Monthly Archives: January 2011

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 1.17.11 – 2 weeks and fish still biting! Surf tomorrow?

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Outer Banks - 1.17.11 - Fish Still Biting (Boats on the Horizon)

Outer Banks - 1.17.11 - Fish Still Biting (Boats on the Horizon)

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, January 17, 2011.

This video was shot at 9AM at the Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills, NC.

It’s a good start to the week. A bit overcast today, but the sun is trying to push through. A light wind at 10 mph out of the northeast, and temps are in the upper 40′s. Should be bright and sunny with temps in the 50′s for the next few days.

It was a good weekend with sun, almost no wind and temps in the upper 40′s. Saturday saw some fun, clean, waist-high surf. Waist-high swell coming through today, but no surf. Looks like we could have head-high clean surf all day tomorrow if the wind forecast holds up.

Fishing is still going off. It’s been over 2 weeks, and the rock fish (aka stripers, striped bass) are still on the OBX in full force. Got a report of a charter boat out of Oregon Inlet over the weekend that caught 100+ 15-30 pound stripers, and caught the boat’s limit by 8 AM on Saturday! The Outer Banks hasn’t seen fishing like this in quite a few years.

Great time for an OBX getaway!

Enjoy.

Blackbeard’s Sword Discovered Off the North Carolina Coast?

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Blackbeard the Pirate

Blackbeard the Pirate

The infamous Mr. Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard the Pirate, is back in the news.

A team of archeologists has been excavating the famed bandit’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge (a converted French merchant ship), since 1997, and Time Magazine is reporting that the team may have discovered Blackbeard’s sword.

National Geographic has pictures online of the recovered objects.

The Time Magazine article offers some interesting Blackbeard facts and a quick synopsis of the buccaneer’s final days:

  • Blackbeard’s thick mass of facial hair was so menacing that it has been immortalized in history.
  • Among the first pirates to fly the black flag with bones on it.
  • Had a habit of lighting fuses under his hat to create a threatening halo of smoke around him.
  • Abandoned the Queen Anne’s Revenge after blockading the port of Charleston, S.C. in 1717, where he and the crew successfully got ransom from the British colonial government for the  town and the residents.
  • British troops out of Virginia eventually found Blackbeard hiding out in Ocracoke Island along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and after a fierce battle, Blackbeard was beheaded.

At least one historian, Kevin Duffus, has a theory that these famed Blackbeard tales may be much exaggerated, and Blackbeard may not have been a pirate at all.

Blackbeard memorial celebrations still occur on Ocracoke Island.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 1.14.11 – Pretty Sunrise, Afternoon Surf?, Fish are Biting

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Outer Banks - 1.14.11 - Pretty Sunrise

Outer Banks - 1.14.11 - Pretty Sunrise

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Friday, January 14, 2011.

This video was shot in Kill Devil Hills, near the Wright Brothers Monument, at 7:15 AM.

Pretty sunrise this morning, but it’s a chilly day. Bright sun and blue skies, but temps will be in the high 30′s today. Light wind out of the northwest at about 10 mph, so the windchill isn’t too bad. The weekend will warm up a bit.

A small amount of swell is coming through, and the wind may switch to the west early in the afternoon, so there could be some clean, waist high surf coming through later today.

The rock fish are still biting. There are a lot of reports of boats heading out of Oregon Inlet catching their limit. Also hearing reports of tuna being caught by the off-shore fishing charters.

Enjoy!

Outer Banks Surf Art – Daniel Pullen

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Outer Banks Surf Art - Daniel Pullen

Outer Banks Surf Art - Daniel Pullen

Way back in October 2009 (seems so long ago now that we’re in 2011!), we ran a post about an art show at Roanoke Island Festival Park that featured Daniel Pullen.

I was reminded of this art show, and Pullen, by a great article The Outer Banks Voice ran about Pullen the other day.

I went to the art show, and I can honestly say that it was some of the most impressive surf art that I have seen.  I’m a bit partial because I’m a surfer, but Daniel’s art is very unique.  Yeah it’s surf and ocean, but it’s so much more.  It’s not the traditional surf and water you expect from surf art.

He is very inventive with his style, his colors are exceptionally bold, and his canvas is always changing; from surfboard to skateboard to street sign to actual canvas.  I’m no artist, but Pullen’s work inspired me to pick up a brush and start stroking…well, I bought a brush and thought about stroking.  Consider it one of my 2011 resolutions.

Here’s a quick recap of Daniel:  Pullen has lived on Hatteras Island for more than 30 years. He is a well-versed, and eclectic artist that is able to bring a very creative style to his photography and painting. His surf photography captures the essesence of the Outer Banks surf experience from the beach and the water, and he uses a variety of unique surfaces for his bold surf paintings.

The Outer Banks Voice article mentions that Daniel’s work may be considered “Urban Surf Art.”  It’s tough for me to consider anything related to surf and the Outer Banks as “urban.”  For me, surf and the OBX are about as far from “urban” as possible, but I can definitely see an urban flare in Daniel’s art, almost a graffiti-like perspective.

