OBX Moment of Zen: 2.10.12 – Gorgeous Winter Day

Posted on February 10, 2012

Outer Banks: 2.10.12 - Gorgeous Winter Day in Kitty Hawk

Good morning. Here’s your OBX Moment of Zen for Friday, February 10, 2012.

This video was shot just south of the Kitty Hawk Pier at 8:40 AM.

Gorgeous winter day. Sun, 50, almost no wind, fresh salt air, and a pretty longboard wave.

Great day to be at the beach!

Slow fishing.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Infographic: Have You Ever?

Posted on February 10, 2012

As I’ve mentioned, we’re spreading the Outer Banks Infographic love with a mix of originals and groovy infographics we stumble across while hunting online.

Today I’m sharing one from our hunts. Not original, and not altogether related to the Outer Banks. But it’s a fun infographic, and I think I can tie it into the OBX.

Have You Ever?

Outer Banks Infographic: Have You Ever?

Have you Ever Quit?

If The Man keeps you from your OBX vacation, you have my permission to walk off without any notice. We all need our time on the beach…away from work.

Posing Nude for Art?

Whoa! We’re getting a bit risque, and I like to keep this PG. Keep moving, nothing to see here. Although, before we move on, one quick question…Are you aware that there is an OBX Nudist Club?! Yep. I’ll let you do your own research, but all you exhibitionists can fly your freak flag on the OBX.

Ever ridden a Segway?

Yep, you can do that on the OBX too! Check out Outer Banks Tours for more info.

Ever saved a life?

I once gave the Heimlich Maneuver to a friend choking on a soft pretzel. She may have just been coughing, but I felt like a hero. Hopefully you never have to check the “saved a life” box on the OBX, but respect the ocean, and keep an eye on the kiddos. Quick action can keep people safe…you’ve probably saved the kids numerous times without even thinking about – a daily occurrence for parents.

Broken an arm or leg?

I’m skipping this one. I don’t want to jinx us. No need for broken bones on the OBX.

Ever seen a therapist?

Yep, everyday when I go to the beach. Mama Nature is the best therapist I know.

Ever been in a car accident?

Like broken bones, no need for car accidents on the OBX. 10 and 2, and pay attention to the road. Let’s all get along.

Dated someone of a different race?

We are an equal opportunity beach vacation. Come one, come all.

Run a marathon?

Me personally? No. And no intention. But the OBX has an awesome marathon each November, and my guess is you may have run in it.

Written a Poem?

I have yet to hone my poem writing skills, but I dig poetry, and the OBX sure has inspired some great poems. Just ask Jordan.

Stood up a Date?

Ouch. Never a good look to stand someone up. Although, if it’s to escape to the Outer Banks, I’ll give you a pass.

Outer Banks Link Love: A Bonanza of OBX Love

Posted on February 10, 2012

Outer Banks Link Love

This week’s Link Love is chock full of all sorts of good OBX info. Good wild horse news, multiple top 10 lists, breaking news on the beach driving issue, nature, gardens…lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!

Lets get to it!

As I mentioned last week, I like to get the not-so-great news out of the way first so we can focus on the positive.

It’s part of nature, but it’s always sad to see a beached whale. This story doesn’t offer too much detail, but you can get the basic gist; a deceased whale washed up in Nags Head this week. I guess it’s the Circle of Life, but always a bit heartbreaking.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on to some goodies…

The Outer Banks lands on two Top 10 lists this week…
- Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Coastal Living named the Outer Banks to their list of “Top 10 Romantic Escapes.” Their description is great: “The Outer Banks offers the most elementally “out there” experience of any bridge-accessible U.S. destination. Standing on a thin ribbon of sand, with the mainland out of sight over the western horizon and burly Atlantic Ocean waves thundering in from the east, you truly feel untethered from your everyday world. Such towns as Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills offer plenty of tourist pleasures. But it’s also easy to sneak away and find your own private stretch of beach, with vivid stars overhead, moonlight-silvered surf at your feet, the sea breeze tousling your hair―and magic ready to happen.”
- The OBX also made Coastal Livings list of “Top 10 Shelling Beaches.” This one is particular to Ocracoke…But we’e all one big, happy family on the OBX.

How about a little wild horse love?

Check out this cool documentary video about “Alonso,” a Corolla wild horse that is being moved from the Corolla herd to the Ocracoke herd to help improve diversity.

In some other fantastic OBX wild horse news, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to expand the Outer Banks wild horse herd. The bill must still pass the Senate, but this is a big step in the right direction.

