Wednesday, October 8 - Day 21

Pamlico Sound to Nags Head

It's a little after 5am, dark, and I am sitting at a table on our balcony. The sky is cloudless and it's about 70F. The wind is high and the surf is a continuous roar. The moon is just coming into the earth's shadow, beginning the total eclipse. It is supposed to be a blood moon. (Later) I watched the moon for about half hour, slow eclipse, and decided to go back to bed. Got up about 6:30 and it was full eclipse and a blood moon. Lisa got up to see it also. I don't know if she got a photo but since she has photographed everything else, the odds are good that she did.  (She did not.)

 

After she beach combed this morning, we left early for Cedar Island whence one catches the ferry to Ocracoke Island. Only $15 for a 2 ½ hour ferry ride in a long crescent to the Island. Recall the unfriendly Welcome Lady at the Visitor Center. When we inquired about the ferry 3 days ago, she said we did not need a reservation (the literature said reservations were necessary). We believed her. We arrived at the ferry terminal at Cedar Island an hour and a half before the 10:30 departure and were the second in line. “No reservation? Well the ferry is full. Next one is at 1pm. But we might have some cancellations.” Lisa talked me out of driving back to the Visitors' Center. It's a long story but Lisa, being Lisa, made friends with the First Mate (female) of the ferry. She guaranteed we would get onboard. There was a long line of those without reservations and some absolutely huge trucks and a parking lot full of cars with reservations but we were the second to last one on board, and the last vehicle off the ferry in Ocracoke. Then we drove the 12 miles to the ferry to Hatteras, long line, big trucks and we were the last vehicle allowed on board. Unreal luck. Gotta get a lottery ticket!

 

Enough of the ferry dust. We stopped at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and climbed its 284 steps (plus the 11 leading up to the entrance. I want this on the record.) It is the tallest brick ….house (that's lighthouse) in the world. Built in 1870 it stood 1500 feet from the shore. By 1990 it was only 80 ft from the shore so they moved it back another 1500 feet to where is stands today. They actually moved this brick....house that far without demolishing it. It really is a beautiful structure. 

We had some more seafood for dinner (so what's new!) and found our hotel, 7^th floor, oceanside, balcony, waves pounding (so what's new!) Peel me a grape!

UPDATE: Photos for Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4 are posted on their page.

Photos: from sunrise to moonrise 1-2 sunrise; 3 - crammed onto ferry to Ocracoke; 4-7 - Hatteras Light; 8-9 - view from top of lighthouse; 10 - effects of the sunset - I like to call it cotton candy sky with the light pink and blue; 11-12 - moonrise; 13 - moon reflecting on the water