Tag Archives: Club Seaside

Guest Post from Brooke Mayo: How to Prepare for an Outer Banks Photo Shoot

Posted on
Reply
Outer Banks Photography: Brooke Mayo

Outer Banks Photography: Brooke Mayo

Yesterday, I threw out some virtual high-fives to Brooke Mayo for her brand spanking new book, and in that post I mentioned that Brooke has graciously agreed to join us once again for Club Seaside in 2012.

We are super duper excited to have Brooke back for our 4th year together…has it already been 4 years?! Wow.

To help y’all prepare for your fabulous OBX photo shoot with Ms. Brooke, we asked the famed photog if she would whip up a guest blog post for us, and ta da!

Here we go, Brooke’s tips on How to Prepare for an Outer Banks Photo Shoot. Enjoy…

 “Photo Tips for the Modern Family” – Brooke Mayo

We are Brooke Mayo Photographers and have been photographing families on the beach since 2001.  Brooke Mayo Photographers consists of three photographers, Brooke Mayo Carrie Roen and Candace Owens.  We are photographers who LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what we do!

We want to capture you and your family as you are, each relationship is dynamic and we want to show all the expressions you know and some you may not!  We will have everyone play, build sandcastles, run through the ocean, pick up shells and make memories! Our style is more photojournalistic, meaning we value candid shots and unposed actions as much as posing – we think you will appreciate the subtle emotions of a family when nobody has to say “cheese”.

Got a big family? Great – we will take shots of the larger group, and break into individual families and the combinations of your choice, to make sure everybody gets that picture with great-uncle Bob.  Looking to break away from the traditional beachside portrait?  Sure – we can recommend sand dunes, old oak forests, quaint harbors, vineyards, farms and more – the backdrops are endless.  It’s the Outer Banks!

When dressing for your family beach portrait, show your personality!  Have everyone coordinate but don’t “match.”  We want to show who you are as a family!

Wear what shows your personality! We love sundresses, pastels, polka dots and fun props! Try to avoid short skirts (as we often have you jumping in the air or laying in the sand), solid blacks, reds, hot pink/green or bright orange. If one person wears a pattern, have everyone else be in solid colors. We’re happy to help you decide on outfits!

We know you have seen the beach portraits of everyone in khacki and white or jeans and white.  In everyday life you don’t all dress the same and you shouldn’t do that for your family portraits either.  The white tends to wash most people out and it along with the khacki blends into the sand.  Try having one or two people in patterns and the others in solid colors, pastels are gorgeous on the beach!

Also, I know the best times for photos aren’t the best times for kiddos… 630 or 7am or 7pm in the summer on the beach, but it’s the best light.  If the photos are done much earlier or later, unless it’s overcast, your faces will be shiny and your eyes squinty and the beaches are much less crowded. If it is overcast, we can schedule throughout the day.  Don’t worry that it’s not sunny – direct light is great for sunbathing, but not for pictures!

Bring props, if your kids like playing in the sand and using a shovel and bucket, go for it!  We want them to have fun and for it to feel more like a play date rather than a stiff family portrait where they don’t get to enjoy themselves.  You can even bring ice cream for the end of the shoot, make sundaes on the beach, or just eat a cone… it doesn’t get much more summery than that!

We come to frolick with you and your family at your rental home or any other location you’d like!  Some of our favorite locations such as local parks and vineyards are clearly marked with ample parking.

Congrats on the New Book Ms. Mayo!

Posted on
2
Shake, Rattle & Shoot

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!

Outer Banks Treasure: Kilmarlic Golf Club

Posted on
Reply

 

Nothing says relaxation like a nice round of golf right? Well since the beach is all about relaxing and enjoying a laid back atmosphere we thought we needed to include Kilmarlic Golf Club as one of our Outer Banks Treasures. I had a chance to see the course from some events we have had through the Club Seaside golf clinic offered by Kilmarlic and Seaside Vacations.  It is a beautiful course and the club was great as well. There is a pro-shop inside, 215-Westside, which is a great spot to grab a bite to eat and a huge covered porch to sit out in a rocking chair and enjoy the views.

