Outer Banks Brewery Tour (Club Seaside)

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

Outer Banks Brewing Company, Seaside Vacations, Club Seaside

Outer Banks Brews (Club Seaside)

Ever wondered how beer is brewed? Are you interested in trying some great tasting beers brewed here in the Outer Banks? We thought so.

Coined for being the first wind powered brewery in America, the Outer Banks Brewing Station handcrafts some of the best beer around.

Aside from creating some fantastic beer, they also have some good food…. really good food. Guy Fieri stopped by the Brewing Station last year when he did an entire episode of his hit Food Network show Drive-ins and Dives for the Outer Banks.

If you are a Club Seaside member, you can schedule a tour of the Brewing Station during your stay. Now of course there will be a chance to taste a few handcrafted alcoholic beverages, so participants must be at least 21 years old.

For information on how to schedule your tour, visit our Club Seaside Brewery Tour page.

Cheers!

Outer Banks Beach, Surf & Fishing Report: 6.14.13

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

6.14.13 Nags Head, NC

Good morning. Here’s your Outer Banks Beach, Surf & Fishing Report for Friday, June 14, 2013.

This video and picture were taken at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head @ 8:30 am.

We had record high temperatures yesterday and a storm came through last night and helped cool things down. Perfect weather this morning, 70 degrees, partly cloudy and wind gusts blowing from the NNW at 20 mph.

Surf this morning is semi choppy with about knee high waves. Ocean water temp up to 62 degrees, hopefully nearing 70 by end of next week.

Offshore fishing is incredible, some charter captains reporting it is the best in 10 years. Offshore boats filling their tanks with yellowfin tuna. Piers reporting plenty of sea mullet, blues, spot and croaker.

If you are thinking about an OBX vacation, please give us a look at www.OuterBanksVacations.com Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

How to Escape a Rip Current

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

How to Escape a Rip Current

One of the most dangerous parts of swimming in the ocean is the threat of rip currents. Rip currents are powerful, channel currents of water flowing away from shore and according to the United States Lifesaving Association, over 100 people drown each year from rip currents. Below are tips on what to do if you or someone else is caught in a rip current.

Escaping a Rip Current

If caught in a rip current, always stay calm and don’t fight the current.
Escape the current by swimming horizontal to the shoreline, not toward the shore. Once free of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
If you are unable to escape by swimming horizontal to the shoreline, float or tread water. When the current weakens, swim at an angle away from the current toward the shore.
Always try to get someone else’s attention if caught in a rip current. You may not be able to escape the current yourself but someone else’s help could save your life.

How to Help Someone Else in a Rip Current

Get help from a lifeguard if one is present.
If you aren’t near a lifeguard, yell instructions on how to escape from the shore.
Throw the victim something that floats.
Call 9-1-1 for further assistance.

General Safety Tips

Swim near a lifeguard at all times if possible. Lifeguards are trained to help you and are responsible for countless saved lives.
Know how to swim in the ocean. Swimming in the pool or in a lake is very different than swimming in the ocean.
Be cautious at all times and always be aware of your surroundings.
If in doubt about current ocean conditions, don’t go out!

For additional information on rip currents, visit: http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/

Club Seaside – Beading Class

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

Garden of Beadin’

Ever wanted to create your own personalized jewelry? Seaside Vacations guests receive an exclusive discount on Garden of Beadin’ 1-hour class held on Fridays from 3 to 4 pm.

Garden of Beadin’ has the Outer Banks largest selection of beads and beading supplies, books and hemp – with a unique selection handpicked from sources around the world.

Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance and space is limited.

Guests must contact Garden of Beadin’ at info@obxbeads.com or 252.489.8182 to reserve a spot. For additional information on Garden of Beadin’ or Club Seaside, visit http://www.outerbanksvacations.com/

Reserve your spot today and take home your own special Outer Banks souvenir!

North Carolina Tourism Facts & Figures

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

Outer Banks Vacation Rentals The Outer Banks is a marvelous place with pristine beaches, wonderful homes and countless things to do. However, out-of-state visitors are a big reason why the Outer Banks is such a special place.

NewsLink figures released early last week show just how important tourism is to North Carolina’s state and local economies.

Last year alone, North Carolina’s statewide tourism industry raked in 19.4 billion dollars. This visitor spending supported 200,000 jobs for North Carolinians and helped more than 40,000 businesses that directly serve tourism stay in business.

North Carolina’s tourism industry created $579 million dollars in local tax revenue that helped support local communities.