Let’s stick with the nature theme…

Are you garden lover? History lover? All around lover of the OBX? Have you ever been to the Elizabethan Gardens? No?! It’s a must. So worth the trip. Here’s a great article that gives you a brief history of the Elizabethan Gardens, and as the title says, it “offers far more than greenery.”
The Outer Banks is one of the premier locations for birding. The OBX sits in a prime location that cross the migration paths of a wide variety of birds. This has been a slow year for birding though – I can’t speak from experience, but the article I’ll link to mentions it is probably due to the warm winter weather. However, even with a slow birding season, the OBX offers some rare gems, including a Golden Eagle!

Here’s a pretty interesting idea for all your OBX vacationers that return year after year…

Tired of lugging all of that OBX beach gear in your car year after year? How about a convenient storage “beach box” to keep your goods on the Outer Banks? Brilliant, right? Add that to the list of “why didn’t I think of that.”

Let’s close out with the heated topic of Outer Banks beach driving…but there’s a twist…some breaking news…

I agree that the new beach driving rules are no fun. I love the freedom to drive on the OBX beaches – it’s one of the many aspects that make the Outer Banks so special. However, here are some thoughts to consider…
- The rules are similar to those already in place at other seashore parks.
- Those fees — and an accompanying requirement to watch an educational video — aren’t unusual.
- Tourism figures don’t reflect a downturn in overall visitors to the Outer Banks, despite the recession and a couple of wildfire-plagued summers.
- The plan acknowledges the importance of beach driving and fishing to the local economy. Popular areas such as Cape Point, South Point and Bodie Island Spit will have ORV routes that are open at least seasonally.
- Special-use permits will be available for commercial fishermen to reach some areas ordinarily closed to vehicles.
- Park officials also plan to seek funding for additional ORV access ramps and to consider allowing businesses to offer beach and water shuttles to fishing areas.
- The Outer Banks is still open for business.
Now, with all of that said, check out the news that just broke late yesterday afternoon; an OBX beach access group just filed a law suit to stop the Park Service’s ORV (off-road vehicle) plan. There’s still hope yet.

Time Capsule

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

Outer Banks Golf Among the Best You Can Play
New York Times Loves Vacation Rentals Too!
Experts Race to Save Outer Banks Shipwreck
Outer Banks Snow Day! - Still loving the beast of a beard!

Spring Hits the Outer Banks! First Osprey Sighting of 2012.

Posted on February 9, 2012

Outer Banks: Osprey with Fish

It may be six more weeks till Spring in Punxsutawney, PA, but here on the Outer Banks spring has officially arrived.

Daffodils are out, tulips are popping out of the ground, AND the true telltale sign, the first Osprey was spotted this morning.

Migrating as far as South America, or as close as Florida, Ospreys – also known as Sea Hawks or Fish Hawks – are generally associated with the return of Spring.

An iconic symbol of the Outer Banks, the osprey is loved by locals and visitors alike. Almost extinct in the 60’s due to wide spread use of pesticides like DDT, the osprey population has seen healthy growth over the last few decades. As human encroachment on habitat continues to increase, the number of suitable natural nesting sites continue to decline. Without such a nesting site mating pairs will simply not reproduce, hence the construction of numerous man-made nesting platforms throughout the Outer Banks.

Ospreys mate for life and will generally return to the same nesting platform year after year. Their diet is 90% comprised of fish and they are uniquely built for catching them. Their vision is such that they can see through the surface glare of water; they have closable nostrils to keep water out during dives; and they have reversible outer toes and backward facing scales on their talons which act as barbs to hold onto prey.

It is an amazing sight to see an osprey dive, hit the water and come out with a sizable fish. Once airborne – sometimes holding onto the fish with only one talon – their wings fiercely beating to gain altitude, their legs and talons are working to secure and orient the fish for the flight to a suitable spot to dine. It is wonderful display of skill and coordination.

No wonder everyone loves this spectacular bird. And, no wonder one of my favorite days of the entire year is the day I see my first osprey!

Nice to see you Spring.

The martins will be next!

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report: 2.9.12 – Pretty Day. Chilly Wind.

Posted on February 9, 2012

Good morning. Here’s your Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Thursday, February 9, 2012.

This video was shot at the Sutton St. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 8:30 AM.

Pretty day with bright sun, blue skies, and temps in the 50′s, but there is a chilly wind out of the northwest at 10-15 mph. Temps will cool to the 40′s over the weekend, but the sun will stick around. Temps will be back to the 50′s early next week.

Surf is a mess today from the NW wind, but we could see a longboard wave tomorrow. The wind will switch offshore tonight and be real light out of the southwest tomorrow morning. There could be a clean knee to waist wave to start the day tomorrow, and that wave will fade through the day.

