[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend", join me as we explore the enchanting island of Ocracoke.

We'll celebrate 35 years at a bookstore in Fearrington and explore the Highland Lake Inn in Flat Rock.

Coming up next.

- [Narrator] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] - Hi, everyone.

Welcome to "North Carolina Weekend".

I'm Deborah Holt Noel, and this week we are on the island of Ocracoke for a true Outer Banks experience.

Recently I got to spend a couple of days on this historic and enchanting island and I want you to join me on my Ocracoke adventure.

[sea birds chirping] [ferry horn blares] Your trip to Ocracoke Island begins only one of two ways, either by private jet or by ferry.

Guess which one I chose?

[light music] Ocracoke is a barrier island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound and lies at the southern tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

So the adventure begins before you even arrive.

The Swan Quarter Ferry is one of three ferries to Ocracoke.

Explore the decks or unwind in the lounges for a relaxing two and a half hour journey.

[bright music] [waves susurrate] [sea birds squawking] Once on the island, capture the culture and cuisine of Ocracoke at Howard's Pub, a must see for visitors.

- Howard's Pub is an iconic destination in our little paradise, Ocracoke Island.

We've been here over 35 years.

We feature our homemade fries, burgers, great seafood, steamed shrimp.

We appeal to everybody, the locals, people that come to visit for the day.

Howard's Pub has license plates and memorabilia from all over the world.

Some people will come and sit out on the screen porch and bring their deck of cards and play while they're dining.

We've got the tower upstairs where you can come have a nice spot and see what's going on on the island.

- Next I headed to my weekend stay, a spacious vacation rental by Ocracoke Island Realty.

What I love most is that this unit is right on the water and it has this expansive deck where you can relax, unwind, and enjoy a breathtaking view of the Pamlico Sound.

Interestingly enough, it was on these Pamlico waters that the notorious pirate Edward Teach aka Blackbeard met his brutal end in 1718.

That year is memorialized in the name of Ocracoke's only local brewery.

- The idea is for it to be a fun environment and something that people can come and have a good time and make memories.

And we have a lounge area outside that overlooks the South Point.

We kind of go all over the map with making beers.

We decide to make beers based on a beer we like to drink.

Another one is a beer that inspired us.

We try to make a broad spectrum of beers.

- [Deborah] Of course, a flight is a great way to sample and choose a brew for you.

And to pair with your beer, you'll wanna try the menu of Plum Point Kitchen.

Chef Aaron Gallagher offers wood smoked meats and creations from Asian to Creole.

And you have got to try the pretzel with lump crab meat.

- A little bit of peppers and onions in that.

Bit of bay seasoning, a little bit of white pepper, spread that out over that pretzel, douse it heavily with cheddar cheese and Parmesan and it ended up being one of our number one sellers.

- To cap one of your nights in Ocracoke, you've gotta do a bonfire on the beach.

This is tradition.

[waves susurrating] One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with Ocracoke is just to drive around and explore.

So I'm picking up my friend Helena Stevens and we are going on a scud.

- Scud is just driving around a little aimlessly to see what's going on in the town.

It's something very popular around here and it's a term that Ocracokers use for driving around the town.

Being able to get up and be out in nature on a National Park, going out to the beach and putting your feet in the sand within five to 10 minutes of where you live on a daily basis, is pretty incredible.

Highway 12 is the main road through Ocracoke and you'll come into that road when you're getting off the Hatteras Ferry.

You're gonna find everything from hotels, shops, places to eat, little boutiques you can go into.

It's really fun to explore.

- [Deborah] When you're on the island, you'll hear folks refer to places on Back Road.

Well, it's a strip called Back Road and right along here you'll find everything from rentals and boutique shops to coffee, ice cream and fine dining.

One of the most iconic attractions on the island is the Ocracoke Lighthouse.

- The lighthouse here is really special.

It was built in 1823 and it makes it the oldest lighthouse in all of North Carolina, that is still operating today.

It does still come on every single night.

The light is maintained by the Coast Guard still as an active aid to navigation.

We can see that it's a solid white color, but that's the day mark of the lighthouse.

