Updated December 17, 2020 5:39 p.m. EST
By Bryan Mims, WRAL reporter
Kitty Hawk, N.C. On Dec. 17, 1903, the winds at Kitty Hawk were high, but two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, didn’t let that stop them. Orville Wright took the 1903 Wright Flyer into the air at 10:35 a.m, with his brother, Wilbur Wright, helping to steady the wings.
After four flights that day, the following telegram was sent home to Dayton: “Success four flights Thursday morning all against twenty-one-mile wind started from Level with engine power alone average speed through air thirty one miles longest 57 seconds inform Press home Christmas.”
In celebration of First Flight, organizations in both Ohio and North Carolina joined forces Thursday to commemorate the occasion virtually with a wreath-laying ceremony and other special programming. Park entrance fees at Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina were waived on the first flight anniversary.
Here are some fantastic weekend getaways with clusters of attractions to keep the whole family entertained.
Boone/Blowing Rock
An underrated destination that is often listed behind Asheville, the Boone/Blowing Rock area tops my list of North Carolina mountain getaways.
It has the nostalgia factor of taking your kids to the same places you remember visiting in years past and some of them, like the slanted house at Mystery Hill and various gem mining stops, haven’t changed.
Other attractions, like Grandfather Mountain, have undergone extensive upgrades.
Where to go: Boone and Blowing Rock are less than nine miles apart, with the Blue Ridge Parkway running through. Aside from the parkway’s beautiful overlooks, you can visit Grandfather Mountain for hiking, the iconic mile-high bridge and a mountainside zoo.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse seen from the light keepers house in Buxton. The lighthouse was put in service in 1870 and is the world s tallest brick lighthouse at 208 feet. Its beacon can be seen 20 miles out at sea.
The lighthouse at Cape Hatteras was first lit on Dec. 16, 1870. A century and a half later, the iconic structure – the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States – is still standing and is an active aid to navigation. It has survived heavy storms, a decommissioning, years of erosion, service during World War II, and a 23-day move in 1999.
With its 150th anniversary approaching, a celebration is in order for the lighthouse. But, because it s 2020 and the world is still dealing with the pandemic, the party is being done a bit differently.