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Home > Getting Around |
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The Crystal Coast is about many things, especially water and water activities. In this area you'll see thousands of boats — pleasure craft, sailboats in safe harbors, kayaks, the last of the menhaden fishing fleet, ocean-going research vessels, huge luxury yachts, tankers and container ships, and more than 6,000 commercial fishing boats, big and small, hauling in the catch. About 95 percent of the visitors to the Crystal Coast arrive by car, although getting here by sea or air provides a beautiful journey as well. In this chapter you'll find
information for getting to the Crystal Coast and for getting around once
you are here. |
At
the southern end of the great barrier island chain known as the Outer
Banks lies the beautiful Crystal Coast, a narrow strip of land with 81
miles of coastline, beaches, dunes and waterways. The Bogue Banks
portion of the Crystal Coast is geographically unique. It sits on an
east-west axis, allowing a sunrise and sunset view over the ocean and
sunbathers to lie on the beach facing the ocean due south.
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LandThe Crystal Coast is less than a three-hour drive from the state capital of Raleigh, a straight shot on U.S. Highway 70, and only a couple of hours from Greenville, home of East Carolina University. Travelers from the north or south will find that Interstate 95 or U.S. Highway 17 takes them to either U.S. Highway 70 and on to Morehead City or to N.C. Highway 58, which leads straight to Emerald Isle. From the west, Interstate 40 will also take you to U.S. 70, which leads directly to Morehead City. From the east, the most picturesque journey into Carteret County, travelers must reserve space for the 2¼-hour ferry ride from Ocracoke Island to Cedar Island (see the ferry schedule in this chapter). At the ferry landing, N.C. Highway 12 continues a short distance to intersect with U.S. 70 W. near the community of Sea Level, the highway's point of origin. (Interestingly enough, U.S. 70's other terminus is in Los Angeles.) From here, it's an unforgettable ride through lowland fields of junkus and Spartina marsh grasses and Down East fishing villages to historic Beaufort and the Crystal Coast or on to Havelock and New Bern. Between Morehead City and Emerald Isle or Swansboro, the main thoroughfare is N.C. Highway 24, which offers views of Bogue Sound as you cross its bridges at Broad Creek and Gales Creek. Make the sightseeing brief, because this is always a busy highway with commuter traffic, schools and neighborhood developments along the 25-mile stretch between U.S. 70 and N.C. 58. On the island of Bogue Banks, N.C. 58
runs parallel to the beach for more than 22 miles, from Atlantic
Beach west to Emerald Isle. Mile markers along the way make it easy
to find things. Mile 1 (MM 1) begins at Fort Macon State Park on the
east end of the island and the markers continue west, ending at the
high-rise bridge in Emerald Isle. |
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Taxi and Limo ServicesCurrently, there is no bus service to
Carteret county. Bus service is offered in Havelock and New Bern.
See our
New Bern Getting Here, Getting Around chapter. Several cab and
limousine companies service the area. A-1 Yellow Cab,
(252) 240-2700 or (252) 504-3680, A-1 takes passengers to Atlantic
Beach, Beaufort, Morehead City, Down East and local marinas. They
take passengers to to the airport in New Bern as well. Atlantic Beach Taxi,
(252) 240-3555, Atlantic Beach Taxi serves all the towns between
Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle as well as Morehead City and will
take passengers to the airport in New Bern. Crystal Coast Yellow Cab Co.,
(252) 728-3483 or (252) 726-3125, Crystal Coast Yellow Cab offers
service to Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Morehead City, Newport and Down
East and will take and pick up clients at area airports. Diamond Limousine Service,
(252) 240-1680, offers service for local and long-distance trips,
including airport transfers. |
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Sinclair
Limousine 1703 Live Oak St., Beaufort (252) 728-6853, (252) 241-6519 |
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Sinclair Limousine
offers several luxurious limousine options, including a Lincoln Town
Car sedan, a Lincoln Town Car stretch that seats up to 8
passengers and a Lincoln Navigator Super Stretch that seats up
to 14. The limousines are clean, smoke-free, well-equipped and
always driven by a professional chauffeur. Sinclair's services are
offered all around the Crystal Coast and the surrounding area, and
they offer airport service to New Bern, Greenville, Jacksonville and
Raleigh-Durham International. Cold bottled water and ice are
available in the limousines for passengers at all times. Rates are
always affordable, and you can find even more savings with their
weekday specials. See our
Wedding Planning chapter for information about their Red-Carpet
Wedding Package. |
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Twilight Limousine Company,
(252) 633-0027, based in New Bern, offers local and long-distance
trips in a variety of vehicles, including a 20-passenger Hummer.
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Car RentalsThis area has very few car rental
establishments. More rental options exist in New Bern at Craven
County Regional Airport. In Morehead City, Ford Rent-A-Car is
operated by Morehead City Ford, 5557 U.S. Highway 70 W., (252)
247-2132; and Enterprise Rent-A-Car is located at 5317-B U.S.
Highway 70 W. in Morehead City, (252) 240-0218.
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Continue to By Air |
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