Day 8

Check out of hotel at 6:30 a.m., grabbing some "Continental breakfast" on the way out. Departed hotel at 6:40 a.m. Arrived at the ferry terminal at 6:42 a.m. (that's why I booked this hotel!). We were the fifth car in line. Seems strange for Memorial Day weekend, but maybe traffic was light because it was Sunday morning. The holy are tending to their souls while the unholy are tending to their hangovers. By boarding time at 6:59 there were still only 14 cars in line. The ferry was less than half full. This ferry is a freebie, and takes about 40 minutes. (Call 1-800-BY-FERRY for information about all of the NC state-operated ferries). We departed Hatteras Island at 7:02 a.m. and arrived at the north end of Ocracoke Island at 7:40 a.m. We started south on NC12 (the only road and direction possible) by 7:41 a.m. with 278.5 miles logged since leaving Virginia Beach.

Ocracoke is an unspoiled place. Route 12 here is graced by picturesque dunes on the ocean side. About 6 miles from the ferry landing we pulled off at a parking lot and dune cross-over to the beach. We startled a rabbit, some turtles and several dune-dwelling crabs as we approached the beach. We found this to be a good spot for shelling, and spent about 20 minutes doing just that, but had to leave rather quickly to make our ferries. We arrived in Ocracoke Village at 8:15 a.m. and had a delightful breakfast at The Pelican Restaurant (on Hwy 12, 252-928-7431) in the center of the village. I had a seafood omelet that was terrific. Great atmosphere too. Afterward we crossed the street to the Community Square Shops. I went to the docks to take photos of the Ocracoke Lighthouse across the tiny harbor while the rest of the clan shopped. We then headed for the lighthouse for a close-up look.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282947&p=10899958[/img]

Took more photos then headed for the ferry terminal to catch our 10:45 (Reservations are highly recommended for this ferry -- the one between Hatteras and Ocracoke does not accept reservations). We arrived at the terminal at 9:45 a.m. and were pleasantly surprised that there was still ample room aboard the 10:00 boat. We had logged 294.1 miles. This ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar Island was also less than 1/2 full. The ticket was $10.00. Unfortunately, we spent only about two hours on Ocracoke. Next time (next year?) we would like to spend at least a few days in this sleepy little seaside community. We hardly even got to see Ocracoke Village, and it broke our hearts to leave so soon.

The ferry arrived at Cedar Island at 12:13 p.m. Two hours and 13 minutes en route. Schedule says 2:15. Two minutes off. Not bad on a long crossing such as this. Good thing we brought along playing cards and that the laptop batteries were fully charged. I don't mind ferries, but 2:15? B-O-R-I-N-G.

After a check of the gift shop we departed the terminal at 12:30 p.m. We stopped for gas about 10 miles later. At 1:15 p.m. we passed the exit (well-marked) for Harkers Island and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. We thought that our chances of finding lunch, snacks and film would be better if we proceeded to the town of Beaufort. As it turned out, we could have saved time by taking the Harkers Island exit, since all these necessities can be found on the way to the lighthouse. We could have also saved time by getting lunch to go in Ocracoke to eat on the ferry.

We arrived in Beaufort at 1:25 p.m., about 38 miles from the last ferry. We secured the necessary items and were back on highway 70 toward Harkers Island by 2:03 p.m. We arrived at the Cape Lookout visitors center at 2:33 p.m. and departed by 2:42 p.m. We made our way to the first private ferry company we came to (Sandollar Ferry) to buy a ride to the lighthouse. There are several of these companies here. They run cabinless, passenger-only skiffs that are about 20' long and powered by outboard engines. The run to the island takes about 10 minutes and costs $10 per person round trip. You must decide in advance the time you will depart from the island. The boat drops you off on the beach right next to the lighthouse.

