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As most
everyone knows, Hatteras Island was hit hard by Hurricane
Irene in late August. Our only road (NC Hwy 12) unto
Hatteras had been severed in a couple places. Repairs by
the NCDOT to get our road open have been completed and you can now enter Hatteras
Island from the north by Hwy 12 or via Ocracoke Island using
the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter ferries.
You can read all about what
an incredible task this project was and how this road and
bridge
work progressed at the
NCDOT website. To their credit they kept their
webpage updated daily during the entire process. These folks
were our unsung heroes! |
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Hatteras residents want to say "thank you" to our fantastic
NCDOT!! |
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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. |
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Surf
or Sound Realty |
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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. Also check out
this link to the
Wikipedia ongoing
online reference page.
Our Local Controversy Should Be A National Concern!
Whether you
agree or disagree with the politics involved,
Hatteras Island is deeply embroiled in some serious issues for
its survival.
Along with the fuel and housing crunch that all American's are
currently feeling, the local businesses and citizens have been forced to
take an active roll in defending
North Carolina's previously free and open beaches which have always been the
basis of the local economy. To hear our local's point of view please visit
Island
Free Press and also watch this eye opening
[video].
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Driving on the Beach/Beach Access Map
The
National Park Service has instituted their new ORV Plan for
Hatteras Island. This new plan includes a regulation requiring a
special permit for driving on the beach on Hatteras Island.
Visitors can pick up a permit at Coquina Beach, the Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse or the Ocracoke Visitor Center. Two types of
permits are available ($50 for 7 days or $120 for a full
calendar year). You will also be required to watch a very
informative seven minute video in order to get this permit and
we highly recommend everyone watch this even if you have no
plans to drive on the beach because it discusses things like
dogs on the beach and fires, fireworks, kites, frisbees, balls,
etc. You can find this video and also a link to the
most current NPS beach closure and access maps by clicking [HERE].
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The Fishing
Although there
are always plenty of things to see and do in Avon, the main
attraction remains the surf fishing on our beautiful beaches.
Anglers try for many different species throughout the year
including red drum, striped bass (that's rockfish to the
locals), bluefish, speckled trout, flounder, spanish mackerel,
whiting (sea mullet), spot, croaker, black drum, various sharks
and pompano just to name a few. It's hard to beat a relaxing day
in the sun waiting for your rod to bend and then having the
pleasure of eating fresh fish for dinner that you just caught
that day. Nearby Hatteras Inlet also offers a "world class"
destination for offshore trolling for tuna, marlin, wahoo and
dolphin (dorado). Click on our fishing page from the activities
list below for a bit more information on Hatteras Island
fishing. Also check out the
Cape Hatteras Anglers Club for good quality information
about fishing on the island.
We Have Activities Galore!
Click on a link to
some of the many activities available on
Hatteras Island for Avon, NC visitors.
Basic Travel Preparation
I am
often asked to provide a list of things that I might consider to
be basic travel preparations. One of the things that many
visitors are always concerned about is exactly what our area has
available in case of medical emergencies. Rest assured that
Hatteras Island has exceptional medical attention always
available. Please visit this
page
for a listing of medical and dental facilities that are
currently available.
Government
Avon is
unincorporated and is represented on the
Dare County Board of
Commissioners. The Dare County Sheriff's
Office located in the town of Hatteras patrols Avon.
Water and garbage pick up are also provided by Dare
County as are all other services that are not provided
by the State of North Carolina.
Interesting Avon Statistics
These
statistics were compiled in 2007. The listed population
for Avon (zip 27915) was 735. The median home value was
$635K. Air quality was rated 72 out of a perfect 100 and
water quality was rated 90 out of a perfect 100 compared
to the national averages. Avon averages 210 sunny days a
year. The average elevation is 7 feet above sea level
as compared with the national average of 1062.
The
median income is $39, 841 per entire household with the
cost of living 36% higher then the national average.
High utilities and taxes are the main culprits for this
figure. 20.7% of the employed citizens work in the
service industry, 11.70 in construction and 38.01 in
various sales jobs.
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