North Carolina Shore

Janet and I were chased off an island in North Carolina due to Hurricane Alex. We only enjoyed one day on Ocracoke Island before it was time to go. I'll go ahead and answer the question I get most often when I recount the story. Yes there are islands off the coast of North Carolina. There are fantastic, wonderful, non-commercial, peaceful islands and they are just a ferry ride away from Hatteras or Cedar Island.The coast of North Carolina is probably often dismissed or forgotten as a vacation choice. With serious powerhouse marketing cousins to the the south such as Myrtle, Hilton Head and Daytona it is easy to understand the absence of top of mind awareness. There are few roller coasters and even fewer big name attractions on the North Carolina Coast. I, for one, say thank God and I hope it stays that way.

Janet and I ventured to the coast to meet up with my brother, his wife and daughter at Swansboro, NC. They keep a small boat and camper there. What we really liked about the town and surrounding area was that, unlike the tourist destination beaches and coastlines, it still retains many real people and businesses. Fishing is taken seriously. Good seafood is also taken seriously, and I am so very grateful for that.

The Intercoastal Waterway cuts right through the region and provides a certain economic demand for hotels, grocery stores and repair shops to serve those navigating their way south. Our plan was to spend the day with my family and the next morning Janet and I would continue our drive to Cedar Island and then take the ferry over to Ocracoke. The North Carolina Department of Transportation provides ferry service to Ocracoke and places as far north as Knotts Island and as far south as Southport. 

We spent our first day on vacation playing in the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. The Pamlico Sound makes for some awesome boating and exploring. A couple of centuries ago my brother would have been the perfect sea captain. He is the one I would want at the helm if I were crossing the ocean. He is alot like the guy on the box of Morton's Seafood. (see painting below) 

I have never known another person more 

knowledgeable about the ocean, fish, aquatic wildlife and all things salty . 

He gave us all a tour of the small uninhabited islands and sand berms in the area. We collected sharks teeth and saw manta rays, dolphins and shadows of large fish/creatures that we didn't want to know what they were. Upon returning to the camper we all sat around by the shore and enjoyed my brother's cooking, simple yet delicious skewed, buttered and flame cooked scallops, shrimp, and chunks of flounder and all caught the day before just a few hundred feet from where we enjoyed their buttery goodness. There is nothing like talking and laughing with family while the sun is slowly setting when you can feel the warmth of summer all around you. If you throw in eating fresh seafood complimented with corn on the cob and chased with an ice cold beer then you have the recipe for a really special memory.

The next morning we wanted to get going early. We partook in some kettle coffee my brother had brewed out on the campfire and hit the road. From Swansboro we headed to Moorehead City, Beaufort, Otway then Davis and Stacy. Just past Masontown we drove into the marshland and after about a half hour of seeing only reeds and swampy landscape we arrived at the loading dock for the ferry boat. I must admit I was a little concerned about our transportation. I had never been on one and this was a two and a half hour long initiation for me. I hoped for the best.

Driving the car onto the boat was a trip. It was like parking the car at the county fair or one of those tourist lots

behind Gatlinburg, Tennessee's main drag: Every inch was precious. It didn't take long for me to settle down and enjoy the ride. The ferry boat was substantial and felt really solid. They have indoor areas to sit and it reminded me a little bit of like being on a bus but larger and more spacious.

They also had restrooms and allowed smoking on the deck, they have probably gone to non-smoking by now though. The trip was smooth sailing and we got off on Ocracoke Island before noon of that day. We had reservations at Blackbeards Inn that night, but couldn't check in until three or four pm, so this gave us time to explore the island. I remember my first impression was that I felt like we were in a foreign country. We saw many people riding bicycles and walking.  The island is about seventeen miles long and spoon shaped. All of the commerce is done in the round spoon part of it and the rest of the island, is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and it remains in its natural state. The little village of Ocracoke is a great destination itself. Most of the buildings date back to the 1950s fishing village, a walk around reveals its small houses, narrow streets, and lack of big name stores or restaurants. There is a great Civil War marker there as well as a museum and gift shop and the entire area celebrates its pirate heritage and connection to Blackbeard. Arrrrrrg

The National Seashore features Banker Ponies. They have reportedly been there since before the 1730's. They are a mystery as to how they got there, but now they are protected residents of the island. Currently they are cared for by the National Park Service and penned away from traffic. We cut our trip short and only had one day and one night on Ocracoke because of Hurricane Alex. Instead of being bummed about our misfortune we decided we would try to stay ahead of Alex and visit the rest of the outer banks on our flight from the storm, up to Hattaras then to Nags Head over to Roanoake Island and out. Although we were urgent we never felt rushed. We stopped and took pictures of every light house we passed and stopped on Roanoke Island to visit the museum and see the artifacts from the Lost Colony. By nightfall we were well inland at a Rocky Mount hotel, safe from Alex and feeling like we had salvaged our vacation. The next couple of days were spent slowly working our way back to Tennessee and home. We stopped in Old Salem and Mount Airy. We had an entire week planned on the Island, but the hurricane proved to us yet again it is always the journey that makes the best memories.

Ocracoke's Island slogan- May not be the easiest place to get to but worth a visit!