Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

- Our journey begins in Corolla, a magnificent

holiday destination at the northern end of the Outer Banks,

a string of islands and peninsulas that runs along

the east coast of the state of North Carolina.

Heading west, we reach Bull Neck Swamp Research Forest.

Once stripped by loggers,

it's now a leading center for conservation.

To the east, we discover the Wright Brothers National

Memorial, where they first achieved powered flight,

and transformed the modern world.

Continuing south, we find Roanoke Island,

home to one of America's oldest unsolved mysteries,

the lost colony of 1587.

Moving south along the coast, we discover why it's called,

"the graveyard of the Atlantic".

Finally, we head inland to New Bern,

one of America's oldest towns and the birthplace

of Pepsi Cola.

On the east coast of America,

in the southern state of North Carolina,

is the town of Corolla.

Until a development boom, in the 1980's, it was little known

and rarely visited.

It was known as North Carolina's last beach frontier.

Today, with it's spectacular beaches, holiday homes,

and magnificent sea views,

Corolla is a popular tourist destination.

The town is at the northern end of the Outer Banks,

a 320 kilometer long strip that separates

the Atlantic Ocean, to the east,

from the estuaries and inlets, or sounds, to the west.

One of the town's most famous sites is it's lighthouse,

Currituck Beach Light.

Built in 1875, it's 48 meters tall.

Many of the visitors, drawn to Corolla and it's beaches,

are families and this has long been the case.

In 1892 a writer, from Harper's Weekly, wrote,

"If there were any spot on earth that one would expect

"to find untenanted, it surely would be this stretch of sand

"between ocean and sound.

"Yet there is a hardy race who have lived here,

"from father to son, for over a century.

"They exist entirely by hunting, fishing, rearing cattle,

"and acting as guides."

Whilst guiding and rearing cattle have fallen from favor,

it remains a great spot for fishing and enjoying family life

on the beach.

Crossing to the west, we find the estuary of Albemarle Sound

and, on the mainland, Bull Neck Swamp Research Forest.

Covering 25 square kilometers, it's owned by

North Carolina State University.

It provides a habitat for many species,

including black bears, bobcats, and deer.

Before it was made a protected area, in 1996,

the site was owned by logging companies.

And much of the forestry's conservation efforts have been

to bring back the Atlantic white cedar,

which had been heavily deforested.

Today the forest is used to research conservation techniques

and, in order to raise funds for the continued work,

the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources

allows sustainable timber sales and issues a certain number

of hunting licenses.

Crossing back to the Outer Banks, we find this four

and a half kilometer long bridge.

It's name offers a clue to the world changing event

that happened near here.

It's called the Wright Memorial Bridge.

And this is the town of Kitty Hawk offering,

perhaps, another clue.

The area had been settled for centuries,

before European explorers arrived in the 16th century,

but the modern town was little known.

And this made it, in 1900, the ideal spot for two brothers

looking for a secluded place,

for some experiments into flight.

This was the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur,

who declared that the area around Kitty Hawk was perfect.

It had, they said, privacy, steady winds, and wide open

non-vegetated spaces.

And it was here, at Kill Devils Hills, that the two brothers

became the first men in history to achieve powered flight.

Their invention is considered

one of mankind's greatest achievements.

Today their accomplishment is marked by this 18 meter high

granite monument, the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

At the top of the tower, like a lighthouse,

is a marine beacon.

Nearby, the precise location of the brother's first four

flights are marked by large standing stones.

On December 17th, 1903, after three years of gliding

experiments, the brothers made four flights, traveling 37,

53, 61, and finally, 260 meters.

Remarkably, all but the longest of these distances

are less than the wingspan of a modern jumbo jet.

Visitors could also see reconstructions of the brothers'

1903 living quarters and, the world's first,

airplane hangar, next door.

Based on historical photographs, these give a glimpse

into the building which once sheltered their plane,

which they named "The Flyer".

The brothers' great breakthrough was their invention

of three axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer

the aircraft effectively and to maintain it's balance.

This method became, and remains, standard on fixed wing

aircraft of all kinds.

The moment of the first flight is captured

in Stephen Smith's full scale bronze sculpture

called "First Flight".

It was unveiled in 2003, marking 100 years

of powered flight.

The sculpture shows the seven people involved,

including Orville Wright, flying the plane,

Wilbur running beside him, and John T. Daniels

who photographed the instant that travel changed forever.