Our boat left the dock at 3:10 p.m. for the lighthouse and arrived there around 3:20.p.m.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282910&p=10899763[/img]

The kids enjoyed the fast, small craft ride out to the light, but we were all disappointed when we arrived there, not by the lighthouse (which is beautiful), but by the environment. We were expecting to see only a handful of people out there, but the place was packed. Several ferry services hauling people in all day long plus dozens of private craft bobbing along the shoreline add up to many hundreds of people on the beach. I would strongly recommend taking this trip at another time of year because of the crowds. Be sure to bring plenty of bottled drinking water, sunscreen and insect repellant, plus whatever snacks you may wish to take along. Once on the island, you may not be able to get a ferry back earlier than the one you commit to at the time you pay for the trip. There is no place to really hide from the sun or biting flies for very long. Next time we would consider camping overnight on the island. That would probably make for the very best photos (sunset, sunrise, relatively few people around).

Another view of Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Another view of Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Another view of Cape Lookout Lighthouse


We departed the island at around 4:30 p.m. and were back in the car and on the road again by 5:00 p.m. We took about a 20-minute rest, and finally arrived at our hotel in Wilmington, NC at 7:55 p.m., logging around 169 road miles since departing the ferry from Ocracoke at Cedar Island. From Harkers Island we backtracked to US Highway 70S and followed it past Morehead City to NC24SW. Past Swansboro we got onto NC172SW through Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base. Might as well get in a little gunnery practice on the way, right? The sentry at the gate and the "TANK XING" signs are a little disquieting, but the drive was otherwise uneventful. At the town of Folkstone we connected with US17SW, which took us into Wilmington.

Day 9

Today we slept in. Left the hotel at 9:45 a.m. and had breakfast around 10:00 a.m. Followed NC132S to US421S past Kure Beach to Fort Fisher. There we visited the NC Aquarium, one of several small state aquaria located up and down the coast. We arrived at around 11:30 a.m. (logging 29 miles from Wilmington) and had finished by 12:30 p.m. Admission was $3 for adults and $1 for kids. The Aquarium is great for small children; you can see the whole thing before they get bored. The exhibits are small and not too numerous, but the staff there is very knowledgeable.

If you can spend more time in this area, a visit to the Civil War Museum at Fort Fisher (north of the Aquarium) is worth the stop also. We visited there years ago when we lived in NC and enjoyed it.

We took the 1:00 p.m. Fort Fisher Ferry ($3.00, about 3 minutes from the Aquarium) across the Cape Fear River inlet to Southport, a quaint old seaport village. As we approached the Southport ferry terminus we could see the Price's Creek Lighthouse (what remains of it, anyway) from the ferry off the starboard side to the northwest.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282962&p=10899977[/img]

The lantern of Price's Creek Light was destroyed by the Confederate forces during the Civil War to hinder Union navigation in the area, and was never rebuilt. All that remains is the diminutive red brick tower. It sits on posted private property (owned by Archer-Daniels Midland Corporation) and is inaccessible to the public. The only way to see it is from a boat. You can also see Bald Head and Oak Island lighthouses in the distance off the port side bow of the ferry as you approach Southport.

Disembarking at 1:23 p.m., we turned left at the stop sign at the end of Ferry Rd., heading north on NC211. We followed this road the 1.6 miles into Southport and continued straight onto Moore St. where it separates from 211 at Southport, following the signs for the visitor's center. The folks at the center were very helpful with directions to the Bald Head Island Ferry, suggestions of things to do to kill the 1-1/2 hours before our 3:00 ferry, and with information about the Oak Island, Bald Head, and Price's Creek lighthouses. We visited some shops in town and at the waterfront before leaving to catch the ferry at Indigo Plantation. The ferry fare is $15 per adult and $8 for children under 12. Crossing takes about 20 minutes. Reservations from Indigo Plantation to Bald Head Island are recommended (910-457-5003). Ferries depart hourly on the hour from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., except at noon. Later ferries can be arranged in advance for 7, 9 or 10:00 p.m. Reservations from Bald Head Island to Indigo Plantation are made by a different number (910-457-5006). For general information call the Bald Head Island Information Center at 1-800-234-1666 or 910-457-5000.

