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Bayview - Aurora
Free Ferry
The
Bayview side of the Bayview-Aurora ferry is about five miles east of
historic Bath on Hwy. NC 92, just east of Bayview. It crosses the Pamlico
River to reach the north end of Hwy. NC 306, north of Aurora. A sign
at the loading lanes informs you it is a 4-mile crossing, but it takes
about
30 minutes. You can find its location on the Coastal
Guide Map.
On this trip the
author noticed this ferry looked much like
the ones he was familiar with on the ferry
run between Hatteras
and Ocracoke, and commented about it to
the crew.  It
turned out that this was in fact the "Ocracoke",
which normally worked the Hatteras-Ocracoke
route. The crew said it was on loan to
the Bayview-Aurora crossing while their
ferry was "in the
shop" for repairs. (This trip was just
after Hurricane Isabel, and the Hatteras
- Ocracoke ferry was not running. The new "Isabel
Inlet" cut by the storm between Frisco
and Hatteras village, and damage to Hwy.
NC 12 on Ocracoke had cut off all
access
to the ferry there on both ends.)
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Left - Two photos of the "Ocracoke" waiting to load at Bayview.
Below - The crew on board the "Ocracoke" as it departs
Bayview. |
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 Right -
Another view of the "Ocracoke".
(Click thumbnails for a larger view) |
 You
can meet some interesting people on a ferry. It's
easier on the small runs like Bayview-Aurora, or Minnesott
Beach-Cherry Branch, or even Currituck-Knotts Island.
I met the couple pictured at the right on the Bayview-Aurora
ferry. They were headed for Florida, if I remember
correctly, cruising on their "Goldwing". They were
going by way of Atlanta to see that weekend's Nascar
race. I took their photo, gave them my card, and said
to email me so I could send it to them. Haven't heard
from them.
But other folks I took photos for did write. One couple
forgot their camera when they climbed Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and another couple
on Currituck Beach Lighthouse did the same thing, so I snapped their pictures to
email to them. One lady ran out of film after walking a mile to see the new "Isabel
Inlet", so I took her photo and sent it. There were other instances too, all of which
added enjoyment to my trip.
By the way, if that's YOU standing next to that "Goldwing",
just send me an email. I've still got the photo. |
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Unlike the other ferry rides on this
trip, there were almost more crew than passengers. The crew
seemed more approachable and seemed to have a little time to
talk. Perhaps having a very small pilot house on the "Ocracoke",
and the fact that is was a perfectly beautiful day meant
they were
more obliged to be on-deck. In any event, it was nice to chat
with them for a bit.
The one thing you can't miss on this crossing
is the huge mound of dirt visible across the river to the southwest.
You might wonder where
such a mound could possibly come from in this flat coastal
land, just a breath above sea level. As you
get closer, you can tell there is also some sort of huge industrial
facility next to it, and you begin to realize the massive scale
of this place.
It is absolutely immense. This is the PCS
Phosphate Mine, which
stretches the entire five miles from the ferry landing to Aurora.
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Aurora and the Fossil Museum
 Arriving
at the landing on the south bank of the Pamlico puts you on NC
306 again, which then runs south past the phosphate mine to Aurora,
though little of the facility is visible behind the trees that buffer
the highway. If you have an interest in fossils, you should stop
in Aurora to visit
the Aurora
Fossil Museum. This small museum is packed with fossils,
bones, shark's teeth, arrowheads,
and other items found in the diggings from the phosphate mine.
The museum is easy to find. Turn east off NC 306 next to the school.
The turn is plainly marked by a sign, and you only have to drive
3 or 4 blocks off the highway to reach it.
Across the street in front of the museum
there is always a pile of dirt from the mine in which visitors
can dig and sift for their own fossils free of charge.  Bring
a shovel,
bucket, and maybe a wire screen sifter, and you're in business.
You're practically guaranteed to find fossils in no time. The author's
wife spent just five minutes with no tools but her bare hands,
and found two specimens in short order. The pile is changed every
few days, so there is no shortage of fossils to be found. Children
are fascinated with it, and it's a great break for the kids on
a trip. If you bring your own buckets, you can fill them up and
take them with you. Then you can sift through them later when you
get home, or entertain the kids with the project later on your
trip. |
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Here
are some views of some of the displays and dioramas in the museum. |
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If
you're feeling adventurous, you might stop for a snack at the
Wayside Family Restaurant in Aurora at the intersection of NC
306 and NC 33. On the menu, under "Wayside Famous Dinners", is
a selection called the "Hot Hamburger Plate". This is no doubt a "local" delicacy,
which consists of two beef patties on two slices of white bread
with French fries, smothered in brown gravy for only $4.75. It
wasn't exactly clear whether the patties and bread, or the fries,
or both were smothered. Are you feeling lucky?
Continuing south from Aurora on NC 306 takes you through Grantsboro
and Arapahoe to Minnesott Beach, and the landing for the next ferry.
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It
turned out that this was in fact the "Ocracoke",
which normally worked the Hatteras-Ocracoke
route. The crew said it was on loan to
the Bayview-Aurora crossing while their
ferry was "in the
shop" for repairs. (This trip was just
after Hurricane Isabel, and the Hatteras
- Ocracoke ferry was not running. The new "Isabel
Inlet" cut by the storm between Frisco
and Hatteras village, and damage to Hwy.
NC 12 on Ocracoke had cut off all
access
to the ferry there on both ends.)
