Well, the Explorers were woken up again early by a rooster crowing. Still, they got a good night’s sleep, as camping bedtime comes early when the sun goes down. Because they are traveling light, they aren’t carrying any camping lanterns or extra gadgets. Luckily, this camp site had electricity, so they could use their phones for entertainment.
The first stop in the morning was a nearby Food Lion to get the morning sodas (caffeine) and some more protein bars. Today was a light day for biking because the Explorers needed to take two ferries to move across the islands at the southern end of the Outer Banks to get back to the mainland. There wasn’t much to see on the first 19-mile ride, just the dunes on both sides of the street. Around the 10 mile break, Captain Mark found a closed store that provided a place to rest and stretch. The ride down to Hatteras Island was fast and fun because the Explorers had a strong wind at their back. They were able to reach speeds of 15 mph (which is fast for their heavy bike laden with saddle bags).
After another 9 miles, the Explorers lined up for the first ferry. There were several of lines of cars waiting and the next ferry was still 40 minutes from departure. Luckily, being on a bike assured that the Explorers would be allowed to board the first ferry. They were pointed to a staging area for bikes and told they would be boarding after the cars. There was a marina and a little shopping area next door, so the Explorers left their bike and wandered around the Boardwalk a bit. When they returned to their bike, the cars were starting to load. They had a nice long chat with some “surfer dudes” waiting to get on the ferry in a pick-up truck full of surf boards. The surfer dudes indicated that they had seen the Explorers twice on their trip down the island, and labeled them as “their heroes”. They were very sweet and told the ferry attendants to make sure they saved room for the Explorers on the ferry.
After the cars were loaded, the Explorers pushed their bike up the ramp and found a place to secure it before going into the passenger lounge. This ferry ride was a 40 minute ride. The actual distance between the islands was not too far, but the ferry had to go out, make somewhat of a wide U-turn and head toward the next island, presumably to stay in deep enough water.
When the ferry landed, the cars were allowed off first, so the Explorers were the last ones off. It seemed that they had been dropped in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing but a ferry terminal and the road to the end of the island. Once again, the ride was remote with dunes on both sides of the island. One advantage was that there was absolutely NO traffic behind the Explorers, and wouldn’t be until the next ferry arrived, so they felt safe using more of the road instead of hugging the shoulder.
It was a 13 mile ride into Ocracoke. Once they got within 3 miles of the next ferry terminal, it began to look more like a small beach resort town. Along the beach were HUGE beach houses, and people were scurrying around in golf carts. The Explorers stopped for a late lunch at a cute waterside bar and grill called SmacNally’s. Captain Mark had a craving for fudge, so they backtracked to the Ocracoke Fudge & Ice Cream Shop that they had passed earlier. Then they headed to the ferry terminal to wait for the next ferry. This time, they were told to take a position in front of the waiting cars. As they sat on the corner, the same surfer dudes from the last ferry came whizzing by in a golf cart cheering for the Explorers.
The ferry ride from Ocracoke to Cedar Island was much longer, over 2 hours. Again, they secured their bike and moved into the passenger lounge. Because of the length of the trip, a lot of people left their cars and came up to the passenger lounge for a better view. The Explorers took advantage of more time to charge their electronics and cruise the internet until they lost their cell service around the midpoint of the ride. Gradually, cell service returned as they approached Cedar Island. There was a beautiful sunset to watch from the upper deck. By the time they reached Cedar Island, it was nearing 7:00 PM, so there was not much light left for safe travel. Always thinking ahead, Captain Mark had made a reservation at a small motel right next to the ferry terminal. It lacked signage and was none too fancy (looks more a storage unit building than a motel), but the Explorers agreed it was better than setting up a camp site in the dark. There was no office and no check-in; the Explorers let themselves in with a code that had been texted to Captain Mark. It was a modest room with comfortable beds, a small TV, a microwave and a fridge. Although it was a short day of bike riding (only 32 miles), it was a long day including the ferries and the waits for the ferries. The Explorers hit the showers and enjoyed the “luxury” of a little TV.
