Beachfront Hotel near the Wright Brothers National Memorial
Near the Outer Banks—a strand of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina—there’s 200 miles of coastline dotted with sandy beaches and rugged dunes. Old lighthouses also line the shore, offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to being a headquarters for hang gliders and windsurfers, it’s one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the world. Located about halfway down the coast on a golden-sand beach, Comfort Inn On the Ocean enjoys a front-row seat for watching windsurfers. The hotel is also just 2 miles from the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which commemorates the inaugural flight at its launching point.
Comfort Inn On the Ocean makes the most of its beachfront setting. Oceanfront rooms with private patios look out onto the blue-green waters, and you can catch a view of the sunrise from the hotel’s furnished deck.
Every morning, the hotel lays out a complimentary breakfast spread featuring eggs, meat, fresh fruit, and assorted hot waffles. Head back to the lobby in the evening to check out the dinner specials or to enjoy drinks and live piano music in the leather-clad cocktail lounge.
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina: Coastal Town Famous for Legendary Shipwrecks and Wright Brothers Memorial
Kill Devil Hills is located near the northern end of the Outer Banks, a resort region comprised of a long string of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. Popular legend says the city got its name during the colonial era, when locals scavenged shipwrecks for rum so potent it could “kill the devil,” and then buried the bottles in the giant sand dunes. Today, this storied coastline—and specifically Kill Devil Hills—is most famous for being the site of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first controlled, powered airplane flight in 1903. At the Wright Brothers National Memorial, you can visit the brothers’ reconstructed living quarters, see a replica of their plane, and stand on the spot where it made four takeoffs and landings.
The nearly 200-mile seashore is dotted with other small communities, including Corolla, where wild horses run free on the beaches. About 6 miles south of Kill Devil Hills in the beautiful town of Nags Head, visitors can climb the largest natural sand dune on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. In addition to offering spectacular views of the coast, the ridge is a popular spot for hang-gliding and kite flying.
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