A Bit of Buxton

Buxton is the town where Hatteras Island turns from its north-south direction and juts to the west. It is home to the most famous lighthouse in the world and the best surf casting on the island. When you enter Buxton, time seems to slow down, all your worries seem to leave and your mind goes into a state of relaxation. Buxton has about 1,500 people permanently living there but the population rises during the summer months. There are many hotels, restaurants and places of interest to visit. The Pamlico Sound is to the east and the Atlantic Ocean is to the west. You are surrounded by water and nature. Beach and fishing enthusiasts will think they are in heaven.

Entering Buxton from the North

Route 12 is the only passageway to get here. The first things you see are hotels to the left and a few shops to the right. All of the buildings have the island flare, nothing similar to modern day construction you might find in larger cities. Building construction here has to weather hurricanes and nor’easters as well as the heat of the summer.

Wahinis Surf Grill is a great place to begin the morning with a great breakfast or later in the day for lunch. The owner has greeted us many times when we visit and made each meal special for us in one way or another. Try the pastries here, you won’t be disappointed. (UPDATE: Now called Island Perks)

A little further down the road and on the left is the Lighthouse View Motel. A favorite place for anglers and visitors, each room has a direct ocean view and the beach is right in your face. The third floor views are fantastic and if the beach is your main reason for visiting, this is the place to be.

Dillons Corner is a mere quarter of a mile from the entrance to Buxton and is a combination gift and tackle shop. I don’t think there is another shop around that can satisfy my wife and me at the same time. Unique one of a kind gifts and all the tackle needs required for a day of surfcasting are under one roof.

Directly across the street is a small shopping center with a gas station, convenience store and tackle shop known as The Red Drum. A tip of the hat to these folks for their friendliness and overall good will for the many times I have been there. Yes, they still have free air for those of us that deflate the tires for beach driving. In fact, free air for the forty plus years of my memory. Good job!

Diamond Shoals Restaurant is next door. A great restaurant for seafood or the breakfast buffet. Beware: If you are looking for formal dining and fancy wine lists, don’t bother going here. This place has a helpful wait-staff and good food at a reasonable price.

Uncle Eddys Frozen Custard is directly across the street and combines ice cream delights, putt-putt golf and a coffee shop all in one. Open late into the evening (after 8:00 PM Buxton time) you can enjoy the special combinations of ice cream or a relaxing coffee. I personally recommend one of the chocolate shakes, ask them to make it real thick.

The entrance to the lighthouse is on the left. All you have to do is look for all the four wheel drive vehicles entering or leaving this road. Probably one of the most traveled roads in Buxton, you can get to the lighthouse, beach and ramps by turning here. This area will be explored later but for right now, just go enjoy it.

A bit further down the road on the right side is The Captains Table. A very laid back restaurant with seafood topping the menu. Sometimes the wait for a table is long, but they have swings and chairs along the covered porch to make the wait worth it, kind of sets the mood too. We have been going to this restaurant for years and have never had a bad meal. Highly recommended!

More shops and galleries are along the road until you come to the Orange Blossom Bakery which sits directly across from Buxton Back Road. If you are in the Buxton frame of mind and want to sample fresh pastries, you have to visit this place. The double dipped chocolate doughnuts, the specialty biscuits and the apple uglies will satisfy your breakfast sweet tooth. Normally they close at 11:00 am or when they sell out. The line is long during the morning rush, so getting there early should be a priority. Hardees should be scared……real scared.

If your intent is to be in Buxton for several days, you will need a few staples, even if you stay in a hotel or bed and breakfast. Conner’s Supermarket has been an anchor in Buxton for as long as I can remember. It’s nothing fancy from the outside, but has all the items you will find in one of the larger chain supermarkets plus a great deli.

For the avid surfer in the family, Natural Art Surf Shop is where you can get all the surfing gear required. It is bigger on the inside than what one might guess from looking from the outside. This is where I bought my first board in 1973, shortly after they opened. For those inclined to know, it was a 7’3” Surfings New Image board and I had it for over 20 years. One of the interesting points to observe when you visit here is on the outside showing the high water marks from many of the hurricanes that hit Buxton. I am not talking about a hard rain; full fledged hurricanes hit this town often.

This ends the “downtown” area of Buxton, but as you continue your southward trek, there are cottages to rent, another hotel or so and a few scattered shops. If a hotel is not what you are looking for, try to rent the John Annie House just after the bend in the road. Completely furnished and ready for a weeks stay, this house will become a lifelong memory of a Bit of Buxton.

If Buxton is not on your list of places to see, one visit will put it very close to the top. Feel free to write a post to describe your own Bit of Buxton for others to read and enjoy.

Life is a beach, A Buxton beach.

View Buxton Landmarks in a larger map