Weather – It was like much of the east coast today ... sunny, temperature in the high 80s, and humid. We did have a nice ocean breeze.
We drove 164 miles without the trailer. The route: Outer Banks National Seashore (NC 12) from Nags Head to Ocracoke and return. The road was excellent; traffic was light. It went from Bodie Island to Pea Island to Hatteras Island. The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge connected Bodie and Pea Islands. A 40 minute ferry ride completed the link to Ocracoke Island.
The turn onto NC 12 south at the start of the trip revealed a dramatic and welcome change from what we saw yesterday when we turned north into Nags Head. We immediately entered the Outer Banks National Seashore. There were no businesses or services for miles. The road was lined with sand dunes and brush. The Atlantic Ocean was on the east and Pamlico Sound was on the west. Very scenic.
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| Bodie Island Lighthouse & Light Keeper's home (built in 1872, still has its 1st-order Fresnel lens) |
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| Herbert C. Bonner Bridge (connects Bodie & Pea Islands) |
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| Dunes from Outer Banks National Seashore |
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| Dunes like to sneak across the road |
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| Rental homes like these line the route as we pass through the small communities of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras and Ocracoke |
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| Leaving Hatteras for Ocracoke |
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| Gulls follow us and sweep low over the ferry |
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| Our course avoids sandbars above and below the surface |
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| U.S Coast Guard on patrol The city of Ocracoke is located near the south end of the island. It's about 13 miles from the ferry landing. We had a delicious lunch at Howard's Pub. Carol had a shrimp salad sandwich and Dick had a grilled tuna sandwich. Both were exceptional. Try Howard's Pub if you're in the area. |
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| Arriving at Ocracoke (The ferry landing is the only thing at the north end of the island) |
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| Marina in city of Ocracoke |
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| Ocracoke Lighthouse |
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse in North America. It's 208 feet high. We climbed to the top (equivalent to climbing a 12 story building). Note: We had to pay to make the climb. What's wrong with this picture?
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| It sure seems like a long way up |
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| Looking up the 248 stairs |
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| View of keeper's house from the top |
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| Looking north from the top |
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| Southpoint from the top |
The shoreline is the highlight of the area.
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| Atlantic Ocean shore - looking south |
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| Atlantic Ocean shore - looking north |
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| These were the only people on the beach |
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| Except for this one (and the photographer) |
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