Researchers theorize that across time, several indigenous tribes lived here only during the peak season (from early spring to early fall). They opted to move inland during cold and windy months. Prehistoric shell mounds have been found throughout this locality, remnants of feasts from far-gone days, ringing familiar today. I’ve been to more oyster roasts than I can count, but the discarded shells aren’t typically made into mountains anymore. (In recent years, however, they have been used to create “living shorelines” all along the coasts of North America.)

Like those seasonal, shellfish-shucking natives, most visitors find the summer months are most advantageous. Alternatively, I have a childhood friend who “winters” here every year. She’s the proud owner of one of the breathtaking oceanfront Outer Banks rentals nearby. I envy her arrangement of living locally part-time (when she nearly has the beaches to herself). When tourist season comes around, she again benefits from her wise investment. Plus, she hosts the best clam bakes!

Throughout the ages, seafood roasts and numerous other local recreations have endured. Hunting, fishing, boating, shelling, and birdwatching are just a few examples existing then and now. In the far past, however, the aim was more for function than fun. Presently, pursuits pumping even more adrenaline can be enjoyed, like kiteboarding, parasailing, air touring, surfing, and off-road ATV riding. I imagine a few of these may be replacements for the absence of some formerly fearsome aspects to travel.

Creative endeavors are ever-present, with evidence that artisans have lived here well before recorded history. Natives were skilled crafters of many things, such as boats, jewelry, woodcarvings, pottery, and baskets—traditional customs passed down generationally that continue to thrive today. Local businesses and markets could be comparable to the trading posts of yore, designated spots for presenting handmade wares.

I’ve often wondered about those initial venturers to these banks, reflecting on the breadth of differences between eras, in awe of common threads. With our modern world building up around sites of historical significance, I’m thankful that some traditions and landmarks have persevered. Some possibly extend even beyond the Elizabethan stage… like the Mother Vine.

Found on the soundside of Roanoke Island, this massive grapevine is believed to be the oldest, knowledgeably farmed vine in the country. It’s uncertain who cultivated it, but most experts say it was likely indigenous peoples, long before colonization. During the first Roanoke voyage, it was noted grapes were so plentiful that “in all the world the like in abundance is not to be found.” The Algonquian were also said to have sipped on muscadine wine.

By the 1950s, the ancient vine had spread across two acres (though it’s since been scaled back). I’ve had the good fortune of sitting under these twisting twigs, nibbling on ripe scuppernongs. These sweet bursts of antiquity undoubtedly originated from the fruits that helped sustain the first English immigrants here, at least for a season.

Although those 16th-century migrants vanished without a trace, there are little reminders like these all over Roanoke Island. Street names honor the contributions and sacrifices they made, ultimately leading to the establishment of modern towns and monumental successes all over this new Old World. There are parallels between the two eras that cannot be missed if you dig just below the surface. What’s changed in the 400-plus years since are the size of the masses and the motives of the visitors… And now, there are far more year-round settlers.

Following the mysterious disappearance of the colonists of 1587, at least one generation passed before anyone from Europe attempted to call The Outer Banks home again. In short time, Bankers became the dominant inhabitants of the area. Their intentions were similar to their predecessors, but they had a lot less stacked against them. We’ll get to them in due course…

Tune in for the next installment…

-Michelle Leckie Davies

Read the First Installment of Michelle’s Series