Once at Bald Head Island we rented a golf cart (no automobile traffic is allowed on the island except for contractors and law enforcement personnel). The carts are not cheap: for a 2- or 4-passenger cart it is $20.00 for the first hour and $5.00 per hour thereafter. Daily rate is $40.00 and weekly is $225.00. 6-passenger carts are also available at a slightly higher rate. They also rent bicycles, canoes, and beach paraphernalia. Call Island Wheels at 910-457-4944 for reservations or more information.

Exiting the rental place at Keelson Row and making a left onto North Bald Head Wynd and another left onto the lighthouse loop we found ourselves at the foot of the lighthouse in just a minute or two.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282919&p=10899647[/img]

We climbed to the top of Old Baldy. It is open daily for climbing without charge (please take note of the donation box inside and don't be afraid to use it). This is a very interesting lighthouse. It’s shape, coloration (dyed concrete, not painted on), stairway wooden, not iron, with relatively steep rise to tread ratio); and landings (each one a complete floor forming a distinct room) are all quite distinctive among lighthouses we have seen. The woodwork is obviously recently rebuilt, but seems to be historically accurate. In fact, the staircase does not meet North Carolina building code; a violation accepted in the name of historical accuracy. Very rustic appearance inside and out. It's easy to fall in love with this one, and we did.


Make sure you are out of the tower before closing time -- once the door is locked you're stuck until opening time the next morning!

We finished our cart rental hour putting around the island. This seems a great place to spend a week or perhaps a retirement. I love the pace of life here -- S-L-O-W. We'll be back, and next time will spend a lot more time here.

We were back on the mainland and leaving the parking lot ($5.00 per day) at 5:07 p.m. We went back to Southport's waterfront to buy some ice cream to tide us over until dinner and to watch the boats come in while we ate it. Got back on NC211NW to NC133S. Where NC133 ends at Yaupon Beach, we continued straight to Oak Island. The road will take you right next to Oak Island Lighthouse. This one is modern by lighthouse standards, built in 1958. It is cylindrical in form, having no discernable taper. It's day mark is: bottom 1/3 gray, middle 1/3 white, top 1/3 black.

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=42289&a=282962&p=10899937[/img]

It boasts the most powerful beam of any lighthouse in the US at 2.5 million candlepower, second in the world only to one of the French lights on the English Channel. I was surprised to learn that its cast in-situ concrete walls are a mere 8" thick. It's difficult to get a good photo of this one because the road is flanked by residential private property and U.S. Coast Guard property, with no on-the-street parking allowed. Probably your best bet is to go to the beach by public access (Caswell Beach) about a half mile or so away, then walk the beach to the lighthouse and photograph over the USCG property dunes where there are no houses on the ocean side of the road.. We didn't do this because everyone was starving by now, having skipped lunch, but we did do some shelling at that public beach for about 1/2 hour before heading back to Wilmington at 6:34 p.m. for dinner by way of NC133N, NC211E, NC87N, and US17NE. We arrived back around 7:05, having logged around 55 miles for the day and encircling the mouth of the Cape Fear River from Wilmington to the Atlantic Ocean in the process.

This wraps up the lighthousing for this trip. The next three days bring a visit to the USS North Carolina battleship, a horse-drawn carriage ride through old Wilmington, shopping (4 HL retailers in Wilmington) taking the kids crabbing on the sound, and a stop in Asheville, NC to tour the Biltmore Estate before heading back to Jackson. This has been a great trip for us. We have once again been blessed with wonderful weather for nearly the entire trip.

I don’t think we will again tour the NC lights as we did on this trip, from Currituck to Oak Island, but we know we will be back to visit the NC coast. We didn’t get enough of Hatteras, Ocracoke Island or Bald Head Island on this trip. I'd also like to give Cape Lookout another chance. Time now for a little relaxation before returning to reality. Thanks for traveling along. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Ferried out,

-Art [unlike the Currituck HL, humans become more red if left in the sun]

To add photos and links,

[This message has been edited by Art (edited 06-19-99).]