Growing up in North Carolina, the Outer Banks were our "go to" spot for summer vacations. I remember as a kid the feeling of excitement as we crossed the bridge to the chain of barrier islands and got our first glimpse of the Atlantic. Over the years the family tried out different areas along the coast, Corolla, Kill Devil Hills, Nag Head. These were and continue to be popular spots and expectedly have grown up quite a bit resulting in busy traffic and crowded beaches. During my teenage years my folks started moving a bit more south and the village of Avon became our special place. Oh how I wished they'd bought a house that could be our regular destination. The beach was wide, the water a bit warmer, the village (at that time) small enough to go disappear for most of the day on bikes.
Being that far down the stretch of coastline also meant that we were closer to Ocracoke. At least once each week we were on vacation we'd pile in the family station wagon for the 20 mile drive to Hatteras Village and drive on to the ferry that took us on a 40 minute ride over to Ocracoke Island. From the ferry dock it was another 12 miles to the town of Ocracoke where we'd have lunch, walk around the town lake, enjoy ice cream and go in the summer shops. The we'd drive back up the island, stopping at the halfway point up the road where the pony pens were located. Centuries before, Spanish ponies, survivors of shipwrecks had found their way to this barrier island to roam free. More recently, after a few unfortunate interactions with vehicular traffic, they had been rounded up and now kept in a more protected part of the island. It was a highlight for us as kids to stop to see the ponies and offer carrots and peppermints.
The parking area was across from a beach access point and we would always go over the dune to spend some time on the sand and have a last chance to play in the surf and get sandy for the drive back to the ferry and our rental house. On one of those day trips I was standing with my mother at the surf line. Looking up the beach I could see people far in the distance. When I asked her about it she told me, "oh, those are the nudies". This was back in the 70's and it seems that the remoteness of the Ocracoke beaches meant a place for those inclined to enjoy the beach in the buff.
Fast forward to the late 80's. Recently married, my new wife and I are planning our first summer vacation. We'd gone to St. Martin on our honeymoon and that was the first time we'd been exposed to a nude beach. I'll admit that I loved it and I think my wife was tolerant of my desire to go there every day. There's something so freeing about being out in the open, feeling every sense on the skin, the feel of water on bits that, up until that time, had been tucked inside wet, clingy swimwear. Some people will say that the only people you see at a nude beach are people that you don't want to see naked but truthfully, that is just a closed minded person's fear. Yes, there were all body types on the nude beaches of St. Martin, and yes, I did manage to look at some very shapely beach goers. But the end result was a fantastic time growing together as a couple and a realization that all people on the planet have a lot of anatomy in common and there's no reason to be ashamed by any of it.
Finding a place to go naked was not a primary factor in choosing where to take our summer trip. We were still in the infancy of our careers and consequently, money had to be a consideration. We really wanted a beach trip and when we talked about going to the Outer Banks (where my wife also vacationed as a child) I brought up my childhood memories of Ocracoke. After doing some searching (so much more challenging before the internet was as available) we found a relatively cheap hotel right in town. When vacation time finally arrived we were ready!
It took the better part of the day to get to the ferry terminal. The excitement of driving onto the boat and feeling the wind, smelling the salt air and seeing all the gulls flocking in our wake brought back the vivid memories of my childhood. Since it was later in the afternoon, the boat was far from full with only a handful of cars headed across. Ours was the last vehicle off.
There is one road running the length of the island. Twelve miles to the village at the far end with a couple of parking lots along the way. There is a dune that runs along the island separating the road from the beach. There is evidence that it sometimes blows across the road but it had been recently cleared. I can't recall what mile post it was but we saw a couple of cars pulled off to the side of the road and near a pathway across the dune. I was ready to feel the sand between my toes so we stopped for a quick look. If memory served, this would have been were my mother had pointed out the "nudies" so many years ago. My heart was fluttering a bit (the same feeling it had the first time we stripped down on St. Martin). As we got to the top of the dune we could see miles in both directions. Not far up the beach we could make out a couple groups of people. But while I was hoping for confirmation that this was the spot to be nude, these folks were dressed. But they were also walking toward us, headed back to what I presume were their cars. We ended up passing them as we strolled down to the water's edge and exchanged hellos. The woman of one of the couples smiled and said, "yep, this is the place to be." Perhaps I wanted to read more into her statement but we decided that this was the place we'd come the next day for our first beach excursion.
