Emerald Island, North Carolina 5/8/2011

When we arrived in Cape Carteret, North Carolina, just a few miles from where we are staying, I saw this field of wild flowers as we passed in our big bus. 

I couldn't get a good picture of them, so on our way out for the day's adventure, I had Joe stop, so I could get some pictures.

This field of flowers is just as you come into the very small town of  Cape Carteret.

What a nice welcome, to your visual senses!

Sorry so many pictures, but I had a very hard time choosing the best ones.

What a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day.

I like flowers in a vase, but in their natural setting it is so much better.

Purple Pink Peonies

Red Peonies

Not sure what kind of flower this yellow is.

White Peonies

White and Coral Peonies

Peach Pink Peonies. These flowers are eye candy to me!

After I got my fill of the flowers and bored Joe to pieces, we drove over the causeway to Emerald Island. Our first stop was this private pier. On the weekends, you pay $10.00 to park in the lot. Free during the week.

It is the longest pier we have been on.

There is a double deck for better viewing.

The section below the double deck is private for those who have purchase a special ticket for king fishing. ( My special effects is from my shutter sticking once in a while, ever since it got splashes in the ocean)

It was fun watching these people fish. They would cast their line out, then reel the line in with a lure. While reeling in, they would hold there rod down, and make the rod go in circles at the same time they reeled in the line. They did this over and over. Wouldn't take long to have a good work out on the upper arms. I guess I should learn to king fish.

There was a RV park next to the pier. Joe said this park was not in our book. Of course it's not. We got the book for cheap camping. Just kidding honey. Don't get your shorts in a bunch! Just having fun with you.

It cost $10.00 a day to fish off this pier, even if you have your own fishing licence. If you don't have a fishing licence, the $10.00 covers you.

We left the pier, and headed north on the island. I like this home I have always liked Victorian style homes. The home is for sale if anyone is in the market.

Large 3 story home, on this part of the island.

Here is another view of the Victorian home from the road. It has two turrets.

We found a public beach about five miles from the pier. Free parking on the island. We walked for 30 minutes on this beautiful beach. Lots of shells and beautiful color of the water. The sand was not as firm as Myrtle Beach, but better than some. Even though there were a lot of shells over all, the sand is soft enough to walk barefoot, except in spotty areas.

After our walk, we drove back to the pier to get some lunch. Joe remembered seeing this place as we left the pier.

An entrepreneur who turned a little cottage into a hot dog and burger joint. We got chili cheese dogs and onion rings. That really hit the spot, but I
still had to take Ibuprofen for the headache I got for going so long, with out lunch. Instead of pouring cement for the drive, he laid cement blocks with holes. Then he poured gravel in the holes. He also has folding chairs against the wall for when more chairs are needed. We had to pull out those chairs, and put them under an umbrella for lunch.

After lunch we drove farther north on the island and found the Indian Beach parking lot. The parking is free also, at this public beach. I head down the stairs with my new shell beach bag. Joe was getting tired of me handing him shells, and asking him to put them in his pocket, when I forgot a plastic bag.

This island is a nice beaches that was not packed. It was Monday, and the temperature is only in the mid to high seventies. I am sure the weekends and when school get out, this beach will be more packed. We walked another 30 minutes, while shelling along the way.