Every lighthouse is gonna be painted differently so that you can differentiate it between each lighthouse, so mariners can tell which lighthouse they're seeing during the day.

- [Deborah] There's some historic preservation happening around the cottage where the light keeper and family used to live, but the Ocracoke Lighthouse is still in operation.

Ranger Polk allowed me a rare peek inside, just enough room to fashion a ladder to the top.

87 steps to be exact.

Along Back Road, look for a gallery shop called the Village Craftsman.

In addition to unique handcrafted gifts, you'll find books including several authored by a longtime resident, historian and descendant of Ocracoke's first landowner.

Hello Philip.

- Hey!

Hey, Deborah.

- It's good to see you.

- My name is Philip Howard and I've lived permanently on Ocracoke for over 50 years, but my father was born and raised here.

My dad was born here in 1911.

My great-great-great-great-great-gr bought the island in 1759.

- [Deborah] Philip met me at the British Cemetery, an honored landmark just beyond Back Road.

- After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the German Kriegsmarine sent U-boats over to attack shipping, mostly commercial shipping, merchant ships along the East Coast and it took the United States quite a while to figure out how to respond to that.

But one of the things they did in the early months of 1942 was they enlisted the the British Navy to provide armed trawlers to come over here and help patrol the waters.

And one of those patrolers was the the Bedfordshire, and it was torpedoed in May, May 11th actually, of 1942.

37 members of that crew died and they're buried here at the British Cemetery.

- [Deborah] I'm curious, is there any African American or enslaved community history tied to Ocracoke?

- Yes, there is.

Before the Civil War, I'm not sure exactly how many enslaved people were on Ocracoke, but it varied and it was significant.

There were no plantations here, but they all worked on the water, either as stevedores or mullet fishermen or what have you, domestics and such as that.

But when the Civil War broke out, all the enslaved population of Ocracoke left the island.

People who are from Ocracoke are called O'cockers.

One of the names for Ocracoke in the long history of the island was O'Cock, and that's persisted and people are still called O'cockers.

So you pretty much have to be born and raised here to be called an O'cocker.

And every year there are fewer and fewer people who have that traditional, what is called the Hoi Toider accent.

You can find it around, - [Deborah] I asked Helena where I might find this accent called Brogue.

We soon found ourselves before Chester Leon, an Ocracoker with deep island roots.

- My family came here in the 1600s.

I'm one of the few, I'm not the only one.

There's several of us.

Two of my family members were part of Blackbeard's crew.

There's a few pieces from the lighthouse and there's a, probably the only private collection that belonged to Blackbeard or the crew is in this house.

There is four pewter plates that definitely belonged to Blackbeard.

They're identical as on the Queen Anne's Revenge and they've been looked at at least 10 times by Sidco, the team who pulled up Blackbeard's boat.

They have a certain group, they like to get me, to talk to me about Ocracoke history and then they'll talk to me about the Brogue.

And there's words that we use that some people are not used to.

- [Deborah] What words?

- Like mommuck, that means to get on somebody's nerve, to aggravate somebody.

Or like sit on on the pizer, or I might feel quamished, and some of those things people that are not familiar with, you know?

- [Deborah] I also explored the southern end of Ocracoke, which was once a fishing village.

I stopped by Ocracoke Seafood Company to learn more about this area.

- This is the fish house.

I love sorting fish, all the different kinds of fish.

They can find the best fresh, local fish caught this morning.

We clean it, we can vacuum seal it.

We also have shrimp, we have oysters, clams, all local Eastern North Carolina seafood.

- [Deborah] The fish house is not only a helpful resource if you're fishing on Ocracoke, it's also a fascinating spot to watch the fish processing and also check out the pelicans who boldly hang out for fish scraps.

But if you wanna see a show, make your way back up Highway 12 toward the ferry to Smacnally's Waterfront Grill around four o'clock when the charter boats come in.

- We caught blackfin tunas and wahoo.

- Love it.

Love it.

It's kinda like a show here on the dock.

- I just enjoy going every day.

I don't care what I'm catching, as long as we're going.

- [Deborah] I didn't do a fishing excursion this time, but that did not stop me from posing with the heroes and the big catch of the day.

On my visit, I definitely wanted to get out onto the water.

