Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

April 28, 2024

We are scheduled to stay on Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week. We have never been and are looking forward to it. It is a tiny spit of land separated from the mainland by Pamlico Sound. It is 16 miles long and maybe a quarter mile wide on most parts, but it widens at the south end where the small town of Ocracoke sits.

From Charlottesville it is about a 5½ hour drive to Hatteras Village where we stayed the night at Hatteras Sands Campground before taking the ferry across on Monday. Filling up with gas, a gentleman asked how we like our Airstream. He said he had all kinds of trouble with his 2022 model, and he gave me all the details. Then he talked about the ferry and how there was a wash over a couple of weeks ago. Apparently insurance doesn’t cover that kind of thing, so some people were upset. Checking into Hatteras Sands Campground, a nice young lady told us all about the community and where to eat. She also said she wouldn’t take that ferry across for anything! Now I was getting a bit nervous, but looking it up online, there was a storm with 45mph winds that washed out roads all along the outer banks. It was breezy, but only about 17mph.

After settling into our site, went for a nice dinner at Dinky’s Restaurant overlooking the harbor and ocean, a beautiful spot and a nice dinner. A stiff breeze blew off the ocean making it too chilly to walk along the docks.

The free ferry runs every hour, switching to every half hour from 10:00 to 4:00, but check the schedule on their website. We were lucky to get on the 12:30 as the line was already long, but we made it. We have taken the Airstream on a number of ferries, so I knew to watch the guy directing me and do exactly what he said. The ride was an hour and 15 minutes on a very circuitous route. These islands protect the coast from a lot of storm damage, but the storms and tides move sand around all the time.

Unloading on the other side without issue, we headed south on the narrow strip of land. Workers were busy placing huge sand bags to try to hold the ocean back. An article in the paper would later tell us they were worried about the road getting undermined. They might have to build another long bridge or move the ferry terminal. You feel like you are in the wilderness driving through the protected Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and you certainly notice the power of the sea and delicacy of these islands. Fortunately our campsite was vacant, although a couple of feet short. It was nicely shaded without any overhanging limbs, so we could put out the awnings, although it was too windy to do that now. Once we got everything settled, we drove into town to check it out. It’s a little village with a lot of history. Rt. 12 runs to the end of the island with lots of side streets to explore. To try to contain traffic, golf carts are encouraged. With hotels, B&B’s and rental houses, it stays busy, and I’m sure it is crazy in summer. There is a good selection of restaurants, a couple of places to get groceries, a very cute book store and some interesting shops.

We had an early dinner at Dajio’s, which is a popular spot, and I could see why. They have good food at a reasonable price and a full-service bar.