The Grey Pearl on Ocracoke

01/11/2024

From Back Road Shops:
Businesses closed for the season: Thai Moon, Back Porch Lunchbox, Back Porch Restaurant, the Fudge Shop, and Old Salt Sandwiches
Closing this weekend: the Flying Melon, Howard’s, Pony Island, the Fish House, and Smacs
Staying open thru Thanksgiving: coffee shop, Dajio, Jason’s, and Eduardo’s
Open thru most/part of the winter (closing date TBD): Zillies, Plum Pointe, and Ocracoke Oyster
**We have not heard specific dates from Stockroom, Ocracoke Ice Cream, Suazos or Helios

28/10/2024

On the island for Thanksgiving? The Ocracoke Oyster Company will be open ! Dont' forget they are pet friendly as long as you sit outside.

23/10/2024

Tis the season for sharing Ferry Schedule changes !

13/09/2024

Even a rainy day on the island is a GREAT day on the island- Don't stay inside, rent the bike- you will thank us !!

05/09/2024

Well- we hear that Airbnb fees are going up again at the beginning of 2025, which means more fees imposed on guests, as well as hosts. We have VERY carefully tipped our toe into direct booking this past year, and everyone has been wonderful. We would like to ask for those of your who are considering staying with us, think about direct booking. This saves the Airbnb fees (which total about 16-17%)- we do still pay our Hyde County Taxes, etc (Orange is not my color).

The Grey Pearl has 2 lovely bedrooms, full bath and a full kitchen. The best part of Pearl is the large side yard and the spacious porch. In 2024 we do anticipate being open to renting out the apartment (1 bedroom in the loft and studio bed on the main floor, with a kitchenette.

What is open? There are a few days in November and December with a ton of availability in January, February & March. There is still some availability in April,May and September of 2025 with a few open days in July & August. How does it work? Just text me at 336-596-4271 and let me know your interest. We will ensure the dates are available and send your an invoice for your stay (the nightly fees and the $125.00 cleaning fee still applies). Half is due on booking after we send you and invoice and the other half is due 1 month prior to your visit. You can cancel your stay, without penalty up to the one month mark. If you cancel prior to one month (why would you want to??), you forfeit 1/2 of your overall stay.

While we appreciate the platform that Airbnb offers, we find to continue to make offering Pearl viable as a rental cottage, we have to think a bit differently in the future. We appreciate you considering staying with us and have been honored to host so many of you in the past. - Thankfully, Jennifer, Ben and our family

28/08/2024

Find yourself on the island and missing your gourmet coffee? No worries, you can get a variety of "fancy" coffee at Ocracoke Coffee Company- either whole bean or ground. If you're wanting it to drink while you stay at The Grey Pearl, go ahead and let them grind it.

21/08/2024

We have a few fall openings that you might be interested in !! While we would love to be there ourselves, we are not able to - so we would be honored to host you during some of these times. Fall is the most wonderful time to experience the island- long walks on the beach, massage, yoga, bike rides, beach fires, and wonderful meals with friends- Treat yourself to the Ocracoke experience.

19/08/2024

Did you know that Ocracoke beaches are home to the threatened Piping Plover ? The Piping Plover prefers to nest in sparsely vegetated open beaches, which put them at risk from predators, off road vehicles, humans and our furry pets running on the beaches. This is why when they are nesting or fledging their young, the Park Service occasionally will close a section on the beach to allow them the greatest chance of survival. With all of their work the Piping Plover has slightly recovered slightly at teeters between Endangered and Threatened. Keep an eye out and help protect what we love about our special island.

The small, sand-colored Piping Plover is named for its melodic, plaintive whistle. It’s a beautifully camouflaged shorebird of beaches and barrier islands — ...

18/08/2024

While we agree that island locations are about the beaches and water activities, you will find that on Ocracoke it is equally about the people. Mary Bassell, a local pastel artist, opens her studios most days to visitors from 9am to 11am to show that- you too- can create your own works of art ! We were lucky that she had a cancellation and was able to fit us in as we had not called before hand to schedule studio time. We (me, Makayla, Mackenzie and Victoria) all went to Mary's studio on Back Road and spent a few hours creating our own works of Pastel art. She allowed us to pick our own picture and we loved that. We had a great time and highly suggest that you book some studio time for your next trip. It was $60 per person (and I also gave a tip- CASH. You can message her on her FB page ( https://www.facebook.com/MaryBassellPastels/ ) or you can call her on her personal cell at 252-573-9195. Also - take a few minutes to look at her original artwork, which is for sale. We have our own piece, which you can see in the Queen Room in the cottage (the dory picture).

16/08/2024

Did you know that Ocracoke is smack dab in the middle of Section 18 of the Mountain to Sea trail ? Yep- and that is me and Foy B (my dad) biking it this Summer! Ocracoke is one of the most lovely places to bike, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Almost everyone is on a bike or on a golf cart which makes it very safe for 2 wheeled vehicles (young and old). This year I finally biked a good part of the stretch from the village out to Hammock Hills Trail several times, which has a dedicated bike lane. Several sand roads go off of the this section that lead to the Ocean. What a joy this year to be able to bike to the Ocean ! While it took a bit of maneuvering it was one of the best parts of my entire Summer- and yes our new Trek pedal assist bikes made it much easier ! Park the car, bring your bike or rent a bike- you will love it !!!

