“Great Expectations” Island-Style for 2018
Easter Weekend is upon us and for the Outer Banks this means the start of the 2018 “season.” While the weather still might be a bit chilly from time to time, and Memorial Day is two months away, Easter is the kick-off of our real business year. For those of us who have stayed open all winter it means a welcome infusion of more steady business, and for those businesses that are seasonal, this is the time to get it going!
The first thing you will encounter coming onto the island (if you are coming south on Highway 12) is the progress on the construction of the new bridge across Oregon Inlet. This has been and continues to be fascinating to watch. The work is well past the 50% mark with a targeted completion of November of this year. We all know that could change due to weather conditions, but progress is visible and steady — and very exciting!
Driving into the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge you will notice the very high sand piles on the ocean side. These continue to be fortified to keep the road open during any coastal flooding. You may not have known Highway 12 was closed for 5 days in March due to Winter Storm Riley — cutting off everything to the south of the bridge. This was an extremely powerful storm which damaged beaches from Corolla south to Buxton so be sensitive to this wherever you are staying. It has been a long, long winter for property owners and many are struggling to get things in order for the arrival of guests. This is especially true on the oceanfront in Avon. So many of you ask what it is like to live on the island year ’round. It is important to remember that things can and do happen to your island paradise during the months you are away. Realize that for some people and businesses, winter storms often can be as bad as, or even worse, than hurricanes.
The old “Lego” temporary bridge on Pea Island is no longer, and the newly dedicated Captain Richard Etheridge Bridge now spans the inlet created by Hurricane Irene. Etheridge was born a slave in 1842. He became the leader of the all-Black Pea Island Life Saving Station. He and his crew saved countless numbers of lives and received the Gold Lifesaving Medal for a rescue operation during a hurricane in 1896.
Richard Etheridge, far left, and the Pea Island Life-Saving crew in front of their station, circa 1890. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Remember as you drive through the Tri-Villages area, and all the island villages, that the speed limits come down from 55 and can range from 45 to 25 depending on where you are. If you speed your chances are very good of getting a ticket. So please don’t ruin your vacation by trying to get somewhere just that much faster. Everything will be there when you arrive. During the shoulder seasons school is still in session — be mindful of the school zone in Buxton and for children crossing the highway once they have disembarked from the school bus all along the island.
Most restaurants and shops will open over Easter but some may not have a full schedule of days open or full complement of staff. Call ahead to check on their days and hours, or, if you’re staying with us ask at the front desk, and we can give you advice on what is open and when — we have to keep up with the changes too.
The big question for this year is about Shelly Island. Sands shift — that is truly life on a sandbar. While there is no island as such, the Point has widened and changes almost daily — and the shells are still very plentiful. There are some access restrictions due to birds and turtle nesting, but the Park Service has worked hard to balance access with closures. Please do your part to keep it that way by following the posted rules and regulations. And always remember if you are driving on the beach you should have 4 wheel drive and you MUST have a permit which you can purchase at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center.
At the Cape Hatteras Motel, we are looking forward to seeing you all. You will see some sand piles as we are still cleaning up from Riley and the three other storms (it’s a bit like our own dune park on the sound side!), but overall we’re in good shape. We are still trying to ascertain how much beach we retained from the re-nourishment after the storms but one thing we do know — we are thankful we had what we had or damage would have been much worse not just at our motel but all over north Buxton.
We have the rockers on the porches, we’ve added new flooring to some rooms, replaced a roof, done some painting, and tried to refresh in many ways. We still have some things we will work on as the season unfolds. We’re especially excited about out new CapeAttitude (TM) Gift Shop where you can find unique gift items that you won’t find anywhere else because we created them ourselves. And of course we’re proud of our great team who stand ready to make your vacation one to remember in the most positive way.
So — here’s to the 2018 season and seeing you soon!
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Hatteras-style” *
With a nod to Major Henry Livingston, Jr. who wrote the Original Version
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all over the isle,
Not a creature was stirring, mile after mile.
The ghost crabs were snug in their holes on the beach,
Hoping that the beach re-nourishment machines would stay out of reach.
The surfers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of gnarly swells danced in their heads.
The crab-pots were hung by the buoys with care,
In hopes that some blue claws soon would be there.
When out on Shelly Island there arose such a clatter,
The Park Service sprang up to see what was the matter.
