Are you ready for your road trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina? While we have a LOT to do when you get here, why not make the drive an adventure! Check out some of these recommended scenic and historic points of interest along the way. We love calling North Carolina our home and recommend stopping to take in some of its added beauty throughout your drive. We’ll see you soon!
Not all roads to the Outer Banks lead through Hampton Roads and Norfolk. Anyone arriving from North Carolina will certainly not go north just to go south again. This route is also for anyone who has mapped a route through either Asheville or Charlotte.
Carl Alwin Schenck Forest | Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, NC
Time to get out and stretch your legs and this 286-acre forest that is part of North Carolina State University is perfect for it.
Because it is a research and teaching facility for NCSU, there are a number of small ecosystems within the forest. The 1.2 mile Frances L. Liles Trail is a loop trail that passes through a number of them.
The Forest is just off I40 making it a convenient place to take a break from driving.
Blount-Bridgers House | 130 Bridgers Street, Tarboro, NC
Built in the Federalist style around 1808 by Thomas Blount, a North Carolina Revolutionary War veteran and prominent politician who served as Lieutenant Governor and in the US House of Representatives.
The house has been beautifully restored, but that’s not the real attraction here.
The reason to visit this site is the Hobson Pittman Gallery on the second floor.
Pittman, who was raised in Tarboro, was an internationally recognized artist of the mid 20th century. He was also considered one of the finest art teachers of his day.
The gallery features a number of his works representing a range of the different styles that he painted.
Downtown Plymouth
Located close to the mouth of the Roanoke River, at one time Plymouth was an important port town.
The entire downtown is considered the Plymouth Historic District. The buildings lining Water Street are the same buildings that can be seen in photographs from the 1920s and 1930s.
There are three small museums in the town that will take 10 or perhaps 15 minutes each to visit.
Port o’ Plymouth Museum | 302 East Water Street, Plymouth, NC
Includes a replica of the CSS Albemarle, a Confederate ironclad that dominated the Albemarle Sound in the summer of 1864 until she was sunk in a daring commando raid in October.
The museum includes Civil War artifacts and information as well as local history.
Roanoke River Maritime Museum | 206 West Water Street, Plymouth, NC
Features a replica of the second Roanoke River Lighthouse. The museum, located across the street from the lighthouse, houses a collection of historic photographs of Plymouth and surrounding towns, an aquarium featuring local fish, and exhibits on boatbuilding.
God’s Creation Wildlife Museum | 1110 West Water Street, Plymouth, NC
Filled with big game and other animals from the four corners of the earth.
Somerset Place State Historic Site | 2572 Lake Shore Road, Creswell, NC
At one time with over 100,000 acres, Somerset Place was one of the largest plantations in the South. The site is 31 acres adjacent to Lake Phelps just a few miles south Creswell. One of the North Carolina Historic sites, there has been specific attention paid to historic accuracy and detail. In particular, slave and staff quarters have been recreated realistically.
Expect an hour to an hour-and-a-half for a visit.
Columbia
This is your last stop before the Outer Banks. After this, it’s about an hour and fifteen minutes to the Outer Banks. It doesn’t take that long to get to the Outer Banks from Columbia. Helpful tip: Watch your speed on US 64 through Alligator River; the road is heavily patrolled.
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | 205 South Ludington Drive, Columbia, NC
This is the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge information office and a rest stop so it’s very convenient. The parking lot is on the right as soon as you cross the Scuppernong River.
There’s some great information about Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge which has one of the largest populations of black bear in the southeastern US. There is also a very pleasant boardwalk available to stroll along the river.