Outer Banks Link Love: 2.17.12 – Juicy Links Galore

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Seaside Vacations

Outer Banks Link Love

It’s Friday! And you know what that means…time for some Outer Banks Link Love! Let’s roll through some great OBX links that I haven’t had a chance to mention yet this week.

Outer Banks beach driving has been a hot topic recently, so let’s start here. New regulations (paid permit & mandatory training video for Hatteras) went into effect this week, and the new regs are far from loved. Change is never easy, but is this change a positive move?…positive for who? Here are a couple well thought out opinions that offer valid arguments opposed to the new Hatteras beach driving regulations.
- As I’ve mentioned, I’m a lover of all things surf, so this article definitely hits home for me. Here’s a link from ESPN discussing the impact that the beach closures and new driving regulations have on the surfing scene on Hatteras…spoiler alert: this is NOT a good change for OBX surfing.
- This a well balanced article that points out that the Outer Banks has a large amount of land set aside for conservation for wildlife…in fact, an entire National Park. A large portion of Hatteras Island (Pea Island) is already off limits to beach driving. So, where’s the balance between the interests of people and animals? Well, it seems the National Park Service decided this back in 1937: the park’s own strategic plan makes clear what was known and stated from the park’s beginning, also in 1937: The Cape Hatteras National Seashore was created for “the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
Dredging. Not the most glamorous OBX topic, but definitely crucial. Thanks to that beast Hurricane Irene, there are a couple spots on the Outer Banks in desperate need of dredging…but that costs dinero. In past editions of Outer Banks Link LoveI’ve shared the issues with shoaling and the need for dredging at Oregon Inlet and the ferry route between Hatteras and Ocracoke, and we have some good news on both fronts.
- Oregon Inlet to receive $4.5 million to continue dredging efforts. Sweet! Safe bet this is not enough, but it’s something. Let’s keep that waterway open!
- Dredging to start for the ferry route within two weeks thanks to $2 million in aid. Nice, we can still get to Ocracoke.
While we’re on the subject of Irene, let’s take a peak at another under-the-radar effect on the OBX. “Birder’s Paradise” on Pea Island is left with huge hole and a lack of birds this year due to Ms. Irene. Add it to the list of reasons why I will not be naming any future children Irene. (No, Mom, that does not mean we’re having a baby. )
Congrats to local OBX surfing pro Brett Barley for scoring a two page spread in the April issue of Surfing Magazine. Keep ripping Brett!

Outer Banks: Brett Barley - Surfing Magazine

Have you considered hiring a fishing charter to hook up with some of the amazing fish on the Outer Banks? Great idea; there are some awesome OBX charters out there. But how do you know who to hire, when to go, what’s biting, etc.? It can be a bit confusing, but here’s a great article offering the “In’s & Out’s of Charter Boats.” Tight lines!
In need of a little OBX history lesson? If feel ya; what’s more exciting than history?! Well, here you go; the New York Times offers a great perspective of why the Outer Banks was so important to the Civil War.
The Outer Banks is an awesome wedding destination. Brides and grooms flock to the OBX every year to tie the knot. But CNN wants you to know that it’s also the perfect spot for your honeymoon…and a great way to save some of that wedding money!
Ok, you’re a loyal follower of our blog because you love the Outer Banks – the beach, the waves, the surf, the sun – but are you a golf lover too? Did you know that beyond the OBX beaches there are some amazing golf courses? Yeah, for reals. Check out this description of the great OBX golf courses.
Let’s wrap up with some great upcoming OBX events…
- Blues lover? 8th Annual Freedman Colony’s Blues Jam February 17…that’s tonight! Hurry, get in the car and get down here.
- The “Animals in Art” exhibit at the Seaside Art Gallery is running through March 3. 50 pieces of art the celebrate and help the animals!
- Jockey’s Ridge oyster roast. Eat oysters, bag shells, and build a reef. Awesome day. March 3.
- Three great upcoming events at the Whalehead Club in Corolla: 1. “Corolla in Retrospect” as part of their Winter Educational series – February 21. 2. Peddle, Foot, & Paddle triathlon – April 14, and 3. the Beach Music Festival – May 27. Now you have some great reasons to head to the Whalehead Club.

Time Capsule: Here are some fabulous posts from last year at this time.

New York Times Loves Vacation Rentals
Outer Banks Golf Among the Best You Can Play
Outer Banks Surf Update 2.15.11
The OBX had some great weather at this time last year; Gorgeous OBX Weather Returns

Outer Banks - 2.12.11 - Great OBX Weather Returns

Officials Asked to Reconsider Opening Hatteras Island to Tourists

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Seaside Vacations

Usually when vacationers head to Hatteras they get there by crossing Bonner Bridge and heading south on Highway 12- but thanks to Hurricane Irene there are two large inlets and several others, that have forced no land access for the area. Since N.C. 12 is still impassable north of Rodanthe, the only way for visitors to get to the island’s southern communities is by making a reservation on a ferry from the mainland or driving through Ocracoke and taking the free ferry to Hatteras Village.

With the ferry system booked beyond capacity, tourism officials urged Dare County Thursday to reconsider the decision to open lower Hatteras Island to tourists. The ferries are booked through next Tuesday. Saturday reservations, when most rentals turn over, are also booked solid.

Scot Leggat, a Hatteras Island real estate executive, asked the Dare County Tourism Board to pass a resolution seeking another look at the call to reopen Hatteras Village, Frisco, Buxton and Avon. Re-entry for tourists started Thursday morning. County Manager Bobby Outten said Thursday that he and members of the Board of Commissioners made their decision in the interests of people in Dare County who faced losing their jobs if some business did not return to the island.

He acknowledged that officials were aware of the potential problem with ferry access, but they weighed that against the prospect of layoffs by businesses struggling in the three weeks since Hurricane Irene and believes this decision couldn’t be rescinded now.

Complicating any decision is that some travel insurance no longer is valid if a mandatory evacuation order is lifted. So in many cases, vacationers who have already paid for their rentals cannot get to them and may not be reimbursed.

The emergency ferry from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe is reserved for residents, property owners, essential personnel and vendors. Opening that ferry route to tourists would likely mean losing FEMA funding to keep it running. The decision has also created a backlash on Ocracoke Island because Hatteras vacationers are now competing for limited ferry reservations.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is making $10 million in emergency repairs that include building a temporary bridge over the largest inlet, which is in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, and filling the rest with sand. Transportation officials say the road could be re-opened sometime in October but no decision on permanent repairs has been made.

Outer Banks Hits the Big Screen – “Nights in Rodanthe”

Posted on September 8, 2008 by Seaside Vacations

A recent article by Catherine Kozak in the Virginia Pilot (http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/outer-banks-small-town-makes-debut-big-screen) points out that the Outer Banks is soon to get national and international attention.

“Nights in Rodanthe,” a major motion picture version of Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling book of the same name, will hit theatres nationwide on September 26^th and abroad in November.

Outer Banks residents will have a pre-screening two days prior to the national release, and just two days after the premiere in New York City. The pre-screening will be held at the R/C Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 on September 24^th. There will be about 210 seats available to residents who worked on the movie in someway while it was being filmed on the Outer Banks – extras, consultants, security, musicians, caterers, etc.

Scenes from the movie will show a wide variety of footage from the Outer Banks, including; particular houses where scenes were set, the Hatteras Fishing Pier, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry, Ocracoke Island, Manteo, gorgeous beaches, wild horses, and aerial footage of the Island(s).

This is sure to be a great “date movie,” and a tremendous boost to exposure for the Outer Banks.