Away to their vehicles they ran with their lamps,
And began an ascent on all open ramps.
The moon on the sand made quite a reflection,
While waves were crashing in every direction.
When what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a tricked out 4 by 4 and eight island deer.
With a little old driver hunkered down in the truck,
They knew in a moment it must be Old Buck!
More rapid than kite boarders the deer hurried along,
And he whistled and shouted and sang them a song.
“Now Buxton, now Kinnakeet, now Salvo and Frisco –
On Rodanthe, on Waves, on Hatteras – let’s disco!
To the edge of the Point, to the top of the Light,
Let’s have a great time and party all night!
And like dry leaves before Hurricane Maria did fly,
They hit Highway 12 and continued on by.
He was dressed in a wetsuit from his head to his feet,
And he smelled like Skeeter Beater with a hint of DEET.
A bundle of seashells he had in his pack,
And a bottle of Kill Devil Rum in a sack.
He spoke not a word but took special care,
To bring a gift to the island and all who live there.
It had been a tough year, this the old man did know,
So his gift was one that didn’t require a bow.
He sprang to his truck and laid on the horn,
To make sure everyone knew it would soon be Christmas morn.
And we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
NO MORE STORMS, NO MORE POWER CUTS, LOTS OF FISH,
And to all, a good night!
*Old Buck mentioned in this poem is a fixture of the “Old Christmas” celebrations still held in Rodanthe. Old Buck is a part of the fabric of the island.
Written by Janet Morrow Dawson, Buxton NC, 2016 and revised in 2017!
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Buxton Beach POWER & Re-nourishment Update VIDEO For Friday July 28, 2017
Power is ON, we’re taking RESERVATIONS but pumping has temporarily stopped.
Check out the latest Buxton Beach Re-nourishment Update VIDEO for Friday July 28, 2017 by Jan Dawson at Cape Hatteras Motel
[stop by our office to get your ‘soon to be collector item’ T-shirts].
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“Honoring a Life Well Lived”
The Cape Hatteras Motel officially opened the “Clifford Morrow” Gallery last night. Located in the new office area, the gallery features the work of this Pennsylvania native turned OBX retiree who was the father of Jan Morrow Dawson, who along with her husband Dave, run the Cape Hatteras Motel.
Morrow, a distinguished artist throughout his career with the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, began a love affair with the Outer Banks, and in particular the Buxton area, with his family in the mid 1960’s. He knew immediately he wanted to retire there and made that happen in the late 1980’s. Once he and his wife Dolores moved to the island, he set up a studio and began to turn his talents toward capturing the beauty of Cape Hatteras. Through prints, pottery, sculpture, and more he created a special feel for the natural world that surrounded him here. He even used the unique shape of a wave to design the new altar at Our Lady of the Seas Church in Buxton. His work was sold at several galleries in the area, until illness put a stop to his ability to work.
Upon his death in 2011 he left many items in his studio. After Mrs. Morrow passed in October of last year, Jan and Dave began the bittersweet task of working through a lifetime of art work, which culminated in the creation of the gallery. In addition to Mr. Morrow’s work, there is a room of other beach art, and local products including salt from Hatteras Saltworks also made in Buxton, and “Skeeter Beater” – a product made locally to assist guests and locals alike with those pesky summer insects!
Whether you are a guest at the motel or just driving by, you are invited to visit the gallery, which is open anytime the motel office is open. Perhaps you will find that special something that reminds you of your happy place, to take home with you. Or maybe you would just like to see the work of an artist who found his happy place right here, and had the ability to forever share it with others.
“More Beach to Love” Restoration In Buxton
That’s the catch phrase from Dare County for this summer’s beach re-nourishment projects in several coastal communities including Buxton.
Plans for the project were explained to community members and property owners at a meeting at the Fessenden Center in Buxton Tuesday evening. The Buxton project is a collaborative effort which includes Dare County, the National Park Service (Cape Hatteras National Seashore), Coastal Science and Engineering, and Weeks Marine.
The following are important take-aways not only for guests of Cape Hatteras Motel, but anyone planning to visit our area this summer.
