Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA

Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA. Environmental Study and Tour Guide. Ocracoke Island is the Outer Banks' getaway spot. People who live on the rest of the Outer Banks go to Ocracoke for their own vacations, and that says a lot about the character of this island. If you're looking for some peace and quiet, this island is for you. Ocracoke definitely operates on "island time." That saying might be a little cliché, but it holds true for Ocracoke. The rushing and hustling of normal life ceases when you're a visitor on Ocracoke Island. The whole aura of the island and its people reminds you to slow down and enjoy life's moments. The thing about Ocracoke is that it's admittedly not for everyone. People who expect a high level of excitement such as go-carts, amusement parks, shopping malls and flashy nightclubs might not enjoy it here. Ocracoke is about simple activities such as building a sand castle, crabbing from a dock, pedaling aimlessly on a bicycle, peeling your own shrimp...and actually having very little to do! The remoteness of the island contributes to its slower pace. You can't get to Ocracoke by zipping over a bridge, like you do to the rest of the Outer Banks. To get here, you have to put in a little more effort on a ferry. Ferries depart from the southern tip of Hatteras Island and from the North Carolina mainland in Swan Quarter and Cedar Island. The ferry ride is an essential part of the Ocracoke experience. It takes about an hour of just sitting and waiting to get across Hatteras Inlet to Ocracoke Island, and during that time you can just feel yourself slipping into that aforementioned "island time." From the mainland the ride is even longer more than two hours. After staring into the water, feeding the sea gulls and having a short nap in the sun, you'll be ready for Ocracoke