Want to check it our for yourself? Watch as I take a golf cart tour around the course and be sure you don’t miss out on the exclusive golf clinic and special guests rates through Club Seaside. Its a great way to get out and explore and enjoy all of the great things the Outer Banks has to offer. No matter what your skill level its a guaranteed good time!

Save a Horse, Ride a Land Cruiser. But With New Restrictions?

Posted on
Reply

Currituck County officials are developing a plan to impose limits on the expanding business of Corolla wild horse tours. They are discussing plans to restrict the number of vehicles per tour to 4 and requiring tour operators to get a license each year and the number of licenses issued would be limited to eight companies that must be based in Currituck County.

Other requirements include:

- Vehicles would have to be registered with the county, with a photo included for each one.

- Each vehicle would get a number and must have a sign on the side with lettering at least 3 inches tall showing the ID number and the company name.

- All vehicles would have guides, instead of one guide leading several vehicles.

- More than one violation of the ordinance in a month could mean being shut down for a day or more.

A county law already requires people to stay 50 feet away from wild horses.

Operators could still carry a similar number of passengers by using vehicles with larger capacities, Woody said.

Officials are considering whether to limit tour times. Now they travel dawn to dusk. Residents want hours limited to something like 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I’m in favor of this, believe or not,” said Jay Bender, owner of Corolla Outback Adventures and Club Seaside partner. “It’s in the best interest of the horses and in the best interest of everybody over the long haul to keep some sort of control over it.”

Complaints from residents and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund explain, “It’s all day every day,” said north beach resident and Corolla Wild Horse Fund Vice President Phyllis Castelli. “There’s never really a time of day when there’s not a tour group going by. It’s completely out of balance.” Castelli saw two wild horses on the beach last week surrounded by people from three different tours. “If I feel this way, imagine how the horses feel,” she said.

There are a couple of things to remember here. If we reduce supply of the horse tours and with demand always increasing this is going to drive up the prices of the tour which is already on the high side. On the other hand it would be in the best interest of our area to restrict the number of companies as to eliminate people in Charlotte, Raleigh or Virginia who see the horse tours as an easy way to make money and have already expressed interest in starting new tour companies.

What do you guys think? There has to be some kind of happy medium…

Here is a video of our recent wild horse tour with Corolla Outback Adventures.

.

Outer Banks Treasure: Corolla Outback Adventures Wild Horse Tour

Posted on
2

If you haven’t got a chance to see the wild horses that roam the northern beaches of the Outer Banks, it is a must see, add it to your bucket list now! All i can say is it is absolutely beautiful to see these horses in their natural habitat, and amazing what our community does to protect them.

Since i have lived in the Outer Banks I have seen the horses before, usually one or two along the beach in Carova. I never had been on actual tour, or knew all the history associated with the reason they are on the island. I was so excited to have the opportunity to join Corolla Outback Adventures in a tour with some other Seaside employees. It was definitely a treat :)

It was a bumpy ride but we got to see some great landmarks and were lucky enough to see a ton of wild horses, including a baby horse that was only a few weeks old. We also got to have some fun driving through the back “roads” hitting some big hills and even trudging through some water! The best part of the trip was on the ride home….while making our way back to Corolla we saw some horses on the beach and they were…. well you are just going to have to watch the end of the video to find out!

If you are a Seaside guest you can take advantage of our Club Seaside program which includes Wild Horse Tours. Visit our page for reservations with Corolla Outback Adventures.

 

If You Cant Handle the Heat…Get Out of the Kitchen

Posted on
1

OBX cooking extraordinaire Outer Banks Epicurean announces their 2011 summer cooking class schedule. Not only are they a Club Seaside partner and offer Seaside guests a rare opportunity to prepare local food, but their food is amazing!! They also often provide neat events along with the cooking class, for example their Colington Crab, Kayak and Cook class on Wednesdays, offering you the chance to take the kayaks out around Blount Bay then head back for some wine and blue crab! Sounds relaxing huh? :) Here is the weekly schedule with everything you need to know to plan your one of a kind vacation event!

