Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina
Island Campsite
This is our site on the sound-side of the island. Shackleford Banks is a barrier island on the North Carolina coast. Its only access is via boat. The island is several miles long but rarely even half a mile wide. It's covered with high sand dunes, extensive saltwater marshes, thick forests, and wide meadows.
How we got there...Trang's sister, Hoa, and her husband, Young, took us out to the island. We had a total of thirteen in our group, including our kids, their kids, and Trang's brother, Toan.
Campfire: Roasting hot dogs
Aye aye, CaptainTommy went camping, too. He's been camping all his life, and he doesn't even know it! Tommy enjoyed the weather on this trip. It was perfect: 70s, blue sky, light breeze. He had his bad moments, though, during which our trip reached its "low points".
Still Roasting Something: MarshmellowsThe best part for the kids, though, was fishing and playing in the water. The water is rich with sea life: millions of baby fish, all kinds of little crabs, including hermit crabs and big blue crabs, flounder, spot, sunfish. We had fresh Spanish mackerel for supper.
WildlifeShackleford Banks is home to wild horses that escaped from early settlers. There are no poisonous snakes, but there are plenty of birds, sea life, and raccoons. Supposedly there are wild sheep, goats, and cows, too, escaped from early settlers. By the way, all the settlers left after a series of destructive hurricanes in the late 19th century.
Not a reassuring sight for a landlubber, but Young knew what to do: Don't worry, be happy, and wait for the tide to come back in.
Sunday Morning: Now what are we going to do?
For more information on Shackleford Banks' wild horses, see Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks. For something the on island settlers, so to its Crystal Coast page, and for something on Cape Lookout National Seashore, go to its National Parks page or to its GORP page.
Camping Page / Family Homepage / Oct. 18, 1998