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Touring Adventure - Outerbanks of NC
March 2002 |
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Left Washington a little after 8am. Had to shop for plastic bags at WalMart to protect our stuff from the expected rain. Headed easterly on 264, then took 92 thru Bath and headed to the ferry at Bayview. This is one of the ferry's that you need to plan your arrival time for, because it only runs every 2 hours or so. We made the 9:10 ferry to Aurora, crossing the Pamlico River in 30 minutes. While making the crossing you can see the large phosphate mines on the south side of the river where many fossils are uncovered. Getting off the ferry we took 306 south to Aurora and visited the Aurora Fossil Museum, located on Main Street. The most unique thing at the museum was the giant sand pile located across the street where you can dig for your own free shark teeth. When the pile has been well dug through, the folks at the mine bring in a fresh load of sand. You can also buy shark teeth at the museum or sweet talk the host and he'll give you a couple freebees. We even purchased raffle tickets for a huge shark tooth. After touring the museum we took 33 east riding through mostly farmlands and then took 304 south passing the rural fishing villages of Mesic, Hollyville, Maribel, and the always popular Swan Comen. Here we would see small cuts in the marsh that lead from the town out to the Palmlico Sound. At Bayboro, a much larger fishing village, we took 55 south to Oriental. This small village on the sound caters primarily to tourists and was more upscale than any of the towns we had seen all day on the mainland side. The town boasts that it has more sailboats than people. You can get a room at the Oriental Marina for $64 March thru April and October through November, and more in the summer. The rooms are nice and overlook the Marina. There is a restaurant, two bars, a pool, and lots of docking facilities. The owner said rooms are scarce during the summer, so we highly recommend making reservations. We shopped at the Oriental Treasures store across the street, which had several dragon items that Nancy couldn't pass up. The dragon is the official town mascot...we knew there was a reason we wanted to come to Oriental. We than had a great cup of red-eye coffee at The Bean where you can also check your email ($3 for 30 minutes). We answered some 160 E-mails while we were there. We had lunch at Ms Sils Restaurant and Fish Market. The fried flounder was excellent and we shared a table and conversation with John and Jean, cycle riders from Massachusetts. As we were leaving, two fisherman where shaking fish from their nets - with fish two-feet deep in their boat. The fish were Menhadden and used to bait crab traps. Leaving Oriental on 1308 west, we then took 1302 North and 1005 West to Hwy 306 at Arapahoe. Then 306 south to Minnesott Beach for the next ferry across the Neuse River. On this ferry ride you can see Marine Corps planes landing and taking off at the nearby Cherry Point Air Station. Here we caught the rain, but we didn't let it bother us since we were only an hour from our destination at Atlantic Beach. We took 306 south and then 101 east to Beaufort. Then taking 70 east and 58 to our Atlantis Motel. TRIP SUMMARY This loop around the Sound had many varying points of interests. There was a lot of history to see, but the roads would not suit many riders. You have to be in a touring mode, taking your time, and enjoying the sights. There were a few awesome straight-aways for those looking for raw speed, but we found ourselves hungry for some curves. We satisfied our hunger by eating as much fresh fish as we could find. This would be a great loop for several couples, or even a group of guys who weren't looking for challenging roads. There are lots of bars, lots of fresh fish, and lots of salty characters. We were welcomed everywhere we went, and spoke with many of the locals - some had even heard of Deals Gap. We were also amazed and the cleanliness of the area - very little garbage along the roadways. Other areas, including our own Graham County, could learn from this part of the country. Highlights of the trip.... The ferry rides were interesting and help break up the long rides. The scenic bridge crossings - we wanted to stop and take pictures but couldn't !!! You can see the ocean, the sound, sand bars, swamps. Nancy was fascinated by the lighthouses, which offered collectors pins and patches along with their fascinating history. Stopping at the lighthouses broke up the trip into segments - going from lighthouse to lighthouse as the journey progressed. The area is so rich with history - the lighthouses, the Wright Brothers, the Lost Colony, the fossil museum, Civil and Revolutionary War history, and many things we didn't have time to stop for. This area might be too crowded (for us) from May through August when tourists flock to the coast. We much prefer the off-season for our explorations. We wished we would have spent more time exploring Okracoke, but after the two hour ferry ride we were anxious to ride to find a place to picnic. Our other favorite town was Oriental - the small fishing and sailing village on the mainland. One thing that caught our attention was the contrasts that we found; areas that looked like they haven't changed in decades, rural districts with poor people squeaking out a meager living from the fishing and farming industries, multi-million dollar summer homes on the ocean lined-up for as far as you can see, the typical fast food strips, deserted highways where you won't see a car for an hour, and quaint towns with their own distinct personality. |
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