1. The project will be 2.9 miles in length from just south of Avon near Canadian Hole to the old lighthouse foundations.
2. Approximately 2.6 million yards of sand will be relocated.
3. The borrow area (where the dredging will occur) will be about a mile and a half off-shore.
4. The project will proceed in sections. During the time the work is being done in a given section (about 5-6 days per 1000 foot section), the beach will be closed off. If a section of beach is wide enough there will be a back-shore corridor for public access. The pubic is welcome to view the work from that corridor but Weeks will maintain strict safety guidelines in and around the work area.
5. The primary staging area will be at the south end of the entire project at the decommissioned USCG facility.
6. The end result will be an additional 140 feet of sand on the beach.
7. The timetable is all approximate and is subject to change as the project is weather dependent. As of now the start date is June 1 and end date is August 31.
8. AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE WORK WILL BE IN FRONT OF THE CAPE HATTERAS MOTEL. WE WILL KEEP YOU ADVISED ONCE THE PROJECT BEGINS AND WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF THE PROGRESS.
9. During the time the work is in front of the motel, guests can expect to see large pipes and heavy equipment. The work will be 24/7. There will be construction lights on overnight. There will be the sound of bulldozers backing up. However, AC units will likely drown out some/all of the noise overnight. The dredge (which is the noisiest part of the operation) will be too far off-shore to be heard. The work will progress 200-250 feet a day in a 1000 foot section.
10. Dare County has created a website “MoreBeachToLove.com” with information, updates, and FAQs. Please visit this website often. The County will also be developing a mobile app to track the progress of the work. On the website you may sign up for e-mail notifications specific to the Buxton project. It will be easy to unsubscribe from the notifications once the information is no longer pertinent to your vacation.
10. You may also get information from the Cape Hatteras Motel Facebook page, the Island Free Press, and/or Radio Hatteras.
11. There will be required sea turtle monitoring during the duration of the project.
12. The quality of the sand will be closely monitored and will be equal to, or better than, the sand currently on the beach. They are not pumping rocks and mud.
We know that there will be a certain amount of disruption during the days that the work is in front of the motel. We ask our guests to remember how long we in the Buxton community have waited for this work to occur, and how important Highway 12 is to the viability of our island community. Especially at our motel we are weary of ocean over-wash and the expense of sand removal. Some of you have been here during storms. Many of you have seen videos and photos of what a hurricane or ‘nor-easter can do.
We will do everything we can to make sure your vacation is enjoyable. An amount of flexibility and understanding will be required. There will be beach access to the north or south depending on which way the work progresses. The work will be fascinating, and it will be exciting to be here and be a part of the energy surrounding the entire endeavor. The entities involved will have individuals on site to answer questions or concerns. We will also have contact information at the County level to address questions and concerns that we at the motel can not answer to your satisfaction.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. We know how much you love the Buxton area, and we also know you want it to be sustainable in the years ahead. This re-nourishment effort, which has to occur in the summer months when the weather is least likely to be severe, will go a long way to insuring our stability for the next several years. We look forward to seeing you in the summer of 2017!
Please contact the office and ask for Jan or Dave if you have any questions at 252-995-5611. We will do our best to answer them for you or get you the answers you need. Thank you!
Seashore Invites Public Comment On Proposed NCDOT Passenger Ferry Service Projects
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), will host two public meetings in late March to obtain public comments on projects related to a new NCDOT passenger ferry service from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island. Several projects are proposed on park lands and the Seashore has been collaborating with NCDOT on planning to accommodate certain aspects of the passenger ferry project. Specifically, within park boundaries, the Seashore and NCDOT are working on:
1) The location of enhanced parking for passenger ferry vehicles on Hatteras Island,
2) A location for a shade/rain shelter for passenger ferry patrons at the Silver Lake/visitor center area,
3) A possible restroom capacity enhancement at Silver Lake or the park visitor center area, and
4) A minor modification to the Silver Lake boat docks to accommodate passenger ferry docking and safe maneuverability.
The Seashore will be completing an Environmental Assessment to fully analyze a variety of these proposed project actions. The Seashore would like to invite the public to the following meetings to discuss the proposed actions:
· Wednesday, March 29, 5-6 pm
Education Room
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
59200 Museum Dr
Hatteras, NC 27943
· Thursday, March 30, 11am-12pm
Ocracoke Community Center
999 Irvin Garrish Hwy
Ocracoke, NC 27960
The Seashore will be taking public comments at the meetings and online from March 15 until April 13.
Comments can also be mailed to:
Superintendent
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
1401 National Park Dr
Manteo, NC 27954
