Pelicans Rest

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As it was with our Bistrot, our goal is repeat guests who come every year. We do not want anyone to come and feel like we misled with our publicity. With that in mind we will point out some things that some might find not to their choosing (others will find these attractive!). Many of these are common to properties everywhere....they just don't tell you! Note: many of our clients say that we over state these. We would rather do that than have guests come a long way and be disappointed.

Not a Tourist Area -- Cedar Island is nature…. ¾th of the Island is a national wildlife reserve. There is no tourist industry on the Island or within 30 miles.

· The Island has a country store that people find charming and very adequate.

· The Island has a very good restaurant that caters to locals and ferry travelers with superb freshly caught seafood...also excellent prime rib. Serves Lunch and Dinner in season.

· There is a very nice stable where horses can be rented for guided rides on the beach.

· There are guides available for hunting, fishing, or just boat riding.

· There is a very adequate grocery store in the next town (15 miles.)

· You can take the 2½ hour ferry ride to Ocracoke where there is a tourist environment and is a perfect day trip. Also, Atlantic Beach (35 miles) has more of a tourist flavor. Morehead City (35 miles) has larger stores and shops but is also not a large city. Beaufort and Harkers Island (45 minutes) have nice museums relating to the sea and Sounds.

Boat Ramp

Spring Break Type Activities Since this is not a tourist area, this will probably not be a problem, but we will not rent to school groups (our Daughter went to college so we know the drill. :-) You wouldn't enjoy it anyway since we're oriented to families...boring!!!.

Mosquitoes Cedar Island truly is an Island, connected to the mainland only by 1 bridge and a ferry system. It has a large marsh area and this can mean mosquitoes. Sometimes they are a nuisance, sometimes not….we just never know. 2009 has been good because the county sprayed aggressively and got them under control. You probably have more than do we...we know our daughter in Richmond does! (Note: a July 2008 guest called and said that the mosquitoes at their KY home were MUCH worse than anything we had!) But if they get bad, a good DEET repellent works. If you're going to be near the water, anywhere, you might have them. Friends who have visited with us are sometimes annoyed at first but then get quite used to them. Some European friends have gotten shots or medicine before departing Europe that eliminated any reactions. Bottom line is that if you detest mosquitoes, we might not be a good choice for you (but neither will be a multitude of other vacation spots or your own backyard :-)).

Our Neighbors Cedar Islanders are warm, friendly, hardworking people who earn their livelihood from nature and are respectful of it and their family culture. They will warmly welcome you as long as you also respect these things. Once clients were invited to a real Down East mullet charcoaling at the firehouse in honor of one of the Islander's who is on his way to Kuwait. We cannot tell you how many of the Islanders came up to introduce themselves to our guests and tell Down East stories...our guests loved the evening!!! This is not a tourist town and no one wants it to be. Much of Down East was hurt very bad by Hurricane Isabel's direct hit on Cedar Island in Sept 2003. Cedar Island Ferry

Building Layout The suite is an addition to our house thus it has exterior wall sound proofing. This plus that we stay at the far end means that the suite is VERY private...more so than most condos and apartments. We believe that you are here to be with each other and not us. Thus, we disappear but are available if you need something.

Currency The local store now accepts credit/debit cards and has a private ATM. The grocery store in nearby Atlantic will take credit/debit cards. The closest bank is a Wachovia branch about 15 minutes away in Sea Level. It does not have an ATM machine. Foreign Currency exchange is available at the Wachovia branch with prior notice (at least 2 business days.)

Medical The closest hospital is Carteret General in Morehead City (about 1 hour). There is a rescue squad about 15 minutes away. There is a small clinic with a Doctor and a Pharmacy 15 minutes away. Guests from outside the US should have medical insurance for any travel to the US.

Weather We cannot control it! We follow the practice of most (all?) other rentals on the coast in that your fees are not refundable unless Cedar Island is put under a Hurricane Watch by the National Weather Service. If this happens, you must leave! We were here for Isabel's direct hit on Cedar Island in 2003...trust us, you do not want to be here! (PS: Our house did quite well since it is so new and built to the latest codes.) Many coastal places will not refund you unless a mandatory vacation is ordered. We are much more liberal because we will leave if the area is on the projected path.

Re deposits: we cannot afford to do refunds for less than perfect weather forecasts. We can make it clear what we would do: if a hurricane is heading our way, we won’t be here and we would refund your money. That does not mean that if a hurricane is heading to Florida that we would do this. So, if a “Hurricane Watch” vs. the more imminent “Hurricane Warning” is posted for Cedar Island for the period you have reserved, we’ll refund your money if you choose to cancel. We’re in this for the long term and want our guests to make repeat visits and send their friends…all decisions will be made with this in mind.

Cedar Island Bay Boating & Fishing Water Down East is relatively shallow so the boat of choice is a flat bottom skiff. There are deeper channels that we can show you so a "V" hull or sailboat can be used with care. Pamlico Sound is deeper so boating with "V" hulls or sail is quite easy. The free launching ramp to the Pamlico is less than a mile from the property. There are other launching ramps to the other bodies of water for a small fee ($3-$4). We recommend hiring one of the very knowledgeable and affordable local guides, at least at the beginning of your stay. Guests in 2007 brought V boats and had a ball. We have a mooring right in front of the property so you can tie up out front. There are no boat rentals anywhere in the area and we are prohibited by our insurance carrier from letting guests borrow ours (the canoe is for your use).

Outer Banks Cedar Island is the Gateway to the Outer Banks. Highway 12 which traverses the Outer Banks passes in front of us. If you ask, most locals will say that we are the "Southern Outer Banks (SOBX)". We are not on the Ocean but the Ocean is reachable by ferries from the town of Atlantic (15 minutes from us); Davis (20 minutes from us) and Harkers Island (40 minutes from us). You can also take the NC State Ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke (2 1/2 hour ride) for Ocean action and a more touristy ambiance.

Pet Friendly

Dogs

Well behaved dogs are welcome at a slight additional charge (that is a lot less than boarding and Fido will love you!). We have 3 big friendly ones (Bouvier, Lab, and Newfie) so yours will have to peacefully co-exist with ours. In 5 years, we've never had any problems and we've seen breeds of all kinds and ages.

Smoking We smoke so we're not on a crusade...but we will quit...promise!! We do ask that you restrict your smoking to the outside since there are so many people turned off by it.

Adult Beverages Beer and wine is available at the local store. NC State has a monopoly on the liquor and the closest store is in Beaufort (45 minutes from us).

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)