twice a year there will be sleet or snow, usually without a significant accumulation.  Most areas on the coast receive between 40 and 55 inches of precipitation per year. Hurricanes and storms come to the area each year and some bring major destruction.

Tourism is large in this area and what once was quiet beaches are busier and busier.   Agricultural was strong in the coastal plain also. Traditional crops have been tobacco and cotton.  Other crops include soybeans, peanuts, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, along with some types of grains.

Since the 1800′s, a lighthouse at Cape Hatteras has marked the twelve-mile (12) long sandbar that lies just offshore, called Diamond Shoals.  Cape Hatteras sits on a narrow strip of sand on the eastern most point of the United States.

http://www.carolinalights.com/   ( See other North Carolina lighthouses and information about them).

See the adventurous Pirate Blackbeard.   Read facts and a story of his life and times.

http://www.blackbeardthepirate.com/

http://blackbeardthepirate.com/story.htm  (story)

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*