It’s safe to say I dig it!…and I think you will too.

You can view his art at Wood’s Oceanic Arts in Buxton (right across the street from RBC Bank) or his website www.DanielPullenPhotography.com.

2011 Outer Banks Taste of the Beach – 4 Days of Food, Drink, & Fun

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Outer Banks 2011 Taste of the Beach

Outer Banks 2011 Taste of the Beach

Well, we’ve flipped the calendar.  It’s a new year, and we’re all welcoming in 2011 with open arms.  But it’s January, and January is a tough month.  The holiday festivities are over, days are short, and the weather is downright cold.

I saw this morning that 49 out of 50 US states have snow right now!…every state but Florida…even Hawaii?!

January can be a bear, but the good news is we are getting closer to spring every day, and I know it’s getting close because we are all starting to talk about the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach coming in March.

The Outer Banks Taste of the Beach is a one-of-kind event that enlists local restaurants for four days days of unique tasting opportunities with an OBX flare.  The OBX Taste of the Beach was even named as one of the top 10 food and wine festivals in the US by Coastal Living!

The Taste of The Beach Weekend has been scheduled for March 17-20, 2011. The Outer Banks.  This grand food festival event on The Outer Banks of North Carolina will feature wine tastings, cooking classes, special menu presentations, celebrity guest chef appearances, brewery tours, tapas crawls and many more events with exciting array of creative combinations of culinary delights and fun activities on the Outer Banks.

The Outer Banks Taste of The Beach Weekend is a fantastic way to sample the fare of several fine restaurants on the Outer Banks in one fun-filled, food-centric weekend! Casual chefs to full-on foodie fanatics will revel in innovative culinary opportunities offered up by members of the Outer Banks Restaurant Association. You can indulge in a fancy wine dinner one night and mix with the masses in an organic farm to fork experience the next. Or maybe an intimate cooking class with one of the area’s world class chefs is more your speed.

Freshness is the hallmark of dining on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Offering much more than just seafood, the barrier islands are home to over 160 locally owned and operated restaurants. You’ll be delighted by a diverse offering of culinary delights in unique settings, with menus dreamed up by the finest-trained chefs.

Nothing beats locally caught seafood – you can taste the difference in ours. We have the finest Watermen in the world who bring in plump oysters, savory shrimp, and fish entrees almost too gorgeous to eat!  For discriminating palettes or pocketbooks, Outer Banks restaurants serve everything from true Italian fare, to Southwestern and French cuisine. And yes, you can find down home Southern-style barbecue and hush puppies. And you don’t have to break the bank.  Whatever your tastes, you’ll find plenty of food, drink, and fun among the wide array of activities encompassed by the Outer Banks Taste of The Beach Weekend.

You can find a calendar of events here.

Tickets will be limited so book ahead of time.  You can order tickets here.

This will be a very busy weekend on the Outer Banks.  There are some additional events planned for this weekend: the YMCA OBX Polar Plunge, Kelly’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Annual Running of The Leprechauns 8k. Lots to do!

If you’re heading down to get your fill of great food, we’d love to help you find a house that meets all of your vacation needs.  You can find our houses at: www.OuterBanksVacations.com.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 1.12.11 – Pretty but Chilly. Fish are Biting.

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Outer Banks - 1.12.11 - Pretty but Chilly at Dolphin's Watch

Outer Banks - 1.12.11 - Pretty but Chilly at Dolphin's Watch

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Wednesday, January 12, 2011.

This video was shot in Kill Devil Hills, just south of the Avalon Pier, at The Dolphin’s Watch at 8:30 AM.

It’s a pretty day; bright sun, clear skies. But it’s chilly. Temps are in the mid 30′s, and the wind is blowing out of the west at about 20 mph, so the wind chill is adding to the cold. Sun should be with us for the rest of the week, and the temps should warm up to the 50′s by the weekend.

No swell coming through. Swell could pick up a bit tomorrow, but the wind won’t match, and then the swell should die down for the rest of the week. So, no surf in the immediate future.

Rock fish are still biting. Boats are on the horizon this morning out there catching.

Enjoy!

TripAdvisor Loves Vacation Rentals Too!

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Outer Banks - Big Mama's

Outer Banks - Big Mama's

Survey Shows Increased Interest in Vacation Rentals, With 40 Percent of Travelers Planning a Rental Stay in 2011

TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site, recently announced the results of its second annual vacation rentals survey of more than 1,400 U.S. travelers.

Thirty-three percent of travelers said they stayed in a vacation rental in 2010, and forty percent of respondents said they are planning a vacation rental stay in 2011, indicating that rental homes are poised for a busy 2011.

From Hank Hudepohl, director of vacation rentals at TripAdvisor:  “With an increased interest in vacation rentals on TripAdvisor and a similar trend shown in our survey, it’s shaping up to be another strong year of growth for rentals.  For travelers staying with larger groups in 2011, a vacation rental is a great option to consider for its home-like amenities and affordable pricing compared to hotels.”

