We love the Outer Banks – Part 1
My wife and I have been vacationing on North Carolina’s
Outer Banks since 1979. The first place
we stayed was a hotel in south Nags Head called “The Armada”. Some locals purchased the hotel from a hotel
chain and switched the first to letters in the name to save money on a new
sign. That’s the Outer Banks in a
nutshell – they survive. They survive
hurricanes, Northeasters and extremes of temperature on both ends of the
thermometer. Actually, the people here
do more than survive – they thrive on adversity. They joke about the hurricanes as and wear
t-shirts about Irene, Charlie or whatever most recent storm has struck their
homes as they rebuild their docks, beach accesses and even the two lanes of
asphalt known as Route 12which connect all of the small villages and towns
along these barrier islands.
We were home-owners in Nags Head for a few years. We had a three bedroom house on the Beach
Road (formally known as Virginia Dare Trail) with beautiful sound views and easy
beach access across the street. We
enjoyed this home away from home while our children were little, but absentee
ownership became more difficult once we moved farther west in Virginia and we
sold the house in the mid-90s. We
haven’t been visiting the Outer Banks as frequently since,
but each time we come back we wonder why we ever leave.
The Outer Banks are the most relaxing place I have ever
been. I can feel my blood pressure notch
down a good ten or twelve points as we drive across the Wright Brothers Bridge
from the mainland. Life slows down. Life becomes defined by the local rhythms of
the surf, sunrise/sunset and the check-in/check-out turnover of tourists each
weekend. Simple predictable rhythms
define a slower more enjoyable existence.
This year we decided to explore the Northern Beach area of
the Outer Banks. We know a lot about the
Southern Beaches, having stayed everywhere from Kill Devil Hills to
Hatteras. We rented a house in Duck,
which is about 15 miles or so north of the Wright Brothers Bridge. We arrived on Easter Sunday to a beautiful
sunny day with mild winds and temperatures in the 70s. In a word: heaven. We traveled with our two year old Australian
Shepherd (Meeko). This is his first
road trip and his first glimpse of the beach.
Meeko got his first romp in the surf and then we went in search of
seafood! We found the Fishbone’s Sunset
Grille and Raw Bar and had a wonderful dinner while watching a spectacular
sunset over the Sound. A great dinner in
a perfect setting! If the rest of the
week is half as much fun as this first day, we may in fact never leave!!!!
Fishbone's Sunset Grill and Raw Bar, Duck, NC
Blackened Tuna
Grilled Mahi-Mahi
Ahhhh! Paradise!
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