Day 161 (Oct 24) – Ocracoke Island

This was a first on our trip. We took a ferry to Ocracoke Island.  It was the girls’ first time on a ferry.  They thought it was pretty amazing that our truck was on a boat.  We got to get out and walk around.  Definitely needed our jackets since it was early in the morning and pretty breezy.  The water was very shallow.  It’s a problem they have had lately.  They are waiting on a special “shoaling” boat to come in Dec and dig out (?) some of the really shallow places.  There were sand bars – even sticking out of the water – in several places in the sound.

Ocracoke is a small island.  It relies heavily on tourism, but is not overly commercial.  There are lots of small shops and restaurants.  Before we got to the village, however, we stopped at the pony pen (run by the NPS) and saw the Banker Ponies. They are supposed to have arrived here in the 16 or 1700’s from Europe, perhaps released as ships ran aground to lighten their load.  Once in town, we started at the tiny Preservation Museum and got a look at the island’s history.  The only mounted Boy Scout Troop was here in the 1950’s.  (They rode the Banker Ponies).  There is a lot of Navy history.  I discovered the source of our house owner’s thick accent: the Ocracoke Brogue.  It is a dialect unique to this island.  We also went to the NPS VC, the British Cemetery and the Ocracoke Lighthouse.  It is the oldest lighthouse in NC and you cannot go up in it, but it is pretty to photograph.  We stopped at Books to be Red on the way out.  Then we were on the lookout for food.  We ate at Jason’s Restaurant.  I had blackened fish tacos, which were very yummy.  We made one more quick stop at The Pirate’s Chest and then headed back to the ferry dock.  We got there with about 4 minutes to spare.  This ferry was not full like our first one.  It was a pleasant and peaceful (and warmer) ride back to Hatteras.

We dropped my parents off at the Wharf Shopping area by the ferry and we drove back to the house.  We are staying less than a mile from the ferry, so they just walked back when they finished.  The girls and I went to the beach.  I got in the water with them, but it was a little too cold for me that late in the afternoon.  We stayed about an hour and then came back for the hot tub.

Dad had started cooking supper, but was interrupted by a power outage.  After some phone calls we found out it was a 30 min planned power outage.  It lasted an hour and a half.  Our supper was delayed, but not completely cancelled.  Movie night was moved till tomorrow.  We sat on the deck and watched the sunset and read by flashlight as it got dark.  Some of us (I won’t name names) were frustrated by the change in our schedule, but you gotta be flexible people!  Life doesn’t always go as planned.

Ocracoke Pics