SlowpokeBlog

Okay, we're back in action here at the Slowpoke hut. Last week was my first trip to a beach in several years, not counting the Funny Times party last summer on Lake Erie (which has better beaches than you'd think). See, I like the beach, but as you might guess, I'm not so crazy about what passes for beach culture. So the hubbo and I decided to check out Ocracoke, a remote island off the coast of North Carolina accessible only by ferry. The entire beach is national parkland, and the quaint village contains no corporate chains to speak of. The locals pride themselves in a quiet, laid-back way of life, which appeals to my slowpoke sensibilities.

The island itself turned out to be perfectly charming. Our fellow visitors, on the other hand, were not quite the solitude-seeking set I'd anticipated. Let's just say the Expedition/Suburban/Hummer/hypermasculine-pickup factor was a little high. You see, four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed on the beach in several areas, so people line up their cars in a row as far as the eye can see, thus turning an otherwise pristine natural area into a giant stinking parking lot. Only in America (I hope!) would people think to have a tailgate party on an unspoiled coastline. I mean, being sandwiched between a Yukon and a Navigator isn't exactly my idea of getting away from it all. Why travel to a remote island in the first place?

Fortunately, there were miles of gloriously empty beaches farther away from town. And there are people who come for the natural beauty. But I am struck at how challenging it can be to escape motorized vehicles, even in areas renowned for their isolation.

Click on photo for larger version. At peak hours, vehicles are more tightly-packed than this.