By Dray Breezy
November 15,2020
Ocracoke has a rich, exciting backstory.
Ocracoke was the stomping grounds for the infamous pirate Blackbeard. He began terrorizing merchant vessels outside of Ocracoke in 1716, in the Pamlico sound until his untimely death by beheading in 1718. Legend states that his treasure is still buried somewhere in Springer’s Point, if you go there and listen really closely, you can hear the ghost of Blackbeard searching for his head.
Our next stop on this unplanned journey was the Ocracoke Lighthouse. Getting to Ocracoke Island is only possible via ferry, so I woke up significantly past sunrise and drove a half a mile down the main road in Hatteras village to wait. I’m not sure of the schedule of the ferry, they appear to run continuously. I ended up waiting about 45 minutes for the next departure. I was actually the first in line, which was great for the photos. After waiting for the ferry to reach capacity, you’ll hear the rumble signaling that the ferry’s engine has started.
Your vehicle will shake and wobble which is acutely unsettling, but you’re allowed to leave your car as soon as the ferry begins cruising down the Pamlico Sound. Strangely enough this ferry wasn’t the most proactive in regards to social distancing, but I made sure to let all my fairer skinned counterparts to keep it six feet if they didn’t want problems. I brought my binoculars which provided a heightened level of fun, taking nature watching and people watching to a new level. There are bathrooms on the ferry, but honestly I would figure all that stuff out before you get on the boat. There are landmarks that you pass by and having binoculars allows you to see the specific detail in the birds and the shore as well as people watch on the boat. I noticed the water around the islands is actually not that deep and the ferry has a lot more maneuverability then I would have expected. Even in November, the weather was beautiful, the temperature a calm and steady 69 degrees.
This ferry ride might have been my first, there’s a certain amount of comfort that’s involved when you can just ultimately go back in your car chill out and relax. There’s no pressure to make new friends and meet new people and ultimately I spent most of the time in my truck with my binoculars and my phone, learning more about these unique landscapes.
Ocracoke, the playground of the infamous Blackbeard
The ferry drops its passengers on the east side of the island, Ocracoke village neighbors the west end of the island, which is about 13 miles down Highway 12. Ocracoke Village is the only town on the island. Finding the Ocracoke Lighthouse wasn’t difficult, honestly finding anything in the age of GPS isn’t too challenging.
Click here to read about Springer’s Point Nature Reserve
What’s wild about the Ocracoke Lighthouse is that it’s literally in a quaint, residential neighborhood. I pulled onto a small street (lighthouse st) that’s too small for buses. Drive about a half a mile, and then boom there it is! A clean egg shell white lighthouse… which shares a lawn with someone’s backyard. This tower was cute, not as majestic as the Hatteras lighthouse but containing a simple charm to its aesthetic. I chose a time when no one else came to visit which is always lovely.
There was a little bit of maintenance going on with the lighthouse, I overheard one of the mechanics raging against liberals and how they foolishly want love, harmony, and peace in the world. It was a sharp reminder that America is currently in the midst of a political coup and VERY politically divided.
OCRACOKE is OCRADope.
The town of Ocracoke was by far my favorite in the Outer Banks. Ocracoke Village has a small town NC feel but everyone’s a hippie surfer or wakeboarder at their core. The village of Ocracoke has a surprisingly large number of brown folk, mostly Latino, which was surprising and encouraging to see. Island communities have a certain relaxed vibe that is refreshing amidst the political madness of the election cycle. I felt absolutely no rush to get from point A to B and that is a refreshing juxtaposition from the city life. Masks are enforced, I felt the community was on the same page about the severity of coronavirus.
Ocracoke Island…is an island, so it’s all beach. Highway 12, which connects the entire island has multiple beach entry points. I choose the beach closest to Ocracoke village and it did not disappoint. Ocracoke’s beaches have a steady breeze and every breath of air felt fresh and free. I felt comfortable enough to leave all my valuables on the beach while I took a lunch break back in my truck. There was some type of surveillance aircraft keeping eye on the beach, I have a video of those interactions here. After a quick burger at Ocracoke Oyster Company ( I know, I wasn’t in the mood for oysters), I decided to finish this article at 1718 Brewing company where I had a delicious half pint of New Belgium’s Hazy IPA. As the cool, saline breeze wanders over my fingertips, the same air that floated over the tips of the Indigenous people that inhabited these lands in the 16th century and before, the same breeze that Blackbeard used to plunder and loot, and now this breeze has found you.
3 thoughts on “Ocracoke is OcraDOPE”
Good stuff, I anticipate reading even more.
Thank you, plan a trip buddy. I’ll show you around
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