Book excerpt: "Consistently rated the best guides to the regions covered...Readable, tasteful, appealingly designed. Strong on dining, lodging, and history."—National Geographic Traveler Explorer's Guide North Carolina's Outer Banks & Crystal Coast covers the coast from Virginia to Hammocks Beach State Park. Includes Manteo, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Hatteras Island, Ocracoke, Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle and Swansboro. Distinctive for their accuracy, simplicity, and conversational tone, the diverse travel guides in our Great Destinations series meet the conflicting demands of the modern traveler. They're packed full of up-to-date information to help plan the perfect gateway. And they're compact and light enough to come along for the ride. A tool you'll turn to before, during, and after your trip, these guides include these helpful features: chapters on lodging, dining, transportation, history, shopping, recreation and more; a section packed with practical information, such as lists of banks, hospitals, post offices, laundromats, numbers for police, fire, and rescue, and other relevant information; and maps of regions and locales.