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Outer Banks Link Love: 8.31.12 – Adios August. Hello September.

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Outer Banks Link Love

Well, that was quick! August is behind us, Labor Day weekend has arrived, and we are turning the corner from summer to fall.

My guess is the kids heading back to school may be a bit dismayed by this change of pace, but I’m pretty darn excited! Fall on the OBX is amazing – warm weather, warm water, cool nights, empty beaches, empty restaurants, and a whole lot to do. By the way, great prices on OBX vacation rental homes too…50+% off the summer prices! Best time of year if you ask me. :)

So, let’s get out there and enjoy it. But before we do, let’s take a quick spin through this week’s OBX Link Love…all the great OBX links I couldn’t get to the blog this week. 

OBX Hidden Treasure – Jockey’s Ridge Nature Trail
The Virginia Pilot offers a great overview of the Soundside nature trail at Jockey’s Ridge with some fantastic pictures. This is definitely an OBX hidden treasure.

Destination Weddings on the Outer Banks
Another great article from the Virginia Pilot. This one discusses the OBX wedding industry, and how the OBX has become a great option for destination weddings.

Corolla School Opens!
50 years later, Corolla schools is back is session.

OBX Golf
Great review for the Outer Banks golf scene.

OBX Vacation Video
I love a good OBX vacation video. These travelers hit all the OBX highlights!

Noah Snyder’s OBX Surf Camp
Noah Snyder is a local Outer Banks surf pro. You can find all sorts of great videos and info about Noah online. He can tear up the OBX surf. And he’s passing this surf knowledge on to the youth. Here’s a recap video of Noah’s surf camp.

 

Amazing OBX Sea Turtle Hatching Video
This is soooo cool! Loggerhead sea turtles hatching in Carova last week. Awesome.

Time Capsule: All the groovy posts from last year at this time…

 

 

Outer Banks Link Love: 8.3.12 – Wild Weather!

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Outer Banks Link Love

The OBX has experienced some wild weather this week. Some gorgeous beach weather with mild temps, warm water, and a clam ocean mixed with some raging thunder storms and even waterspouts!

It’s been quite a roller coaster, but the weekend is upon us, and it looks like a beach-tastic weekend at that! I’m geared up to get my toes in the sand and do some body surfing with the kiddos. :)

But before we duck out for the weekend, let’s recap all of the awesome OBX links from the week…

OBX Waterspouts…Oh My!
As I mentioned, the weather has been pretty crazy this week, and the highlight of the craziness was definitely a string of water spouts that popped up on Monday. Here are a few links for some info and added pictures, and checkout this beauty below…looks like the Wizard of Oz!…at the beach. :)

2012 Outer Banks Waterspout

2012 Outer Banks Waterspout

Guy Fieri Hits Ortega’z
As we’ve mentioned, Guy Fieri and “Diners, Drive-in’s & Dives” landed on the Outer Banks a week or so ago. Here’s a great story from the Outer Banks Sentinel about Guy’s stop at Ortega’z in Manteo.

Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament Coming Soon
The Outer Banks is well known for it’s big game fishing, and it doesn’t get much bigger than the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tourney. This is the 29th year, and the fun runs from Monday August 13th – Friday August 17th. Here’s a write-up on Yahoo Sports.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse History Lesson
Any idea how, when, or why the Currituck Beach Lighthouse came into existence? Me neither. Until I read this fascinating article in the Virginia Pilot. A stormy night 160 years ago led to the beautiful lighthouse we know today. Great story.

Let’s Protect the OBX Wild Horses!
The Outer Banks Voice reported that a bill to help protect the future of the Outer Banks wild horses was introduced into the US Senate this week.

Nags Head Introduces a Beach Ambassador
Talk about a great job, right?! Nags Head recently introduced a new “Beach Ambassador” that will roam the NH beaches welcoming guests and making sure people understand the rule and regulations.

Avalon Pier Timelapse
Let’s wrap-up with link love fest with a nice calm look at an early morning at the Avalon Pier. Here’s a cool timelapse video of the pier around sunrise.

Time Capsule: Some groovy posts from this time last year…

 

 

Outer Banks Link Love: 6.8.12 – Happy Last Day of School!

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Outer Banks Link Love

Last day of school for kiddos on the OBX! Is it the last day of school in your area too?

Last day of school means only thing – summer is on full force! Awesome.

It’s Friday, so let’s share some OBX Link Love.

A Bit Scary?…just a smidge.
I like to start with the bad news, so here are a couple links for some scariness on the OBX this week. However, in the end, all is well.

