Sunday, July 25, 2010

What Were They Thinking?

I know I shouldn't have laughed, but I just couldn't help it. Several days ago I had a call from a representative of a company who was hoping I could give an Ocracoke tour for a large group in late September. I gave her all of the particulars and explained that we would meet in front of the Village Craftsmen at 7:30 pm. "That will be great," she said. "We are having lunch at Howard's Pub, we'll do some sightseeing, then we're having supper at 6 o'clock at Western Sizzlin. We'll see you at 7:30."

"I'm afraid not," I said with a chuckle, but she insisted that was the way their tour was planned, that's how they'd done it before, and if I didn't want to accommodate them she'd just have to cancel my tour. I learned that she hadn't looked at a map, and was unwilling to accept the fact that Ocracoke is about three hours from the closest Western Sizzlin, which is in Kill Devil Hills.

Anyway, I hope they enjoy their trip to the Outer Banks!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the 1913 wreck of the George W. Wells. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072110.htm.

8 comments:

  1. Debbie Leonard8:26 AM

    Haha...very funny! Maybe they should do lunch at Western Sizzlin' and then supper at Howard's.

    I was talking to a ranger at the NPS office one year and she told me that you wouldn't believe the number of people who insist that they got to Ocracoke by driving across the bridge!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:37 AM

    As they used to say, "No fools no fun!"

    I bet you could write a book about the stupid comments and questions people have asked over the years. Thankfully you, like most islanders, are super nice, patient people.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I remember meeting a pair of ladies from Pennsylvania at the Ocracoke Lighthouse in 1991. They told me how much they were enjoying their visit to "ORACOKE." They walk among us! They vote! They breed! Lord help us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:06 AM

    The real joke is why would you eat at a Western Sizzlin anywhere on the Outer Banks, with all the GREAT Seafood places to eat. On the Cedar Island Ferry, I'm always amazed at the people that don't even know what's on Ocracoke, they are just passing through to the rat race of Nags Heads. Like an old timer told me sitting on the Community Store bench one day years ago, "Ferry's in, stay off the road for 10 Minutes and they will be gone". - Nollie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:29 AM

    Phillip, come on, you know they are going to take the train...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:13 AM

    this is a different anonymous from the previous two I have come to realize if is far simpler to hit that anonymous button than to figure out all the hoo-ee associated with registering for spam no doubt in my in box anyway as the woman who filmed the dancing man said oceAN FISHING was a mainstay at one time for Ocracoke islanders now you reel in a different catch to flounder on the pronunciation of your town and to perch upon the hotel porches and sight see for the halibut I mean heck of it

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vicki S9:16 AM

    That's too funny - must have heard about the Outer Banks from a link and had a knee jerk reaction - let's go there. I love the quietness and pace of Ocracoke. Please stay at your "Western Sizzler" - with the ocean right outside your door and the best seafood in the world right there?! - and leave lovely Ocracoke to those of us who love it so.....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous8:31 PM

    And may there NEVER be any type of chain restaurant, chain hotel, chain box discount store, chain grocery store; well, you get the idea, EVER, EVER on Ocracoke Island soil! AMEN!

    ReplyDelete