Wright Brothers National Memorial

See where the first powered flight took place in 1903 along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A large granite monument shows you the location of the memorial as it towers 60 feet into the air. Among the surrounding hills, you get to retrace the steps these famous brothers took as they perfected their flying experiments.

On top of a sand dune in Kill Devil Hills sits a recreation of the machine that took Orville Wright to the skies in 1903. As you peer from behind the contraption, you can feel the coastal wind blowing through your hair. Imagine laying across the plane with just a single leather strap keeping you from falling off. You steer the rudder in front of you with some rope, one end in each hand, as you try to coax more air out of the flyer.

You zoom across a wide expanse of beach, a total of 120 feet and 12 seconds, propelled by a four-cylinder engine. You land perfectly, with two wooden planks kicking up a little sand. Someone snaps a video from their smartphone and posts it to Instagram. You're a star.

The Wright Brothers didn't have Instagram. But, the first powered flight did make them famous. This memorial has a visitor's center that gives you a timeline of events at Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills. Two markers point to the take-off spot and landing spot. Exhibits and museums show you how flight happens and the advances in flight made since the first one. Walking in between the monuments gives you a sense of what happened here.

After your history lesson, frolic among the great beaches nearby during the hot summer months. Your campsite is the perfect headquarters for outdoor fun here.