The Salt Air is Filled with Baseballs and Beach Music

Air temperatures are warming for the Memorial Day holiday week.  If you live on the east coast,  you are aware that in the last week we have experienced a blanket of rain bands and a major cold front.   This past Sunday (May 17, 2009) we had a seasonal morning with 69-73 degrees.  Just right for a light sweat to develop on a morning run.

By 2 pm it was raining, 20 mph winds and 25 degrees cooler.  Since Monday, 18th, we have been warming.

TODAY-THURSDAY-it is GREAT!  Sunny.  72 Degrees.  And the weekend is looking good for all beach activities, water sports (wet suits recommended due to water temperature-of course, this does not matter to kids-they go in the ocean at any temperature), and two major seasonal events-The 11th Annual Outer Banks Beach Music Festival and beach baseball courtesy of the Outer Banks Daredevils. 

Ah, beach music!  Roanoke Island Festival Park will be a summer concert scene Sunday, May 24th, complete with food, libations, lawn chairs, blankets, families and great music. 

From 11am-6:30 pm you can enjoy the best of beach music with the Sammy O’Banion and the  Mardi Gras Band (don’t let the name fool you), the Craig Woolard Band, Holiday Band, and The Tams.  Advance tickets $20; $25 at the gate.  And if you want to add a “perk” to the day-you can purchase a VIP ticket (on-line only) that includes hospitality-beverages and incredible food-by The Good Life Gourmet (a local favorite and exceptional caterer-a 2008 and 2009 OBX Taste of the Beach Winner).   

The first pitch will be thrown May 27th for the first home game of the Outer Banks Daredevils.   Enjoy America’s favorite past time with this coastal plains league featuring the best collegiate players.   It is a great family event or an easy going couples “date” .  

Plenty of great baseball and  food-don’t miss the hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and ice cream.  But this is the beach-and this concession stand boasts the best Grilled Tuna sandwich around.  Not just any tuna will do-fresh Outer Banks tuna from our local charter fishing boats in Wanchese.

In addition to the game itself, the Daredevils put on a lot of family fun with crowd involved competitions and special events between innings.  Two crowd favorites are the dizzy bat race and the flipper race.  Neither is  as easy as you think.  Free t-shirts are yours to  catch-shot from the playing field by a pirate wielding an air cannon (Kelly Hospitality Group).

Ticket prices ensure that a family can have a great night out during any economy.  Games are held at the First Flight High School complex, an alcohol and tobacco free facility. 

We are greatful to Marcus Felton, local businessman, who purchased the team a few years ago in order to keep baseball on the beach.

We know how to Get Lost

“Get Lost” is not an insult on the Outer Banks but rather a way of life, state of mind, or something to do.  Getting lost on the Outer Banks?  Let us count the ways.

Vacationers, those who have retired to the Outer Banks, or those who enjoy a second home here, know that you can easily “get lost” in the beach lifestyle.  You leave behind “everywhere else” and savor the beach, the salt air, and a much slower pace.  Wearing a watch is more out of habit than a necessity.  Time?  That is relative. 

There is so much to do here, it is easy to get lost.  Arts?  We host a large artist community talented in multiple media.   History? A lot has happened here.  The Wright Brothers’ First Flight.   The lifesaving stations and creation of the coast guard.  The tallest lighthouse on the east coast and the first national seashore, Cape Hatteras.  Roanoke Island.  The birth of the first English child, Virginia Dare.  The Lost Colony.  Roanoke Island Festival Park.  The Elizabeth II.  North Carolina Boat Building. Sports?  Boating. Surfing. Kayaking. Kiteboarding.  Hang gliding. Surf fishing.  Sound and Deep Sea Charter boat fishing.  Paddle boarding.  Running.  And, of course, swimming.   Music?  The Outer Banks is blessed with many local musicians and most restaurants feature their talent. 

Getting lost on the beach is quite easy.  You are out for a nice beach walk and you see a school of dolphins.  So, you walk the beach to follow the dolphins only to find that you forget where you started and have no idea how far you have gone because you did not look to the west to note the cross street signs on the beachfront.  Or you do know where your return location is, but you walked past it -again, because you were watching/following the dolphins. 

 The outdoor drama, The Lost Colony, is in its 72nd year of performances.  And when it comes to “lost”, this is the real thing.

We laugh at the ABC drama “LOST”.  How lost can you be when part of the group leaves the island but is able to return?   The show has been running for years now-they come back with new episodes each fall. Our colony disappeared over 400 years ago and they are still lost.  ABC should have consulted us. When Outer Bankers get lost-they do it right the first time-they stay lost.

Ok, a little humor here.  But they did inspire one of the best souvenir t-shirts-the black shirt with limited white ink text-GET LOST. 

Directions on the Outer Banks were easier for us locals before GPS.  There is US HWY 158/the Bypass, aka Croatan Hwy, and NC 12/Virginia Dare Tail aka the Beach Road. The barrier island is only a few miles wide and the side streets cross and parallel the Bypass and Beach Road.  You can only get so lost on the roads.  

