April 30, 2024
We had a relaxing morning before going to explore the beach. The wind was still blowing about 17mph, but it was warming up from the 64 degrees we woke up to. We walked out the back of our campsite and climbed the steep dune for a view of the campground and a gorgeous beach at low tide.
We walked south until we reached a sign telling us not to walk further as it was a bird nesting area. The water was cold and rough, but it was fine after the initial shock. We only saw a few people. A couple were tucked in between dunes for protection from the wind. Rarely do you find a beach this pretty with so few people on it. the island is 16 miles long, so that gives plenty of room for people to spread out.
We changed clothes and rode our bikes 3 miles into town. We turned down Lighthouse Road to find the lovely Ocracoke lighthouse that still functions. We were met by a nice guide, Marilee, who was from Virginia. She and her husband come down every year. The lighthouse was built with bricks made on the mainland and shipped over in 1823. It is the second oldest continuously functioning lighthouse in the country and can be seen 14 miles off shore. The keeper’s quarters are seen on the right.
We talked with Marilee quite a while. She told us about the restaurants and her favorites. She also told us to go the end of the road and walk through the forest to Springer’s Point. We rode to the right, finding Springer’s Nature Preserve and put our bikes in a rack. Seems like there are bike racks everywhere and it’s a good way to get around on these small streets. There is a loop trail through a pretty hammock (a stand of trees surrounded by areas of water) and out to a nice beach on Pamlico Sound. Kids were swimming and playing the shallow waters in contrast to the rough waters on the ocean today.
We rode through some of the neighborhoods before going out to Rt. 12. On Marilee’s suggestion, we went to Smacknally’s Bar and Grill for lunch, again putting our bikes in a stand. It’s all outdoor seating at Smacknally’s with views of the harbor and the boats. It was a little cool sitting in the shade with breezes off the water, so I kept moving into the sun to stay warm. It was a busy place at lunchtime, but the service was good and so was the food. I had a fish (drum) sandwich and Martha had a shrimp basket.
On the way back to the campground we stopped at the coolest bookstore, Books To Be Red. Martha needed a new book, and apparently found a good one.
Back at Ocracoke Campground, which is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, it was time for a shower. As is the custom in most national parks, there are no hookups. Fortunately Lew Farber’s addition of two more solar panels was serving us well, as there was never an issue with power. Water was a different thing with 36 gallons to last a week, so two of us taking showers might be a problem,
The campground has showers, but with no hot water. I went to Camp Yonahnoka in Linville, NC where the showers were trout stream cold. the trick was to jump in, get wet and get out, lather up half the body, rinse off, jump out, lather he other half and rinse again. By the third rinse, the body became acclimated and it wasn’t a problem, but that first plunge took some fortitude. The same technique worked fine. The water was cold, but not Yonahnoka cold. Martha took a shower in the trailer, but I had to fuss at her for using too much water.
As I sampled my glass of wine, I thought about “The Old Cowboy Ranch” in British Columbia. It is the most unique campground I have ever been in, and their shower was pretty cool. It was an outdoor shower with a fence around it. Water was pumped into a rather large plastic tank on a roof above the shower. It was best not to shower in the morning, but rather in the afternoon when the sun had enough time to warm the water. It was all gravity pressure and it worked well. However, if you went in after two or three others, the water wasn’t going to be so warm, as fresh water was pumped in. Timing was everything. You might look up to see a peacock watching you as they had free rein of the property. You can find their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oldcowboyranch/ or on my old blog https://fishacrosscanada.wordpress.com/2013/07/
