Friday, August 30, 2013

Portsmouth

I have written about Portsmouth Island a number of times. It is a magical place, suspended in time. Several days ago our local on-line "newspaper," the Ocracoke Current, published an article by John Soltes that documents his recent visit to Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Scene by Jim Fineman













Henry Pigott's House by Philip Howard






















You can read the Current article here: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/70662

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is an account of the recent skirmishes islanders have had with North Carolina legislatures over the issue of ferry tolls...and a 1955 newspaper editorial advocating free, state-operated ferries across Hatteras Inlet. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082113.htm.

9 comments:

  1. I caught the article yesterday and thought it very good as well. I agree with you and John; it is indeed magical over there. I'm not sure if it's from the loss of blood and being lightheaded, though... There are those of us (and I'm one) that seem to be particularly tasty to the mosquitoes, regardless of which form and strength the deet comes in.

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  2. debbie s.8:22 AM

    i think i could replace my blood with DEET and still be a walking talking buffet for the skeeters LOLOLOL

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  3. Have been there numerous times and have had a few adventures, as well, getting over to the old fishing platform to be picked up by Rudy.

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  4. Anonymous9:31 AM

    Magical is not the only word. Miraculous is the word. Give thanks where thanks is due. As part of the Cape Fear National Seashore this treasure is owned by The American People. It is maintained by a dedicated "friends of" group in cooperation with the National Park Service. The serene beauty, the lack of hordes of tourists with debit cards and smart phones.... The buildings would look like any other Gold Rush Ghost town out west but they don't because of the US taxpayer and that dedicated bunch that gives their BLOOD sweat and tears to the effort. Those that left in 1971... what if all the animals that were eliminated from OI in the 50s had been relocated to PI or auctioned off as conducted on Chintoteague Island, oh my I need to stop beating the dead horse. Wait, why are the horses still on OI if the other live stock was decimated at the hands of the state.....

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    1. A remnant herd 0f ponies was retained because of the efforts of my uncle Marvin Howard and others who lobbied the National Park Service in the 1950s.

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  5. Anonymous4:00 PM

    The horses are just like dogs that never leave the yard....just like zoo animals

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  6. Anonymous4:05 PM

    No matter how serene and quiet the place is..if you go,go when it's cold or no matter how much bug repellent you put on you will be slapping and dancing and spinning around to escape the worst horde of bugs on the east coast..and that includes Florida.

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  7. Anonymous4:45 PM

    My wife and sons visited Portsmouth years ago and opted for Mr. Austin's village dock drop-off vs. the beach dock drop-off. We enjoyed exploring the village and actually made the l-o-n-g walk across the (mostly) dry marsh to the beach, bedeviled by mosquitoes more or less all along the way, except at the very beach itself.

    Does anyone know whether the village dock vs. beach dock drop-off is still an option? And can anyone speak to the experience of choosing the latter over the former? I suspect the beach option could make for a long, sun-baked afternoon, depending on what time of day/year you visit, but I'd presume it'd be absent the mosquito threat and come with top shelling prospects.

    Appreciate any insights.

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    1. No doubt about it...mosquitoes, deer flies, and horse flies can be horrendous in Portsmouth village...but not always. I have walked through the village in July wearing only a bathing suit, and was not bothered at all by bugs. The best thing to do is ask about mosquitoes, etc. before going over there.

      Rudy and Donald will drop you off at the village or close to the beach. I almost always opt for visiting the village. Even with mosquitoes Portsmouth is a magical place. Shelling is usually good on the beach. The Park Service brochure used to describe the walk from the village to the beach as "hot and dry, except when it's cold and wet."

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