Ocracoke’s Street names: Who are Nubbin, Ikey D, and the Poker Players?

Who is “Mark,” and why does he have a path on Ocracoke? Where’s the poker game on Poker Players Lane? Streets in Ocracoke have sometimes quirky, sometimes obvious (Creek Road), even ho-hum names, such as North Street or Middle Road. While Ocracoke has had European settlers since the 1700s, the island got official street names […]

Island Features |  Full Article

Ocracoke wrestles with occupancy tax, marketing, boosting tourism

After receiving an outpouring of mostly negative comments about a proposed tourism authority for Ocracoke, Hyde County Manager Bill Rich last week unveiled a revised plan for enhancing tourism, especially in the shoulder seasons. Instead of a tourism development authority that would levy an additional 2 percent on top of the 3 percent occupancy tax […]

Local News |  Full Article

Ocracoke is taken over by bands of pirates for a jamboree weekend….WITH SLIDE SHOW

Perhaps Michelle Montanaro described the whole mystique of Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke best when she talked about why she was part of Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew encampment. “I get to be a pirate,” said the newbie pirate crew member matter-of-factly on Saturday, Nov. 1, the second day of the three-day event.  She and her husband, […]

Local News |  Full Article