A Down East Virtual Tour

Down East refers to the rural waterfront communities east of Beaufort that begin at the North River Bridge. This is a lovely time of the year to spend a few days to enjoy a slower pace of life and breathtaking scenery. Traditionally, vacationers and tourists do not flock to the Outer Banks in November but everything changed after COVID19. People have discovered that the Crystal Coast and Down East are enjoyable year ‘round so you should be able to secure reasonable accommodations from quaint bed and breakfasts to historic beachfront homes, and from cozy cottages by the sea to camping on the pristine beaches. Some sites to contact are: Cape Lookout Cabins and Camp Ferry Service, Cedar Creek CampGrounds and Marina, Cedar Island Resort, Davis B&V and Island’s Choice RV. And, if you set up your basecamp in Beaufort or Morehead City, many features of Down East are a day trip away.

Access to Down East is by boat or by car. The portion of US 70 that runs through Down East is designated as a NC Scenic Byway. By car, be on the lookout for the area’s salt marshes which are perfect for birdwatching. An ideal wildlife experience can be found 40 miles from Beaufort and 5 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean on a peninsula marking the southern end of the Pamlico Sound. Here, you’ll find the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is made up of 14,494 acres and is mostly covered by brackish marsh. The highway 12 causeway, which travels across the marsh is a great place to view various wildlife. The Refuge System offers a wide variety of quality light tackle fishing opportunities and portions of Cedar Island Refuge are open to waterfowl hunting in accordance with applicable State and Federal regulations.

Now, you don’t have to go all the way to Cedar Island to experience Down East. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, located on Harkers Island about a half hour drive from Beaufort, celebrates Down East’s cultural history through the living traditions of decoy carving, boat-building and commercial fishing. Finding your way to the end of the road is part of the experience. Enjoy the drive along marshes and creeks, across bridges and through communities as you slow down and feel the community pride that is Down East. Core Sound events, all led by community volunteers, are the kind of people-experiences that cause folks to return over and over. You’ll discover hands-on demonstrations of decoy carving and quilting, relaxing outdoor experiences and educational field trips. Everyone who visits will leave with a better understanding of this heritage. WaterFowl weekend begins on December 4th. Tailgating will begin at 9am Saturday with carvers, collectors, artists, photographers and crafters here to help you with your Christmas shopping. The Museum Store will be open 9am to 5pm or so, with crab pot trees and a new collection of Christmas collectibles. The online auction will close at 7pm. Special exhibits will focus on the oyster season, past and present.

The Cape Lookout National Seashore Headquarters is the jumping off place to experience a 56-mile strand of silken beaches that make up the coastal islands of Shackleford and Core Banks, one of the few remaining natural barrier island chains in the world, accessible only by boat. Here, you can xperience complete solitude and an opportunity to discover endangered animals in their natural habitats. You can also explore the beach to find a multitude of large unbroken conch shells. On the beaches and in between the sand dunes you may encountrare families and shore fishermen camping with tents pitched -- fishing, hiking and delving into all that Mother Nature has to offer.History comes alive at the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters built in the mid-1800’s to warn passing ships of the dangerous coastal waters. Standing at 163 feet tall, the 207- step “Diamond Lady” lighthouse was painted with a distinctive black and white diamond pattern in order to distinguish direction -- North and South from East and West -- and differentiate it from other North Carolina lighthouses. You can climb this Crystal Coast must-see during the summer, May through September.

The northern access point to North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, Cedar Island is home to the Cedar Island Ferry. Experienced Outer Banks travelers attest that the Cedar Island ferry ride is a relaxing 2.25 hour cruise across the Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke. Travelers at either terminal will be able to get a distant look at both Ocracoke Village and Cedar Island, but for most of the trip, the only scenery is open water and the occasional passing trawler or shrimping boat. Despite the supposed lack of scenery, many vacationers find the trip simply enthralling, with crabs and small fish visible just under the waters' surface on a clear day, and cormorants, pelicans, and plenty of seagulls flocking around the boat virtually any time of year. The best time to travel, however, is in the evening around sunset, as the ferries offer an other-worldly view of the sun dipping into the Pamlico Sound.

A little secret: Behind the Visitors Center of the Cedar Island ferry terminal, and on either side of the ferry traffic lanes, guests will find a small handful of rustic trails that lead out to the Pamlico Sound. This stretch of mainland shoreline has remarkably wide beaches and larger, almost ocean-like waves, in addition to small handfuls of shells and ghost crabs that patrol the beach. For visitors who have a few extra minutes to spare, a quick walk along the Cedar Island beaches is well worth the time, as it gives vacationers a chance to admire the Pamlico Sound from an entirely new perspective.

And, when you want to learn more about the Emerald Isle, go to my website, www.EmeraldIsleHomesforSaleNC.com and sign up for my blog. Ready to buy or sell? Call me at 919-308-2292. Explore the video tab for my weekly uploads to my YouTube channel. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and receive free donuts at my Flip Flops Donut shop. Text your email address to 919-308-2292 and subscribe to my newsletter. My book, "Live Where You Vacation" is available on Amazon.com.