Exploring the Crystal Coast

	Town Creek Marina At Town Creek Marina you'll enjoy a full array of yacht and boating services, coupled with an atmosphere of relaxation and hospitality. Services include diesel and gasoline engine maintenance, dry stacking, in-slip refueling, boating parts and supplies. The Marina's restaurant is a popular local getaway. Whether you drive or cruise into Town Creek Marina for a visit, you'll always feel welcome!
	North Carolina Aquarium - Atlantic Beach At the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, visitors will get a fun and educational hands-on look at North Carolina's maritime ecosystem. The popular touch tank offers a close-up look at common marine animals. The aquarium's outdoor boardwalk along Bogue Sound features overlooks, bird scopes and informational signs that discuss the importance of the salt marsh and the plants and animals living there.
	The North Carolina Maritime Museum One of the jewels in North Carolina's nautical crown where these repositories of history explain and entertain families in search of an educational and exciting vacation experience. The barrier islands hold secrets of sunken ships and lost colonies that have fueled the imagination since England's fleet set sail in 1584 to establish a New World colony on Roanoke Island that mysteriously disappeared without a trace by 1590. Today, the avid sea faring history buff can hoist the family mainsail and set an educational course to explore this fascinating past at the Maritime Museum located in the town of Beaufort.
	Cape Lookout National Seashore Preserves a 56 mile (90 km) long section of the Southern Outer Banks, or Crystal Coast, of North Carolina, USA, running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. Three undeveloped barrier islands make up the seashore - North Core Banks, South Core Banks and Shackleford Banks. The seashore includes two historic villages on Core Banks, Shackleford's wild horses, and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, which has a black-and-white diamond pattern. A visitors center for the seashore is located on Harkers Island.
	Foundation For Shackleford Horses The foundation serves with the National Park Service as co-manager of the freely roaming horses of Shackleford Banks, whose historic, cultural and genetic legacy dates back 400 years. The herd's feral lifestyle thrives due to limited human contact, socialization, and intervention.
	Beaufort's Old Burying Ground Nestled on Ann Street - named for England's Queen Anne - the historic Old Burying Ground is a feast for the senses. Ancient live oaks offer an eerie shade, cooling the cemetery even on the warmest of days. Sunlight filters through the protective branches, creating a peaceful, almost surreal, atmosphere. A natural sandy path beckons visitors through the iron gates and leads them on a winding trail. The Burying Ground is located close to the Beaufort Historic Site and is guarded by churches on three sides: Ann Street United Methodist Church, circa 1854; First Baptist Church, circa 1854; and Purvis Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, circa 1820.
	Diving The Graveyard of the Atlantic The Crystal Coast, North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks, is known as one of the top diving destinations in North America. Add to the ante a bounty of shipwrecks to explore, and adventure goes hand in hand with underwater beauty. Those interested in diving can learn while they're here from professional dive companies and instructors. Those experienced in diving are sure to have a great experience exploring a sunken U-boat and other shipwrecks whose history adds to the underwater allure.
	Golf Golfers won't have to give up the game while they're visiting the Crystal Coast, North Carolina's southern outer banks. A host of golf courses abound, each showcasing and sometimes incorporating into the design, the natural beauty of the area's stately live oaks, longleaf pines and captivating waterways. Most area courses are open to the public and welcome visitors and vacationers to take a swing at nine or 18 holes. So bring your clubs and maybe even some friends and play through.
	Historic Beaufort Waterfront Beaufort's historic waterfront district along Taylor's Creek offers visitors the opportunity to dine and shop while enjoying views of feral horses on Carrot Island and boats from all over the world at the Beaufort Docks. Water ferries transport visitors to nearby Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks. Tour the North Carolina Maritime Museum, the Beaufort Historic Site, and walk the tree lined streets of our historic neighborhoods.
	Fort Macon Built in 1826-1834 on the east end of Bogue Banks in Carteret County, Fort Macon replaced Fort Dobbs, a wooden structure built in 1756 and Fort Hampton, a similar structure which eventually washed away. The pentagon-shaped fortress is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. General Robert E. Lee was stationed at Fort Macon as a young Army officer. Now Fort Macon is a 398 acre state park, one of the most poplar in the United States. Swimming, fishing, nature programs and trails, guided tours of the fort, a museum with numerous exhibits and audio-visual displays are some of the activities available.
	Kayaking the Intracoastal Waterway Kayaking and boating are popular pastimes for residents and visitors of the Crystal Coast. For those who love the water, spending an hour or a day out and about exploring and fishing is a wonderful diversion. Local kayak shops offer hourly rentals and some offer instruction for new paddlers. The calm waters of the Intracoastal Waterway beckon those who want to give kayaking a try.
	Atlantic Beach Across Bogue Sound from mainland Carteret County lies Bogue Banks and thereon, Atlantic Beach.What began as a fledgling resort in the 1920s has continued to increase in popularity, complete with amusement parks and beach clubs mingling with hotels and condominiums. Thousands of sun-seekers flock to the area each summer.