- I like to tell people that my boat is to modern sailboats that you see around here, sort of what a stagecoach is to a Toyota or a Buick.

It's a very old fashioned design, it's a schooner.

And our most popular trip is the sunset cruise that we do every evening.

Alright, this would be a good time.

Deborah, if you wanna steer- - Can I take... - [Captain Rob] If you wanna steer, come on back and take... - What do we call it on a ship?

- It's the helm.

- I'm gonna take the helm.

- Or you can call it the wheel.

We like to time it before sunset and we stay out until the sun actually goes down in the water.

We'll sail out into Pamlico Sound, down past the Ocracoke Lighthouse, I'll tell you about that, past Springer's Point and through a place called Teach's Hole, named for the pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard.

- [Deborah] Captain Rob is an authority on Blackbeard and will share as much or as little as you want.

Let you take the helm of the Windfall too.

And if the mood strikes, recite some pirate poetry.

Captain Rob, how long have you been doing this?

- All me bloody life, mate.

Me mother was a mermaid and me father was King Neptune.

And I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep.

Seaweed and barnacles is my clothes and the hair on my head's hemp.

And every bone in me body's a spar.

And when I spit, I spits tar.

I is hard, I is, I am, I arr.

[Deborah laughing] - [Deborah] After a day of adventure, sit down dining is a welcome option, and the cuisine at the Flying Melon is exceptional.

- We like to have a nice, airy environment.

My mom helped design the restaurant.

She took a lot of inspiration from a light saving station.

That's why we have the tower here at the entrance.

We have a really diverse menu.

We have lots of local seafood, but we also do really good steaks.

And we have a lot of new American cuisines, some influence from New Orleans.

We're doing the Baked Oysters Bienville.

They're made with locally farmed oysters.

The company's called O'Cock Oyster Company, so we bake them with a topping of mushrooms, shallots, shrimp, brandy, cream.

When we move to entrees, we're gonna do our locally caught big eye tuna that's going to be served with a root vegetable medley and an avocado cream sauce.

The filet mignon is an eight ounce filet cooked to order with a brandy cream sauce and green peppercorns, very visually pleasing.

- [Deborah] While on Ocracoke, I was invited to an annual event that captures a tradition core to sustaining the people who inhabited this barrier island.

The Ocracoke Waterfowl Festival celebrates hunters who became craftsmen to take advantage of the bounty around them.

- We had to have a way to lure the ducks and fowl and geese and shorebirds in.

So they would make the blocks out of wood most of the time, hand chop 'em and put 'em out to lure the migrating birds.

The art of carving continues today through what you see here on in this show, making folk art and collectible decoys for the tourist trade and so forth.

So it still continues today, just in a different way.

- [Deborah] I could not spend a weekend in Ocracoke without slipping my toes in the sand.

Ray Stallings with Outer Bank Shuttle picked me up and drove me out South Point Road to a beach unlike any other.

No beach umbrellas, no boardwalks, no hotels, just pure sand, waves and the sound of the shore.

- Most 'em just appreciate the beauty of the place.

You know, because the Outer Banks is unique, I think, as far as the beach goes, compared to other places.

It's not developed.

And you got a lot of places like this, especially on Ocracoke.

There's no houses, no buildings, no structures, just all natural.

It's part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore and that's the way it should be.

- Vehicles driven on this beach must have a special permit.

With all permissions in place, the four-wheel drive is a fun way to explore the open shore and find the perfect spot for a highly popular Ocracoke pastime, shelling.

And take your time.

Ray is always close by, and there's no telling what you'll find.

[seabird squawking] Here, you'll sample the fresh local seafood you crave and discover the natural gifts of a designated national seashore.

But I think the essence of Ocracoke is kinship of community.

And I feel lucky to have experienced it.

[water lapping serenely] To plan your visit to the enchanting island of Ocracoke, go to visitocracokenc.com.

If you can't make it to Ocracoke this year, there are plenty of ways for you to find your own adventure.

For example, in the pages of a great book.

And we found a charming bookstore that's celebrating its 35th birthday this year.

We sent Rick Sullivan to join the party at McIntyre's Books.

