Fishin' Days Sportfishing - OBXOPS Partners (one)

Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, NC Visitors Guide - While traveling to Hatteras Island from the north you will first cross over the Oregon Inlet bridge on Rt. 12 and then enter the Pea Island US Fish and Wildlife Sanctuary. Peaceful Rodanthe will be the first Hatteras Island village at the north end of the island. Although these three villages are each separate, it will be difficult to tell when you leave one and enter the next. One thing that can be said for sure though is that all three of our little villages have always been outdoor enthusiast friendly and they are as peaceful and quiet as you will find anywhere. Whether you prefer fishing, surfing, beachcombing, jogging, kiteboarding, shell hunting, sunbathing or just plain sitting on your lounge chair sipping a drink and relaxing, this is a place that you can do it.

Our Village Names: This area of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo were three distinct early settlements once referred to as the Chicamacomico Banks. Believe it or not, this area was heavily wooded and these three settlements were separated by small creeks and bridges only. As of 1850 the census reported the area with 37 families with a total of 205 people.  

The villages of Rodanthe and Waves were the more closely knit of the trio. The original name for Rodanthe was North Chicamacomico and for Waves it was South Chicamacomico. At that time Salvo was originally Clarks and sometimes Clarksville and although the three villages were close knit Clarks functioned more independently then its northern neighbors. After that..........Rodanthe: In 1874 the US Post Office refused to use many of the long Indian names that were common for Outer Banks villages. No one is sure why North Rodanthe was chosen but it is theorized that it is named after a non-native flower “Rodantha.” Some of the other names Rodanthe has gone by in early years are Big Kinnakeet, Chichinock-Cominock, Chicky, Midgett Town, Northern Woods and even Northard Woods

Waves: First named South Chicamacomico and then South Rodanthe, villagers accepted the name Waves P.O. which was proposed by local postmaster Anna Midgette with an eye toward tourism in 1939. Villagers wanted to keep P.O. in the name to show their strong reluctance of changing the name and giving up the original Chicamacomico designation. Soundside mariners often referred to Waves simply as “the hump in the middle.” 

Salvo:  Salvo was originally named Clarks or Clarksville and received its village name very strangely indeed. A Union ship's commander passing the Island asked his crew what was the name of the village that he was seeing. While looking at his chart, the crewman said that he could not see any name. The commander ordered, “Give it a salvo anyway,” (salvo = a simultaneous cannon firing). The crewman then logged “salvo” on the chart which was noted and used on future charts and actually stuck as the official Union name.

Buxton, NC Visitor Guide - Quiet little Buxton is located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX) and is well known for two things. Buxton is the location of the famous Hatteras Lighthouse. This is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States at 208 feet tall. Also Buxton has some of the nation’s finest ocean surf fishing at a location affectionately called by the locals “The Point.”

Buxton’s residential winter population of slightly under 1400 residents swells in size as the spring weather brings the promise of good fishing. From then on, Buxton remains a fairly active place until the first real sustained cold weather in early January sends the fish to warmer southern waters. Buxton’s economy is virtually based on the seasonal tourism that our local surf fishing and its associated tourism provides us. As you cruise slowly and happily through Buxton at the posted speed limit of 25 mph you can’t help but begin to realize that you have come to a unique and very special place with a rich history that this area seems to want to share with you. With plenty of Hatteras Island tackle shops, restaurants, motels and unique Bed & Breakfasts available, Buxton makes a very inviting place to enjoy your favorite outdoor activity.

Avon, North Carolina Visitor Guide - Avon, North Carolina is a very popular vacation destination with a lot of surprises to offer. First time visitors from urban areas will be amazed when they visit this unique town with only two traffic lights and so much to offer. Avon has lots of rental homes that are ocean front as well as others that are back a few rows and most all have easy beach access. All of the neighboring villages on Hatteras Island are relatively close to each other which means that the island can offer many different businesses centered around tourism like motels, B&B's, restaurants. markets, tackle shops, hardware stores, beach supply stores, and much more.

In its earliest years, Avon village had always been known as Kinnakeet but the village received a new identity when the post office adopted the new name in 1883. Although there is no official records of why the post office selected Avon as the new name, it is speculated that it was named after the river in England. Kinnakeet is an Algonquian Indian word meaning “that which is mixed.”  This name was given to identify the area because it consisted of several settlements bunched into one.

Very few people remember that Kinnakeet originally had enormous stands of live oaks and cedars which were necessary for boat building. The early village flourished as a pre-colonial boat building and repair capital for eastern exploration ships. Kinnakeet was the island's most prosperous local village until Hatteras Inlet was opened by a hurricane in 1846 at which time Hatteras Village took its place (mostly due to the location).

Because of the massive commercial harvest of Kinnakeet’s forests, eventually there were no trees left which also ultimately killed most other remaining vegetation. This resulted in a massive sand dune that traveled west about 20 feet per month and shrunk the area at an incredible rate into the sliver of an island that is now here today. 

This area was famous for being the location of Little Kinnakeet and Big Kinnakeet US lifesaving stations which were commissioned to assist in mariner rescues during our nation's early history. Read more about these Life Saving Stations and also find some great books on the history of the Outer Bank’s pirates, shipwrecks and how this area was developed on our "history" page. 

Frisco, NC Visitors Guide - Frisco, NC is situated on a narrow strip of sand called Hatteras Island and is a part  of North Carolina's Outer Banks (OBX). It is a popular destination for surf fishing, surfers, kiteboarding, sailboarding, sunbathers, boaters, campers, RV lovers, beachcombers and history buffs.