Our hotel room was fine. Back then, on a limited budget, we were happy with anything that had clean sheets and a bathroom. Since it was a beach trip there wasn't much to unpack and we ended up strolling the town, enjoying a couple of beers and some seafood and turning in early. If you're looking for a story about passionate love and amazing sex, well, that happened too! We were still basically newlyweds and there's something about getting it on in a new place. But this story is about a beach trip.
We'd brought a cooler with food for breakfast a lunch for our first couple of days and the room had a microwave and water kettle for coffee. After our morning sex workout and showers we were finally ready to head to the beach. We'd learned long ago that more stuff is too much. We had towels, an umbrella, a little lunch cooler with drinks and plenty of sunscreen. That gear plus our books and we were ready. Oh yeah, my little camera is always packed for a trip.
I was afraid that I'd miss the spot to pull off the road since there was no real marker but when we came up on a couple cars pulled off on the shoulder I figured we were in the right place. They were the same vehicles we'd seen the evening before. Those butterflies in my stomach returned. The morning was already steamy as we threaded our way through the low brush along the path. Hardly any breeze at all. Liz got the to top of the dune before me and stopped to take a survey. To the left there was a beach umbrella and two tiny figures under it's shade. It was hard to get a clear view but if I were to guess they were naked. To the right there were a couple beach chairs set up on the sand. They were empty but I could see two people out in the water. Liz didn't want to set up right in front of the pathway, instead being down a bit so we chose to go to the right. I took a few minutes before we passed the encampment with the chairs. The people were still out in the water. It was a man and woman who looked to be a bit older than us. They waved as we walked past, continuing a bit so as to not be too close. After all, there looked to be several miles of empty beach ahead of us. When we figured we were far enough away we stopped and set up. I purposefully took time setting our umbrella, first stripping down to my speedo style suit while Liz shucked off her cover up revealing a white bikini.
While I set up the umbrella I kept an eye on the folks that we had passed. I could see them look our direction as they came to the shallow water then watched as they stood up and made their way back to their spot. Yes! They were both naked. I told Liz to take a quick look to confirm. With that validation she quickly took off her bikini and I dropped my suit. In part this is because we wanted to enjoy the all over tan opportunity but also to inform our nearest beach neighbors that we were okay with the dress code. They gave a big wave in response.
Liz and I took turns covering each other in sunscreen. Another great advantage to nude sunning, not having to work around suit edges. Plus, a bit of bare skin contact makes every day better!
Now was time to settle in for the relaxation that we both craved. I had brought my book and was stretched out on my towel. It was hard to concentrate what with the sound of the gentle surf, noises from the overhead gulls and the view of water stretching out before us. A pod of dolphins worked their way past. A line of pelicans flew by. I was on my stomach to start out but Liz was next to me on her back with her had shading her eyes from the bright sun. Good thing I was face down since the sight of her naked form glistening from the lotion incited a pleasant effect on my cock. This was contentment.
From the corner of my eye I sensed some movement and, glancing up, I saw 2 people walking along the waterline towards us. The folks that we had passed were coming our way. I was happy to see that they were still naked. As they got closer I nudged Liz and she sat up on her elbows taking the hat off of her face. The woman of the couple greeted us with a warm hello and they slowed their stroll when they were just in front of us. On our previous nude beach experiences the interaction with others was minimal (except for the naked time share seller and a clothed beach vendor in St. Martin). Something made me think these folks wanted to chat. They stepped a bit closer to us, introducing themselves as Kim and Jeff. I jumped up to return the greeting, reaching out shake hands. I figured this is exactly what I would have done at a party if I was meeting new people. The fact that we were all nude shouldn't change how we act. I helped Liz to her feet as she shook hands as well.
It was obvious that they were no strangers to all over sunning. Both had even tans without obvious tan lines (like we had). They were school teachers from Johnson City Tennessee. They had been coming to Ocracoke for a number of years, enjoying the quite small town feel of the village and the chance to enjoy this stretch of beach nude. As we were chatting I heard the sound of a shrill whistle from up the beach.
"That's John and Brenda," said Kim. "Its the signal'"
