Save Vacation Dollars with Meals at Home

Posted on May 13, 2009

Beach Dollar Sign Preparing meals rather than dining out is a great way to save money while vacationing on the Outer Banks, and one of the major benefits of vacation rental homes is the fully equipped kitchens that make home cooking easy.

You might think that slaving over a hot stove while on vacation is the last thing that you would want to do, but the savings is significant and since your friends and family are around, it can be a fun activity. Planning to cook is the key to great savings on your Outer Banks vacation.

It’s a good idea to first determine which nights you will be dining in or out. Then, determine the types of meals you would like to prepare, and try to get all of the groceries for the week in one trip; this may be a lofty goal, but saving trips to the grocery store allows for more time at the beach. Having plenty of milk, cereal, and deli meats are great ways to let your party fend for themselves during breakfast and lunch. One great time saver for grocery shopping is to bring as many non-perishables as you can allow space for in your car.

New Outer Banks School in Corolla?

Posted on May 13, 2009

A Group of concerned parents are interested in starting a new school in Corolla, North Carolina.

Corolla is one of the most thriving towns on the Outer Banks, and it has not had a school since 1957. The old schoolhouse is located close to the Currituck Lighthouse and serves as the headquarters and a museum for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

A committee of parents has formed a plan to start a new school, which will most likely be a North Carolina Charter School. The group will be looking for support and ideas at a public meeting, which will take place May 17^th. If everything works out, the group will select a board, start a nonprofit, apply to the state charter office in February 2010 and, if accepted, open in the fall of 2011. Many members of this group hold undergraduates and graduate degrees with a background in nonprofit companies. Currituck County currently sends a 40 passenger bus to pick up three children.

Public Access to Hurricane Data will Help Preparation Along the Outer Banks

Posted on May 13, 2009

National Hurricane Center meteorologists are creating a new tool that can significantly help hurricane prone areas make pre-storm preparations.

The National Hurricane Center is putting storm surge data online to help emergency managers determine if their areas will be flooded by coastal waters surging during hurricanes. This data will be available to the public online helping businesses and homeowners predict the probability of a storm surge affecting property, and vacationers in coastal destinations, like the Outer Banks will have a tool to help predict the impact of the approaching storm.

The tool will combine graphic computer modeling with Google mapping to help the user find, as an example, the probability that a storm will deliver an 8 foot storm surge to our beach. Storm surge is generally the most fatal factor of any major Hurricane. Storm surges were responsible for killing an estimated 1500 people during Hurricane Katrina. The probability indicator will use approximately 250 different computer models of a storm that will be able to predict a number of aspects of Hurricane damage. For example, the machine might predict a 60 percent chance of a 9 foot surge, suggesting that the owner of a beachfront house on 8 foot pilings should take precaution.

The Wailers Come to the Outer Banks

Posted on May 13, 2009

Bob Marley & The Wailers The Wailers, Bob Marley’s band, will be making a stop on the Outer Banks this week.

The Wailers will be playing a live show on Thursday May 14^th at the Pit Surf Shop and Boardriders Grill in Kill Devil Hills.

The Wailers will be forever associated with the songwriter Bob Marley. Together, the band achieved international fame in the 70s and is still recognized by people around the world as outstanding artists. Their sound is very fitting for the OBX lifestyle and mentality. In recent years the band has played with artists such as Sting, Carlos Santana and Stevie Wonder.

The band will kick off at 10:30 p.m. Tickets will be $25 in advance and $30 at the door. The Pit is located at milepost 9 on US 158.