OBX Fix

Kept the legs loose at the Outer Banks from Kill Devil Hills to north of Rodanthe. KDH is on Bodie Island in the heart of OBX tourist country. Take US 64 east and turn left when you get to the water. Our route took NC 12 south from Bodie Island over to Hatteras Island just a bit and into the Pea Island wildlife refuge.


Our coast is well-guarded. No ne'er-do-wells will make it through Oregon Inlet. The inlet is the only passage to the interior sounds of the central coast. The inlet seperates Bodie and Hatteras Islands and is known as an extremely dangerous inlet with constantly shifting channels that have stymied the local fishing industry, tourists, and pirates for centuries.

My bro Brad is a former Coast Guardsman and was stationed at Oregon Inlet. The station is pictured above.
Heading south on the bridge over Oregon Inlet, with the Pamlico Sound to the right. The bridge is the OBX equivalent of a mountain pass.

Almost to the turnaround point on Hatteras Island, Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. The dunes on the left separate NC 12 from the Atlantic, while the Pamlico Sound is just beyond the vegetation on the right. NC 12 is the only highway on Hatteras Island and carries heavy tourist traffic. Although a popular destination for coastal cyclo-tourists, the lack of a bike lane or shoulder gives an indication of the quality of the ride. We had several pucker moments. And while the region is flat, the wind is constant, and almost 2 hours of our ride was into a steady 10-15 mph wind.