There are advantages and disadvantages to setting up base camp at different locations throughout the Outer Banks.  The purpose of the project is going to dictate optimal location.  For me, however, all things equal, Manteo is the best of the best.  The only traditional “downtown” in the Outer Banks (versus villages along highway NC-12), Manteo is centrally located on Roanoke Island between the northern Outer Banks towns of Duck and Corolla and the southern Outer Banks towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras.

The walkable historic downtown invites with amenity and is rich in photo targets.  An elevated wooden boardwalk traverses the shoreline of Shallowbag Bay, connecting downtown Manteo with nearby Roanoke Island Festival Park.  Numerous attractions can be found directly off the boardwalk, including the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.  I cannot even guess the number of miles I’ve worn into the boards along this waterfront walkway over the years!

The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is a replica of the original structure, which was located in the Croatan Sound near the town of Wanchese.  Decommissioned in 1955, the Roanoke Marshes Light was sold to a private owner and subsequently lost to the sound in an accident during the move.  This replica screw-pile lighthouse was completed in September of 2004 and serves to celebrate the maritime history of the surrounding Outer Banks.

Staying in nearby downtown Manteo, my sister and I hoofed it down a couple blocks to the waterfront on this very cold winter morning.  The wooden boards of the walkway were coated with frost and though it’s difficult to make out, the top layer of water in Shallowbag Bay was frozen into ice.  The deeper water underneath continued to churn with the wind and current creating this really neat fizz and pop sound like a soda poured over ice.  The air was incredibly calm and heavy, like only an oppressively cold winter morning can be.  But it was also otherworldly with the strange sounds from the icy water.  Over several years of overwintering in Manteo, North Carolina, this is one of the many special mornings I’ve spent at Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.

Camera:  Nikon D810
Lens:  Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 26mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  January 23, 2019
Settings:  f14, 2.0 seconds, iso-64