We drove on to the ferry for the 2.5 hour trip to Ocracoke Island at the Southern end of the Outer Banks. This is where Blackbeard had been captured, beheaded, his head hung from the bowsprit for the 5 day journey up to Virginia to show the Governor that Blackbeard would be causing no more trouble.
Ocracoke with its lighthouse is a very pretty place. We walked around the marinas, checked out the shops and found The Flying Melon Restaurant which had been recommended to us by the crew of a local yacht charter boat. They were right...it was very good.
It was time to say goodbye to JB and Betty who were returning to Fayetteville.
We drove on Northward to the end of Ocracoke where we got on to another vehicular ferry to Hatteras Island. Drove to the Northern end admiring the scenery to Cape Hatteras the location of the famous Hatteras Lighthouse. At nearly 300 feet high it is the highest brick lighthouse in the world. It was openned in 1870, but due to the shifting sand and the danger of it being claimed by the sea it was moved in 1999 about half a km inland...a great feat of engineering. It was basically jacked up onto a sled and dragged on railway lines to its current position.
I climbed to the top to enjoy spectacular views. The Outer Banks of North Carolina are also called the graveyard of the Atlanic. In the last 400 years well over 600 vessels have come to grief along their Eastern shore.
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The only thing allowed to be picked up off the beach and kept are seashells and driftwood. There are still stories of pirates and Spanish gold being washed up after heavy weather.
After more sightseeing we arrived in Nags Head and found a motel right on the beach. We spent Monday on the beach and looking around the area. We enjoyed the architecture which is unique to the area. Nearby was the Beach Road Bar and Grill which served great chicken wings.
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