The original airplane can be seen at the Smithsonian Museum,

in Washington, DC.

As the evening draws in, we catch a spectacular sunset

over Albemarle Sound.

(soft music)

With evening upon us and the light fading fast,

it's time to refuel and stop for the night

at Deer County Regional Airport.

(airplane propeller sounds)

On a stretch of the Outer Banks, named Nags Head,

is Jockey's Ridge State Park.

(soft music)

This is the tallest natural sand dune system,

in the eastern United States, and one of the most

significant natural landmarks in North Carolina.

(soft music)

Visitors can explore a museum about the sand dunes,

but the brave can take lessons at the onsite

hang gliding school.

As the Wright Brothers agreed, it's also a world class spot

for flying kites.

We move on, heading towards they mysterious Roanoke Island.

(upbeat music)

And, in the island's Festival Park, find this historic

16th century sailing ship.

Named the Elizabeth II, it's a replica of one of the seven

ships in Sir Walter Raleigh's fleet.

It was built in 1984 to celebrate the 400th anniversary

of the arrival of English ships

to the North Carolina Outer Banks.

(soft banjo music)

The ship, which is fully working, has three square rigged

masts, it's 21 meters long, five meters wide,

and draws two and a half meters of water.

It was aboard ships, such as this, that 117 colonists

arrived to found Roanoke colony.

The year was 1587.

They founded the colony in, what is now,

the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.

After a few months, the colony's governor, John White,

decided to sail back to England for supplies.

When he returned, two years later,

he found the settlement deserted,

the entire colony vanished.

The only clue was a single word 'Croatoan',

the name of a nearby island, carved into a wooden post.

The fate of the 117 colonists has never been discovered.

The nearby Elizabeth Gardens were created

as a memorial to them.

The gardens are home to hundreds of species of native plants

and wildlife, as well as rare specimens

from all over the world.

The Roanoke Colony is also celebrated

at the waterside theater.

Since 1937, this has been home to a live show

by Pulitzer prize winning playwright Paul Green.

His production, "The Lost Colony", requires a company

of over a hundred actors, dancers, singers, and technicians.

It was originally planned to run for just a single season,

but it has become a North Carolina tradition that, today,

has played to over four million visitors.

Across the sound, on the Outer Banks,

is Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Standing 48 meters tall, it has a Fresnel lens

and an electric lamp.

The first was in 1847, by a former customs official,

who neglected to include any proper foundations.

The lighthouse began to lean and was quickly abandoned.

The second, built in 1859, was blown up in the Civil War

by retreating Confederacy soldiers.

Current lighthouse was completed in 1862

and, today, it's open to visitors.

The original light keeper's house, renovated in 1992,

now serves as an information center.

(soft music)

The many lighthouses of the Outer banks have been built

because of the treacherous waters that lie about it.

(soft music and waves breaking)

It's known as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic'.

Shipwrecks, such as these isolated sections,

litter the sea bed in the area.

There are believed to have been more than 5,000 ships

lost in these waters since records began,

in the late 17th century.

Today, visitors can explore this macabre past

in the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

at nearby Hatteras island.

Though this coastline might not be great for ships,

they're ideal for fish, and the Outer Banks

is a perfect spot for surf fishing.

Each fisherman here can catch anything from dog sharks

to black drum, baiting mullet to bluefish.

(soft music and waves crashing)

Our journey continues south towards Cape Hatteras.

This is the most southeasterly point on the Atlantic coast

of North America and, these seaside houses are often

in danger as this region is considered one of the highest

risk areas along the American eastern seaboard

for hurricanes and tropical storms.

Cape Hatteras is home to a lighthouse.

In 1999, due to shore erosion, the lighthouse was at risk

of falling into the sea, so it was shifted, intact,

800 meters inland.

At 64 meters tall, weighing 5,000 tons, it's the tallest

masonry structure ever moved.

The name Hatteras is the sixth oldest surviving

English place-name in the United States.

An inlet north of the cape was named "Hatrask", in 1585,

and later modified to "Hatteras", which was the name

of the local Indian people.

Following the coastline, we come to the village of Hatteras,

which has always earned it's living from the sea,

though today it's best known as a tourist destination

for charter fishing.

But the town still has a small commercial fishing fleet.

Each year the people of Hatteras celebrate it in a day

at the dock when, at sunset, local fishing boats are sailed,

in flotilla, past the waterfront before

the cheering Hatteras community.

