The Great North Carolina
By Scott Smith
Call it a ‘poor man's cruise,* if you will, but a three-day coastal jaunt using the
state ferry system as your guide is an adventure waiting to happen.
It’s an early morning launch of!
Cedar Island with the bree/e* in your
face, seagulls hovering overhead and
nothing but bine water and Ocracoke
Island in the distance
It's a casual drive up the Outer banks
highway, N.C. 12, with a night's rest in
Manico calling your name.
It’s a wilderness ride down remote U.S.
Highway 264. with deer lurking behind
the trees and turtles diving back into
canals by the side of the road — just as
you’re about to raise* your camera.
Throw in great food, quaint coastal vil¬
lages. historic inns, sandy beaches and
wildlife at your fingertips. It all adds up
to the "Great North Carolina Ferry
Tour," a three-day coastal jaunt with the
fat Heel State's 16-boat ferry system as
your misty companion.
It can all Ik* yours over the span of a
weekend if you follow along, using the
writer and Kure Beach businessman Kip
Darling as your guides. Darling, ow ner of
the Docksider Inn. is a mcmlx*r of the
North ( Carolina Ferry System's Customer
Service Committee which oversees the
state Department of Transportation's
Ferry Division.
We started out with the idea of riding
all of the state's ferries in the span of a
few «lays, an ambitious undertaking
when you consider that with seven ferry
routes North Carolina has the country’s
second-largest ferry system behind
Washington state. With just a weekend to
spare, however, time was of the essence,
so we whittled the rides down to four.
What we found at the end of our trip
was that you can incorporate the state's
ferry system into a charming tour ol the
Seagulls are a constant companion on any
of the North Carolina ferries.
North Carolina coast, with exciting ports
of rail scattered about When you con¬
sider that four of our state’s ferries are
free, and that the lest usually cost no
more than $10 for most passenger vehi¬
cles, it’s easy to see that this is also an
inexpensive way to travel. Call it a “poor
man's cruise.” if you will. Substitute the
Pamlico Sound for the Caribbean, and
what you’re left with is a "ferry cruise" at
bargain-rate li\res.
If you haven’t taken a ride on any of
the North Carolina ferries in the last
couple of yeans, you'll Ik* pleasandy sur¬
prised at how rider-friendly they are
these days. Today’s boats are comfort¬
able and oiler great hospitality. It’s not
the "Love Boat" by any stretch, but the
crews nowadays go out of their way to
make passengers feel comfortable.
Reflecting this bright and cheery
atmosphere are the ferries themselves,
all of which arc now painted in the vari¬
ous colors of the University of North
Carolina system. It’s a bright change
from the days when they were all a col¬
orless black and white. Other changes
sol to take place in the coming months
include the addition of cellular tele¬
phones on the longer tides, educational
travel videos on the North Carolina
coast, gift shops, snack bars and eventu¬
ally telescopes on deck for sightseeing.
With more signage on the coastal roads
leading to the ferries, it’s easier to locate
and get information on the various
departure times these days. There’s even
a catchy 1-800 number to call now (1-800
BY FERRY).
"The object has been to make the ferry
system more attractive and fun to ride,"
Darling says. "They've gone from a float¬
ing piece
«Т
pavement to an attraction
that’s fun and educational."
Following is an outline of what our trip
was like. Of course, feel free to make
adjustments along the way and create
your own Great North Carolina Ferry
Tour.
STAGE ONE: Friday — Beaufort
Port of Call: Beaufort
Place To Stay: Langdon House ( 919-728 •
5/99)
Dinner: The Net House
Side Trips: Beaufort Waterfront. North
Carolina Maritime Museum
Captain's I-og: We meet in Beaufort
late Friday afternoon at the historic
I’ll,*, In I .VIurpfafMillr*
The StalcMugu'i 1945
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