No doubt the Outer Banks would still be home to beautiful beaches and long summer days without our booming tourism industry. However, many of our marvelous local businesses couldn’t survive without out-of-state visitors.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf & Fishing Report: 6.12.13

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

Outer Banks Vacation Rentals Good morning. Here’s your Outer Banks Beach, Surf & Fishing Report for Wednesday, June 13, 2013.

This video and picture were taken at E. Barnes St. beach access in Nags Head, NC @ 8:30 am.

Beautiful day with high of 91 degrees and wind blowing from the west at 10 mph.

Wave height is about knee cap to thigh to even waist of the peaks. Ocean water temperature in the high 50s, wear a wetsuit.

Fishing is spectacular, pier fishing catching bluefish, sea mullet, spot and offshore boats all full of yellowfin tuna yesterday.

If you are thinking about an OBX vacation, please give us a look at www.OuterBanksVacations.com Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

House Bill Approved to Protect Wild Horses of Corolla

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

Outer Banks: 9.13.12 – Gorgeous OBX Wild Horses

On June 3^rd, the United States House of Representatives passed legislation that would help protect a herd of wild horses that live on the Outer Banks.

More than 100 feral horses live in Corolla with around 70 percent of them living on privately owned territory and the rest residing on a 7,500 acre sanctuary in the Currituck National Refuge. The non-profit Corolla Wild Horse Fun (CWHF) manages the horses while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service run the refuge.

The bill known as the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act or HR 126, would allow a small number of free-roaming horses from Cape Lookout National Seashore (which is also part of the Outer Banks) to be introduced to the Corolla herd to maintain the genetic viability of the group.

Seaside Vacations T-Shirt Design Contest: Winning T’s are HERE!

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

We are pleased to announce that the 2013 Seaside Vacations t-shirt design contest winning tees are hot off the press and in our hands!

I asked Kristen – who was the winner of the contest – if there was a story behind the design and here’s what she had to say…

“I don’t have too much of a story behind what I did. I just knew I wanted it to be colorful and bright. I feel like I accomplished my goal there. The only other thing I was looking for was something t-shirt looking – I wanted it to look like something you’d see on a t-shirt. I wanted to make it a little different by having things “pop” out from the image (the seagull and things).

I had a lot of fun doing it, and I hope you provide the contest again next year because I would love to take part again!”

We are so glad that Kristen not only created an amazing t-shirt design, but had fun doing it! And as a reward for her awesome design, she gets a complimentary 3-night/4-day stay in one of our Outer Banks vacation homes!

If you’d like to have your very own 2013 Seaside Vacations t-shirt, let us know! They are available for just $10 each – with all of the proceeds being donated to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Just call (866) 884-0267 or send an email to rentals@seasiderealty.com.

We would like to thank everyone who submitted a t-shirt design for 2013. We’re looking forward to even more submissions this year…and crowning the 2014 winner!

For more information – including the official rules and 2013 entry deadline check out our Seaside Vacations T-Shirt Contest page.

– Winning 2013 T-shirt Design

Nags Head Beach Nourishment Project Named One of America’s Best

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

(Photo courtesy of The Outer Banks Voice)

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) announced last week that the Nags Head’s beach nourishment project was a winner of the Association’s 2013 Best Restored Beach award.

The Nags Head beach nourishment project was the first of its kind on the Outer Banks and placed 4.6 million cubic yards of dredged sand on 10 miles of beach in 2011. The historic project not only came in under budget, but was successful in ensuring that no sea turtles that typically nest in the area were injured.

A complete list of award-winning beaches, as well as more information about beach restoration and the ASBPA, is available at http://www.asbpa.org/.

Cape Hatteras Named #8 Best Beach In America by Dr. Beach

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Seaside Vacations

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Outer Banks North Carolina

The Outer Bank’s Cape Hatteras beach was just named the number eight best beach in America on Dr. Beach’s annual Top 10 Beaches list.

Dr. Beach, who is one of America’s foremost beach experts, proclaimed that Cape Hatteras’s excellent fishing and board surfing conditions along with being home to the most famous lighthouse in the United States were key factors in making the annual top 10 list. This is the second year in a row Cape Hatteras has made the cut as one of the best beaches in America on Dr. Beach’s list.

There are 50 areas of beach criteria that determine a beach’s spot on the top 10 list, some of these factors include: beach width, number of sunny days, amount of rain and wind, average water temperature, rip currents, tidal range, views, trash and noise.

About Dr. Beach
Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman (Dr. Beach) is a Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University. Leatherman has worked tirelessly to increase awareness about rip currents and he has written and or edited 16 books and has also written over 200 journal articles and technical reports. You can find out more about Dr. Beach and the top 10 list by visiting their website.