[gentle music] - [Rick] The Fearrington Village neighborhood grew from centuries old farmland that had once been cotton fields, then tobacco.

In 1974, Keebe Fitch's family purchased the land and started growing the community - In trying to create a village where people felt they had a a place to call home.

And even though Chapel Hill is seven miles up the road, back then it was a big deal to go into town.

We opened up a restaurant, we opened up a market, we had a couple of things, just try and provide amenities for people so he didn't have to drive down the road.

And one of the things dad always said was he always wanted to have a bookstore.

He always felt comfortable when he was traveling, going into a bookstore.

- [Rick] So in 1989, RB Fitch convinced his daughter Phoebe to open McIntyre's books.

One of the store's early and most devoted customers, Peter Mock was in the book business himself.

- I worked in a good bookstore.

This was a great bookstore.

And they had the best collection of books.

You know, it was small, but it was tight.

This is where I found Walter Mosley for the first time, "Devil in a Blue Dress".

I'm supposed to be the mystery guy.

We didn't carry it.

It was here.

- [Rick] And very soon after, so was Peter.

He came to work with Phoebe in 1995 and he's been the store's mystery man, the book buyer and the jack of all trades ever since.

- And I'm so happy I'm still here.

- I'm so happy you're still here too.

- Yeah.

- [Rick] This store is obviously the happy place for these two.

And that trickles down to the regular customers who trust the opinions on, and curation of books at McIntyre's.

- [Peter] And we're gonna have books that everybody has.

But as the buyer for the store, I'm looking for all those little hidden gems that takes looking through these catalogs, really pouring through 'em and finding 'em to the point where people come in and go, "I come here because I find things I can't find any place else."

- Well, and also, when you're buying, you know your customers, so you've like gotten really excited and said, "Oh, well, this would be great for," and you name me four people you wanna buy this book for.

So we already have things set aside for people before they even come in.

Because you just, you know who you're buying for and it's really fun to watch.

And we're a welcoming, fun group of people.

We like to laugh a lot.

- Yeah.

- [Rick] And read a lot.

Phoebe remembers growing up with a book in her hands constantly.

- I started reading early on, you know, I was probably 12, 13 when "The Shining" came out and I read that and it totally messed me up because I'd look out the window and see the shrubbery moving in the middle of the night.

- [Rick] Peter estimates that he reads 200 books a year.

- I live in my head, always have.

You know, I love books.

I love to imagine the worlds that a book can give me.

You know, whether it's I'm reading a piece of history, whether it's a mystery, whether it's literary fiction, anything.

Reading is the best education a person can get.

You know, you don't have to really, you can graduate from college and still learn all your life.

I'm always learning, I'm always thinking, and this is the best school you can have.

- McIntyre's keeps a robust schedule of events that includes readings with authors on most Saturday mornings at 11:00am.

On this Saturday, the visitor was a local favorite, Lee Smith.

But the readings and Q&A sessions are commemorated on the top shelves in the store and it resembles a who's who in literature for the past 35 years.

- We bring in people from across the country.

We've got Jasper Ford coming.

He's doing four spots in the United States on his tour and we're one of them.

He's coming over from Wales.

Craig Johnson, I think it's gonna be Craig's 14th or 15th time coming here with his "Longmire Mysteries" and... - [Rick] Meeting with authors, finding good books and gaining greater perspective.

That's McIntyre's Books.

- Yeah, that is our goal here.

Take the blinders off, look around you.

You're gonna find so many good things.

You're gonna learn so many good things, and you're gonna take home so many good things.

- McIntyre's Books is at 220 Market Street in Fearrington Village, just outside of Pittsboro.

And they're open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

To find out more, give them a call at 919 452-3030, or go online to mcintyresbooks.com.

It may not be the most well-known resort in the North Carolina mountains, but it's earned the love of its guests, many of whom call it an oasis.

Producer Clay Johnson and his videographer Eric Olson take us to the Highland Lake Inn And Resort.

[inspiring music] - [Clay] Highland Lake Inn and Resort is 26 acres of trees, flowering shrubs, grassy spaces, and historic buildings on a 30 acre lake.

- [Britt Combest] You know when you're here, because there's nowhere else in the world like Highland Lake Inn and Resort.