Official census numbers show Frisco as only 401 residences as of 2000, but this town swells with visitors from April through November. Frisco is approximately six miles long and it has one main highway (NC Hwy 12) entering and exiting. Even in the peak of the tourism season traffic is never a real problem here. The six miles of Frisco's beaches are part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and they are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. Visitors with a four wheel drive vehicle are permitted to drive on specified Frisco Atlantic Ocean beaches. Check the rules and regulations concerning four wheel drive vehicles on the beach. 

One of the main tourism attractions for the area remains the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse located in the neighboring town of Buxton. The lighthouse is reported to be the tallest lighthouse in the United States and made history when it was moved in the late 1990s to protect it from beach erosion.

With plenty of Hatteras Island tackle shops, restaurants, motels and unique bed & breakfasts available, Frisco makes a very inviting place to enjoy your favorite outdoor activities. 

Hatteras, NC Visitors Guide - No one can begin to imagine what a truly unique and serene place the Village of Hatteras is without visiting here. The end of the island almost seems like the end of the world when you finally arrive. Hatteras offers an odd blend of old time fishing tradition combined with the glitz and glamour of modern sportfishing style fishing yachts. No visit to Cape Hatteras or Hatteras Village could be complete without witnessing those offshore sportfishing yachts rumbling in after a day at sea and then unloading their catch on the village's marina docks.

Hatteras Village is located on the extreme SW end of Cape Hatteras Island but the actual geography takes a little explanation. At the north end of the island you will enter by crossing the Oregon Inlet bridge. After leaving the bridge you will see signs mentioning Pea Island and the Pea Island Wildlife Station. Pea Island? Wait a minute. I thought I was on Hatteras Island. Well, actually you are.... at least now you are on Hatteras Island heading toward Cape Hatteras. 

Over the years Cape Hatteras was divided in two islands several times. At one time it was divided by a hurricane at a place that you will see about five miles south of The Bonner Bridge that was named New Inlet. You will need to watch closely because New Inlet actually closed itself up and is nothing more then an unimproved paved boat ramp now. If you look out toward the sound while you are passing it, you will notice some old dilapidated wood pilings that look like they might have been the old bridge over New Inlet but those pilings are actually the remains of on old train trestle. A train on a sand island you might be asking? At one time the entire Hatteras Island was covered with live oak trees. The resulting logging industry here was so valuable that the industry built a train system just to transport their harvest inland!

Although the name Hatteras often brings to mind the tallest brick lighthouse  in the United States Hatteras Lighthouse at 208 feet tall the actual lighthouse itself is located in the neighboring village of Buxton. So the Village of Hatteras was actually named after the island which was named after the original native American Hatteras tribe.

So lets add up the score. We have an island with a village named for the island and a lighthouse named also for the island and not the village. When anyone brings up any subject about "Hatteras" we basically assume that we are talking about all of Hatteras Island and not necessarily just the village.  With plenty of Hatteras Island tackle shops, restaurants, motels and other businesses available it may be a little bit confusing but Hatteras sure makes a very inviting place to enjoy your favorite outdoor activities.

Local Hatteras Island Controversy Should Become A National Concern!

Currently Hatteras Island is deeply embroiled in some serious issues. Along with the fuel and housing crunch that all American's are feeling, the local businesses and citizens are also forced to take an active roll in defending citizen’s rights to your free and open beaches which have been the trademark of this area. Please don't forget that open beaches has always been the basis of our local economy long before the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife promising not to ever close our beaches.

If you would like to read more about the Hatteras Island "beach access" issues please refer to the NPS website and read about why the NPS felt it necessary to close public access to our North Carolina public beaches despite their own statistics showing that it was unnecessary. Please also research the opposing views presented and documented at the Island Free Press. Local Hatteras Island citizens would like our visitors to be better informed before they make any decisions regarding their beach access or eventual loss of it.

Mooresville, North Carolina Visitor Guide - Our beautiful hometown of Mooresville, North Carolina began out of very humble beginnings while crediting local perseverance and a hometown style of cooperative spirit which developed it into the proud community that it is today. The Catawba Indians originally used this particular Piedmont area  for hunting and Mooresville is rumored to be sitting on Indian burial grounds but that has never been found to be fact. In its earliest days as a community, Mooresville was known as Moore’s Siding named after a wealthy plantation owner named John Franklin Moore. In 1856, Moore made a very wise business decision to donate land to the railroad which was to be used as the location for cotton weigh scales and a railroad depot that would greatly benefit his plantation. This land intended for the early depot was enough for several local families to establish a few small residences to serve the depot and also become the center point for a brand new town.

In 1873, with only approximately 25 families, the citizens were granted North Carolina Incorporation which is when they changed the accepted name from Moore’s Siding officially to Mooresville. From 1873 until later in the twentieth century, Mooresville grew relatively slowly with its citizens relying upon the commercial success of the North Carolina cotton textile industries and furniture industries. As neighboring Charlotte rapidly grew and expanded in the 1980’s, Mooresville which is less than 20 miles from Charlotte became better known as a Charlotte suburb.

The growth and popularity of Nascar gave Moorsville a huge boost as over 60 Nascar racing teams and also their supporting businesses began to locate in and around this area. Mooresville today proudly accepts the nickname “Race City USA” and is the location of the Memory Lane Motorsports and Historical Automotive Museum and the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Read more about Nascar and Mooresville’s association here.