“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” -Anonymous
For months, I have been actively promoting the cause to protect and preserve free and open access in the Outer Banks of NC. I’ve made Facebook status updates, tweets, posts, etc. But I feel like most people overlook each one with a groan of, “I don’t care.” But you should. And now I am going to tell you why. Maybe if you understood why it is so important or why the Outer Banks is so important to me, you’ll take a second look at the issue.
Something terrible happened over the weekend… ramps 44 & 45 were closed to ORV access… AND PEDESTRIAN access! All because one little nest hatched! How much room do these birds need? Read the article here.
Firstly, visitors and locals LOVE this town and would never actively seek out to destroy something (like a resident animal) so such drastic measures are NOT necessary!
Secondly, this is a public, recreational, beautiful, historical beach… that you can’t even walk on now. I can’t even fathom how the park service is getting away with this.
Lastly, check out this article. Are Piping Plovers… people birds? I don’t know. You decide. Something to think about.
So if you’ve never been to the Outer Banks and you are wondering why everyone is so worked up about this issue, let me explain.
One important factor is that it is an extreme abuse of a government body which is scary enough as it is.
Most importantly? Cape Hatteras is the most incredible, beautiful place in the world. *Settles into rocking chair*
When I was a kid, we randomly lucked into vacationing to the OBX. After that, we were ALL hooked (not to mention it became my sole obsession). As my family grows, our rental houses get bigger to account for the extra family members we bring along. It always has and always will be a tradition to vacation here.
It isn’t a party beach. There is no boardwalk. There aren’t strings of bars and nightclubs. Most places aren’t open past 10. If that is the type of beach vacation you are looking for… 1) you’re stupid (sorry to be blunt… sorry i’m not sorry), and 2) it’s because you’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy a real beach which is exactly what the Outer Banks is. A place with NATURAL beauty, HISTORIC sites, and WELL KNOWN monuments. A true gem off the Atlantic Coast.
A place where you can try any water sport in the world. Fish in a variety of locations with a variety of techniques. Enjoy some of the most delicious and fresh seafood dishes. View majestic landscapes. Witness breathtaking sunsets over the sound and incredible sunrises over the ocean. You may catch a shark, see a pod of dolphins in the morning, or a group of stingrays off your charter boat. You can soak up the sun and get a nice tan. Taste delicious local fudge or pastries. Explore the same lands that Blackbeard walked. I could literally go on forever; the possibilities are endless.
Now let me tell you about Cape Point (or the point as many refer to it). Cape Point is literally the point/corner of Hatteras Island in Buxton. The most recognizable lighthouse in the country sits on that beach. Some of the best fishing on the East Coast can be found here. And I’ve had years of memories at this location.
It is very unique in itself because it jets out into the ocean and if you are standing in the right place, the ocean will literally crash in two different directions… into itself. It’s absolutely incredible and something EVERYONE should see.
But you and your children and your children’s children may never get the chance. For the last couple years, bigger and more sections of the point are being roped off, shut down, and kept closed to visitors and locals alike. Then this year, the park service went TOO far.
Now, you have to PAY A FINE to drive on the beach (driving has been the norm on the OBX for years). Restricting access to ORVs or making even locals pay to drive is ridiculous. Closing the beaches to ORVs (that did not ever run over sea turtle nests or bird nests that were roped off in the first place) is extreme. But closing off ENTIRE BEACHES to humans! A true atrocity! A public, RECREATIONAL seashore. This is like “Sorry, kids, we can’t go to the ocean today, they closed the beach.” WHAT THE HELL!!? How can this even be?
Now I want to be clear on one thing. I am not anti-protecting animals… but they lived for years among humans just fine with their nests being roped off (I again urge you to read “the curious case of the piping plover” story I listed above which suggests they may prefer to be around people). But there has got to be some middle line. There was never a problem before and now there are loads of problems. They are trapping natural predators of plovers and sea turtles, (yes – other island animals… who decides which animals should be protected by extreme measures anyway?).
And most importantly, they are destroying the local economy. If you are a visitor and don’t even give a crap about all of the beach closures because you don’t go to the places where it’s closed anyway, or you don’t drive on the beach… then think of it this way. Firstly, if they’ve closed one beach to pedestrians, they could close more. 
Secondly, your favorite restaurant, favorite shop… they could go under! These aren’t major chains sure to survive any economic crisis. Vacationers are being deterred by these closures and that’s the last thing the local economy needs a time like this! That’s why you have GOT to help ANY way you can because it WILL directly or indirectly impact you as a visitor!!!
Current Cape Point Closures, May 2012 (credit: Outer Banks Voice &NPS/Google Earth image)
Let me share a memory with you. My older cousin and my dad always go fishing every morning while we are on vacation. The older I got, the more I wanted to go with them. Now keep in mind, I was a 5, 6, 7, 8 year old girl… so I wasn’t into fishing (for more than 15 minutes). But I insisted on going every time (mostly because I wanted to be included and not miss a SECOND on the beach). Eventually, as I got older, I started to really appreciate fishing and now I absolutely love it. But one of the places I grew up fishing was at Cape Point. I was always mystified by the layout of the beach, amazed by all the shells and wildlife (yes 15 years or so ago before all of the ridiculous closures, wildlife could still be found on the beaches), and was under the impression that “the point” was some kind of idyllic fishing area reserved for real saltwater fisherman so I’ve always looked at it in the highest regards. Over the last few years, we’d never know if we’d be able to fish there or not until the week of because the park service was constantly roping off different sections. And now? I can’t even walk on it.
Two years ago, we went to the beach during a week when luckily the point was not closed to ORVs or the public. It had been sort of a rainy day but after dinner, it cleared up but was pretty windy. There were huge fluffy clouds in the orange sky as the sun set to the west. But on the eastern horizon, everyone fishing there noticed the early formings of a rainbow. Suddenly, there was a SECOND rainbow. And a few minutes later, you could see THE entire arch from one side to the other. I have never in my LIFE seen a full rainbow (much less two!) And this rainbow appeared to rise right out of the ocean and end on the other side of the ocean. It was literally the most miraculous thing I have ever seen. It felt like I was in a movie or a music video with the wind blowing and this picture perfect sky right above me. But that kind of picture could never been seen anywhere else in the country because this landscape is so unique. And if this beach closure situation isn’t addressed, we may never get a chance to see something like this again.
The rainbow was so large, it wouldn’t even fit in my camera screen! The next two photos are property/courtesy of my cousin, Brandon, because I want you to see a clearer picture of the rainbow taken by a dslr (I really need to get one).
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a place many visitors love and many lucky locals call home. I know that it is also my future home. And its historic shores are currently being threatened, not by natural causes, but by humans and bureaucracy. PLEASE take a.c.t.i.o.n before it’s too late. The power of the people can be a truly powerful thing, and with it, we can all get our beaches back.
