Last week, my husband and I made a trip to the Outer Banks, N.C. to celebrate our 30th anniversary. We’ve lived in N.C. twenty-nine years, but this was our first trip to the Outer Banks. There are closer beaches, but I wanted to see the lighthouses and learn more about the history of both the Outer Banks and our state. The Outer Banks is home to five lighthouses, and we managed to see three of them.

On our first day, we went to Corolla and visited the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. This lighthouse began flashing its light in 1875 and stands at 158 feet. I enjoyed climbing this lighthouse and seeing the great view from above.

Near the lighthouse is the Corolla Schoolhouse. When exactly this one-room schoolhouse was opened is unknown, though some sources cite it as early as 1890. It was closed in 1958. In front of the schoolhouse is a Little Free Library, a replica of the schoolhouse.

After a lunch in Duck (where there are plenty of food options), we ended the day with a walk and some reading on the beach at Kill Devil Hills.