SUMMER 2011 Cooking Classes
Call 252.480.0005 to register

Mondays

11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Cookin’ Outer Banks Style
Subject: Seafood and Seasonal Veggies Ravioli
Class Type: Demonstration, Discussion, Tasting, Hands-on
Menu: Learn how to make homemade pasta. The freshest local seafood and seasonal harvests will be
the filling when you make your fresh pasta into raviolis
Fee: $49 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

Tuesdays and Thursdays

9:00 am (offered only when crabs are molting)
Colington Crab Shedder Tour and Cooking Class
Learn why Colington is soft shell capital of the world. Tour a local shedder operation, then walk back
to Epicurean and learn how to cook and eat softshell crabs!
Fee: $59 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

Wednesdays

9:00 am ** Colington Crab Kayak and Cook
** Meet at Wayback Kayak on Little Colington Island at 9:00 am
Start the morning with coffee and scones at Wayback Kayak then paddle thru the natural beauty of
Blount Bay. See crab shedders from the water. Next, step inside the kitchen of Outer Banks Epicurean
and begin a private cooking lesson focused on Cookin’ Outer Banks Style – featuring Blue Crabs!
Fee: $89 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays

6:00 pm
Cookin’ Outer Banks Style
Subject: Learn to Cook Local Outer Banks Catch
Class Type: Demonstration, Discussion, Tasting, Some Hands-on
Menu: The freshest local seafood and seasonal harvests will be used to make easily recreated recipes.
Fee: $49 with wine tasting of 3 specially selected wines add $10 per person

More About the Classes: •Registration for all classes is required by noon the day prior to the class.
•Epicurean cooking classes are relaxed, fun ways to learn new culinary tricks and taste fresh local harvests, catches
and specialty items. •Participants will be offered generous tastes and samples of all recipes in all classes. Unless the
description of the event states otherwise, please do not plan for a cooking class to be a dinner substitute if you are a big
eater. •Classes usually last an hour to an hour and a half to two hours depending on participation. Some classes are
three hour cooking lessons and do cost a bit more… and you eat a bit more, too! •We would love to plan a lesson for
your group. Girlfriends, office mates, new moms, people with diabetes, families… we can help you learn to cook new
recipes while you have fun and enjoy each other and new tastes and flavors.

Outer Banks Treasure: Kilmarlic Health and Racquet Club

Posted on
Reply

One of the great things about Seaside Vacations is our Club Seaside program, which offers our guests a unique opportunity to experience some local culture and really add to their vacation experience. We have been working with Kilmarlic Health and Racquet Club for some time now and have had such great feedback from our guests, that we wanted to include them in our Outer Banks Treasure series and allow people to see some of the things that make it such a great place to visit during your time here in the OBX.

Even though we are at the beach, having a pool at your vacation home is always a fun way to get out to enjoy the sunshine and keep the kids having a great time, but it is not always easy to find availability in homes that have pools. The good news is that for only $5 per person (free on Saturday’s)  you can enjoy all day access to Kilmarlic’s state-of-the art facility featuring the highest quality equipment, personal training, group fitness programs, a junior Olympic-sized pool, four Har-Tru clay tennis courts, four hard tennis courts, a basketball court, a poolside café, upscale locker rooms and more.

Club Seaside also offers a 50 minute Abs & Arms class, taught by a certified trainer to help keep you keep that bikini body looking fabulous! If you are a tennis lover, like myself, you can enjoy a cardio intensive tennis clinic on Kilmalic’s US Open style courts with tennis director Rob Peterson. No matter what your interests are there is something great at Kilmarlic Health & Racquet for you.