- [Clay] In the late 1800s, the property belonged to South Carolina's governor whose daughter created the mill pond that is now the lake.

- In 1910, it was the Highland Lake Club, which were a bunch of investors from Charleston.

A lot of the folks from Charleston came here to get out of the summer heat.

- [Clay] The club failed after just two years and its large inn burned down.

Over the next few decades, the property was a boys prep school, a military academy, and a couple of summer camps for kids.

In 1985, a new owner opened it as the Highland Lake Inn and Conference Center.

In 1999, Jack and Linda Grubb took over.

- Part of what we like is we like the openness, the open spaciousness of the whole thing, and we've gone through and renovated major renovations all the way across the property.

Just about the time that we finish renovations across the property, we start all over and renovate again.

- [Britt Combest] We've done the updates, but you can still feel the history.

- [Clay] There are 53 lodging rooms from small rustic cabins to larger cottages, a short walk to a swimming pool.

- All of our poolside cottages have full kitchens and multiple bedrooms and multiple bathrooms, so they're a great place for families.

- [Clay] The Woodward House is like a bed and Breakfast inn.

There are 16 individual rooms, some with hot tubs, fireplaces, and patios.

It also has a large common living area and kitchen.

- [Britt Combest] We do individual lodging here or sometimes we have family reunions, corporate groups and that sort of thing can come in and do an exclusive use of this building.

- [Clay] The same is true of the historic 20 room lodge.

- [Britt Combest] It's kinda a ski lodge feeling.

It has a beautiful, old, warm, wood bar, it has a rock fireplace, a game room, meeting area.

- [Clay] The Grand Old Hall is a renovated gym that serves as an event space with vaulted ceilings, restored hardwood floors, and a stage.

A stand of tall pines on the lake is a shady space for gatherings.

- [Britt Combest] And we do wedding ceremonies there and corporate group meetings there.

- [Clay] And the lake itself offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boating.

A restaurant named Season's serves guests and the public.

Executive Chef Peter Fassbender calls its menu "New American."

- Which is basically the melting pot of every culture from all over the planet in one spot.

And then I can adapt all of that with the ingredients of here, of North Carolina.

- [Clay] Many of the ingredients come from the resort's organic garden.

- [Peter] I basically just give the list to the gardener and tell him this is what I want.

And then he plants it.

- [Clay] Season's menu adapts to the seasons changing four times a year.

Chef Fassbender shows off some signature dishes.

- We have the Prince Edward Island mussels.

These are Spanish mussels served with dried chorizo with bell peppers and tomato nage.

Then here is our pork Duroc served with melted leeks, with potato latke, with braised radishes and green onion pesto and green peas.

And then for dessert, it's our creme brulee served with a little bit of raspberry coulis, a strawberry and some whipped cream.

[gentle music] - [Clay] Many guests come to this area for the same reasons people did in 1910.

- We get a lot of folks from the Atlanta area, from the Charlotte area, from the Charleston area.

A lot of folks that are leaving the heat to get to the cooler climes.

And that's kind of why Flat Rock is here.

- [Clay] And why the resort is here too.

- I bet I've been here no less than 30 times.

Part of the appeal to it is you feel like you're way out in the woods somewhere, out in the mountains, but you're really close to everything.

- [Clay] Close to tourist attractions and outdoor recreation with Highland Lake Inn and Resort providing guests with a home base.

- We said, we want our service to be delightful.

We want the food to be delightful.

We want the rooms and the property to be delightful.

So they're not just taken care of, they're actually delighted with what they see.

To do all of that and have it be extraordinary but unpretentious, I think that's also part of who we are.

- The Highland Lake Inn is at 86 Lily Pad Lane in Flat Rock.

To book a room or make a reservation at Season's restaurant, give them a call at 800 635-5101 or go online to hliresort.com.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We've had a great time here on the island of Ocracoke.

It is an amazing destination.

And if you've missed anything in tonight's show, just remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org, or find us on our YouTube channel.

Have a great "North Carolina Weekend" everyone.

[bright music] [bright music continues] [bright music continues] [bright music continues] - [Narrator] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer.

[gentle music]