I subscribe to a very cool email newsletter called Bearings that comes out every couple weeks. They dub themselves “A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men.” But I bet the ladies would dig it too.
Their content varies – art, food, style, sport, music – and it’s always on point with a great southern flare. I highly recommend the newsletter…and it’s free.
I received the Bearings email this morning, and I was excited to see an interview with The Avett Brothers – a great Norther Carolina bluegrass/rock band that I highlighted in our OBX Tunes blog series a few weeks ago. The Avett Brothers channel is my go-to on Pandora.
The Avett Brothers have a new CD coming out in September, and Bearings was chatting with them about the CD and recording in Asheville, NC. It’s a great interview. And then I hit the 2nd to last question asking what makes NC so unique, and I was super jazzed to see the answer…
“The eastern part of the state and the coast is even more subtle and has a whole different story. I just came back from the Outer Banks, and when you see the dunes and the grass blowing in the wind – it has this inviting, warm feeling. I’m too in love with North Carolina. I hold it so dear to my heart – its mystery pulls on me and keeps me here.”
The Avett Brothers love the Outer Banks! And they were just here for vacation. Awesome.
You can find the full interview if you signup with Bearings…go for it, it’s rad.
Here’s a live version of their new single, “Live and Die”…
I may sound like a broken record, but the OBX amazes me. Ocean, beach, nature, surf, fishing, wild horses, history, pirates, Wright Brothers – the list of all the amazing OBX qualities seems endless.
I truly would not want to be anywhere else.
It’s always nice my feelings reinforced with some great OBX love from other publications.
Friday means it’s time to share some OBX Link Love, and this week we have all sorts of OBX events and activities to share…must be getting close to summer!
Outer Banks Accolades
The OBX received some great props this week – from some big name publications, I might add.
Outer Banks Sightings
Here’s a fun recap of a recent OBX vacation on HamptonRoads.com. Guess what he saw while kayaking. A walrus!?! Probably not.
A Plethora of OBX Events
The Outer Banks is active with events throughout the year, but once the summer hits, activities hit overdrive. Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up…
Outer Banks & National Geographic – David Alan Harvey – Nags Head 4th of July
The Outer Banks is amazingly unique. It is difficult to capture the true essence of the OBX in words. It’s more primal than a few strokes on a keyboard can convey. And much more personal.
If you love the Outer Banks, than my guess is you understand what I’m saying. It’s the beach, the food, the fun, but also much more than that. It’s the close connection to Mother Nature, the lifelong memories, and the deep love the grows each time our tires cross that bridge and the sweet smell of fresh salt air fills our senses.
Even if it’s for just a few days a year, the OBX is home.
David Alan Harvey, a photographer who has covered more than 40 Nat Geo assignments, has been traveling to the Outer Banks since the 1950′s, and he now calls the OBX home. Over the past year Harvey has collected some amazing OBX photos, and these great pictures are accompanied by a great article written by Harvey that captures his love for the “hurricane-prone sandbar.”
Here’s a sample that describes the OBX weather perfectly – and while the weather is crazy and unpredictable, it is also one of the main ingredients that make the Outer Banks so special. Love ya Mother Nature.
Every day unfolds with its own mix of sun, wind, surf, and rain. The wide, sweeping sky offers a broad stage for summer squalls that frequently blow through. A fleet of white clouds will appear on the horizon and then suddenly darken. Lightning flashes, waterspouts rise out of the sound, and sheets of rain mixed with sand pelt the windows. And then, just as suddenly, it’s all over. The sun returns to dry out the beach chairs, and the breeze lifts the kites up again.
Thanks for the great write-up Mr. Harvey and National Geographic. Keep the great OBX pictures coming.
A gorgeous Friday afternoon with a great OBX weekend on tap – the perfect time for our weekly Outer Banks Link Love ritual.
The links are overflowing this week, so let’s get down to business.
Charter Boat Runs Aground
The Coast Guard came to the aid of a charter boat that ran aground in Hatteras Inlet. Luckily, no major injuries.
OBX Headed for a Tourist -Horse Showdown?
Due to beach driving restrictions on Hatteras and a global advertising campaign promoting the OBX wild horses, some are predicting crowded beaches in Corolla that could put a significant strain on the wild horses. My take: we love the visitors; we love the wild horses. Let’s worry about if/when there’s an issue. My guess is there’s enough room for everyone.
Titanic Message on Display on the Outer Banks
A couple weeks ago, one of the links we shared with love was about the OBX/Titanic connection. Turns out the Outer Banks received the first Titanic “Have struck iceberg” message. Wild, I know. And now the message is going on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. The OBX is such a cool place…full of great surprises.
Outer Banks Golf Sweepstakes
The OBX has a lot to offer, and great aspect that is often overlooked is the awesome golf. There are some amazing golf courses on the Outer Banks. If you’re a golfer, you’ll find a course to fall in love with. And here’s a chance to win a golf getaway – tough to beat free golf!