Here are some of the results from the survey:

Summer is the busiest vacation rental season…
Summer projects to be the most popular season for vacation rental stays in 2011, with 52 percent of U.S. travelers planning a rental home stay during the warmer months. In addition, 47 percent of respondents are planning to stay in beachfront villas, making them the most popular vacation rental type for 2011. The most popular U.S. region for rental stays in 2011 is the Southeast (31 percent) according to the survey. This was followed by the Southwest and the Northwest, which came in second and third, respectively.

Best part of a vacation rental…
When asked what travelers liked the most about vacation rentals as a lodging option:

  • 28 percent cited more space
  • 23 percent of travelers enjoyed having access to a full kitchen
  • 13 percent liked that rentals were often less expensive than hotels

In addition, 41 percent of respondents said vacation rentals were the best option for a trip when staying in a destination for a week or more, while 33 percent thought they were the best option when staying with a large group.

Booking early pays off…
Twenty-nine percent of travelers either always or often stay in the same rental year after year. Of the travelers who stayed in a vacation rental in the past:

  • 22 percent booked their rental home more than six months prior to the trip
  • 34 percent of travelers booked their rentals between three and six months out
  • 22 percent booked between one and three months out
  • 2 percent of travelers booked their vacation rental less than one month out

Vacation Rental vs. Hotel…
Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they would choose to stay in a vacation rental over a hotel if it were significantly less expensive. In addition, 80 percent of travelers would book a last minute vacation rental stay if they found a great deal.

Luxury vacation rental features…
If travelers had their pick of luxury vacation rental features:

  • 51 percent would choose a rental home with a private beach
  • 12 percent would choose a rental home with maid service
  • 9 percent would choose a rental home with a hot tub
  • 8 percent would choose a rental home with a personal chef

Vacation Rentals and life events…
According to the survey, 36 percent of travelers who have rented in the past have stayed in a vacation rental for a milestone life event, such as a wedding, birthday or reunion.

Know Before You Go…
When deciding between different rental properties, the key influences cited by respondents are:

  • Photos of the home (42 percent)
  • Traveler reviews (27 percent)
  • Cost of staying at the properties (13 percent)

Power of the internet and friends’ advice…
Most travelers find out about vacation rental properties on the Web, both on vacation rental property websites (70 percent) and online travel websites (55 percent). In addition, 25 percent of respondents find out about particular homes by word of mouth from friends and family.

The Outer Banks is the perfect beach vacation…a great combination of peaceful relaxation and fun local activities/attractions; gorgeous beaches, a wide variety of water sports, world-class fishing and surfing, great local art and shopping, delicious local food, history, nature, etc.

The OBX offers great vacation rental homes for all types of travelers; small beach bungalows to large beach front estates.

Please let us know if we can help you plan your next trip to the Outer Banks: www.OuterBanksVacations.com.

Huge Run on Outer Banks Rock Fish Sets Two State Records

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NC Record - 64 LB Rock Fish

NC Record - 64 LB Rock Fish

As a hobby, fishing is famous for tales of the big one that got away.  For the past week and a half, the Outer Banks has been buzzing with fish stories.  But these aren’t stories about the fish that got away; these are tales of limitless catches, state records, and tasty eats.

Rock fish, aka stripers or striped bass, move down the east coast in the early winter months as the water cools.  Following the bait fish and staying in water temps that are just right for their temperament, these fish can be difficult to predict.  It’s easy to predict that some will show up, but when and how many is anyone’s guess.  Every year brings a unique experience, and 2011 is bringing a run that the OBX hasn’t seen in quite a few years…in fact, it’s been a record setting run!

Hundreds of boats have gone out of Oregon Inlet over the past two weeks.  500+ over New Years weekend alone.  FaceBook is full of great images of local catches.  The roads are full of boats being trailored and heading south to the Inlet.  It seems everyone is talking about the big one that didn’t get away.  But there are two catches that beat them all.

Last Wednesday a 12 year old fishing out of Oregon Inlet landed a NC record setting striped bass tipping the scales at 63 pounds!  This is huge for a rock fish, and it broke the North Carolina record that stood since 2005.

But the new record only lasted for 48 hours.  On Friday, a party chartered the Poacher out of Oregon Inlet, and Keith Angel reeled in a giant rock weighing in at 64 pounds!  Two state records within two days.

The Poacher netted a state record, caught the limit of two stripers per person for everyone on the boat, and released 50 more rock fish!  There are clearly a giant amount of rock fish in the area, and based on the records, it seems there is both quantity and quality.

The word on the street is that this is easily the best rock fishing the Outer Banks has seen in 5 or 6 years.  It’s great to see so much excitement during a relativley quiet time on the OBX.

If you’re thinking about coming down, please take a look at www.OuterBanksVacations.com We have plenty of houses available with easy access to Oregon Inlet, and we’d love to help you find a house that meets all of your needs.