Friday - Fort Raleigh Historical Site, beach

This is an interesting one - three voyages were organised by Sir Walter Raleigh from England to Ranoake Island (between the OBX and the mainland). The first two in 1584 and 1585 were just men, and were looking for resources, and Spanish ships to rob. The third in 1587 included women and children, and were looking to establish a colony. They were meant to be going further up to the Chesapeake, but they got dropped off there by their captain. Their supply ship had a mishap, so they sent their leader back to England to get more supplies. He got held up by hostilities between the Spanish and the English (the English needed the boat), and when he got back three years later in 1590, the colony was gone (including his daughter and granddaughter, the first baby born in America to the colonists). Nobody managed to work out where they'd gone. there are various theories, but due to various upheavals and the vagaries of life, it doesn't seem like anyone looked properly (seriously!).

https://www.nps.gov/fora/learn/education/search-for-the-lost-colony.htm
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-twoworlds/1638

Later, the Ranoake Island Freedmans Colony was set up during the civil war for ex-slaves from the South.

There are some earthworks left that were built by the members of the second voyage, and some plaques, and an English garden next door that cost money (even for bored children, so we didn't attempt it), we had a wander in the forest that had various educational blurbs, we got junior ranger badges, we had lunch, and drove home.

Photo image - https://www.outerbanks.com/fort-raleigh.html
We apparently were too hot and tired to take photos!!