| The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a thin strip | | | | top of the dunes are residential homes that range |
| of fragile sand made up of a series of dynamic | | | | from humble cottages to Palatial McMansions. The |
| islands that migrate back and forth. The islands | | | | elevation of the dunes offers exceptional ocean |
| come and go as the inlets which separate them | | | | views and protection from storms. The fall bloom |
| open up only to be eventually filled back in. | | | | of sea oats on the dunes is as beautiful as any |
| Even as the islands come and go they have been | | | | other fall scene in nature. The beauty of the |
| steadily migrating to the west as the ocean would | | | | Outer banks is one of the biggest attractions for |
| wash over the land and push the beach sand | | | | those who like to vacation here. |
| over to the back side of the barrier islands. There | | | | Even with development seemingly over running |
| are areas on the beach where one can find tree | | | | the place, the area has managed to hold onto |
| stumps on the ocean front shoreline. The | | | | most of its charm. While the houses are no longer |
| remnants of old forests can be located in the | | | | the quaint cottages of old there is a noticeable |
| area north of Corolla and near the Villages at | | | | lack of high rise buildings and the crowds they |
| Nags Head at low tide on the edge of the ocean, | | | | bring. The locals long ago realized they had a little |
| sometimes under the water, sometimes under | | | | piece of paradise in their hands and took the |
| the sand and sometimes poking through the sand | | | | steps necessary to protect it. There are |
| like ghosts reaching for release. | | | | ordinances in place to prevent the kind of over |
| This westward migration does not occur any | | | | development that takes place with high-rise |
| more since the Civilian Conservation Corps. built | | | | buildings. The beaches are uncrowded, the traffic |
| the dunes in the 1930's to stop erosion. Now on | | | | is minimal and the schools are great. |