Ocracoke: Day 3

We woke up around 8:30. Chad and Erin had eggs, french toast, and sausage, ready for us and another couple also, on their screened in porch. After, we got ready for the day, went to the end of Ocracoke, and caught the ferry over to Cape Hatteras. The lighthouse is a couple miles up from the docking point. Once we arrived, we received a 11:20 time to go up. Hatteras is the tallest lighthouse in the United States. It was moved 3 miles from its original spot in 1999, a few years before we visited for the first time. The dredging marks from moving it are pretty much gone, but you can still see the old spot where it stood. The diamond point, which is the peak of the cape now has a small beacon in the water because it's still known to cause wrecks. There are 250 steps to the top with 7 landings. 

We left Hatteras and drove 18 miles down NC-12 to Rodanthe. The house that was used in the [Nicholas Sparks] movie Nights in Rodanthe. Since the movie was shot, it's been moved as well. Because it was right on the water, there was a major concern of it being knocked down by rising waters  and the state wanted to condem the house. A local guy loved the house and wanted to save it so he raised the money and moved the house 3/4th of a mile to where it stands now. The house is available to rent. We also stopped at the Rodanthe Pier. There was a really beautiful stretch of beach that went as far as you could see in either direction. 

We came back and spent some good quality R&R time. We went down for wine and cheese at 5. The young couple from Charlotte was there as well. We went to dinner at Dajio. Mom and I were pretty sure we had eaten there on our first trip, though it had a different name and management. We all had very good meals. The crab bisque was especially good. We watched sunset on the beach again. There were some great streaks in the sky. Mom and I finished up the day watching Nights in Rodanthe with tea. A lovely day. Heading home at noon.

Ocracoke: Day 1

Today we headed to Ocracoke. We took a ferry at 1pm across the intercoastal waterway. The night before we realized that this was my father's first time in the Outer Banks. My mom, grandfather and I had traveled here before, but we thought he and my brother had been for a few days. We hadn't planned on seeing Cape Hatteras, but decided we would see that along with Ocracoke. It was a 2 hour ferry ride over to the island. We check into our B&B called The Cove. It wasn't on the water like it had seemed on the website, but we could see Ocracoke lighthouse and it was only a 2 minute walk to get to the water. The owner Chad and Erin were very nice and accommodating. 

We stopped and got some lunch/early dinner at Jolly Rogers. Good fish sandwiches and oysters. Afterwards we rode bikes over to the lighthouse. Mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the shops in town. There were some cute galleries, one with these cool jewelry pieces made out of watch parts and navigation equipment. I bought a high waisted skirt from a surf shop. We all went out for dessert at the Atlantic Cafe, home of best desserts on the island. I had a chocolate stawberry cake. Across the road from our B&B there was a path to a small beach on the sound. We took chairs out and watched the sunset over the water. Lots of little crabs.