Oscar's House Bed & Breakfast — Hotel in Ocracoke

Where do I start? I love this place. Here are some fun facts about Oscar's. Park in the front but enter through the back door around the left. An envelope with your name will be taped to the door with a map leading to your room and a note for you inside. Rules of the house are posted in your room (or bathroom.) wifi password is in the kitchen on the wall to the left of the amazing and gorgeous stove. The common areas are relaxing, soul-soothing and stocked with hundreds of interesting books. Art is everywhere. You will enjoy just exploring the house and studying all the art, artifacts and books in it. Guest book has poems and sweet notes in it in the kitchen. Use magnets to make your own refrigerator poem. Bug spray, aloe and sunscreen (even a pair of sunglasses) are by the door in case you forgot yours. The outdoor shower is BLISS; don't miss out. There are free bikes! No helmets, and some of them are a little well worn, but we parked our car on day one and biked everywhere until we left on our last day - using the bikes instead of the car was invigorating and improved our vacation so much more than anticipated. We biked one mile to the beach and a little further to a beach with restrooms. Other than the ponies, everything is easily bike distance. There are two patios and plenty of space for outside relaxation and dining. An umbrella to shield sun or rain and a hammock. There's a grill as well as an outside sink for fisherman. You can use the refrigerator and freezer for food and some guests kept food stacked neatly on the counter to share (or not - either is fine.) Breakfast will be healthy, fresh and not full of sugar, fat or grease. Example: we had polenta, scrambled eggs with avocados and salsa, a variety of toasts, butter, juice and coffee and tea. There's a moment of silence before you eat; very in the spirit of the house and prepares you for a peaceful day. Don't be shy; breakfast goes on the lazy Susan in the center of the table. You spin it around and serve yourself. We had enough food for seconds and even shared with one of the locals that stopped in. If you are a people person you'll fit in, and if you're more quiet (like me) you'll still fit in because the house has lots of "hiding spots" where you can tuck away and read, write, paint, nap or just relax. The rooms are neat, decorated in soothing tones with local art. The beds are sooooo comfortable. We had Claudia as our chef/keeper and she was awesome. She asked if we needed anything but she also sensed when we just wanted to kick back with vino on the patio and have some quiet. She brought a calm, nurturing energy to breakfast and was fantastic at steering conversation without forcing it. We went there to rejuvenate and it completely restored us, even on a short visit. Oscar's House will always be my...

Oscar's feels like home. That's as much or more a reflection on the people of Oscar's as the building itself. Seeing Chad and Robin every year feels like reuniting with old friends or family. And I don't know how they do it, but the conversation over Chad's cooking is always rewarding and effortless. If you've visited Ocracoke before, you've recognized that special something about the people and place that's impossible to really put your finger on; that thing that makes you miss the place as soon as you get off the ferry back to reality. Oscar's embodies that spirit fully. I'll admit, as a relatively quiet guy, I was a little nervous about our first time staying at a B&B, but with the Ocracoke Island vibe, Chad and Robin's warm and generous hospitality, and that good good cookin', it really does just feel like staying with friends and family. I've been coming to the island since the mid-2000's and have stayed just about everywhere that's rented a room since then. It's not even up for debate anymore where we plan to stay, when the island starts to call us back. How can you argue against going home? Bonus - Have you ever showered off the day's salt and sunscreen while looking up at the Milky Way or distant heat lightning while serenaded by cicadas? No? Seriously add it to the bucket list and get here to...

We were booked for one night over Easter weekend. However, there was a nor’easter brewing just south of the island and the ferry to Hatteras was shut down for nearly three days. We came over from Hatteras on our bike and left the car in Hatteras so needed to get back to continue our trip. Chad and Robin were extremely accommodating and let us stay another two nights at a discounted rate. Once the ferry opened up on Tuesday, they quickly drove us and our tandem bike up to the ferry landing to make sure we got the ferry before another shutdown. They could not have been more accommodating! The breakfast each morning was delightful and allowed us to use the private living room all Monday during the storm! They are conveniently located within walking distance of everything in town and also have beach bikes for us to use. We would be delighted to return...