I stood frozen with fear, unable to move. The terrifying image drew closer, his curved sword swinging wildly. Just as he seemed about to separate my head from my body, I snapped back to reality, left my all-too-real daydream about Blackbeard the pirate behind, and moved on to the next exhibit in the museum. The dramatic if somewhat grisly story of Blackbeard is but one display that transforms the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, North Carolina, into a memorable and lifelike experience. That eclectic collection is among attractions that make the Outer Banks—the chain of narrow barrier islands that parallels the state’s Atlantic coastline—into much more than just another sun-and-sand vacation destination. Another appeal is how the Outer Banks’ past commingles with life there today. Tiny family cemeteries stretching back generations are hidden behind homes. Some houses contain timbers that were salvaged from the hundreds of ships that …