Since we started this trip - and maybe even long before - we had heard about the island of Ocracoke. It is a must-see stop, and maybe even plan several days there. We put it in the planning, and weren't disappointed.

The late start that we got from River Dunes meant that we were traveling well past the 3 pm that was essentially the travel time of that day. Beyond 3 and the wind was really picking up. In a big body of water like the Pamlico Sound, that means the water is rolling and wavy. Some of the waves got to be 3-4 ft, and the occasional roller of 5 ft wasn't unusual. Not particularly dangerous, but really annoying when it knocks things off of shelves. lol

This went on for 2+ hours, out in the water, with no land in sight. On the plus side, the water surrounding us was anywhere from 4 to 10 ft deep. Honestly, it only looks like there's a lot of water on the east coast.... it's all just deep puddles...lol. We made it to Ocracoke around 6, and paid for a marina. We met up with some other loopers that we had met at a previous stop and went out to dinner with them. Pretty fun evening, and made some new friends too. They were: Greg and Kathie on Passages, Pete and Anne on Irish Hurricane, Billy and Sara on Coconuts (the folks we already knew) and HD and Patti on Sea Breeze. We've traveled with HD and Patti since...... only leaving them near the Albemarle Sound.

Next day we rented a golf cart to explore the island. We went to the museum, the oldest restaurant on the island, the grocery store/Ace hardware, and several landmarks. This is the place that Blackbeard met his ultimate demise, and there are many stories about it. Teach's Hole is allegedly where he was beheaded and his ship sank. They tricked him into going aground (easy to do there) and then captured him. If you're interested, look up the history of privateering in this country... it's fascinating.

We also went to Springer's Point Preserve. This is a beautiful hiking area that ends up at or near Teach's Hole, on the beach. The pictures were great. Lots of poison ivy, and biting critters off the trail, so we stayed on the trail for sure. Lots of warning signs.

All in all.... another island with tons of stories. Its my 2nd favorite island, after Mackinac Island. It was a great place, and a great place to enjoy our wedding anniversary. There was a choice to be made, of head north up the outer banks of North Carolina (to Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, Manteo, etc) or head back across the Pamlico Sound to Belhaven. We chose Belhaven, mainly because the islands are all pretty similar and more touristy than we care for.

Off we went, back across the Pamlico Sound. I was super excited to go across it, because I might see the Northern Right Whales that live in the area, or maybe the giant great white shark that has been spotted around there. As it turns out, its too shallow for either, but we did see a few schools (pods?) of dolphins, which is cool enough.