Blackbeard’s Post at Okracoke Island, NC

The pirate Blackbeard met his death here long ago but the island will likely never let him go, as seen by the stories and sites steeped in his history and adventure. If your idea of a cheap vacation is camping, the National Park Service operates the camping area, and you are steps from the ocean inside the Cape Hatteras National Seashore if you stay at the Okracoke campground. The village of Okracoke is a couple miles away. Wild ponies used to roam here and are not monitored by the National Park Service and are penned about 7 miles out of the village. Ocracoke Island is reached by boat, private plane or ferry. There are over 16 miles of beach here and Ocracoke Beach was named America’s best beach in 2007 by Dr. Beach. The town is comprised of 700 people who call this island home.

Take a boat tour with Portsmouth Island Boat Tours, to explore Blackbeard’s old hideout, take a peak in the ghost village at Portsmouth Island, go shelling, or watch the dolphins on dolphin cruises. austinboattours.com

Is your family big into ATV’s. Here’s a chance for everyone to get on board one and explore the historic sites. portsmouthislandatvs.com Go parasailing or for the tamer members, rent bikes and see the island.

See the second oldest lighthouse in the U.S. that has had continual service, first lit in 1823. It still serves boats today.

If you are into kite surfing, kitebeaches.com shows a detailed map of this stretch of beach and the best sections to surf.

Okracoke campground: as noted, you are close to the ocean here. You also have cold showers, modern toilets, drinking water, grills, picnic tables. They recommend bringing extra long tent pegs if you tent and mosquito repellent. Charge per night is 23.00. 1-800-365-CAMP. There are actually four campgrounds with Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and you can pay as little as 20.00 depending which one you camp at.

Another campground is Teeters’s and the reviews are mixed on this but it is close to the center of the village and so everything is easily accessed.

For 900.00 per week in the summer, you can stay up to six people at the Pony Island cottages, which will allow you to handle as many meals as you want and with more space and privacy, then the motels rooms that don’t have the kitchens. Or you can splurge at the Blackbeard Inn which is the oldest hotel on the island, and is about double the price of the Pony Island accommodations during the summer.

Directions: From Raleigh, NC, take US 264 by Wilson, Greenville, Washington (NC) to Swan Quarter. The ferry ride is almost 3 hours long. From the northern Outer Banks and Hatteras, go down NC 12 down the Outer Banks, and cross the Bonner Bridge at Oregon Inlet. Keep going on NC 12 to the village of Hatteras on the southern tip of Hatteras Island. The ferry ride is 40 minutes to Ocracoke.

Ocracoke Ferry departures, 1-800-345-1665

or 1-800-BY FERRY (1-800-293-3779).