North Carolina

Get Lost in History at Roanoke Island

Destination: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Historic Manteo’s shops are near its waterfront and offer a little bit of everything. Photo by Paul Jean.

There comes a point during most beach trips when you just get a little tired of sun, surf and sand. For a break from your Outer Banks vacation – and a trip back in time – visit Roanoke Island and savor a slice of the peaceful life – just five miles and a world away from the beach crowd at Nags Head.

Laid back but with plenty to offer, Roanoke Island – best known as the site of England’s Lost Colony – has something for everyone: history, mystery, nature and shopping.

The quaint town of Manteo offers the usual ice cream and tee shirt shops on its historic waterfront, plus specialty stores that sell fine yarn, arts and crafts, antiques, pottery, home furnishings, clothing and the accessories that bring good things to life.

Restaurants feature fresh local seafood, and several coffee shops offer a place to grab an afternoon jolt and a quick snack. And for a taste of nightlife, Manteo’s First Friday is held from 6-8 p.m. every month in the downtown area.

And who can resist … pirates? Little ones love Pirate Adventures of the Outer Banks, opening for the season on Memorial Day weekend. The Sea Gypsy IV leaves Manteo’s waterfront six times a day for what is quickly becoming a highlight of the Outer Banks experience for young buccaneers.

Face painting and dress-up begin 30 minutes before the trip, transforming little ones into swashbuckling pirates and glamorous mermaids. Once properly decked-out, the crew sets sail for high adventure – searching for treasure, finding a message in a bottle and thwarting a pirate with water cannons. Additional information, a complete schedule and tickets are available online. Reservations are recommended for this popular attraction.

Just over a bridge and north of the waterfront, the multi-faceted Roanoke Island Festival Park offers several interactive family attractions celebrating the first English settlement in America. But before visiting the park, you might want to brush up on the significance of the area with a brief history lesson. Don’t wince!

While the first permanent English settlement in the United States was established at Jamestown in 1607, prior attempts were made – and failed – at the end of the 1500s.

The first wave of English settlers actually arrived in the New World in 1584, on the shores of present-day Hatteras. The expedition was scientific in nature and led by Sir Richard Grenville under the charter of Sir Walter Raleigh.

The new land was so distant and foreign to the explorers that visiting it might have been akin to a stop at an M-Class planet by Captain Kirk’s away team. Two Native Americans – Manteo and Wanchese – joined the travelers for their return voyage to England, perhaps the first of many indications that the English would not be following the prime directive.

Curiosity over the Native Americans and interest in the resources of the New World spurred a second expedition of colonists in 1585. England’s first American colony, a settlement called Fort Raleigh, was founded in April of that year, and in August Grenville left the remaining colonists with Ralph Lane and he returned to England.

Things went so poorly that they soon hitched a ride back to England with passerby Sir Francis Drake. But Raleigh remained determined to establish a permanent colony, and so in 1587 he sent 150 settlers back to North Carolina. They arrived in June, and the first British child of the New World – Virginia Dare – was born in August.

The arrival of the colonists so late in the growing season – combined with a naval blockade that prevented ships from getting supplies to them – made their first winter miserable. When English supply ships finally arrived in 1590, the colonists had disappeared without a trace … except for one word, “Croatoan,” carved upon a tree.

No one knows what happened to them, although theories abound. You can see how the colonists lived – along with the neighboring Native American tribe –by visiting the Roanoke Island Festival Park. For a reasonable, all-inclusive fee, you can enjoy several venues illustrating life in the 16^th century.

American Indian Town offers a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the coastal Algonkian culture with activities such as rope making, basket weaving and hide tanning. Creekside canoes give a chance to experience the primary mode of transportation of the day.

The Roanoke Adventure Museum offers four centuries of Outer Banks history, and the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum focuses on the area’s seafaring past and features a working boathouse. A 242-seat theatre presents The Legend of Two Paths, a 50-minute docudrama, several times daily.

Perhaps the most famous attraction at the park is its centerpiece – The Elizabeth II. This 69-foot representation of a 16^th century sailing vessel – the same type of ship that brought English settlers to the New World over 400 years ago – gives a glimpse of what life was like on a merchant ship . Costumed interpreters greet visitors and share stories in Old English.

The settlement site invites guests to continue to interact with interpreters and understand what life was like as the colonists struggled to make this land their home. Through hands-on exhibits, insight is gained on the skills they honed to make life tolerable.

The Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, at the northern tip of the island, commemorates the lives of the early colonists and the mystery surrounding them in several thought-provoking ways.

Their story comes to life in the outdoor stage production of The Lost Colony, starting its 74^th season on May 27. Written by Pulitzer-Prize winner Paul Green, The Lost Colony is revered as the nation’s longest-running symphonic drama, having helped launch the career of Andy Griffith. Performances are held nightly at 8:30 p.m. (except on Sundays) through August 20, and tickets may be purchased online. Backstage tours and sunset waterside picnics are also offered.

Entry to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is free and, although the Visitors Center is currently closed for renovations, a temporary contact station has been set up to facilitate a meaningful visit. A docent will answer your questions and share the prevailing theory about what may have happened to the colonists.

A brief walk through the woods leads to an earthen fort that shows how the colonists protected themselves, or rather just how vulnerable they really were.

Perhaps the most intriguing attraction is the most understated – the Thomas Hariot Nature Trail. Named after a scientist on Grenville’s expedition, it’s a nature trail with a twist – signs along the way point out what the explorers survived on in the absence of supplies from England. The trail leads to a peaceful soundside beach, the perfect spot to ponder the challenges the colonists faced.

The Elizabethan Gardens pay tribute to Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists with vibrant horticultural displays, Elizabethan-style structures and Renaissance statuaries. It is here that a touch of fantasy meets the history and mystery of Roanoke Island.

This living memorial, established by the Garden Club of North Carolina in 1951, lets you imagine you’ve stepped back in time and into a garden in the era of Queen Elizabeth I.

A waterfront gazebo, sunken garden, numerous benches and stone fountains are embellished by azaleas, dogwoods, roses and camellias, making the air you breathe intoxicating. The landscaping is a lush, artistic tribute to the brave souls who became the lost colonists. Tickets to the Elizabethan Gardens may be purchases at the gate.

Please visit specific websites for hours of operation and fees, which are subject to change. For a complete list of the attractions, dining, lodging and shopping of Roanoke Island go to http://www.roanoke-island.com, or stop at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau at 1 Visitors Center Circle in Manteo, where discount coupons may be available for some of the above attractions.

 

Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.

Subscribe in a reader