Ocracoke Island is one of the barrier islands of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Outer Banks --where pirate Blackbeard once roamed-- is a popular place for family beach vacations.
A free ferry service runs to Ocracoke Island from Hatteras Island: a 40-minute trip. (In summer, waiting lines get long.)
The village of Ocracoke is on the National Register of Historic Places and has a lighthouse, historic homes, quaint shops. Kids will like to see the "Banker Ponies" grazing, a wild herd now cared for by the National Park Service.
Read more about Ocracoke, and Outer Banks NC.
*photo courtesy of Florida International University site.