OBX Winery Documentary
Here’s a cool documentary about Sanctuary Vineyards in Currituck. A very cool student project. It’s a quick watch, and it’s very cool to see the behind-the-scenes and get to know the winemakers.
Outer Banks Windsurfing
Windsurfing on the OBX tends to get overshadowed by kiteboarding and surfing, but make no mistake, OBX windsurfing is top-notch. And here’s a video from the 2012 OBX Challenge to prove it.
New Clue for the Outer Banks Lost Colony?!
This story is starting to get some big press. Seems that a map from the 1500′s had a patch on it that may have been covering the location of where the colony moved. Crazy! One of the discovering historians went as far as saying “This is really the best new clue in 150 years.” Wild. Here’s some of the media coverage.
TravelZoo.com picked the Outer Banks as the destination of the week.
Outer Banks Surf
TheInertia.com ran a great set of pictures from the awesome OBX surf we had a couple weeks ago. Great pictures snapped by local OBX legend Mickey “2M” McCarthy. Sweet shots Mickey.
The BLUEMiND2 Summit is getting close! June 4th & 5th will be here before we know it. We are making great progress with the planning.
We have a variety of logistics to pull together, but everything is progressing well, and the buzz is starting to grow.
And now we have the first look at the full event lineup!
Wow. This is going to be an amazing conference.
To paint a quick picture; a national group of top neuroscientists meeting on Outer Banks to discuss the amazing positive effects that the Outer Banks has to our health and happiness; including data points from the first study of its kind – focused on the Outer Banks – all while overlooking the ocean at the brand new, “green”/ocean-minded Jennette’s Pier.
Check out this awesome lineup…
BLUEMIND2: Where Nostalgia is Born
4 June 2012, Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head, Outer Banks, North Carolina
Dinner + Keynote presentation, TBA
5 June 2012, Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head, Outer Banks, North Carolina
7 am Open Water Swim w/ Bruckner & Michelle Chase -or- BLUEMIND Beach Yoga
BLUEMIND Overview. Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, California Academy of Sciences
Opening remarks: Where Nostalgia Is Born. Fabien Cousteau, PlantAFish.org
10 am Invited Speakers:
The Healing Power of Ocean Memories: From the Sea to Prison and Back Again. Dr. Amir Vokshoor and marine photographer Charles Seaborn
REDMIND v BLUEMIND: Extreme ocean sports, stress and the brain. Dr. Catherine Franssen, Longwood University and Joao De Macedo, Rip Curl Team & Planet Ambassador, Co-Founder of World Surfing Reserves movement, and author
Neuromarketing the ocean: Results of a BLUEMIND pilot project. Dr. Steven Sands, Sands Research and award winning filmmaker Bob Talbot
The Blue Marbles Project: Importance of gratitude and play to saving the ocean. Dr. M.A. Greenstein, GGI, Sarah Marquis, NOAA Thank You Ocean Campaign and hybrid communicator/producer Sarah Kornfeld
12:30 – 1:30 pm LUNCH
Youth On the Ocean: Open Water Opens Minds. Michelle Evans-Chase, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice, Bruckner Chase, Endurance Waterman / Ocean Advocate and Bryan Flores, 5th District Commissioner, Monterey Co. Mental Health Commission
PTSD, Relaxation and the Ocean. Dr. Jordan Grafman, Kessler Foundation, Jim Dolan, Heroes on the Water and Jeff Denholm, Patagonia Surfing Ambassador and founder of Atira Systems
The ‘Ocean View’ Premium. Dr. Scott Huettel, Duke University and Adam Norko, Coldwell Banker
The Million Dollar Fish: NeuroEconomics and Seafood. Dr. Rick Larrick, Duke University and Timothy O’Shea, CleanFish
Closing remarks: Dr. Steven Sands
6 pm DINNER. Special Musical Guest
Amazing! Can’t wait to be a part of this historic event on the Outer Banks. We are truly humbled to be a part of spreading the Blue Mind message.
This video gets me excited for BLUEMiND2 every time I watch it.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been talking about the awesome Blue Mind ideas quite a bit, and as I’ve mentioned, I have some very EXCITING news to share.
I’ll let you take a peek at my original Blue Mind post for the full background, but as a quick recap, the basic gist of the Blue Mind message is that the OBX (all oceans really) can make us (all) happy – and there is MIT caliber neuroscience that can help prove this theory.
So, what’s the news? Drum-roll please….
We are very excited to announce that the Blue Mind revolution will indeed start on the Outer Banks! After a lot of prep, it is official; BlueMind2 Summit is coming to the OBX on June 5th, 2012, hosted at the gorgeous Jennette’s Pier.
I don’t think there could be a better location to help spread the amazing Blue Mind message – the Outer Banks and Jennette’s Pier…a perfect Blue Mind combination.
We still have a lot of planning to go, and I’ll update you all along the way, but this is a big first step, and it feels great to make the announcement that we will bring J and his awesome Blue Mind ideas across the country to the OBX!
