Two Beaches - Hatteras Island, Myrtle

Our go to beach vacation when we lived in a stix and brix was Hatteras Island. We first stayed in Hatteras Village and then for several years we stayed at the Outer Banks Motel in Buxton. That was our favorite place because we could sit on the beach and see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. After we went on the road we stayed at the Sands of Time Campground in Avon, a small village just north of Buxton.

Back in our Buxton days the lighthouse was very close to the beach. It was not this close when it was built in the 1860's but over 130 years nearly 1900 feet of beach had eroded away. There was much discussion about what should be done and finally it was decided to lift it up and move it 2900 feet placing it the same distance from the shoreline as it was in 1870.

An old picture from the top of the lighthouse of the beach at the north end of Buxton. The last buildings on the beach are the Outer Banks Motel. The beach north of there is national seashore and will never be developed. That is why we love Hatteras Island.

We were there in 1999 when they picked up the 200 foot tall, 500 ton lighthouse and moved it 2900 feet. It is now about as far from the shoreline as it was in 1870. 

They jacked the lighthouse up and set it down on rollers that moved along the i-beams. Hydraulic jacks were attached to the i-beams and pushed it four or five feet at a time. The beams were then leap-frogged ahead for the next move and the jacks were moved and reattached for the next push. The actual move took 23 days.  

Here it is at its new home in July 1999. The water-filled hole is where it was before the move. You can see the shoreline on the left. What an amazing feat moving such a large structure.

In addition to the lighthouse. they also moved all the out buildings including both the light keeper's houses and this oil storage building.

This is the lighthouse during our latest visit. It is now undergoing major renovation, being painted both inside and out. Unfortunately, that means it is closed to visitors at this time so you can't climb to the top.

Proof that the move was the right thing to do. The jetty was part of a failed attempt to build up the beach around the lighthouse. The bricks are part of a fence that was around it in 1870.

The brick fence in the foreground. The brown and white post was where it was previously and in the distance its new location.

The buildings nearest the ocean are the Outer Banks Motel today. 

An areal view from an old postcard. Some of the buildings have been moved back and they have all been raised. You have to wonder how long it will be before Mother Nature wins this battle.

These are newer homes that had a dune between them and the ocean when they were built. We have always heard Hatteras Island is moving west but never really believed we would see it in our lifetime.

Hatteras is a great place for all kinds of water activities from surfing....

....to fishing.....

....to sun bathing.....

....or just watching the sunrise.

Of course another reason we love it here is the beaches are rarely crowded. Even on holiday weekends you can find a stretch of beach with no people.

Because the island is so narrow if you don't like getting up early for a sunrise you can walk to the sound side for a sunset.

While we did not get to stay as long as we did when we came here in Opus, we still had a great time and always look forward to returning.

Always on our to do list is buxton village books. They took advantage of the covid slowdown and remodeled the whole place. When doing the work they found wood from an old shipwreck that the original builder had used. 

Another great thing about Hatteras is the food. We hit our favorites Ketch 55, Oceana Bistro, Po House and Pangea in Avon. On our way down we stopped at Sam and Omie's and checked out a new place in Hatteras village, Hatteras Sol. None disappointed.

After nine days we drove to Myrtle Beach where my cousin Dee, in the foreground, moved last year. It turned out we were there the same time as Missy and Marty and the girls' mom and my aunt, Elsie. We had a nice time getting caught up with all of them.

Dee has a great house and she sure is happy to escape the Pennsylvania winters.

Our friend John hooked us up with a room in an ocean front high rise. 

It was a great place, but we decided we prefer the uncrowded beaches of Hatteras Island.

We are now back in Stuart and have been busy doing things in our new hometown, plus taking a couple road trips and vacationing in Punta Cana. So I'm still way behind with the blog.