Outer Banks Link Love

Happy Friday! Time for a little OBX link love.

Here are all of the Outer Banks stories that I couldn’t cover this. Let’s jump right into the fire with one of the most controversial topics the OBX has dealt with.

Outer Banks Beach Driving Restrictions
This has been years in the making, but it seems the hammer has finally been dropped. Permits are now required for Hatteras beach driving. And as the icing on the cake of disappointment, drivers will also be required to take a short “educational program.” Yikes! I love nature and birds as much as the next guy, but I’m not a fan of snatching our freedom and adding bureaucracy to our lives. Oh well. Life rolls on. But make sure you get your permit before you hit the beach on Hatteras. Fines are no fun.

Oregon Inlet Debate
While we’re on the subject of a sticky situation, let’s discuss the debate surrounding Oregon Inlet. Over the past few months, we’ve shared posts discussing the fact that Mother Nature is gradually – or not so gradually – closing the channel at Oregon Inlet. Oregon Inlet is crucial to the Outer Banks. It is a necessity to get boats out of the Sound and into the open ocean. Without Oregon Inlet, the OBX fishing industry – commercial and recreational – would change drastically. Question/debate is who pays to keep it open. Thanks to a great interview by the Outer Banks voice, long-time OBX resident Moon Tillett helps us understand that this debate is nothing new.

Wave Energy at Jennette’s Pier
Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head is super cool. Gorgeous architecture, live examples of local fish from the NC aquarium, great fishing off the pier, a pretty sweet surf spot, and a whole bunch of “green” energy going on. Check out this video of a new wave energy conversion tool they recently tested off the end of their. Rad!

PS – Checkout our webcam focused on the Pier…and the sweet surf spot.

Shake, Rattle & Shoot

I may sound like a broken record, but the Outer Banks has soooo much coolness to offer…even beyond the beach. Do I say this too much? Oh well, it’s true.

I love the beach, the sun, and the surf as much as anyone, but I also dig all of the unique features that make the OBX so special – nature, art, history, food, and for the subject of this post – local businesses.

The OBX has some amazing local businesses, but I know from experience that the Outer Banks can create a bit of sensory overload when you’re here for a short time. Lots to see, lots to do, and it’s tough to determine the real treasures. Not to mention the beach is calling your name!

This is why we created Club Seaside a few years ago. Club Seaside isn’t really the focus of this post, so I won’t give a long sales pitch, but it is a unique way that we give our guests some insight into some of the great local businesses and offer a complimentary experience with the business to give a feel for the local OBX culture.

So why am I bringing this up? Well, we are getting close to announcing our 2012 Club Seaside lineup, and I’m happy to say that Brooke Mayo Photography is once again a partner! Which leads me to the main subject of this post…

Over the next day or so, I’m going to share a few great posts about Brooke, and to start let’s offer some virtual high-fives and woo hoos!

Brooke just released her second book! Shake, Rattle, & Shoot: The Business of Baby Photography. Congrats Ms. Mayo! Love the book!…especially the cover. (That’s my Little Dude, by the way. )

Here’s a link to an article in the Daily Advance that discusses the book and asks Brooke some questions. Inquiring minds want to know.

And here’s a link to the book on Amazon. Buy it. Read it. Love it.

Once again, congrats Brooke! You are super cool, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for bringing your awesomeness to Club Seaside in 2012!

Getting Away Together

I have a love/hate relationship with reality TV…really TV in general. TV sucks our time away and reduces the quality of actual relationships.

Let’s get outside with people we love and enjoy our life rather than sitting motionless and silent as we are numbed by the tube.

I’m happy to say that my fam made the decision this passed summer to put the axe to our cable, and we are living to tell about it! Although we have supplemented with a NetFlix subscription…hey, there is some valuable info on the tube.

And that leads me to the “love” portion of my relationship with TV/realty TV. The vast majority of what we see on TV would fall into my “junk” category, but there are definitely some treasures out there – Modern Family anyone?…definitely a treasure. (Luckily I can watch it online. )

So I do see the value in some of the programs on TV, and while I think almost all “reality TV” leans heavily towards the junk pile, I find people immensely interesting. This is one reason why I love blogs so much; they offer a window into the world of someone else…similar to a documentary or reality TV.

Ok, where is all of this rambling headed?

I guess I took the scenic route to get here, but did you know that a reality TV show was recently filmed on the Outer Banks? Let’s think of this one as a documentary so I don’t put an immediate bad taste in your mouth.

A show called Getting Away Together that airs on PBS filmed the vacation experience of a large Greek family that traveled to the Outer Banks this past 4th of July. Pretty cool.

