Ocracoke Island & Fig Cake

We have been here a whole week.  Time flies.  Sunday weather was wonderful.  I took the bike and road north out of town about 4 miles to the Hammocks Nature Trial.  I did not have time to explore the trail as it was getting close to lunch and so I headed back to eat with Capt. Keith.  I will go back in a few days and see what the trail is like.  I took some pictures on the way to show those unfamiliar with the island what things look like.  Other than the small village at the southern most point of Ocracoke there are no houses or inhabitants on the rest of the island as it is National Seashore.  This is a picture of Highway 12, the only road outside of the village.  It runs the length of the island from the north end where the ferry comes over from Hatteras Island, to the south end where the village is located.  There are also ferries at the south end for both Swans Quarter and Cedar Island.  As you can see it is very flat and very straight.

    The vegetation on the island is primarily scrub brush and dune grasses.

    As you get back into the village there are some buildings, shops, and houses but it is still pretty simple.  This is the view from the curve in town looking north.

        This is the view looking  south.

    On the way back to the boat I had to stop at the Ocracoke Seafood House.

My stop at the Seafood House was not for what you might think as Keith has been having very good luck fishing.  Instead I stopped for their famous fig cake.  Yes, fig cake at the Seafood House.  They sell two things at Ocracoke Seafood, seafood and fig cake (who'd guess?).  A dozen or so varieties of fig trees grow along the outer banks.  Figs are difficult to store and ship as they spoil easily and so islanders have perfected preserving them and using them in every manor of jam, jelly, and cake.  There is a fig festival in August featuring everything fig.  I snagged two slices (still hot from the oven) for desert.