By Janet Groene    

Sun, swim, or surf cast on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where pets are welcome. Never have we seen so many frolicking dogs enjoying a beach so much. In fact, most of the visitors we saw had two dogs, most of them medium-to-large animals that loved chasing balls and Frisbees, the wetter the better. Some ran in and out of the crashing surf for the sheer joy of it. Few beaches in the East are more pet-friendly than the Outer Banks of North Carolina, locally called OBX, where you'll also find a menu of things for the entire family to do and see. When you think of early America, you may think of Jamestown, Virginia, but the first English settlement was here in North Carolina. The so-called Lost Colony was landed on Roanoke Island, where the first white child known to be born in the New World; Virginia Dare, was born in 1587. When a resupply ship arrived three years later, there was no trace of the Dare family or any of the other settlers. The drama is acted out nightly in season in the Paul Green symphonic drama The Lost Colony. Andy Griffith got his start at this theater, went to Hollywood to gain fame as Andy Taylor and Matlock, and returned to OBX to retire. This is also the place where Wilbur and Orville Wright first took flight, an event that will have its 100th anniversary on December 17, 2003. When you feel the winds at Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hill, you'll understand why they chose this spot for their daring takeoff. Walk the grounds to see the original "runway," a museum with a replica of their first flyer as well as a wealth of aviation memorabilia, the Wrights' original workshop, the rustic cabin where they lived, and a soaring monument on a hill overlooking the old complex. On the site is an airport where you can take a sightseeing ride in a seven-seater or in an historic Waco biplane. Visit the Wright Brothers Memorial and take a sightseeing ride in an antique Waco biplane. Spend an entire day in charming Manteo on Roanoke Island. At Festival Park, tour Elizabeth II, a ship styled after those that sailed Sir Walter Raleigh's voyages, and talk to "sailors" in period costume. Visit the lonely fort where Englishmen still keep a sharp lookout for Spanish and Algonquian invaders. See a superb film, "Legend of Two Paths," which tells the story of what life may have been like here before the English came. Tour the fine museum, where kids can don costumes and climb into boats. Walk a boardwalk over the marshes and see them more closely on a guided kayak expedition. In the historic downtown, shop boutiques and galleries. North Carolina Aquariums on Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shores, and Fort Fisher showcase the abundant sea and shore life that makes magic along this coast. The show changes every day depending on what the fish, turtles, sharks and other critters have in mind. The nature show at OBX is outstanding, whether you're hiking a maritime forest, climbing a dune, browsing the beauty of Elizabethan Gardens, or birdwatching at the beaches and marshes. Hike Buxton Woods, Kitty Hawk Woods, Nags Head Woods Preserve, and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Bicycle for miles on breeze-cooled roads that seem to float at the ocean's edge. The spot where the Wright brothers made their first flight is marked with a stone and a replica of the railway that was their "runway" in the days before wheeled undercarriages were used. If you've always wanted to try hang gliding, here is the place to find the highest dune in the East and the largest hang gliding school. Soft sands cushion your crashes until you get the hang of it. Fishing is a passion with locals and tourists alike. Charter a boat, drop a line from one of the piers (modest fees apply) or surf-cast. Climb a lighthouse. Look for shipwrecks. This is, after all, the graveyard of the Atlantic and the place where the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, was caught and executed at Ocracoke Island. He spent his last night knowing that his pursuers were almost upon him, but knowing, too, that he couldn't sail to safety because of the shoals where the bones of many ships already lay. It's said that he spent the night lamenting, "Oh, crow, cock, crow," begging for the rooster to announce the dawn so he could see the reefs and sail through them to safety. Daylight didn't arrive in time, and it's said that Ocracoke Island gained its name from his futile cries. If you love mysteries, histories, pirates and legends, as well as a great beach to ramble with your dogs, OBX is the place. If You Go Getting there: From the south, take I-95 to Wilson NC, then U.S. 264 east to State Road 30 to U.S. 64 into Roanoke Island. The slow, scenic route takes U.S. 17 north to Folkestone, State 172 north to Hubert, and State 24 east to U.S. 70. From here, State 12 takes you to the Cedar Island Ferry. Then take another ferry to Ocracoke Island, and yet another ferry to Hatteras Island. You can also fly into Norfolk and rent a car for the one-hour drive south to OBX. The Outer Banks are the home of the East's largest sand dune as well as the largest hang glider school. For more information: Dare County Tourist Bureau, 704 Highway 64/264, P.O. Box 399, Manteo, NC 27954, tel. 800-446-6262 or (252) 473-2138, or e-mail visitorinfo@outerbanks.org. Ask for the Outer Banks Travel Guide, which lists hotels according to number and type of rooms, amenities, and whether pets are welcome. The Guide also describes pet restrictions on beaches. They vary by season and beach. Where to Stay: Hatteras Island Resort in Rodanthe, NC, has 32 cottages where up to two pets per unit are welcome. Units have two, three or four bedrooms; some are oceanfront. There is a non?refundable fee of $100 per pet. Fenced kennels cost $5 per night or $25 for the week. Rentals in season are by the week only. Telephone is (252) 987?2345, e-mail is rodanthe64@juno.com, and the website is www.hatterasislandresort.com. Rent a fully furnished private cottage that will sleep up to 35 from Nags Head Realty, 800-222-1531. If you're bringing your pet, ask them to find a place where it's welcome. Rentals are by the night, partial week, or week. Where to dine: We can't list all the wonderful eateries, but this is a tourist area and keen competition makes for a wide choice of great restaurants in all categories. For a special night out, go to Elizabeth's Café and Winery in Duck. It's an award-winning gourmet restaurant where you can choose from the menu or order a fixed-price five- or six-course feast with wines. Plan to spend $60 per person for one of the finest meals of your vacation. In downtown Manteo, 1587 Restaurant has a marina view, chic and trendy cuisine, fine wines, and modest prices. Mako Mike's in Kill Devil Hills is funky and eclectic. Dirty Dick's is one of many places that steam crabs for take-out. The Weeping Radish Brewhaus serves authentic German brews in Kitty Hawk and Manteo. News You Can Use You can take your pet into the Bahamas upon payment of a $10 fee, but plan ahead because processing takes 30 days. Contact the Bahamas Department of Agriculture at (242) 325-7413 or fax 325-3960. Bring a health certificate supplied by your veterinarian. For Bahamas tourism information, see info! www.bahamas.com or call 800-4-Bahama or (305) 932-0051. For Out Islands information try 800-688-4752. The Salem Inn in Winston-Salem, NC, has a program called Pets in Paradise that begins with a kitty or dog treat when you arrive. Stay in a deluxe pet room and walk to all the choice spots in historic Old Salem. Continental breakfast is included, and the inn also has a large outdoor pool, exercise room, a lounge, and a full-service restaurant. Telephone is 800-533-8760. Pets pay $50 during your stay at the Beacon House Inn Bed & Breakfast and Cottages across the street from the ocean at Carolina Beach, NC. Two- and three-bedroom units are available. Telephone is (910) 458-6244 or e-mail lhuhn@ix.netcom.com. Website is at www.beaconhouseinnb-b.com. -Janet Groene's, latest books with her husband, Gordon, include Florida Guide, Caribbean Guide, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Romantic Weekends Central and Northern Florida and 52 Florida Weekends.

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