Roaming free at Cape Lookout

Southern Living, Aug 1998 by Rada, Joe

Several small cemeteries remain, along with some 20 structures-- including a church, school, post office, homes, and the lifesaving station. They're preserved through a partnership between the park service and a few dedicated lease holders who agree to keep the old homes fixed up in exchange for permission to occupy them on periodic getaways. Day trippers ferry from Ocracoke to poke around the prim ghost town and wander across broad tidal flats to reach a raw beach. Others camp, bringing plenty of water, food, and insect repellent.

Between wandering horses and a striking lighthouse to the south and preserved Portsmouth to the north, most of Cape Lookout is left to the shorebirds, sea turtles, and anglers. At a midsection landing reached by ferry from the town of Atlantic, barefooted Branson Eisenman continues to measure his island days.

Nine months a year, without a break, he maintains a cluster of 10 rustic bring-your-own-sheets duplexes available in the park. He keeps utilities working, assists vacationers at the bring-whatever-you-- need getaway far from any stores, catches many of his meals, and sets a laid-back example.

"It takes a certain temperament to live out here," he says quietly. "You keep time by the tides and what fish are biting. You rarely wear shoes. I run up a $300 cellular phone bill some months keeping in touch with my kids and my friends."

Still, for every guest who shudders at the thought of being stranded in such a sparse environment, there are others who envy the chance. Here's hoping they all find enough clams for supper.

For more information contact Cape Lookout National Seashore, 131 Charles Street, Harkers Island, NC 28531; (919) 728-2250. Or call Carteret County Tourism Development Bureau at 1-800-786-6962.