On Friday afternoon, October 26th, we picked Brittany up at school for the LOOOONNG ride to Cedar Island where we would spend the night and make the 9am ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke. The Driftwood Inn really had nothing to recommend it but it's location to the Ferry Landing and what with the pouring rain (yes we actually finally got some rain - only that weekend and none since and none in the forecast) and all we finally made it there about midnight. We unfortunately passed through Morehead City after dark so we weren't able to share with Brittany Mike's home town. Not only was it midnight when we arrived in the rain at Cedar Island but it was 80 degrees and the mosquitos greeted us like long lost friends. Brittany spent half an hour in the room swatting them to try and clear the room.

As the girl at the reservation desk made an alusion to the Grill being closed by the time we would arrive I assumed we would have some place for breakfast ... think again! Up the road to the little grocery store to grab what we could find to hold us over to lunch and then in line for the ferry's (late) departure from Cedar Island to Ocracoke. They were on their winter schedule so the ferrys were spaced much further apart so it was either 7am or 9:30am and none of us we up for a 7am departure.

The quaint village of Ocracoke (somewhat under water from the previous day's rain) is located on the island's southern soundside, and includes the 1823 Ocracoke Lighthouse (which we stopped to visit and Brittany got soaked in a puddle and picked up a baby turtle as well). The British Cemetery, the Banker Ponies and dozens of unique shops provide the visitor with an interesting pastime. We didn't spend alot of time in Ocrakoke - just stopped for lunch at a place called the Flying Melon and had a really good lunch and then started up the roadway (only one way to go from there - north) to the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry crossing (shorter crossing, smaller and SLOWER ferry). Lots of sand dunes and ocean along the way. We stopped periodically along the way and spent a considerable amount of time at the Hattarras Light House at it's new location. The only other time I had seen it, it was in the processes of being moved from it's old eroding sight to the new one. It was closed for the season (much to Brittany's relief) so we didn't make the climb to the top.

We continued our way up the coast passing through many small towns and finally ended up at supper time at Nags Head, NC - across from Roanoke Island. The Seafoam Motel where we stayed had one great thing going for it ... the ocean was roaring right off our balcony. Brittany was thrilled and out looking for sea shells. We found a pizza place for supper, a Claire's for a new pair of earrings for Brittany as she lost one somewhere along the way and a Coach Outlet were I found a good bargain (with second thoughts).

Sunday morning we headed further north to the end of the road - Corolla. That's as far as the road goes and you run right into the beach and the ocean. So we turned around and found the Corolla Outback Adventures. Jay took us on a wonderful guided tour of the sand dunes, beaches and finally the Spanish Mustangs. The herd is now up to 100 and are protected. As it had rained and cooled down from the cold front that went through they were more scattered rather than gathered in the shade but he managed to find 4 of them for us. Brittany and I just snapped away and what got posted is only a smattering of the number of pictures we took.

The wild horses of the Currituck Outer Banks have survived nearly 500 years of fierce Nor’easters and hurricanes. They are truly representative of the Outer Banks spirit – untamed and rugged – and are an integral part of what draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the northern beaches every year. Nowhere else can you see wild Mustangs walking along the beach and grazing among beach homes.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund was formed in 1989 by a group of concerned citizens to heighten awareness about the presence of wild horses in the area. As the Currituck Outer Banks became more and more developed, twenty horses were killed or injured by vehicles on Highway 12. Operating under the Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc., the Corolla Wild Horse Fund worked with Currituck County, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and the NC Estuarine Research Reserve to have 12,000 acres of the northern-most beaches defined as a horse sanctuary. By 1996, the remaining horses were relocated behind two sound-to-sea fences. The Fund incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit charity in 2001. Our sole mission is to protect and preserve the last remaining herd of Spanish Mustangs on the northern Outer Banks. The Colonial Spanish Mustang is on the Threatened Breed list of the American Livestock Conservancy and on the Critical list of the Equus Survival Trust.

Monday morning we headed across Roanoke Island to 64 and headed straight east to Raleigh and then down to Charlotte. We were home in time for Brittany to get ready for her Halloween Party which lasted until midnight. Brittany and her friends had a grand time at the party and we all enjoyed our trip up the Outer Banks. Next time though I think we'll go back up to Raleigh and 64 or down to Wilmington and skip that extra long ride to Cedar Island unless we have more time.