Monthly Archives: January 2009

Outer Banks is Great for a Long Weekend

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A long weekend starts tomorrow, and it’s a great time to enjoy a quick vacation. 

 

If you’re still  trying to decide where to take the family for a quick getaway, the Outer Banks is a great option.  Although it is a bit chilly, the coast is still gorgeous during the winter, and without the summer crowds, dining and shopping are a pleasure. 

 

The off-season is a great time of the year to visit OBX to really appreciate the beauty of the coastal community.  Visiting this time of year is a fantastic change of pace from the ordinary.  By November, the crowds and traffic have diminished greatly and is the perfect time to enjoy the beach without having to share your experience with large crowds.  The National Parks, museums, and seashore remain open throughout the year and offer great activities for at relatively low costs. 

 

Great vacation rentals are still available, and if you stay for 3 nights, you can get the 4th night free!

New Outer Banks Bridge in the Near Future?

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A recent article in the Virginia Pilot points out that the North Carolina Turnpike Authority has chosen a contractor to oversee the construction of the Currituck midcounty bridge. 

 

ACS Infrastructure Development, a subsidiary of a Spanish firm, will be overseeing the project’s construction.  Throughout the next 18 months, ACS will meet with state officials to configure the design of the 7 mile toll bridge and set timelines for the project.  The Firm will also act as an investor in the project in order to reduce costs and create a expedited timeline for completion.

 

The current timeline suggests that the bridge will be on target for completion in 2013.  This bridge will require 659 million dollars to construct, and will connect Aydlett to the Corolla. The final plans and environmental impact statement will be completed early next year. 

Local Outer Banks Surfer (Jesse Hines) Makes the Cover of Surfer Magazine!

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Jesse Hines Surfer Cover  OBX local and professional surfer, Jesse Hines, graces the cover of the January 2009 edition of Surfer Magazine.  This is a huge accomplishment for any surfer, and the dream of all “groms” (grom = young surfer) practicing the fine art of wave sliding. 

 

Jesse grew up on the Outer Banks and fine-tuned his surfing prowess at the breaks in his backyard…yet another example of the world-class quality of the Outer Banks waves.

 

Jesse recently sat down with the Outer Banks Sentinel for a great interview. 

 

In addition to the January edition of Surfer, Jesse Hines is also on the cover of the January 2009 issue of  Eastern Surf Magazine (ESM).   

 

Congratulations to Jesse for his great accomplishments.

Outer Banks Winter Educational Series

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Presentation on Tiffany Glass by Gary Baker

LOCATION: The Whalehead Club

WHEN:  Tuesday, January 13, 2009.  11:00 a.m. 

Gary Baker, former Curator of Glass at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA, will present a program on Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany, unlike his jewelry-making family, became known throughout the world for his innovative and artistic glass-making. Tiffany’s contribution to the Art Nouveau movement will be highlighted through the beautiful examples of his glass-work in the Whalehead Club.

In addition, Mr Baker will help identify pieces of your personal glass & silver collections. Feel free to bring along some of your favorite pieces for him to look at.

Lunch will be served.  Call 252-453-9040 for reservations.  Donations appreciated. 

A Great Way to Start 2009. 40 Tips for a Better Life.

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Below is a list of tips for a better life that is being forwarded through email.  It is very timely considering the start of a New Year.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, Smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
 ’My purpose is to __________ today.’

5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.

7. Make time to practice Meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. – Appreciate their genuine nature, strength, and innocence. For real!

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan Salmon, broccoli,
almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Nature heals everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is it will change.

30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
   I am thankful for __________. 

   Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Forward this to everyone you care about.

May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but Happiness come through your door!

Outer Banks Wedding Expo

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Wedding Expo  The 11th annual Outer Banks Wedding Expo will be held this weekend (1.10 – 1.11) at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills. 

The Outer Banks is a world-class wedding destination, and the Outer Banks Wedding Expo is the oldest and largest wedding planning event on OBX. 

You could with the “Wedding of Your Dreams”(a wedding package donated by the members of the Outer Banks Wedding Association), but in order to win, you must be present at the Expo. 

You must register to attend the event.  You can register online or on Friday from 6 to 10PM and Saturday from 10AM to 6PM at:

·         the Comfort Inn South (map),

·         The Pearl Restaurant (map), and

·         Argyle’s Restaurant (map).

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 9

·         Registration from 6PM to 10PM
Comfort Inn South (map)
The Pearl Restaurant (map)
Argyle’s Restaurant (map)

Saturday, January 10

·         Registration from 10AM to 6PM
Comfort Inn South (map)
The Pearl Restaurant (map)
Argyle’s Restaurant (map)

·         Wedding Tour from 10AM to 4PM
Locations throughout the Outer Banks

·         Meet & Greet Reception from 7PM to 10PM
Duck Woods Country Club (map)

Sunday, January 11

·         Expo from 11AM to 4PM
First Flight High School (map)

·         Events at The Expo
11AM to 3PM – Registration Open
2PM – Fashion Show
2:30PM – Door Prize Giveaways
3:45PM – Wedding Tour Giveaways & Wedding of your Dream Giveaway

 

The Lost Colony: An Outer Banks Legend

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The Lost Colony  Years before Jamestown, VA and Plymouth, MA, a group of about 120 brave men and women set out to settle the New World. 

 

In 1587 these brave souls thought that Roanoke Island would be the perfect place to set up a colony.  Shortly after the colonists settled on the island, Eleanor Dare gave birth to Virginia Dare, who was the first European child born in America.  Life on Roanoke Island was a lot harder than the colonists could have ever imagined. 

 

These brave pioneers faced many hardships during their time on the Island.  Difficult weather and hostile Indians were challenging, but the true challenge was the dwindling supplies.  When the colonists were dangerously low on supplies, they sent Governor John White back to England to replenish the diminishing rations.  

 

White’s return was delayed due to England’s war with Spain; he returned three years later to discover that all of the colonists had vanished!  The only clue that was left behind was the words CROATOAN carved in a tree.  To this day, the only clue that remains is the haunted word carved into the tree. 

 

Today, The Lost Colony legend lives on at a waterside theatre on the Outer Banks; the legend is reenacted on Roanoke Island during the summer months by an award-winning theatre group. 

Outer Banks is a Premier Surf Spot

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As Surfline points out, the Outer Banks offers arguably the best surf on the East Coast.

 

Year after year the shores of the Outer Banks offer consistent great swell and premier surf conditions.   A major reason the OBX beaches offer such excellent surf is because of the way the shoreline is situated against the ocean.  The area’s narrow continental shelf allows for swells to hit many areas of the coastline unaffected by outside forces, and because the barrier islands wrap in an almost horseshoe fashion, swells from a variety of directions can create great waves. 

 

The ideal local of the Outer Banks allows low pressures, Nor’ Easters, and significant tropical systems to send swell unimpeded towards the exposed coastline.   When wind conditions cooperate, these ideal environmental forces can  create some of the best waves the east coast has to offer. 

 

Surfers also have the chance to surf a variety of different surf spots with relatively low crowds.  It is frustrating for every surfer to pull up to a favorite spot to discover there are a hundred other people that have the same favorite spot.  On the Outer Banks, if you pull up to a spot that is overcrowded, a desolate surf spot is just a short drive away. 

 

Come discover for yourself why the Outer Banks is arguably the best surf on the east coast.  Great vacation rentals available year round with easy access to gorgeous waves.