By Jared Harding Wilson
Ocracoke Island, a radiant gem in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, has woven its spell on us twice with its pirate legends, Atlantic allure, and coastal charm. In early September 2025, we returned for another unforgettable escape, building on our first trip’s discoveries of wild Banker ponies and the haunting British Cemetery. This time, we added new delights like the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum and a delicious meal at Dajio Restaurant, alongside favorites like beach days, campsite kabobs, and sacred stops at the Raleigh North Carolina Temple and Harkers Island LDS Chapel. Our journey began with moonlit canoeing in Beaufort, NC, and a ferry picnic, making this a perfect blend of nostalgia and new adventures. Here’s our tale, sprinkled with fun trivia and a swashbuckling Blackbeard story. Did we unearth pirate treasure? Join us to find out!
Moonlit Canoeing in Beaufort, NC
Our adventure kicked off camping in Beaufort, NC, where the Pamlico Sound set the stage for a magical night. On September 6, 2025, the night before the full moon, we canoed under a nearly full, silvery glow, tiny frogs bobbing like lanterns on the water’s surface, their croaks a nighttime symphony. It was a spellbinding start, like gliding through a starlit dream, priming us for our Outer Banks escape.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Founded in 1709, Beaufort is North Carolina’s third-oldest town and an Outer Banks gateway. Its Intracoastal Waterway teems with wildlife, making moonlit canoeing a bucket-list thrill.
Ferry Picnic to Ocracoke Island
From Beaufort, we boarded the 2.5-hour Cedar Island–Ocracoke ferry, a breezy journey across the Pamlico Sound. We wandered the decks, sea air in our lungs, and spread a picnic in the open upstairs lounge—sandwiches, salty chips, and endless ocean vistas. It was a joyful repeat of our first ferry ride, setting the stage for Ocracoke’s charm.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Since 1963, this ferry has crossed waters once prowled by pirates. It’s a 12-mile ride where dolphins might dance alongside—or perhaps Blackbeard’s ghost!
Beach Days & Campsite Kabobs on Ocracoke
Landing on Ocracoke, we pitched our tent at the National Park Service’s beachside campground, nestled among dunes and sea oats. We dove into the warm Atlantic, letting waves wash away the mainland’s hustle, just as we did on our first trip. Unlike then, we skipped the cemetery and ponies this time, focusing on sandy bliss. I went back up to Sand dunes to see the full moon above the ocean at night, and it was magic!
On our final night, we grilled shish kabobs with shrimp and Blue Fin fish fillets from the Ocracoke Seafood Company, the smoky flavors blending with Piggly Wiggly Fresh vegetables and the starry island sky—a coastal feast we loved repeating.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Ocracoke’s campground, open April to October, offers 136 sites near the beach. The Ocracoke Seafood Company, born in 2006, delivers fresh, sustainable catches, turning campfires into culinary delights.
Savoring Coastal Flavors at Dajio Restaurant
A new highlight this trip was dining at Dajio Restaurant, a cozy Ocracoke spot where we savored fresh, local seafood with a creative twist—think shrimp tacos and fish specials bursting with island flavor. The warm vibe and tasty dishes made it a standout addition to our Ocracoke memories.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Opened in 2004, Dajio (named for owners Doug, Judy, and son Ian) sources ingredients from local waters and farms, blending coastal cuisine with a laid-back island atmosphere—a true Ocracoke gem.
Charming Pages at Books to Be Red Bookstore
Tucked away like a hidden chapter in a seaside novel, we stumbled upon Books to Be Red, Ocracoke’s adorable independent bookstore housed in a quaint 1898 cottage on School Road. Shaded by live oaks and cedar trees, this cozy nook brimmed with new and used books—beach reads, pirate lore, local histories, and hidden activities—plus handcrafted pottery from Deepwater Pottery, whimsical gifts, and scented candles that smelled like salty sunsets. We lost an hour (okay, two) browsing shelves, chatting with the friendly owner about Blackbeard bestsellers, and snagging a stack of Outer Banks mysteries to fuel our campfire chats. It’s the kind of spot where time slows, pages turn, and island magic unfolds one story at a time.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: As Ocracoke’s only full-service indie bookstore, Books to Be Red has been delighting readers for over three decades, blending literary gems with local artisan crafts in its historic home—perfect for stocking up on reads before your next pony chase or temple trek!
Exploring Ocracoke’s Past at the Preservation Society Museum
This trip marked our first visit to the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum, a 1900s-era home brimming with vintage photos, fishing gear, and the melodic Ocracoke Brogue—a piratey blend of British and Scottish accents. Run by passionate locals, it’s a love letter to the island’s heritage.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Housed in the saved David Williams House (opened 1992, founded 1983), this museum captures Ocracoke’s quirky charm. The brogue sounds like a chat with Blackbeard’s crew over grog.
