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 -Fig Cake -Coastalina Shrimp and Grits |
Although towns formed here before they did anywhere else in the state,
governments rise and fall like sand castles on the beach. Water, wind,
and maybe whimsy as well, are the prime movers of the Outer Banks and
Pamlico.
The Lost Colony didn't last on Roanoke Island. The Wright Brothers came and went. The great city of Portsmouth is a ghost town now. Settlers tried to live on Core Banks, but they moved on. Men tried to drain Mattamuskeet and gave up.
Shad once ran abundantly up the sound, but now they're
gone.
But while they were here, they loved it. They loved it as those here today
love it. You can't help it. The light is lovelier here than anywhere,
reflecting the sea and sounds, penetrating the soul of anyone who stays.
The surf and breeze can carry away your cares and bring you something
fresh and new.
Reverence and renewal guide this region. People revere the forces of nature, for the bounty it brings, for the culture it creates and leaves behind. And they set about renewing it all from time to time: the waterfronts at Washington, New Bern and Beaufort; the museums of Currituck, Hatteras and Harkers Island.
They learn, it seems, from the amazing renewal of nature itself in the 130 miles of protected seashore and the eight national wildlife refuges. Thanks to the water and wind, this area will never be the same.