Roanoke Island Festival Park

#1 Outer Banks Beaches The beaches in the Outer Banks stretch for more than 100 miles along barrier islands that frame the eastern coast of North Carolina. These sands are known for their cleanliness ... Read more » karenfoleyphotography / Getty Images

#2 Jockey's Ridge State Park The most popular part of Nags Head (aside from the oceanfront) is Jockey's Ridge State Park, home to the tallest sand dune on the east coast. You can reach ... Read more » Devon Gustin / Getty Images

#3 Cape Hatteras National Seashore The Cape Hatteras National Seashore stretches for miles and tempts visitors with its well-kept sands and rolling waves. While many visitors come to soak up the sun along the Atlantic ... Read more » wbritten / Getty Images

#4 Wright Brothers National Memorial If you flew to the Outer Banks, you have the Wright Brothers to thank. In 1900, the two moved here from Ohio for the area's steady winds to pursue ... Read more » Photosbyjam / Getty Images

#5 Currituck Beach Lighthouse Before 1875, ships sailing by the North Carolina coast faced an 80-mile "blind spot" between Bodie Island and Virginia's Cape Henry. Then the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla was ... Read more » Jens_Lambert_Photography / Getty Images

#6 Bodie Island Lighthouse This thrice-built, black-and-white lighthouse sits south of Nags Head on Bodie Island. The first incarnation fell due to poor construction, the second was destroyed during the Civil War and the ... Read more » Stephen Herzog Photography / Getty Images

#7 Roanoke Island Festival Park Located in Manteo, the Roanoke Island Festival Park takes visitors back in time to the 1500s and the settlement of Roanoke. Inside the park, you can board the Elizabeth II ... Read more » Courtesy of Roanoke Island Festival Park

#8 North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island If you want to see what animals you're sharing the water with when you're splashing around on the Outer Banks beaches, head to Roanoke to the North Carolina ... Read more » Sean Russell / Getty Images