  • Kayak capsizes and two men make a 2.5 hour swim back to shore. Wear those life-jackets!
  • Shark bite on Hatteras. Ugh. No one likes to hear this. But we all need to remember we’re swimming with wildlife every time we hit the water. We’re bound to bump into each other from time to time. And that seems to be what happened here. Toes mistaken for a tasty fish. Ouch! But all is good in the end.

Holy Cow!
Diane Van Deren set a record Friday for the fastest run of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail, completing the 1,000-mile route in 22 days, 5 hours and 3 minutes. Dang! That’s some amazing running. Can’t ask for a better place to finish. :) Take a dip in the ocean Diane…you deserve it.

OBX History
Here’s a great article in the Columbus Dispatch discussing some OBX history. The Outer Banks never ceases to amaze me.

The OBX Inspires
A former Broadway singer was inspired by her Outer Banks vacation and came away with some special gifts – songs for her debut CD…and a baby boy. :)

Pier Fishing Tips
Here’s a great blog post from our friends at the Outer Banks Fishing Club that discusses pier fishing – tips, tackle, bait & locations. Tight lines!

What Lifeguards Want You to Know
Summer is awesome, but don’t forget; safety first. Be careful out there. Let’s avoid those accidents. Here’s a great post from Outer Banks This Week about tips that OBX lifeguards want you to know. Well worth the read.

OBX Spring Surf
Here’s a great video of some OBX spring surf. By the way, the water temp is up to 70! Pray for waves.

Time Capsule: Some rad posts from last year at this time…

 

Outer Banks Link Love: 6.1.12 – Happy June!

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Outer Banks Link Love

Time to spread some Outer Banks Link Love. All the best OBX links from this week that I couldn’t get into a blog post. All in one convenient location for your viewing pleasure. :)

Outer Banks BLUEMiND2 Hits the Huffington Post
Let’s start with one that is near and dear to my heart. I’ve been rambling about the amazing OBX Blue Mind event for months, so I’ll let you check www.MindandOcean.org for more details, but I want to point out that the Outer Banks – and BLUEMiND2 – hit the national stage on the Huffington Post yesterday. Super awesome!

Soap Opera Star Shares Love for NC & the OBX
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, a link that doesn’t interest me much, but I suspect some of the ladies in the audience will enjoy. Victor Newman from the “Young and the Restless” shares is love for North Carolina and the Outer Banks.

Vacation Deficit Disorder?
Check this out. Do we all have a vacation deficit disorder? According to this article we do. And I know the perfect cure. Hope in the car and head to the OBX for an Outer Banks vacation. Problem solved. :)

OBX April 2012 Surf Highlights
Here’s an awesome video of Outer Banks surf highlights for April 2012. It saddens me to say this, but I missed every bit of this surf. Ugh. I guess the kiddos will do that to a Dad’s surf excursions. I’ll be in the water soon though…that’s just a promise to myself. :)

Adventures on the Outer Banks
Here are some great adventure tips from the Charlotte Observer for the Corolla area.

Fun OBX Events
Here are a couple upcoming events that are fun for the whole fam.

Time Capsule: Here’s some awesomeness from last year at this time…

Outer Banks Link Love: 5.25.12 – The Unofficial Start to Summer is Here!

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Outer Banks Link Love

It’s Friday, so we need some OBX Link Love. But more than just Friday, this is a big day. This is the first day of an extended weekend to celebrate the unofficial start of summer. So, in addition to sharing all the fab OBX links from this week, we want to share a big, giant HAPPY START TO SUMMER!

Now on to the links…

2012 Outer Banks Bike Week a Success
The annual running of the bikes took place on the OBX a few weeks ago. Bike Week is always a good time, and it’s great see the very cool bikes growling down the Beach Road. And according to the Outer Banks Voice, the annual OBX Bike Week event was a rousing success – 40K bikers hit the beach! Wow.

VA Travel Signs Show OBX Beach Traffic Options
Just in time for the summer traffic, Virginia has just implemented some new road signs that will help OBX vacationers know travel times and options as they head to the beach.

Sanderling Resort Sold!
The Sanderling Resort in Duck has been sold to a company out of Connecticut for $13.7 million.

OBX = #1 Family Beach Vacation
I’m probably preaching to the choir with this, but US News selected the Outer Banks as their #1 choice for family beach vacations in the USA. Nice work OBX!

And to wrap us this OBX link fest, I have some great videos to share…

Tuna Catch
This is a pretty cool video of an OBX tuna catch. Quite a fight and quite a fish!

OBX Vacation Fun – “Call Me Maybe”
This video is sure to get you fired up for your Outer Banks vacation. This is a great video of some awesome OBX fun!

