The Outer Banks of North Carolina offer visitors wildlife, coastal lighthouses (including Cape Hatteras - America's tallest lighthouse) and a range coastal activities.
There is the chance to see where the Wright brothers took their first flight and watch wild horses run free along the dunes and shoreline.
Lighthouses
Seven coastal lighthouses dot the shoreline and they draw visitors with fine views.
Cycling
The striking Outer Banks Scenic Byway offers a 111-mile ride that's easily broken down into shorter legs.
The ride takes cyclists through many charming island towns, including Rodanthe and Hatteras.
On Hatteras Island, the 25-mile coastal bike route runs along North Carolina 12 with cyclists able to see the ocean to one side, and the Pamlico Sound to the other.
The route will get bikers to the historic Cape Hatteras lighthouse for epic views.
Stunning sunrises
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is the state's easternmost point and the first to see the sunrise.
Brunswick Islands are the five southernmost barrier islands.
Before summer sunrises, visitors can watch for nesting sea turtles.
In winter, when the sun is low in the southern sky, the islands' east-west orientation means they're among the only places to see sunrises and sunsets from the same beach.
Golf
On Currituck's mainland, just over the bridge from the main island,flows through maritime forest and wetlands in a harmonious blend of nature and golf created by Tom Steele.
The 45 miles of coastline that comprise North Carolina's Brunswick Islands are home to dozens of fine golf opportunities.
The 1,400 acre Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort offers 27 holes of golf and luxury accommodations.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina
Wild horses
Historians believe the horses arrived with Spanish explorers 400 years ago.
Today, the protected herds roam near where paved N.C. Highway 12 ends in Corolla.
Pirate legends
According to the legend, Nags Head was home to pirates and proggers, or shipwreck salvage artists, who would lead a mare along the crest of Jockey's Ridge.
Sailors would see the beacon and think they'd found a safe harbour only to wreck on submerged sandbars, providing treasure for those waiting onshore.
Visitors can explore pirate legends including Blackbeard's supposed pact with the devil by taking the Graveyard of the Atlantic Walking Tour in Manteo.
Water sports
The North Carolina coast also offers plenty of water sports options such as stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking or kiteboarding.