British Cemetery’s Haunting Tale
On our first visit, we explored the Ocracoke Cemetery, where the British Cemetery’s story gripped us, honoring four Royal Navy sailors from the HMT Bedfordshire, sunk by a German U-boat on May 11, 1942, and buried with care by islanders. We skipped it this time, but its poignant history lingered.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Annual bagpipe ceremonies honor the 37 lost crewmen, tying Ocracoke’s shores to global sacrifice—a testament to the island’s enduring spirit. [0]
Wild Banker Ponies: A First-Trip Memory
Our first Ocracoke trip left us enchanted by the wild Banker ponies, Spanish mustang descendants we spotted grazing the dunes. Though we didn’t see them this time, their shaggy manes and free spirit remain a cherished memory, with only about 17 purebreds left.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Built tough with extra vertebrae, these ponies thrive in harsh dunes. Managed by the National Park Service since the 1950s, they spark tales of pirate riders—a living slice of Ocracoke history.
Blackbeard’s Shadow: A Swashbuckling Saga on Ocracoke
Now, for the salty heart of our trip: the ghost of Blackbeard himself. Edward Teach, the dread pirate with a beard like tangled seaweed lit by cannon fuses, made Ocracoke his rowdy retreat in 1718. He’d blockade the inlet, plundering ships during the Golden Age of Piracy, all while courting favor (and a shady pardon) from North Carolina’s governor. But treachery brewed—Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood dispatched Lt. Robert Maynard to end the terror. On November 22, 1718, in a blood-soaked clash at Ocracoke Inlet (now hauntingly called Teach’s Hole), Blackbeard fought like a demon, reportedly taking five gunshot wounds and 20 sword slashes before Maynard beheaded him. Legend says his headless body swam circles around the sloop, searching for its noggin, while the head dangled from the bowsprit as a grisly trophy. Shiver me timbers—that’s pirate poetry!
And the house? Ah, the eternal Blackbeard Ocracoke mystery. Folklore pins his lair on a brick ruin near Springer’s Point, but skeptics say the Old Brick House (built 1750, post-beheading) is a red herring. We ventured to the outskirts, poking through overgrown paths, and—jackpot!—unearthed remnants of old bricks and rusted iron half-buried in the sand. Was it Blackbeard’s? A fisherman’s hut? Our imaginations ran wild with buried booty dreams. Either way, it felt like channeling the captain’s cunning spirit under the live oaks.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, wrecked off Beaufort in 1718 (now a diver’s delight), but Ocracoke was his endgame HQ. His “terror tactics”—slow matches in his beard for smoky menace—made him more myth than man, inspiring everything from tattoos to Pirates of the Caribbean. (Check the photo below of the Ocracoke Lighthouse, glowing like a beacon over what might’ve been his watery grave!)
Fun Trivia Tidbit (Lighthouse Edition): Commissioned in 1823, this 75-foot sentinel is North Carolina’s oldest operating lighthouse and the U.S.‘s second-oldest. Unlike coastal cousins, it’s an “inlet light,” battling shifting shoals to guide ships through Ocracoke’s tricky passage—built just after Blackbeard’s ghost started rattling chains!
Sunday Worship at Harkers Island LDS Chapel
We ferried to Harkers Island for Sunday services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel, its polished oak pews and stained-glass glow a warm embrace. The intricate woodwork, like a shipwright’s masterpiece, soothed our souls. A definite must revisit upon our return.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Born from tragedy’s triumph, the chapel traces to 1899’s killer hurricanes that razed nearby Diamond City, sending refugees to Harkers. LDS missionaries came in, converting droves—by 1900, LDS folks outnumbered Methodists! The current building rose in 1960, seating 250 in a ward that’s one of the East Coast’s highest per-capita Church of Jesus Christ hubs, sometimes called Mormons. It’s a testament to faith forged in storms, with sixth-generation families still filling the seats.
Sacred Serenity at the Raleigh North Carolina Temple
Before flying home to Utah, we attended an endowment session at the Raleigh North Carolina Temple, a sacred haven for temple recommend holders. The grounds, lush with azaleas and dogwoods, invite everyone to stroll and feel a loving Father in Heaven’s presence—a serene cap to our journey.
Fun Trivia Tidbit: Dedicated on December 18, 1999, by President Gordon B. Hinckley, this 10,700-square-foot temple was North Carolina’s first, welcoming thousands annually to its serene grounds. Its classic design, with a single spire and granite exterior, reflects timeless peace, drawing visitors for reflection amid blooming magnolias.
Ocracoke, you’re a coastal dream that keeps calling us back! From Outer Banks camping to wild ponies and sacred moments, this North Carolina island escape left us spellbound. Visit these spots for your own Ocracoke vacation. What’s your favorite beachside adventure? Share below!
Photos by Jared Harding Wilson. All rights reserved.
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