A December Visit to Harkers Island, NC
For the last several Decembers, I have taken the road trip to Harkers Island in North Carolina to visit friends and enjoy the season. We love to shop and finding treasures (give me a good thrift store!), visiting the museums, eating at our favorite food places, and seeing the lights of the season all over the Island, nearby Beaufort and Morehead City, NC. I've even shown my art off!
Harkers Island, NC
Harkers Island is in Carteret County in North Carolina. The total square miles of the island is only 3.9 miles, and friends of mine moved there a few years ago, so visiting my friends has been a definite joy whenever I'm able to go. The island is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by the barrier island Shackleford Banks...and that is one of the nearby spots (islands) to find those wild ponies.
So amazing to me is the ever changing, always interesting views that happen within seconds. The colors of the water and the sky and the light changes every few minutes if not seconds; the wind or lack thereof changes how the water looks. Low tide and high tide always make the scenery different too. A setting sun, well, the impossible colors to try to capture on a canvas later, speaks for itself.
For further reading, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harkers_Island,_North_Carolina - but this hasn't been updated. There is now a much newer and higher bridge that opened late in 2024.
We had a lovely time at Ladies Night at the Davis Shore Provisions General Store, a great meal at the Fish Hook Grill on Harkers Island and at Queen Anne's Revenge in Beaufort. There's a lot of pictures here so sit back and scroll!
Click on an image to enlarge the view.
A painter's delight
A very low tide
Beaufort and Morehead City are off on the horizon.
Rough guess on the very distant Cape Lookout Lighthouse from their view is about 5 miles maybe.
The birds flying overhead, sometimes landing on the docks, other times diving into the water - you never know what will happen next. And absolutely, the eye constantly scouts the water for whatever may be breaking the surface. Was that a dolphin?Harkers Island Fire and NC
The annual Core Sound Decoy Festival takes place at the Harkers Island Elementary School, directly across from my friend's house on the first weekend in December. The Harkers island Fire Department had a Vendor Sale on Saturday, December 6, which I showed artwork at.
Live Oak Trees are all over Harkers Island. The birds collect at a high point of the tree every morning. The Harkers Island Elementary School is across the street where the first weekend in December holds the annual Decoy Festival.
The Elementary School, where the Decoy Festival is held every year, is in the background across the street. The Harkers Island Fire Department is across the field from the Elementary School, where the Vendor Sale was held - all viewable from my friend's house.
I watched a couple coming across the parking lot with these 2 dogs. As the owner got to the doorway, he dropped the leashes and firmly said, "Stay". The couple walked into the fire department to visit the various booth setups - all the while the dogs "stayed".
My booth setup for the Harkers Island Vendor Sale at the Fire Department. I met so many lovely people! And so many thank you's to everyone that came by my booth and found pieces you love for your own homes!
Core Sound Museum Christmas Trees
In the last 3 Decembers, my friend and I have visited the Core Sound Museum to not only enjoy the museum and the wealth of local info and history, but to enjoy their annual Christmas Tree displays - often made from crab pots.
The trees are all a labor of love from their creators, most often of family and friends and those that have been lost.
Gallery of Trees at the Core Sound Museum
1785 Island Road, Harkers Island, NC 28531
The second location of the Core Sound Museum is at 806 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557.
See Harkers Island Christmas 2024 and Harkers Island Christmas 2023
Harkers Island Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is the end of the road, the last spot to go before a nice swim. You've hit the end of the island at that point. Across the way is the South Core Banks. The last time I visited the Visitor Center, it was so windy and cold that day, you really couldn't stand up past the building it was so windy!
Read more about it here
Pictures from around the Visitor Center...
From where you are standing, Shackleford Banks is 3 miles away and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is 4.5 miles away. Zoom in to see the Lighthouse off in the distance.
Pointing out the Lighthouse
Looking toward Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks with the Atlantic Ocean beyond
The Harkers Island Ferry Service is located here too.
Minke Whale skeleton is displayed at the visitor center. The whale washed ashore a few years ago and here is where he landed.
Visitors can watch various films about the area, and this one was about the night sky and the area wildlife.
Harkers Island Views
Some more views, and watching a sunset. Because of the way the Island is situated, you can watch the Sunrise and Sunset all from the back of the house depending on the time of year.
Queen Anne's Revenge Restaurant 400 Front St #1, Beaufort, NC - Friday, December 12, 2025 where I love the Tuna appetizer. We watch the water as the various boats come in, birds fly by, and we saw the dolphins!
Fort Macon is off to the right in the distance
Stopped at a flower shop, so...
One of the traveling views
A room with a view
Now we're talking! Favorite beverage, perhaps a cigar, good to go.
Harkers Island, near the new bridge
The new bridge to the main land with a view of the "back" of the island.
The Ghost Trees
Just missed capturing this guy, he took off. The BEST pictures are the ones I always seem to miss.
My friend and I came back to Virginia on Saturday, December 13, 2025 and we heard the news from Monday, December 15 that the Duncan House in Beaufort, NC had burned down. We had just driven by it on Friday the 12th and were recalling how we toured the Duncan House in July 2024 for the House Tour. What a dreadful loss!! That was one of my favorites on the tour. Thank God, no one was hurt, but the treasures and irreplaceable history of the place...wow.
Until next time...let me see what I can get on canvas for 2026.
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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
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