My Favorite Place

I have been to Martha's Vineyard and fell in love years ago but the tourists were all over the place. I almost felt bad for the residents who owned cottages and  beautiful homes on the island. I loved the hydrangas, the grasses and little fences going down to the beach and the cottages and homes with hanging baskets full of blooms. When we traveled to the Outer Banks I felt the similarities of Martha's Vineyard but Ocracoke Island is less accessible, less commercialized and very quaint. The only way to get to Ocracoke Island is by ferry or boat or plane. You can't just sit on your patio and watch the ocean - you have to hunt for it - bicycle for a few miles or get in your car and drive to it. The dikes by the side of the road protect the homes and roads from the frequent tropical storms and occasional hurricanes.But the white sandy beaches and the turquoise oceans are like a tropical island. Of course, the restaurants will rival any great tourist place but the markets and specialty stores are small and kind of quirky. The weeds grow in between houses and you won't find the manicured lawns or landscaped yards. You will find little flowers springing up in the oddest places, a row of konch shells lined up outside someone's window, dogs barking, little baskets of flowers hanging from trees, interesting mail boxes and bicyclists waving and greeting passersby. It's a "feel good place". I hope to go there again some day.  My mouth is watering for a crab-cake sandwich.