OBX fishing is slow. Dog fish and skate at Jennette’s Pier and tuna offshore. Other than that, it’s quiet on the fishing front.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Recipe Corner: Mexican Shrimp Tostadas

Posted on February 9, 2012

Outer Banks Recipe Corner: Mexican Shrimp Tostadas

Did y’all enjoy the Pirate Steak from our last Outer Banks Recipe Corner post? Please let us know if you dig it…or if you have an EVEN BETTER OBX recipe. We always love to hear from you.

The Outer Banks always gives me a craving for Mexican food. When I finish a surf session, I’m almost always looking for the closest fish taco I can find.

Mexican and the OBX just seem to go together. Maybe it’s just a beach thing…I don’t know.

You wrap up a day of sun, sand, and surf, and a Corona and some Mexican seem to be calling your name. Now, let’s toss in some fresh seafood, and it’s a match made in heaven!

Today we’re going to share a quick and easy recipe for Mexican Shrimp Tostadas - lime-spiked shrimp on top of fresh green lettuce, black beans and tomatoes. Yum!

Enjoy…and let us know if you dig it!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil
4 (6 in.) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
20 large shrimp, peeled, de-veined, cooked and chilled
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 medium tomato, cut into 16 thin wedges
1/4 cup sour cream
Salsa

Directions:

In a skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat until hot.
Fry the tortillas, one at at ime, for 2 minutes or until cripsy, turning once. Drain on paper towel-lined baking sheet.
Place one tortilla on each of 4 serving plates. Top with some lettuce and 1/4 of the beans.
Arrange 4 or 5 shrimp in a circle over the beans. Sprinkle shrimp with lime juice.
Arrange 4 tomato wedges on eacht ortilla and top with a tablespoon of the sour cream.
Serve with salsa.

Outer Banks Everyday Magic: Jordan’s Lens – Waves

Posted on February 8, 2012

A beautiful morning has shifted to a cloudy afternoon. Thick, dark clouds are threatening to drop some moisture on our OBX day.

The dreary afternoon is sending me in search of a bright spot, and I know just the cure. A double-dose really; some awesome art from Jordan, and my one of my favorite subjects, waves.

Enjoy Jordan’s view of the Toys from God…

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OBX Moment of Zen: 2.8.12 – Peace & Quiet on the Beach

Posted on February 8, 2012

Outer Banks: 2.8.12 - Pretty Sunrise in Kill Devil Hills

Good morning. Here’s your OBX Moment of Zen for Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

This video was shot at the Hayman St. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 7:30 AM.

Pretty sunrise this morning. Quiet and peaceful morning on the beach. Mix of sun and clouds, 50′s, light northeast breeze.

No surf.

Slow fishing.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Everyday Magic: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Posted on February 8, 2012

Cheers

Back to my favorite blog series; Outer Banks Everyday Magic. I love, love, love all of the fantastic stories about the magic that we all find on the OBX.

So, please keep them coming. I crave more magic…from you! You can use the form below to submit your stories to me. Please let me know what makes the Outer Banks so special to you!

Do you recall the show Cheers? One of my all-time fav 80′s shows. Such good writing, and I grew up just outside of Boston, so it also had a special Bostonian appeal to me. I think my favorite character was Coach. Classic comedy at it’s best.

I digress, but I’ll try to tie it all together.

I also love the theme song to Cheers. It has a great tune and a great message. Here’s a little Cheers trivia for you; the theme song for Cheers is “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” and it was written by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo.

Hopefully that helps you in your next game of Trivial Pursuit (does anyone play that game anymore?), but beyond that, that song reminds me of the Outer Banks. The OBX is a small community, but it’s not just locals that experience this. Guests that return to the Outer Banks year after year get to enjoy this small town vibe “where everyone knows your name” too. And that’s a pretty special feeling that is lost on most of our culture these days.

So, today we get to celebrate this Cheers vibe with a fun story from our Maintenance Manager Gwen. Thanks for the great story Gwen…glad you received your Christmas gift!

I’ve lived on the Outer Banks for a while, so it is hard to remember the feelings of my first trip to the beach, but I have a good story about the everyday magic here.

When I moved here 11 years ago I gave my Father my new address to send me a Christmas present. Since the address was new to me I transposed some of the numbers.

About a week later my Father called me and asked if I had moved to Mayberry or something. I asked why, and he said that my mail carrier called information and made a long distance call to him to try to locate me. He told her a few details of some of the people I knew here and what I like to do and she said “Oh, I know her!”

Needless to say, I got my package on time.

Besides the beauty that Mother Nature provides, the people of this area are friendly and very dedicated.

How great is that?! Not only does the mail carrier call information to try to track down the contact info, but from a short conversation, they realize they know the same people! Awesome. The Outer Banks is an awesomely unique place with magic around every corner.

I’d love to hear your story of Outer Banks Everyday Magic too. Please use the form below to share your story with me.