Ocracoke, North Carolina – There’s no bridge to Ocracoke Island – only the ferry services from Hatteras and from the mainland. The relative isolation has protected this idyllic place from overdevelopment and from influxes of outsiders (known locally as “dingbatters”). It also doesn’t hurt that the National Park Service owns and protects the island’s 16 miles of coastline. As a result, Ocracoke feels like a piece of preserved history, where the same families have lived for generations. Some older residents even speak in the 17th-century dialect, aka “Hoi Toide”.
The island’s unofficial historian, Philip Howard is a descendent of William Howard, the first European owner and settler of Ocracoke. I took a walk around the island, following his walking tour on Ocracoke Navigator. I really enjoyed the anecdotes and quirky characters, offering insights into Ocracoke history, culture and island life. Highlights included the island’s small museums, the lighthouse, and hiking through the lush habitats at Springer’s Point Preserve.
This place hangs on tight to its history and the families that have lived here for generations. Here, family cemeteries are still the norm – small plots in the corners of private property where loved ones are laid to rest, creating a genealogical record of the place over the centuries.
