June Roadtrip, Day 8, Up the Coast

 Day 8

Tuesday. June 8

      Today was a travel day.  I had prebooked the 4P ferry to Ocracoke Island   Best guess, it would be a two and a half hour drive up the coast.  Easy enough.  Booking the later one meant I had no rush getting out, and plenty of time to explore along the way.

      Another great bonus of staying at my sister's place... laundry.  It's amazing how much you can accumulate in just a week on the road.  Thanks Sis!

      After working my way through quite a few construction zones and detours, I finally found my way to Hwy 17, headed north.  The first stop of the day was the town of Hamstead.  Sure, you could drive through it in about fifteen minutes.  Many people do. 

     Emmitt Sniff wanted people to notice.  He was the owner of the Sniff Plastering Company.  Using concrete and plaster, he started building sculptures that you can still see scattered along Hwy 17.  

     This model of the Cape Hatteras Light sits in the lot of a company that builds homes.

    This is in front of the church he attended.

     Hwy 17 took me inland and through the city of Jacksonville.  Outside one of the gates to the Camp Lejeune Marine Base you'll find a memorial to the Two hundred-twenty Marines who died in a terrorist attack on their Beirut barracks in 1983.  They were there as part of an international peace keeping force, when the driver of a truck drove through the gate and detonated his bomb.

   Leaving Jacksonville, I picked up Hwy 24 back towards the coast.  Hey 70 would take me the most of the way.  With still plenty of time, I took a side trip towards Atlantic Beach and Fort Macon State Park.  

    Completed in 1834, its main purpose was to protect a gap in the barrier islands known as the Beauford Inlet.  The area was attacked and plundered by Spain in 1747, and again in 1782 by the British. 

     It was also a regular stop by the pirate Blackbeard.  In 1996, his ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was discovered off shore. It had been run aground in 1718.  You can read more about the recovery effort here.

     Fort Macon was named after Senator Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina, who arranged the funding for the fort.  Ironically, part of it was designed by Robert E. Lee.  

   Just days after the Civil War began, Fort Macon was seized by Confederate forces.  One year later, the fort was back in Union hands after a lengthy bombardment.  The new, more accurate cannon proved the fort's design to be all but obsolete.  

    After the war, the fort was briefly used as a prison, but restaffed during the Spanish American War.  In the 1930's it was restored and turned over to the state as a historical park.  However, during WWII, the fort became active again.  Artillery were brought in for coastal defense.  Afterwards, the fort was turned back over to the state.

    After leaving the fort, I did make a brief visit to downtown Beaufort.  Naturally, I did stop at Fishtowne Brewhouse for a pint.  

     Along the Beaufort waterfront...

    It was time to go.  I did have a ferry to catch.  I'd rather get there a little early and walk around, than find out I missed my slot.  A sign for a deli caught my eye as I turned onto Hwy 12.  The great staff at the Beaufort Cafe fixed me right up and commented they're the last food before the ferry.

   The road dead ends at Cedar Island and the ferry terminal.  I was third in line, and as it turns out, in no danger of having my slot given away.

   There was an old, gray retaining wall by the beach.  For some reason, I found in intriguing.  

    

      

     Like I said, I was in no danger of losing my spot on the ferry...

      Just killing some time on the ride...

   Ocracoke Island, my home for the night...

      I was only here one night, so I booked a room in the only relatively cheap place on the island, a place called Blackbeard's Lodge.  It's an interesting, yet rundown sort of motel.  To get to my room, I had to walk up some stairs to the second floor and walk out to the terrace area behind the sign. Then I had to go up the outside stairs on the right, and in through the door.  Good thing it wasn't raining.  

    By the way, I had read plenty of articles about how haunted the island is.  I saw nothing out of the ordinary.  

         It felt good to leave the car at the lodge and walk out towards the harbor for sunset...

      On the walk back, I met Beverly.  She retired here and often hangs out in the harbor for sunset.  We shared a few favorites from the evening before heading our separate ways.

       Back at the motel, there was a group of four people about my age.  They were sitting on the landing by our rooms.  They were well into a fifth of Wild Turkey and having a great time.  They invited me to pull up a chair and join them.  It was an interesting conversation.  But, I passed on the whiskey.