“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!