Time Capsule: Popular posts from last year at this time…

Outer Banks Link Love: 5.11.12 – Happy Mother’s Day…Love Ya Mom!

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Outer Banks Link Love

I have a few gems to share, but it is a relatively slow week for OBX link love. But that’s alright, it gives me a chance to offer some love to all the mom’s out there and pass on a few nuggets from the blog. Hold on tight; let’s get rolling.

Mom’s, we love you!
Considering that Mother’s Day is Sunday, Mom’s deserve the lead off spot. So, happy Mom’s Day to all you OBX mama’s out there. Mom, love you to pieces, and wifey/mom to the kiddos, love you the same.

Congrats Outer Banks Brewing Station
The Outer Banks Brewing Station is one of our favorite partners. Not only do they have a great atmosphere, great food, and amazing beer, but they are also one of the main catering sponsors for the BLUEMiND2 event, and they are part of Club Seaside with a brewery tour! They are the bomb!

And to add to their bombness, we’d like to congratulate them on their recent bronze medal at the World Cup of Beer! Nice work Outer Banks Brewing Station.

Outer Banks Wild Horses
Great article in the New York Times about the OBX wild horses and the fight to preserve the herd.

New OBX Boat Builder!
It is great to have a new boat builder on the Outer Banks. Did you know some the best boats are built right here on the OBX?! The OBX is full of surprises. Gunboat, a catamaran builder opened it’s doors this week. Happy to have you Gunboat.

BLUEMiND2
The Blue Mind conference is getting soooo close – June 5th. You can find the full lineup of speakers and topics at www.MindandOcean.org, and if you’d like to attend the amazing conference, how about an invite and a ticket sponsorship?!

Odds & Ends

Time Capsule – Popular post from last year at this time.

Outer Banks Treasure: Outer Banks Brewing Station

Outer Banks Link Love: 5.4.12 – Overflowing with Links…& Love.

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Outer Banks Link Love

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.

Outer Banks Accolades
The OBX got some good media attention this week. Nice work OBX!

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.

Outer Banks Link Love: 4.20.12 – Share the Love

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Outer Banks Link Love

Outer Banks Link Love

It’s a beautiful Friday afternoon, which means it’s time for our weekly Outer Banks Link Love tradition.

Let’s get down to business.

Outer Banks Fire
As I’ve mentioned, I like to start with the bad news so we can end on a positive note. Unfortunately, we have some sour news to share from the OBX this week; a massive three house fire. But to look at the bright side, thankfully there were no injuries.

2012 Town of Duck Events
The Town of Duck puts on some great free events every year, and they just released their schedule for 2012. Fun, free, and family-friendly. Get out and see what Duck’s up to!

5 Cool Places on the NC Coast You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
Here’s a cool article from the Charlotte Observer that mentions the Outer Banks a couple times.

Outer Banks Beach Driving
The beach driving debate on Hatteras Island rages on, but the permitting system is in place, and permits are being purchased. I was surprised to find out that almost 3400 Hatteras beach driving permits have been purchased so far – the majority being year-round permits. I guess this system is a reality – for now anyway.

Sophie Loves the OBX
Check out how much this dog loves the Outer Banks.

Hurricane Irene Retired!
I am psyched to pass on this love. Hurricane Irene is officially retired! We will never have to deal with that beast again. Good riddance Irene!

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

Outer Banks Link Love: 3.23.12 – Spring Perfection

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Outer Banks Link Love

Spring is in the air. Spring has sprung. March is heading out like a lamb. Something about showers and spring flowers.

Any pleasant spring clichés you can think of, they apply to the Outer Banks right about now.

It’s been a pretty mild winter, but it is a downright gorgeous start to spring. Look north or south on this blog for one of our beach updates/Moment of Zen, and you’ll get a first-hand feel for the amazing OBX days we’ve been enjoying.

In the spirit of the joyfully beautiful spring, we have some fun updates to share for our Friday tradition of Outer Banks Link Love.

2012 Outer Banks Taste of the Beach Winners
Last week we enjoyed the annual OBX Taste of the Beach, and it was a smashing success…as always. :) Gorgeous weather, great food, great drinks, and great people. Here’s a run down of the 2012 OBX TOB winners courtesy of Kitchens Are Monkey Business.

Congratulations to the 2012 Taste of the Beach Grand Tasting Winners:

  • Best Booth: Black Pelican
  • Best Booth 2nd Place: OB Brewing Station
  • Best In Show: The Bad Bean Baja Grill
  • Best OBX Catch: OB Brewing Station
  • Best OBX Catch 2nd Place: The Brine & Bottle
  • The Chef’s Award: The Bad Bean Baja Grill
  • People’s Choice Best Dessert: Kelly’s Restaurant
  • People’s Choice 1st Place: OB Brewing Station
  • People’s Choice 2nd Place: Lucky 12 tavern
  • People’s Choice 3rd Place: Kelly’s Restaurant

Best U.S. Beaches for Families
The Outer Banks was named to FamilyVacationCritic.com’s list of Top 10 “Best U.S. Beaches for Families.” Nice work OBX!

