BUT FIRST

A Welcome Sight

THE FIRST BRIDGE CONNECTING THE OUTER BANKS to the Currituck mainland was a three-mile-long wooden toll bridge that opened to the public in 1930 – and paved the way for new era in the barrier islands’ then-fledgling hospitality industry. While this was the initial sight that greeted people as they entered the Outer Banks on the south side of the bridge, the wording on the opposite side of the decorative arch also reminded departing visitors that they were “Always Welcome.” Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, circa 1931.

Home, Sweet Home

WHEN IT FELT AS THOUGH THE WHOLE WORLD had suddenly stopped this past spring, two professional photographers in Needham, Massachusetts, launched The Front Steps Project with one simple idea: In order to foster a sense of community while maintaining quarantine precautions, they’d snap quick pics of area residents on their front porches in return for a suggested donation to a local nonprofit. After they posted their first family portrait on March 18, the idea quickly went viral and hundreds of photographers from around the globe joined in to replicate the project in their own towns – and the Outer Banks was no exception. Over the course of a couple weeks, a number of local photographers volunteered their time to offer mini, socially distanced photo sessions to individuals and families from Corolla to Hatteras Island, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. “People really wanted to be a part of the project,” says Kill Devil Hills photographer Kati Wilkins, who personally received more than 100 photo session requests. “And it kept growing, so we just ran with it.”

To date, the project has collectively raised almost two million dollars for various organizations and nonprofits worldwide. And here on the Outer Banks nearly $3,000 was donated directly to the Beach Food Pantry by participating residents. “Sometimes it was emotionally hard being behind the lens, but it was beautiful, too,” Kati adds. “Even in those uncertain times I was filled with reminders of how much we’re all in this together.” More photos of the local project can be found under #obxfrontstepsproject. Photo collage courtesy of Kati Wilkins and Carrie Roen.

Did you know?

If you jumped into the ocean at Jockey’s Ridge and swam due east, where do you think you would hit land?

Well iIf you headed due east from Kill Devil Hills, you would eventually make landfall in Europe at the southern end of Spain. But drive a short way down the bypass and make your easterly swim from Whalebone Junction and you would hit an entirely different continent. Your landfall would be in Africa and the northern tip of Morocco. That’s because Jockey’s Ridge sits at the same parallel (35.96°) as the Strait of Gibraltar. So if you swam due east from our great sand dune, you’d end up a very tired swimmer sitting on the shore of Algeria by the Mediterranean Sea!