Because of GPS  locals now have to know the actual street addresses to help visitors.  s.  We were pretty sure we knew how to get from point A to point B by just knowing the Milepost number.

The Outer Banks has experienced growth and development but we do not have the large high-rise hotels, casinos, and nightlife spots like some other beaches.  And we have no desire for such.  The Outer Banks retains a relaxed/laid back attitude, slow pace, and open and clean beaches.   

The Outer Banks is perfect for getting lost.

Meet Me in Manteo

Or anywhere else on the Outer Banks!  Congratulations to the quaint All American Town of Manteo on their  spotlight article in AAA World magazine. 

The article blends the abundance of riches into a “must do drive event”.   The “travel itinerary” begins with the May 29th opening night of the 72nd season for the Lost Colony.  

 You can plan an entire week around the events at Roanoke Island Festival Park with the schedule of concerts, special events, historical living site, the Elizabeth II, and performances by Elizabeth R. & Co. 

“Something old, something new”  is on every street and every corner of downtown Manteo and along the waterfront.   Delicious dining is a continous stroll among Poor Richards, Magnolia Grill, Ortegas, and Full Moon Cafe.  Specialty shops, the Dare Arts Council Gallery, and numerous artisans provide “rest stops” and meet retail therapy needs.  

Music on the streets is virtually year round with First Fridays April-December. 

The views from the waterfront boardwalk is calminglybeautiful but you are not bound to the  shore.   Take a sail on the three masted Down East Rover-the sunset cruise is SPECTACULAR!    Enjoy the Roanoke Sound andsunsets with good company.  Dolphins love to follow the schooner back to the dock -a true treat off the stern. 

Roanoke Island is home to the industries of commercial fishing andOuter Banks legendary boat building.    The local restaurants work closely with the captains from Wanchese to serve fresh Outer Banks seafood.   

If you like to fish you can get local fishing information from several sources.  The fishing reports on local radio stations.  Fishing updates at every bait and tackle shop.  And on the marques of the restaurants advertising their specials of the day’s catch. 

There is so much to do on the Outer Banks.  Don’t feel rushed to get it all done in one week.  Relax, your on vacation and beach time.   As for what you do not get around to, well,  that is the beginning of your next trip. 

Manteo proves the Outer Banks is more than sand.

The Outer Banks Roars

There is a new competition on the Outer Banks.   The roar of the Atlantic Ocean is competing with the roar of thousands of bikers joining us locals for a beautiful spring weekend at the beach.   Temperatures are forecasted to be in the 80’s this weekend;  bikers wanting to wear a lot of leather may get a little too warm. 

Rumor has it that another beach in S.C. (we are not mentioning any names) is “dis-inviting” bikers  for various reasons.    

Our doors and beaches are open to bikers and everyone who loves the beach.  When you think about it, the Outer Banks is the perfect location for a bike ride.  We have over a hundred miles of scenic beauty, historical  locations, unique attractions, and very few traffic lights compared to larger and more populous areas. 

Welcome to the Outer Banks!  As for the roar vs roar-a little friendly competition is a healthy thing.  Ride on!

New Site Debut

We marked our calendar this afternoon, April 23, 2009.  Our new website went live complete with art and color.   We expect to find a few “bugs” and some misconfigurations here and there, but we are pleased to finally be here.   As a reader and site visitor, please alert us to anything you find that looks awry!   

Take a look and book!  See you on vacation!

Bike Week on the Outer Banks

It’s a Roar to the Shore April 23-26, 2009, for Outer Banks Bike Week.   Bikers will enjoy over a hundred miles of scenic and historic locations-with very few traffic lights!   Bikers can take part in “tour rides”, a poker run, bike shows, tattoo competitions,  “and burn-out” competitions.  And to pretty things up a bit, there are a bikini and BBL-Best Body in Leather competitions.

For us non-bikers, we do enjoy the show, maybe with a little envy.

After the Eggs, Back to Sand

Easter on the Outer Banks is just like Easter in any American town.  Kids hunt Easter Eggs.  They roll them.  They enjoy Easter baskets.  Jelly Beans and Chocolate Galore!   Of course,  the Easter Bunny gets a little more sand in his paws and ears.  And that cotton tail, a magnet for sand!

But unlike “other places”, Easter on the Outer Banks also means spring break for families, girls’ weekends (no upper age limit on the girls), and golfers.   Surfers take to the water.   Spring breakers begin bathing suit season.   And yes, they get those suits wet-in the Atlantic Ocean.  We locals go in, in wet suits. 

The banks is coming to life with new “must-haves” in our gift and specialty shops.  Restaurants are re-opening after their  winter closing.  Businesses and restaurants open year round are welcoming  new faces.  And our schedules are busier, though, there is always something to do on the Outer Banks.

The Outer Banks is a family destination offering cultural, historical, and recreational attractions and activities.  And a lot is free or nearly free.   The Outer Banks is also a community.  And we have community events every weekend-for locals and guests to enjoy.

Sand and Shells are truly, priceless.

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