Cape Hatteras National Seashore: A beach lover's destination

The seventy miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline at Cape Hatteras National Seashore are a welcome respite from the cacophony of modern day civilization. The only sounds you will hear are the calls of sea birds, the crash of surf, and the occasional squeaks of wooden hulls and throbbing diesel engines of the working boats of local crabbers and fishermen.

Cape Hatteras was the first national seashore authorized by congress on August 17, 1937 but land acquisition didn't happen until the 1950s and the official establishment of the park on January 12, 1953.

This is the area of North Carolina called the Outer Banks, home of Cape Hatteras lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the world. The lighthouse began its life in 1870 to guide ships around the treacherous Diamond Shoals--part of what is known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific" that has claimed more than 1,000 ships. It is now open from April through Labor Day and for night climbing tours in the summer months.

Wild herds of horses, thought to be descendents of those that survived shipwrecks in the 1500s, they were discovered on Ocracoke Island when the first European settlers wiggled their toes in the sands of what would become one of America's first thirteen colonies.

Loggerhead, leatherback, and green sea turtles lay their eggs on the lonely stretches of sand inhabited only by shorebirds such as piping plovers, sandpipers, American oystercatchers, sanderlings, and willets. On the lee side of these barrier islands you will find waterfowl like snow geese, tundra swans, and migrating ducks.
You can explore these meandering waterways of the inner sounds by kayak to see this abundance of birds and wildlife up close, or walk for miles along the blowing sands of the park's beaches.

There are four campgrounds in the park, none with hook-ups, and you can only reserve campsites at Ocracoke campground. More on Cape Hatteras camping here.

Park Service to commemorate 150th anniversary of First Battle of Manassas

The National Park Service will commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Battle of First Manassas with events at the Virginia park from Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24, 2011.

The four-day observance of the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas begins with a commemorative ceremony at the Henry Hill Visitor Center on Thursday, July 21 at 9:15 a.m. This program, sponsored by the National Park Service and the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission, will examine both the profound impact of the battle, as well as the broader Civil War, and the rich opportunities afforded by the anniversary.
Invited speakers include Robert F. McDonnell, Governor of Virginia, National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, and other local, state, and federal officials. The keynote address will be given by Dr. Edward L. Ayers, president of the University of Richmond and historian of the American South. Free tickets are available for the July 21 commemorative ceremony.  Free tickets are available at the Henry Hill Visitor Center (6511 Sudley Road).

Interpretive programs including tours and living history demonstrations will be presented throughout the four-day event. On Friday evening, July 22 at 6 p.m. park rangers will present a program "Behind the Lines – War Passes Sudley Springs." The program will depart from Sudley United Methodist Church (5308 Sudley Road).  On Saturday, July 23 at 2 p.m. starting at the Henry Hill Visitor Center rangers will present "The Robinson Farm – An African American Family Caught in the Crossfire."  A complete schedule of programs including small arms and artillery demonstrations is available at the park web site, http://www.nps.gov/mana/parknews/anniversary-schedule.htm.