14/08/2024

Did you know that we are slowly and carefully setting up a "Rain Garden" in certain parts of Pearls yard? This past winter Ben, Noah and I attended an excellent discussion around Ocracoke Native plantings at the Library. We already knew that we were interested in creating a Rain Garden or a Backyard wetland as a way to do our part to slow down storm water management. In the past Pearl has had as many as 4 Cisterns in use to collect rain water for the families living there, but now since these are no longer used the rain water goes into the sandy grasses around the house. Given the nature of our slightly undulating yard, we (like most of the island homes) have some areas that hold water, which creates a lovely environment for creating a small wetland. Early this spring we starting planning a few species native to the island, such as this sedges, rushes and grasses. A few did well, some did not. We are still playing around with our plantings based on what is truly native to the island and will continue to work on what works for Pearl. We look forward to keeping you posted on our installed grasses (vascular plants) that will help help hold on to and the rain water and hopefully help prevent it from ending up in the islands storm water run off. We appreciate your assistance by not walking on the areas (one currently under the bay window of the Shop) and by giving us patience while we work on proper plantings for Pearl and the island. Where are we getting our plantings from? Mellow Marsh Farm right here in North Carolina !!

06/06/2024

Good morning- We have a very rare Fall opening (Fall is stunningly lovely on the island) ! An ENTIRE week is now open for you to enjoy. What is great about October on Ocracoke? The water and sand are still warm, the streets are almost silent, and all of the shops and restaurants are still open !! It really is the perfect time of year to visit.

31/05/2024

What a perfect way to get to the island. If you are lucky enough to have your own plane, or fortunate enough to charter a private plane, this is a great way to get here !! (I use the work "lucky" in the incorrect context. I know that if you have your own plane, you have worked damn hard to get it and worked hard on your pilot's license),

1364 likes, 65 comments. “ ”

28/05/2024

The Ocracoke Tram is an excellent way to get around the island ! You can take a 1 minute walk around the corner to Zillies to catch it and it will take you anywhere you need to go to on the island ! The open-air tram loops around in 30-minute intervals from 10:30 in the morning to 8 at night, from Memorial to Labor Day. Its a great way to get around and keeps cars off the road on the island !

28/05/2024

How fun to see on the island and what a great treat for adult and kids !

26/05/2024

Good morning !! We have just discovered a new website/service called Outerlore on the Ocracoke Island page. In looking around their site they currently offer 2 self guided tours- one around Manteo and one around Ocracoke !! While we have not yet taken these tours ourselves, you can be sure that our next family trip to the island will include ! Better yet, if you're coming from the North Carolina mainland and are coming thru Manteo and Roanoke Island, consider that tour as well. It looks to be only 1 1/2 hours and should be quite fascinating !! We will update you when we take our own tour, and would love to hear from you if you decide to partake ! Their website is: https://www.outerlore.com.. By the way, it looks like the last tour spot (might be) at British Cemetery, that would be neat if it ends right at Pearl- only a few steps back to your "home".

16/04/2024

This is a MUST while you are on the island. Better yet- take some home with you as well !!!

🐟We are OPEN today from 11 - 4🐟

Today in Stock:
Striper/ Rockfish, Speckled Trout, Bluefish, Whiting/ Sea Mullet, OBX Yellowfin Tuna, Black Sea Bass, Clams, Shrimp

Homemade Pimento Cheese, Seaweed Salad, and Trudy Austin’s Fig Cakes

Frozen and Ready to Go Homemade items- Crabcakes, Fishcakes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, and Susie’s famous Key Lime Pie.

Bulk Ice, Tee Shirts and Hoodies, Sauces and Spices, and recipe books

🐟🦐🦪🦀🦪🦐🐟
Thank you for buying local and for supporting our Ocracoke Working Watermen.


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Check us out on Instagram: https://instagram.com/ocracokeseafoodcompany?igshid=

Our storefront will look a little different this week as we continue to get things spruced up for the season, including sending our beautiful sign off for some touchups!

📷 by Sara Teaster

13/04/2024

Booking now for the next Solar Eclipse in 2045 (just kidding) - seems Pearl will be in the Line of Totality !

10/04/2024

How often do you take a minute to think about yourself? While you on the island take a second to recharge and refresh your mind at body at the Ocracoke Wellness Collective This team is amazing! They have massages, body scrubs, herbal facials and sooo much more. AND it's super easy to book. You can just FB message them on their page at Ocracoke Wellness Collective and they will get you booked !! Don't let an Ocracoke rip go by without setting a little time aside for yourself. (photos from the Instagram page).

23/03/2024

Things are really opening up on the island to get ready for what I am sure will be an AMAZING 2024 vacation year. There are 2 spots where I find the best information around what is open and what is happening. The first is The Ocracoke Observer! They have a listing of when things open (https://ocracokeobserver.com/2024/03/13/whats-open-closed-on-ocracoke/amp/) and what is Facebook- Ocracoke Island, North Carolina- While this is a private group, you are welcome to request to join as long as you are interested in a GREAT experience and willing to follow the rules. Check checking both for daily updates and the best island experience.