BLUEMIND 2: Where Nostalgia Is Born Tuesday, June 5, 2012
We are pleased to announce that the BLUEMIND2 Summit will be held on June 4-5th on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
We are finalizing a truly excellent lineup of speakers, neuroscientists, heroes and ocean explorers, which will be posted here ASAP.
The Summit will be livecast, so no one will miss any of the inspiring ideas shared.
If you are interested in being a lead sponsor, secondary sponsor or speaker sponsor, please get in touch!
Here’s a great video about J, his family and their love for the Blue Mind created by Nautica, one of the great sponsors from last year’s inaugural Blue Mind Summit.
It’s Friday, and I need to share some Outer Banks Link Love. For reals, a bunch of great links to share in this week. No time to waste, let’s get to the love posthaste.
Without further ado, this week’s OBX Link Love…enjoy.
Surfing
Let’s start with one of my favorite subjects – I’m the writer, I get to do that – Outer Banks surfing. The OBX made the cut for Surfing Magazine’s 10 “Tunnels I Love” – hint, tunnel = perfect wave.
OBX Beach Driving
The beach driving debate rages on. The decision has been handed down – beach driving permits required as of 2/15/12 – but the fight is far from over.
The beach driving debate has moved online. “Facebook and Twitter are alive with opposition to the National Park Service’s implementation of new rules governing access to the beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.” – says a recent article in the Outer Banks Voice. Will this really help? Can we voice our opinions online and actually make a difference? Given the recent revolutions in the Middle East fueled by social media, I’d say our voice matters. Keep up the fight OBX!
But, it’s not just the common OBX lover that is putting up a fight. U.S. Rep Walter B. Jones filed legislation this week to overturn the new beach driving rules. Seems like the fight is just heating up.
Outer Banks Accolades
Outer Banks named #1 “Best Beach” in 10Best.com’s “Reader’s Choice” awards. The public has spoken, OBX…and it turns out, you are pretty cool. Nice work.
A few weeks ago I discussed the OBX’s “monster” neighbor to the North, Grave Digger - the legendary monster truck. And this week, Grave Digger was on the national stage when Conan O’Brien took a spin behind the wheel – and on top of the monster tires. Here’s a great video of Conan hanging out with the drivers and then climbing into the driver’s seat….classic Conan.
In 2010, a great movie telling the historical tale of the exploits of a seemingly forgotten all-black unit of the United States Life-Saving Service (a precursor to the United States Coast Guard) who fought storms and saved lives off North Carolina’s Outer Banks was released; “Rescue Men.” It is well worth a movie-night if you haven’t seen it yet. Here’s a great article/interviewthat tells the story behind the making of the book and movie.
OBX Awesomeness
Are you ready for this?! No, really, are you? The OBX Jetpak has arrived! Located on the waterfront marina – in front of the restaurant ‘Poor Richards’ in Historic Town of Manteo. Check out OBXJetpack.com for more info. Look at that beast…
OBX Jetpak
Rockin’ an OBX Vacation
Check out these OBX lovers rockin’ their vacation. Do you make vacation videos?
OBX Sweetness
The super trendy world of cupcakes have finally made it to the Outer Banks. Add it to the list of business ideas I did not follow through on. Carolina Cupcakery has opened in Manteo, and this isn’t your average cupcake shop. We have some cupcake legends on our hands. Owner, Dawn Eskines, has battled to the season finale on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars,” participated in two episodes of ABC’s “Extreme Home Makeover,” and featured in Modern Bride Magazine. Kudos Ms. Eskines. We are happy to have your cupcakery on the OBX.
While I’m on the subject of delicious food, let’s give another plug for the upcoming 2012 Taste of the Beach. If you love food, drink, and the OBX – and who doesn’t? – this event is for you. A weekend of awesome culinary delights. Here’s a good article from the Outer Banks Voice giving some highlights of the foodie frenzy.
New OBX School
The quest for a charter school has been mentioned a few times in past Link Love editions, but it’s been slowing going and and up hill battle. Until now. The state gave the approval, and the OBX is getting a new school – and the first OBX charter school. Congrats Charter fans.
Little Anglers Fishing lovers are a dime a dozen here on the Outer Banks. And why not, the OBX fishing is world-class. But sometimes it takes some motivation to get little ones into the fishing game. Here’s a great post from our friends at the Outer Banks Fishing Club with “Tips to Encourage Your Little Angler.”
OBX Events I’ll end on a super awesome note; obstacle courses! I was in the Marines for a while, and looking back, I’m pretty sure I agreed to join because they showed me videos of awesome obstacle courses. It’s safe to say we didn’t do nearly enough obstacle courses. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for great obstacle courses, and now one is coming to the Outer Banks; Storm the Beach, April 21, 2012 – an obstacle/adventure race. Awesome!
Time Capsule Here are some of the most popular posts from last year at this time:
