The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-04-02
DARE COAST TOURIST SEASON
PROSPECTS TO BE BEST YET:
BEGINS DURING MID SPRING
National Seashore Park At Cape Hatteras
Credited With Helping Development; In
creased Number of Visitors at Fort Raleigh
and Wright Memorial During Winter.
BY AYcock Brown

Inc mld-Sprlng vacation sea-
son is getting underway along
the coast of Dare in northeastern
North Carolina and by late April
or early May all of the hotels,
motels, guest houses and inns
will be open for the reception of
guests. AS a matter of fact there
are many places of accommoda-
ton already open. Some re-
manned open throughout the
winter months.
Scenic and historic sites attract
may spring vacationists to the
area but the greatest number
come for the sportsfshing which
is now getting underway in the
salt and fresh waters of the Kitty
Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Mays
Head and anoke Island
region, or the inlets and surf
along the almost 100 miles of
ocean frontage extending from
Caffeys Inlet and Sou h e r n
Shores by the seven communi-
ties of Hatteras Island and on
to Ocracoke. The fresh water
lakes, canals and streams of
Dare's mainland appeal to many
mid-spring anglers.
Vacation Travel Changes
Because the habits of people
have changed, especially in re-
lation to vacations, the season"
at this resort and all others along
continues from early spring until
late autumn. 1t has not been so
many years since the coastal va
cation season began during early
or mid-June and ended with
Labor Day. The change has been
brought about by the improved
economic conditions Of the
country. There was a time when
only the rich could take coastal
vacations. Today just about ev-
eryone goes somewhere to see
scenic or historical sites, to fish,
to bask in the sun and enjoy the
surf, or to the mountains, to seek
recreation that is different from
their everyday life.
Here on the Dare Coast where
the vacation season was once a
three months proposition for
hotel, motel and vacation opera
tors, tourists now come the year
around. Each year more and
more operators are making a
year around business of their
operations. Winter months are
the leanest, but tourist patronage
is increasing each year.
More Attractions
Sportsfishing continues from
n,id-spring until late autumn.
Some of the most newsworthy
catches are made during late fall
and early winter. This is espec-
tally true with surf fishing in the
Mays Head and Hatteras Island
area.
Even if there was no worth
while fishing during the some
what off-season months of spring
and fall, tourists would continue
coming to the unusual coast OF
Dare.
Throughout the past winter
months, an increase in number Of
visitors at Fort Raleigh on Roa.
noke Island and Wright Brothers
National Monument at Kill Devil
Hills showed an increase over the
same months one year previous
ly.
Tourists and vacationists are
coming to Dare now during each
month of the year for another
unusual attraction, only recently
made accessible to motorists
This is the new Cape Hatteras
National Seashore Recreationa
Area.
The Cape Hatteras Seashore
project is still in the embryonic
stages, but wide publicity giver
this public-owned and first sea
side national park has resulted ir
tourists from every state in the
nation visiting the area during
the past year.
Development of the recreation.
al features of the area begins or
large scale with the beginning
of the fiscal year on July l wher
$270,000 will be available tt
begin work. Already the Nationa
Seashore project has been re
sponsible for the construction o
new roads, the acquisition of ad
ditional ferries for water-links o
state-built highways leading int
the area, the building of a mari
time museum, to be open to pub
lie soon and the establishment o
a Park Ranger system to aid il
administration of the area.
Current Attractions
The main attractions durin
this mid-spring season will b
See TOURIST, Page Five