(soft piano music)

For visitors who want the taste of the sea, but aren't lured

by fishing, there are the Ocracoke ferries.

The ferry began as a private tugboat service in the 1920s.

In the 1930s, to maintain the service for the inhabitants

of the isolated Ocracoke Island, the state of North Carolina

subsidized the service.

And soon, it was free to passengers, providing reliable

transport that runs 365 days a year.

(upbeat music)

It's still a favorite with locals,

but most of it's passengers are tourists,

taking the 40 minute trip from Hatteras

to the island of Ocracoke.

The views from the ferry are spectacular and,

for lucky visitors, they can even see parts of dolphins.

Dolphins can be found living along the coast

of the Outer Banks and in the sounds.

A small population lives here year round

and, during the warmer months,

it's believed that another 500 migrate here to give birth.

We're now approaching the entrance to Pamlico Sound,

129 kilometers long and 48 wide, Pamlico Sound

is the largest lagoon on the east coast of America.

And here we discover a spectacular site, a swarming flock

of migrating birds.

With hundreds of kilometers of deserted beaches,

maritime forests, and marsh lands, the Outer banks

are a haven for birds.

It attracts a whole range of northern species,

like the Harlequin duck, to southern species

like the roseate spoonbill, at the cinnamon teal

from the west, to wading birds like ruffs, from Eurasia.

Pamlico Sound can also attract more disconcerting visitors.

In 2015, a one ton, four meter long great white shark,

called surprisingly 'Catherine', swam into these in shore

waters close to a number of tourist sites.

It spent 18 hours in the sound, before slipping back

out into the sea.

We now reach, one of the oldest towns

in North Carolina, New Bern.

The settlers who founded New Bern came from Switzerland

and the town is named in honor of the Swiss capital, Bern.

Set between the Trent and Neuse rivers,

New Bern became a center for shipping and,

by the 19th century, one of the largest towns in the state.

With it's many theaters and old buildings,

the town was once known as the 'Athens of the South'

and visitors today can still explore museums, galleries,

and the city hall.

The town is famous for another contribution to American

culture, this is the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

Pepsi was invented here, in 1893, by chemist Caleb Bradham.

In 1902, he founded Pepsi Cola, which grew from this modest

drugstore to one of the biggest drinks corporations

in the world.

(classical music)

Somewhat more grand is another New Bern landmark,

Tryon Palace.

(classical music)

It was built in 1770, before American independence,

when the country was still a British colony.

The Royal Governor, William Tryon, brought a London

architect to design and build this palace

in the English Georgian style.

After the revolution, the palace was North Carolina's

first state capital.

In 1798, it was burned to the ground.

But, in 1959, after a 30 year campaign by the people

of New Bern, the palace was reconstructed.

It has 25 hectares of gardens, including formal wall

gardens, in the Victorian style, for flowers

as well as vegetables.

There's also an 18th century wilderness garden

with the native plants English settlers discovered

when they first arrived in America.

(classical music)

On the outskirts of New Bern are plants of a different type,

agriculture is a huge industry in North Carolina.

(folksy music)

It contributes almost 18 billion dollars a year

to the state's economy,

and employs almost one in every five

of North Carolina's workforce.

And the farms are some of the most diversified

in the country.

The state grows over 80 different commodities

and is the national leader in the production of crops,

from sweet potatoes to Christmas trees

and from tobacco to turkeys.

(country music)

But perhaps the most influential crop,

in North Carolina's history, is cotton.

In the 19th century, along with much of the rest

of the American South, it was the state's biggest cash crop.

Harvesting this cotton though, meant back breaking labor

and the cotton fields of North Carolina

were once picked by slaves.

Before it's abolition in 1865, there were over 330,000

slaves in the state, a third of North Carolina's population.

Today, mercifully, this cotton is not picked by hand.

This is a spindle picker, a machine that uses rotating

spindles to pluck seed cotton from the plant,

it's then blown up into the basket.

Once the basket is full, the picker dumps the seed cotton

into a module builder, which creates a compact brick

of seed cotton, weighing in at approximately 220 kilograms.

Meaning that, today, the growing of cotton is a productive,

and now civilized, part of North Carolina's economy.

The first picking machines were only capable of harvesting

one row of cotton at a time, but became practical in 1944.

As we can see, the current cotton picker can harvest

six rows at a time.

And, as we look at this remarkable and fascinating machine

in action in the North Carolina landscape,

it's the perfect place to end this journey.

(dramatic music)