For more information visit our Club Seaside page or Kilmarlic’s website to learn more about their great facilities.

Stop in and see what all the buzz is about at 101 Wimbledon Court, Powell’s Point, NC 27966.

Don’t forget if you are stuck in summer traffic Kilmarlic is right on the way in so skip the wait and go take a dip!

Corolla Hosts 8th Annual Wild Horse Days

Posted on
Reply

One of the many great things that makes the Outer Banks so amazing, is the opportunity to see wild horses roaming the beach in Corolla. I remember the first time I visited the Outer Banks- We were spending our college Spring Break at a friends house in Carova. My first concern was that my AWD Honda Ridgeline wasn’t going to make the cut in the 4X4 area. Lucky enough I made it there, and was so amazed to see a group of wild horses grazing right near our house! It truly is a unique experience especially for former city girls like me.

For the 8th year in a row the Corolla Wild Horse Fund will be offering Wild Horse Days from July 5th through the 7th. Wild Horse days is an opportunity to take part in fun events and exhibits the whole family can enjoy. You will get a chance to learn the history behind the wild horses, take a ride on a Spanish Mustang, play children’s games and activities, take part in a horse training clinic and more! There will also be a huge silent auction, live music, beer and wine tasting, food and artwork will also be featured.

If you are visiting the area this would be a wonderful event to take part in. There is something for everyone and is a unique opportunity to learn the rich heritage that is behind the wild horses. If you cant make it, I hope you get the opportunity to see at least one wild horse on your trip, because it is definitely a beautiful sight to see at least once.

If you want to learn more about Wild Horse Days or about the Corolla Wild Horse Fund please visit their website. If you are a Seaside Vacations guest don’t forget to reserve your spot on your complimentary wild horse tour with Corolla Outback Adventures through Club Seaside.

Directions: 16 miles north of Duck on RT 12 North. One block north of the Lighthouse, watch for sign.


 

Outer Banks Treasures- Outer Banks Yoga 5.24.11

Posted on
Reply

I have always been a big fan of Yoga and Pilates. I took classes in college but never really had the time to get as involved with it as I would like. After moving to the Outer Banks I wanted to find somewhere in town that offered mixed level yoga sessions that I could do after work on the weekdays. I found Outer Banks Yoga just looking around online but still hadn’t had the time to get down there for a session. I was super excited when I found out that Outer Banks Yoga was actually one of our Club Seaside partners and offered vacationers free sunrise yoga sessions, as well as discounted yoga packages. So lucky right!? Well it turns out I got lucky too because I thought what a perfect place to include in our Outer Banks Treasure series! When I talked to Michelle, the owner of OBX Yoga she was nice enough to offer me a free beginners yoga class with Anne and I jumped right on it. I was glad that all my intentions of visiting the studio turned into a reality.

Outer Banks Yoga

It is kind of funny because when I arrived at the studio I thought it was perfect. In a sense the location of the studio represented Yoga itself. Just a small place in a big world where you can become one with yourself and focus on opening up your heart, mind and body. It was great because they provided all of the mats, blocks, blankets, and all the equipment you would need to just drop in and take a class. That worked out well for me because like I said I was a little rusty in the Yoga world :)

I thought it would be neat to take a little video of the opening of the session to really allow our vacationers and audience an opportunity to see for themselves the studio from the inside and a glance at how the class operates. Of course I didn’t want anyone to see too much because I want everyone to find out just how great Outer Banks Yoga is for themselves. In such the hustle and bustle of life it is important to take a minute to stop, relax and find yourself. Sometimes you get caught up in your surroundings and concentrate more on the people around you that you forget to understand your own thoughts and feelings. Yoga is the solution and also provides you with strengthening exercise for your mind and body.

Take a look at the video and don’t forget to visit Outer Banks Yoga’s website for a full class schedule and if you are a Seaside guest make sure you stop by for your complimentary yoga session. There is no better way to spend your vacation then relaxing on the beach after a morning Yoga sesh!