Here’s how the Getting Away Together website describes the show:

Getting Away Together is a new TV series highlighting the rapidly growing trend of sharing a vacation with friends and family. From girlfriend getaways to family reunions and milestone celebrations, the series shows diverse groups of real travelers vacationing together in some of the most fascinating destinations and staying at spectacular vacation rental properties across America.

I would definitely file this in the “worth your time” file if you’re an OBX lover. The show gives an awesome overview of the Outer Banks, and it’s super cool to see how people spend their vacations on the OBX.

And the best news…the full episode is online, so even non-TV-having fools like me can watch it. In fact, you can watch it right now! Just click the play button below, and wha-la! Enjoy…

Oh no! I didnt even get a chance to go to one of their games! It seems that locals and visitors are having mixed reactions to the news. Some are saying that the talent just wasnt enough to keep fans engaged, some have said it was too expensive and others are saying its a shame to lose such a great team. Everyone should know that even if your local team has  a few bad seasons (Ahemmm…the Panthers), eventually things will turn around and you have to always stick with them.

We will keep you updated if there are any future announcements.

Did anyone get a chance to go to the carnival in Nags Head last summer? It was awesome and a huge hit for locals and OBX visitors. The Outer Banks Voice reports that the carnival may be returning next summer for an 8 week run at the soundfront Windmill Point site. The Dare County Tourism Board is considering a June to August return, as well as building or renting an outdoor stage for entertainment shows and events.

Boardwalk Attractions, the company who brings in the carnival has mentioned that they would hire and train local workers to head the carnival and consider bringing in more rides. The tourism board continues to research more permanent uses for the 14 acre site but it seems like this would be great way to use the land in the mean time. Potentially create jobs for locals and be another fun thing to do here on the beach, seems like a great idea!

Outer Banks Map

There are quite a few lists of “top” beaches floating around the interwebs these days. Most focus on the typical “beauty” of the beaches…and we are proud to say that the OBX does continually make many of these top lists. But Fox News decided to take a new twist with their recent top 10 list; “10 Most Interesting Beaches in the World.” They chose to focus on “interesting beaches” not just beautiful beaches…and luckily the Outer Banks can qualify for both!

Their goal was to find “destinations with legacies.” But not just great history. Fox wants the best of both worlds. An awesome story AND a beautiful beach.

Look no further Fox, the OBX has you covered! History, amazing characters, and gorgeous beaches. Sign us up!

Naturally, when Fox set out to find beaches ” where you can soak up a little culture with those rays,” they landed on Ocracoke. Nice work Fox. Unlike many of your news stories, this choice clearly is “Fair & Balanced.”

I say this a lot around these parts, but the Outer Banks sure is amazing!

Here’s what Fox News had to say about Ocracoke:

Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

 Discover the island where one of the world’s most famous pirates was captured.

This island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina sits in middle of what was in the 1700s a busy thruway for large trade vessels carrying goods from all over the world. Naturally, with all this booty to be had, the place was swarming with pirates, too. Legendary pirate Edward Teach–a.k.a. Blackbeard–moored at Ocracoke before accepting a pardon and promising to quit the plundering life. But within weeks, he was back at it, so the Virginia governor gave the order for Blackbeard’s capture, which happened on Ocracoke in 1718.

Getting There: Unlike other Outer Bank islands, which are connected by bridges, Ocracoke is only accessible by ferry, private plane, or boat. A free 40-minute ferry transfer is available year-round from Hatteras; the ferry that leaves from Swan Quarter requires reservations and takes a little over two and a half hours. ocracokevillage.com.

The eight-foot-long cannon was covered in sand and ocean debris called “concretion,” which will take archaeologists and students at East Carolina University as many as eight years to crack through before getting to the metal cannon. So far 12 cannons have been lifted from the ship including bits of rope, lead shot, gold dust, wine glass stems and leg shackles they have brought up with them.

They have been bringing up pieces of the ship since 1997 and are expected to be finished sometime in 2013. Artifacts can be found in various museums around North Carolina and all around the United States. It is the largest archeological project in the country.

Divers began preparing the ship weeks ago for the crane that eventually pulled the cannon to the surface. The sand-encased cannon will be taken to the Beaufort Maritime Museum for public viewing, and then moved to East Carolina University where researchers will work on it.

Maybe Blackbeard has some hidden treasure down there? Fun OBX fact… next time you are in the area make sure you check out all the spots around town where there are known shipwrecks or sunken reefs. There are a ton! If you are an adventure junky you can even go scuba or snorkeling down and see the wrecks. Lots of OBX’ers spearfish around the vessels because the fish hang out near structure. Don’t do this unless you have experience though because the ocean can be a dangerous place if you don’t know what you are doing. There are also restrictions on fishing on some of the wrecks so be careful!

http://www.wavy.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=11212

Scotty McCreery

Any American Idol fans out there? You love Scotty McCreery, don’t you? Country singers seem to do well on Idol.

