June 2022
Whispering Pines RV Park

I booked 12 nights at a Trails Collection Campground which is an extension of my Thousand Trails membership. Whispering Pines RV Park is near the Bogue Sound on Hwy 24 8.6 miles west of Morehead City NC and 8.6 miles east of Cape Carteret NC. The RV park is gated and you will receive a gate card in the very informative welcome packet. Although there are no paved sites I was able to level with my Anderson Blocks with ease. The sign says not to drive on the medium but everyone does as that's the only access to most sites on the main drag. There are tall pines here on a beautiful piece of property but not so many that big rigs can't navigate. The majority of the RV Park is long term. There are plenty of dog waste stations throughout the park and the huge dog park is one of the best I've seen. The pool area is nice and very well kept, in fact the entire park is well groomed and maintained. There is also a playground, a basketball court, and a laundry facility that actually uses quarters rather than cards or tokens. There are a few stores in the immediate area and the closest Walmart is 7 miles away towards Morehead City. All in all, Whispering Pines is a great place to stay and centrally located to a great many things we all like to do. I will return to Whispering Pines.

June 2022
The Outer Banks

I made a day trip from Whispering Pines to the Outer Banks and entered Nags Head on Hwy 64 heading north to Duck NC. The walkable town area of Duck is located on the bay side and filled with shops and restaurants and remarkably well shaded. Duck was one of my favorite towns on the Outer Banks. Next we headed to the Wright Brothers National Memorial which was free to me with my America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. The general fee is $10 for adults. This is a vast dog friendly site celebrating the birth of air travel. There is a full-scale reproduction of the Wright Flyer in the visitor center but dogs are not permitted in the buildings here. Just a 4.5 mile drive south is the Jockey's Ridge State Park which is home to the tallest natural sand dunes on the east coast. Pictured below is a small portion of the dunes which make up most of the 400-acre State Park. Another 4.5 miles south is the Jannette's Pier at Nags Head which is an educational ocean fishing pier operated by the NC Aquarium. The concrete pier extends 1000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. Next we headed south on Hwy 12 to the Bodie Island Lighthouse & Marshes which has a visitor center in the old lightkeeper's house. Next we crossed the Oregon Inlet and headed for the Cape Hatteras Light Station. Finally, we made our way to the southern most point of Hatteras island to the ferry terminal to Ocracoke island. The total distance from the Duck Town Boardwalk to the Hatteras Ferry Terminal is 78.9 miles. On the return drive from Hatteras to the Hwy 64 exit from the island I did pull off under the Oregon Inlet bridge which was a really nice stop. There is Public Beach Access everywhere but unlike the Crystal Coast towns, parking here is free. I made note of the campgrounds as I traversed the islands and I was really impressed with 1. Camp Hatteras RV Resort & Campground and 2. Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks KOA Resort. They are both very expensive. These two resorts are next to each other on Hatteras Island 14 miles south of the Oregon Inlet bridge in Rodanthe NC. A day on The Outer Banks is not enough and I'll be back for at least a week next time.

June 2022
The Crystal Coast

The Crystal Coast is an 85 mile stretch of coastline featuring numerous beaches, ports, towns & islands. Bogue Banks Island is the main barrier island with popular beach towns Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach, and Emerald Isle. The North side of the island is on the Intracoastal Waterway (Bogue Sound) and the South side is on the Atlantic Ocean. There are two bridges to cross the Intracoastal and access the island; to the West side from Hwy 24 in Cape Carteret and on the East side from Hwy 24 in Morehead City. The island has swimming, surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, Jet Ski... virtually all water activities available here. Pine Knoll Shores is home to one of North Carolina's Aquariums with a true reproduction of Blackbeard's pirate ship. The island has restaurants everywhere and reminds me a lot of the 30A communities in NW Florida with similar New England style architecture. Beaufort is a Crystal Coast town 3 miles east of Morehead and serves as the county seat of Carteret County. Beaufort was established in 1713 and is the fourth oldest town in North Carolina. The historic district is fantastic and front street is a great place to spend a half day. The Crystal Coast also has more secluded locations such as Cape Lookout or the wild mustangs of Shackleford Banks.

June 2022
Fort Macon State Park

Fort Macon State Park is located on the eastern end of Bourge Banks Island and is home to Fort Macon. The Fort, overlooking the Beaufort Inlet, was completed in 1834 and seized by Confederates in 1861. There is no fee to tour the fort and there are state park hiking trails nearby. Fort Macon State Park is dog friendly on a leash no longer than 6 feet and remaining under your control at all times. Dogs may not enter any of the buildings. Unlike the four communities on the island, there are large free parking lots inside the state park both at the fort and the public beach access area. Fort Macon State Park is a great place to spend a day without spending a penny.