Ocracoke Day Trip

There is no better escape than a day trip to Ocracoke Island. My family loves to go there. I know we live on an island but there is just something special about Ocracoke. It makes even a day trip feel like a real vacation. We always try to hit the Ferry line early. My family's most recent trip was to celebrate my daughter's birthday. It was her choice for a fun day of family. My mother in law was also in town and it was a great activity to do with her.

The Ferry ride marks the beginning of the "mini vacation". As always, it is crowded in the summer but a little patience results in a fun ride over the water. I like to ride the ferry while standing along the rail. Mostly because I get sea sick if I stay in the car but also because I have seen some amazing things swimming or floating past the boat. This was no exception as we saw hundreds of little fish swimming along side of the ferry.

After unloading in Ocracoke, the first stop is always Ocracoke Village and our favorite restaurant, The Jolly Roger. For many reading this blog you will have your own favorite, but for us, The Jolly Roger is tops. We love the outdoor atmosphere, the friendly wait staff, the view of the harbor and the food! After filling ourselves to capacity, we headed out for a browsing of the shops. My daughter's favorite store anywhere is a bookstore so we stopped in to Books to be Red. What a great book store and more. They have beautiful pottery and a fun kids room in the back with all kinds of kids books and craft ideas. No trip to Ocracoke is complete without ice cream. So after a little walking, we headed off to find some ice cream. With dessert and shopping complete, it was time for the beach.

On Ocracoke, there are only two ways to get to the beach: drive out or park and walk. We decided to park and walk over. The least crowded spot was the access ramp across from the Ocracoke wild pony pasture. Being horse owners ourselves, we always like to see how the Ocracoke ponies are doing. It is great to see them looking healthy and happy. The parking lot there has a nice wooden walkway that is also handicapped accessible. Time for the sunscreen and bathing suits. We hit the surf, which was surprisingly cold for July and did some boogie boarding and body surfing. The beaches in Ocracoke are similar to Hatteras in that they are not too crowded and are usually clean. This beach was no exception. My mother in law, who can not swim well, was pleased to find the water was not too deep and even she could enjoy the waves with the family.

All too soon it was time to head home. After drying off and reloading the car, it was a short drive back to the ferry line. We like to guess how many ferry's will come and go before we make it on. While we waited, we played games and some took naps. All in all, it was a very successful trip to Ocracoke and one we will make many times again.

Blog entry by Suzie Scholten, Associate Broker, Midgett Realty.