State

U.S. 64 Short Cut to the Sea, Is Popular With Tourists «уНы.к (Kill &«,.l HUH *U»bo«» WAnaf/aroM cowry C «V* (*'«» tut r OARE COwry MARTIN СОС/МГУ "ft fwn*" № NYOE yy COUNT/ Fairfield c™ US. 64 5hort-Cut*t(^^eSea( Nearly 100 miles of new lourisl highway in the Waller Raleigh Coast- land have been opened during ihe past year with the completion of all the hard-surface on route U.S. 64. through Tyrrell and Dare counties, and reach¬ ing to Cape Hattcras. with only 12 miles of unpaved sand-road in-be¬ tween. just south of Oregon Inlet. The hard-surface was finished this month direct to Oregon Inlet on the north side of the inlet. County Commissioners of Dare. Tyrrell and Washington call attention to the saving in distance over this new and interesting scenic route opening up a different vacation land. For the first time in history, tourists in great num¬ ber are traveling this route all the way to Cape Hatteras. enjoying three novel and pleasant ferry rides, and getting new thrills from seashore vaca¬ tions. Dare County's ocean frontage alone, now nearly all served by hard¬ surfaced road, is 85 miles long. "History's Highway," this road is called, because from Williamston to where it strikes the sea near Nags Head, it traverses so much country in which a marvelous panorama of our state's history has been made. It is bringing to the "Lost Colony" hun¬ dreds of new visitors, who have stopped to view the interesting scenes in the vicinity of Plymouth, C reswell. Colum¬ bia. and they are pleased with the saving of 60 miles of driving between Raleigh and the seashore, with two delightful short rides on the free and stale-operated new fast ferries over Alligator River and Croatan Sound, providing a pleasant interlude in their traveling. Leading into this unique highway are main avenues of north and south travel, from the Lake Maltamuskcct region in Hyde; from Edcnton. famed first capital of the Colony; and from Washington, via highway 32 from U.S. 17. U.S. 17 also crosses 64 at William¬ ston. The Commissioners of these three easternmost counties traversed by U.S. 64, and the Route 64 Association are public better acquainted with the de¬ lights along this highway. So important has it become, that this month Gover¬ nor Scott set up three quarters of a million dollars to improve it further. So lately has it been completely hard- surfaced that comparatively few tour¬ ists know about it. as many of the maps issued by oil companies fail to show the road as completed, and some do not show its free ferries. It is a delightful trip to Washington and Tyrrell counties, with smiling crops and stately old plantations along the roadside. There are views of wind¬ ing rivers and glimpses of majestic Albemarle Sound, and along nearly every mile the scene of some history¬ making event. In Washington and Tyr¬ rell counties will be found the Lake Phelps region and Pettigrew State Park. All along the way arc good eating places, and tourist courts, with accom¬ modations for all types of hunting in season. From Columbia, the county seat of Tyrrell, it is a ride of 15 miles to Alligator River, over a new asphalt road, and here seven trips daily each way arc made by the ferry, between Sandy Point, and East Lake on the Dare County side of the river. The ferry operates every two hours, be¬ ginning at 7 a.m. A drive of 14 miles across the Dare County mainland from East Lake to Manns Harbor reaches the Croatan Sound ferry-, and a 30 minute trip to Roanoke Island. Here the ferry makes hourly trips, beginning at 7 a.m.. and also makes a midnight round-trip every night except Monday. Roanoke Island is the scene of the "Lost Colony." presented every night except Monday, during July and Au¬ gust. Now in its Nth season, it con¬ tinues to thrill and delight more and more people each year. Highway 64 continues to the ocean, over Roanoke Sound, where the bridge is soon to be replaced w ith a beautiful new concrete structure. Here one may enjoy the beaches of Kitty Hawk. Kill Devil Hills, or Nags Head, or follow 64 to Cape Hatteras. after taking a 15 minute free ferry ride over Oregon Inlet. Oregon Inlet and Hatteras are famed for their salt-water fishing of all kinds, and from these ports many deep-sea fishermen embark. It is of interest that this unique road, which has its final eastern ending at famed Cape Hatteras, the most wide- (Con tinned on page 19) THE 9TATE, JULY 28. 1951 7