OBX Surf Fix
It has been a pretty slow winter for Outer Banks surfing. The mild weather means there has not been much storm activity, and as a result, the swells have been less than impressive. But here’s a fun OBX surf trip video to give us a surf fix during our flat spell.

A few guys from New Jersey hoped in their rig and headed south for some OBX swell. It wasn’t huge, but it was better than NJ. And they met up with some great OBX’ers, including local OBX surf pro Brett Barley. Enjoy

Noah Snyder Surf Camp
While we are on the subject of Outer Banks surf, and local OBX surf pros, let’s check in on the living legend, Noah Snyder. This seems like an opportune time to mention that Noah’s 2012 summer surf camp has just been announced. Here’s a quick overview, but check Noah’s website for the full details. Thanks for helping to keep the OBX surfing community strong Noah.

July 16 – 20 9am-1:00pm
August 6 – 10 8am – 12:00 pm
August 13 – 17 8:30am – 12:30pm

Surfing Day Camps by Professional Surfer Noah Snyder – for Beginners through Advanced “Destined to Believe”

Get ready for the best surf camp of your life! Professional Surfer Noah Snyder and his friends give you a week of amazing surf training and lots of fun. A surfing experience that you won’t want to miss!

Ages: 8 – 17
Cost: $300.00
Time: Monday – Friday, see times that coordinate with the date
Where: Kill Devil Hills meeting at the new Camp

Grave Digger – Behind the Scenes
A few weeks ago I put out a post discussing the OBX’s Monster Neighbor to the North: Grave Digger. One of the most popular Monster Trucks of all time just so happens to be an OBX native. Awesome, right?! To build on that post, here’s a great interview with the Grave Digger family that still lives on the Outer Banks. Great history and behind the scenes info on the monster of monsters, Grave Digger.

A couple quick notes…

  • The town of Nags Head is on the hunt to purchase land to keep as open space. Awesome! Great to see towns with the foresight to keep public spaces open. Nice work NH!
  • There was a protest at the Hatteras Lighthouse this week to fight the Hatteras beach closures. Here’s a great recap from the Outer Banks Voice.

Sand Fleas
Let’s close out our Link Love with some fun with sand fleas. Sand fleas are great. Easy to find, easy to catch, and not dangerous to the kiddos. BUT the kiddos need to be very gentle with this little critters; they are delicate. Here’s a post from our friends at the Outer Banks Fishing club with a quick list of Three (3) Ways to Have Fun With The Outer Banks Sand Fleas.

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

 

Outer Banks Link Love: 3.16.12 – Slow OBX News. Big OBX Weekend

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Outer Banks Link Love

It’s a slow news week for our Friday tradition of Outer Banks Link Love. I’m use to having 15+ stories to share, and this week we have one. Yeah, 1.

I guess all of the OBX news-makers were out enjoying the amazing spring weather this week. And who can blame them?

Take a peek at some of our videos from this week, and you’ll get a first-hand perspective of the perfect spring weather we’ve enjoyed all week on the Outer Banks. I’ll take slow news for perfect weather any day.

But don’t fret. This may be a slow OBX news week, but it’s a big OBX weekend. The 2012 Taste of the Beach started yesterday and runs through the weekend, and the 2012 St. Patrick’s Day parade kicks off this weekend as well. So, I’ll share a couple videos to get us all in the mood for the OBX festivities. Not news, but still links we love. :)

Let’s start with the one new item I have for this week.

The Photographers Guide to the Outer Banks
Photographer Jared Lloyd is in the process of creating an e-book that will be available in July 2012 – “The Photographers Guide to the Outer Banks.” To whet our pallets, Jared is offering a free sneak peek at the first chapter. Not the preface, or the introduction, but the entire first chapter. Pretty sweet deal.  Here’s what Jared has to say about the book:

“When it is completed, this book will cover every square inch of the Outer Banks that is of interest to photographers – from the Virginia line all the way down to Shackleford Banks. With years of experience photographing and guiding along these islands, and many months working on this project, I have compiled what I consider to be the best of the best of the Outer Banks, with a special emphasis on the lesser known hot spots that you probably never knew about.”

Now on to this weekend’s festivities…

2012 Outer Banks Taste of the Beach

Outer Banks St. Patrick’s Day Parade

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