If you’re not familiar with Scotty, he’s an 18 year country singer from North Carolina who recently won the American Idol signing competition. So, overnight, he’s become a super star with hit country songs traveling around the country doing shows. Pretty amazing at any age, but definitely great for an 18 year old. Hats off to Scotty for his success.

One of the nice things about McCreery is that despite is quick success, he still seems very grounded and down-to-earth. Last week he had an interview with Fox News, and we were pleasantly surprised to hear how much he loves the Outer Banks!

Scotty is from NC, and he’s been vacationing on the OBX since he was a little boy, so he knows the beach inside and out. During the interview, he was talking about how much he loves to get back to the Outer Banks when he needs to relax and de-stress…see, celebs are just like you and me.

McCreery shared some great Outer Banks  tips during the interview – it’s clear he knows the OBX well. So we figured we’d pass on Scotty’s OBX tips to y’all.

1. Stack ‘em High is a great spot for huge chocolate chip pancakes.
2. Pizzazz Pizza is a fantastic choice for an OBX pie.
3. Jockey’s Ridge is a great spot to see the OBX sights from above. (editors note: one of the best spots for an OBX sunset!)
4. Don’t be afraid to try hang gliding from Jockey’s Ridge! Kitty Hawk Kites will hook you up… literally.
5. Best OBX spot to relax? The beach and the ocean, of course!
6. Don’t forget your fishing pole.
7. The Outer Banks is the perfect spot to bring the extended family back together….all you need is “family and a couple beach towels.”

Thanks for the great advice Scotty! Please look us up next time you’re heading to the beach…we’d love to help you find the perfect vacation home!

The off-road tract is a popular destination for locals and tourists to enjoy oceanside driving, the sight of Currituck’s wild horses or a trip to the water’s edge to spend the day. The experience is one of many that make Currituck such a popular tourism destination.It’s that popularity, however, which has led to the concerns now being addressed by the county’s citizens, officials and businesses. The increase in beach traffic poses serious concerns about safety for pedestrians as well as other beach traffic.

The Daily Advance noted some of the ideas the appointed beach driving committee had about ways to make our beaches safer yet not try to limit access. Oriiginally they reccomended the idea of issuing permits to reduce the amount of vehicles out on the beach, but this idea didnt sit well with the community. Locals and businesses agree that this would not only hurt the county’s reputation of  friendliness and accomidation, but would also penalize the  2,000 day-trippers who visit the Northern Outer Banks for beach driving.

Currituck County Sherriff Susan Johnson opposed the permit system and instead recommended changing the traffic patterns on the beach to prevent drivers from weaving down and around beach goers, but instead driving behind them close to the dunes. She believes this will create a predictable traffic pattern, improve safety and not limit any access for locals and visitors. 

Officials are still researching the best way to accomplish the number one goal of safety out on the beaches by researching other communities that allow beach driving. As the amount of visitors continue to increase in the Outer Banks, this will continue to become a bigger problem if nothing is done soon.

I am not sure what the answer is. As a local I feel that the suggested traffic pattern idea would not work because there is really no way to enforce it, as well as most people follow that pattern now. Only a few crazies drive down close to the water and weave in and out of pedestrians. Maybe some more enforcement down on the beach to give people like that a ticket for their reckless driving? Definitely not a permit system. Plus we have to keep in mind the tide changes, sometimes the tide is so high in certain areas there would be no way to have a set traffic pattern. What do you all think?

“Linked together by ferry crossings, and never rising more than a few feet above sea level, Highway 12 skips along the series of barrier islands that form Cape Hatteras, separating the usually placid waters of Pamlico Sound from the frequently raging Atlantic Ocean. Though many sections were flooded and damaged by Hurricane Irene, Highway 12 is an unforgettable drive, winding past sand dunes, landmark lighthouses, and historic villages.’

Although Highway 12 did see alot of damage during Irene, we are lucky enough to have parts of it back open and access to Hatteras Island restored. If you aren’t to far away, nothing beats a fall trip down to Cape Hatteras National Seashore or Pea Island. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and the fishing is excellent during  the fall. If you want to wait until summer make sure you plan on checking out some of the great hang gliding and kite surfing outfitters along Highway 12.

Here is a neat video of some of the early recovery efforts in Hatteras from the air, not long after Hurricane Irene hit the Outer Banks.