Billed as “The Last Great Place”, the Down East section of the Outer Banks is a “hidden in plain site” locale. Much of the area has been saved from an overabundance of tourist attractions and over-the-top commerce. The history of the area brings to light why the area is as it is.  Seafood is available in abundance and the people are friendly.  When I say friendly, I mean they tolerate outsiders. Harkers Island was not even connected to the mainland until the mid 50s. They have their own accent that sounds a bit like Australian or Elizabethan English with some southern tones mixed in.  It is charming.

Mr. Leeby Willis (pronounced lee-bee) built and operated the scallop house next to the house where we stayed during our visit to Harkers Island.  He was born and grew up on the island. We first met him shortly after we arrived on the island and he carried a binder of photos, stories, and poems related to the island and the area. He was full of stories and he enjoyed sharing them.

Shortly after crossing the Harkers Island bridge you are enveloped in the nostalgic sense that you have moved back in time. You get a sense that the world has slowed down to an enjoyable pace. There are signs of days gone by as you see the old relics of boats, nets, and fish houses that have been abandoned for years. Harkers Island has only a few stores and Billy’s Hardware and Grocery seems to be the one that is most popular. They say that if they don’t have it, you don’t need it. Everything from a fresh meat counter to all sorts of fishing tackle and bait is found at Billy’s. There are only a half dozen restaurants on the island. All of them seem to be frequented by the locals. Visitors are very welcome, but you feel like you have entered another domain where you are the outsider. Harkers Island was once a thriving fishing village. The waters are rich with life, especially when the waters warm as summer arrives. This is a place where you can relax, enjoy the food, sights, and sounds of yesterday. There are no fast food restaurants, no big box stores. You have to travel up the coast to Beaufort to find those.

Looking across the sound about a mile or so away, you can see the lighthouse on Cape Lookout. The beam of bright light flashes past your eyes every 15 seconds. The gulls are ever present as they call in varying degrees. Out on the tip of Harkers Island is the National Park Service Visitor Center at Shell Point. Small, passenger-only ferry boats take visitors out to Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout. The ferry ride is not inexpensive as it costs $15 one way to each of the outer bank islands. So, it is best to start early in the morning with plenty of food and drink packed up for a day’s visit to each of them. There is no food or drink at either of the islands. Both have restroom facilities, but no garbage cans. You pack out what you pack in.

A ferry can be taken to the south end of Shackleford Banks from Beaufort. The south end is closer to the restroom facilities on Shackleford Banks. The ferry “banks” on the sandy beach (there is no dock) and you disembark onto the shoreline of the island. Should you take the ferry from Shell Point on Harkers Island, you will be dropped off at the north end of the island. There are well over 100 wild Spanish mustangs on the island. They move around the island and most of the time you need to hike to see them. When we landed, we walked along the south side shore and over to the ocean side. We were told that the south end of the island had the most shells. We were not misdirected, there were more Whelk shells than we could possibly carry in excellent condition. The island is great for shelling. The horse are a bit shy and, by law, you are not supposed to get any closer than 500 feet of them. They are very beautiful in the pristine island setting and fun to watch as they frolic around the island on the numerous trais that they have created over time. Our visit was in May and there were no more than a dozen people on the island at the time. There is a fair amount of hiking to be done to see much of the island. The island is clean of litter and is a wonderfully natural place to spend time in.
Cape Lookout is also a short $15 one way ferry ride. The ferry ties up to a dock and you climb up the a ladder to get to the top of the dock. For $15 more, a 4 wheel drive truck will take you out to the Cape Lookout point. Unless you are interested in the 3 1/2 mile walk to the point, the $15 is well spent. The point is amazing. There is no way to actually describe the experience. The ocean seems to be all around you at the point. It is a desolate stretch of sand that defies the imagination. We took folding chairs and a lunch with us and spent several hours there. It is a fascinating place that can only be experienced. It is like you are at the very edge of the earth.

Beaufort is about a half hour’s drive from Harkers Island heading south. It is where you go to get major shopping items and seafood. It is a very historic town with various museums and shops along the waterfront. The ferry to Shackleford Banks is also located on the waterfront. We stopped in at the FishTowne Seafood Market to pickup some fish and shrimp to cook. The shrimp was big, fresh and relatively inexpensive. Although there were all manner of fish species on the iced down table, we opted for some flounder filets that were ready to cook. The great thing is that all of the seafood was fresh. These markets are located all over the area.

About a 45 minute drive north, Cedar Island Ferry will take you (and your car) on a 2 1/2 hour cruise to Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke is for tourists. It is famous as an area where Blackbeard the Pirate used to harbor. There are plenty of lodging rentals, restaurants, and fishing tackle shops there. There is also a camping area. It is a bit crowded even in the off season, but the beaches are very nice and it has an easy going atmosphere to the island. The populated area of the island which is very close to the ferry dock is the most densely populated area and is quite small. Heading north on the island takes you to beach access points and the camping area. If you get a Park Service 4 wheel drive permit and have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, you drive along the miles of beach.