Advance, a 902-ton side-wheel steamer, was built at Greenock, Scotland, in 1862 for use as a River Clyde packet. Purchased by the State of North Carolina under the name Lord Clyde in 1863, she was renamed Advance (a name frequently given as A.D. Vance), and put to work running the Federal blockade. She was one of the most successful Confederate blockade runners, making more than twenty voyages before her capture by USS Santiago de Cuba off Wilmington, North Carolina, on 10 September 1864. Taken into the United States Navy soon thereafter, she served as USS Advance until June 1865, when she was renamed Frolic.

With the best views around and the quickest access to dolphins, Paradise Dolphin Cruises is committed to offering you one of the most amazing experiences of your life! Climb aboard the Kokomo, our 34-passenger catarmaran and the area’s newest...
Take a quick and scenic ferry ride with your experienced guide over to the pristine Outer Banks Island of Shackleford Banks, which is part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. There, you are introduced to the wild horses of Shackleford...
The noted explorer, archaeologist, anthropologist, paleontologist, and part-time plumbing contractor from the University of Chicago, Professor Duffer A. Hacker, led two expeditions to the outer banks in the late 1920’s. The purpose of these...
Kitty Hawk Kites has been Teaching the World to Fly since 1974 and is home to the world’s largest hang gliding school. As the Outer Banks leader in quality outdoor recreation and adventure, Kitty Hawk Kites offers more than 30 activities to...



