Roadtrip, Day 6...Just Passing Through

Day 6

Friday, May 23, 2025

      The drive from Atlantic Beach to Cedar Island is a little over an hour.  I had to be there by 7A to check in.  So yeah, a really early start.  

     Since I was up before the alarm, I just packed up and left.  In the end, this was the right choice.  I had the road to myself, at least in the northward direction.

     A random parking lot and boat ramp off Hwy 12.  A perfect spot to kill some time, sip my coffee and watch the sunrise.

     The email confirmation of my ticket said check in starts at 7A and to make sure I had my confirmation number.  I buzzed right through.  Not sure what was up with the guy in the truck.  But, he sure took a long time.

   Once past the booth, it was a fifteen minute wait for boarding.

     The ride is about two hours and fifteen minutes and a breeze.  Not bad for $15.

      The Ocracoke Island lighthouse from the ferry.

      The ferry would drop me off on the southern end of Ocracoke Island.  I had been here numerous times and didn't feel the need to stay overnight.  Instead, I would work my way north to the second ferry of the day.

    But first, a few stops.  Near the ferry terminal is this marker.  It talks about the Confederate forts that once guarded the island.

     The second stop was naturally the lighthouse.   During my last visit, perhaps four cars could fit in the lot.  Now there's a second lot that can hold twenty more.  

     With no real commitments ahead, I revisited a loop trail in Springer's Point. The trailhead is a quarter mile from the new lot.  If you park by the trail itself, you will get towed.

     There have definitely been improvements since the last time. I did the biggest loop trail and it was still only .8 miles.

     Walking back to the car,  I passed a lot of homes on various heights of stilts.  

    The purpose makes sense.  But, imagine a big storm coming and you have to rely on the ferry.   Imagine an entire island trying to evacuate by ferry.  

     After lunch, I hit the other trail on the island, the Hammock Hills Nature Trail.

        The trail  once ran three miles.  Hurricane Dorian changed all that in 2019.  It was recently rebuilt, though significantly shorter.  You can do the loop in about twenty minutes.

       There was no way I was coming here and not walking on the beach..

   Back on the road north to the ferry.

      The second ferry is strictly first come, first served.  If you live locally,  you can apply for a priority sticker and board first.  I missed the 2P, so I  settled in with some friends to wait.

      This time of year, ferries run every half hour.  The trip takes an hour and a quarter.  Easy enough.

     Don't be surprised to see multiple ferries headed the other way.  I saw two.

     The ferry trip ends on Hatteras Island.  

     Obviously, my first stop was the Cape Hatteras Light Station.  I knew it was closed for renovation.  I just wasn't expecting this...

 

         There's a short trail that starts from the parking lot.  Even with it being only 3/4 of a mile, after the ferry ride, it felt good.

     My home for the night was the Hatteras Island Inn, a surprisingly nice place for the price.  

          Sunset from Hatteras Island..