ESCAPE FROM FRISCO MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND?

guruwind · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 34

Hey I had posted a couple months ago about my wife and I doing a road trip and spending some time at Hatteras. Thanks for all the help. One tip was that camping can become obnoxiously busy on memorial day weekend. Luckily for my wife and I, we were planning to be taking the ferry down to the mainland the Wednesday before memorial day weekend.

I was just wondering:
How long is it driving from Hatteras and taking the ocracoke ferry to Cedar point?
I have seen the ferry schedules but I'm wondering what the typical journey takes from anecdotal experience.
Looking at the schedule i see that the Ocracoke ferry is a 40 minute ride and the cedar is about 2 and a half hours.
I was guessing that it might take 5 hours from Hatteras, with a breakfast stop on ocracoke?
On a wednesday before memorial day i figured it wouldn't be too busy right? Although I will still make reservations. I was hoping it isnt so busy that we get bumped to 'the next 3 hour slot" at ocracoke or does that happen?
Are the early morning ferries any better.

It will be helpful info as the timing has implications on booking other stops on the trip towards savannah.
(Hoping to make it from hatteras to carolina beach state park in one day).

Thanks
Dave

rpowers · Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 2

The ferries are a nice way to kill time IF you have lots of it to kill. If you are making reservations elsewhere in NC south of Hatteras, I would make the drive up to Manteo, take the bridge there across to mainland NC ( forgot the route #) and take route 17 to your reservations in southern NC. If breakfast in Okrakoke is a must have, be prepared to get bumped if there are to many cars for Cedar Island. If the winds whip up and the ferry slows down, the routes can take longer. Preplaning everything around ferries is fine if you have unlimited vacation time and are a very patient person. The ferries are reliable, but, there can be delays.

rswabsin · Joined: 14 May 2000 Posts: 444 Location: New Jersey

Often there is a sizable line for the ferry from Hatteras Village to Ocracoke especially approaching the weekend. You may wait up to about an hour to get on a ferry (maybe even longer near mid-day). Get there as early as possible to minimize your wait - it's possible to get right on a ferry if you're early enough. Once in Ocracoke (at the ferry landing), it's about a 20 minute drive to the village where the next ferry is located. Give yourself some extra time to explore Ocracoke, it's really beautiful and the village has some pretty cool shops and places to eat. Not sure about the timing of the Cedar Island ferry and whether you'll get bumped - never took that one. Hopefully somone local will chime in with extra info.

Enjoy,
Rob

RickCronk · Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 167

Yep, Ocracoke is a pleasant little village. Nice little shops and eateries along the main drag and on the back streets to the northeast side of town. Visit the little light house, though very small it is one of the OBX's front 4 of lighthouses. When taking NC ferries, early is always better. Local residents and commercial vehicles get preferential treatment over touristas. So, don't be surprised if you see, tractor trailers, utilities, soccer moms, or even 4x4's filled with local fishermen getting to the head of the line. When getting off the Hatteras ferry, beware the made rush to get to Ocracoke. There will be anxious drivers who are looking to get to the next ferry landing ahead of you and they will fall back into non-vacationing, commuter mentality and drive like idiots. When waiting at the Hatteras Ferry, you can blow off some time at the complex of shops, walk the marina area, visit the Ferry Museum or the larger cape museum across the parking lot and there is easy beach access as well. Enjoy. RC

btbill · Joined: 05 Jun 2002 Posts: 236

Hatteras Ferry traffic is also really bad on days when it blows strong NE, especially after noon. I guess people do not like being blasted by the onshore wind up on the east facing beaches and the ocean is too rough for the casual vacationer. With this scenario, many visitors day trip to Ocracoke, especially since Ocracoke was named "America's Top Beach" a year or so ago by "Dr. Beach" of Travel Channel fame.

Whenever I attempt to hit Ocracoke on a strong NE day, if I am not on a ferry before noon, it can be a few hrs wait until the ferry ride!! Shocked

See this post from OBX Beach Life with a great photo of "ferry traffic!"