For a quiet, calm, and serene retreat in a family-style beach community, look no further than the warm, welcome, and outstretched open arms of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
If there is such a thing as "Heaven on Earth," then the Outer Banks must surely be a suburb. From the very second you enter the area, you can immediately sense the tranquility, warmth, and sense of home it provides. It’s kind of like traveling to a land of warm cookies and milk after braving the outdoor elements on a cold day. Yes, it’s that amazing!
To fully appreciate the beauty of this magical place, you have to experience it in its glory and in its less-than-heavenly moments. Translation: When a location thrives on good weather for outdoor activities and surroundings, it’s interesting to see it during the rain, and yet still manage to find the beauty in it.
With this in mind, we began our Outer Banks experience during a slight rainstorm. OK, it was del-HUGE-ing outside, and a kind, elderly gentleman rowed past us on the way to a lumberyard, muttering something about an ark and collecting critters two by two. But I kept an open mind, and I’m glad I did.
The Outer Banks is a collection of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, so the closest airport was Norfolk International in Virginia. I was temporarily confused since I thought I was going to North Carolina, but things soon fell into place when I realized the location and its natural constraints.
We met Larissa of the Outer Banks Tourism Bureau, who was patiently waiting to take us to the actual Outer Banks and The Sanderling Resort and Spa in Duck, North Carolina, where we would be staying for the trip. Yes, you read that correctly: Duck, as in, "Quack, quack" and relative of Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, but I digress...
Anyway, now keep in mind, we were hearing all about this gorgeous place during our car ride, but viewing it through a torrential downpour...well, it was indeed raining on our parade! Most of our activities planned revolved around the good weather and outdoors themes, so we were a little apprehensive and cautiously optimistic.
The boat—umm, I meant van—landed at The Sanderling Resort and Spa safely, and we were introduced to Quinn Capps, also of the Outer Banks Tourism Bureau and coordinator of the trip. After a quick check-in, we were off to Stop #1 on the Heavenly Express.
The Sanderling is located between the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound at the narrowest point along the Outer Banks, and is approximately 80 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia. Each room has a stunning view of either the Ocean or the Sound, which for a beach lover like myself, is the coolest thing since the pocket in pita bread.
But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. The accommodations are set up in inns with suites, or villas with 3 or 4 bedrooms. We were guided to the South Inn to stay in a suite. As you walk in, you immediately get the feeling you’re not in Kansas anymore! An elegant room in earthy beach tones welcomes you and has all the comforts of home, but without the need to polish the furniture or vacuum! The room features a kitchenette area, a dressing room with full bath adjacent to it, a king-size bed, loveseat and coffee table, table and chairs for two, and the best part—a private deck off your room overlooking the Ocean. The roar of the ocean immediately brought me home since I live down the block from the beach in New York.
After settling in, we were off to the Sunset Grille and Raw Bar in Duck for a low-key seafood dinner. The décor was more reminiscent of the Caribbean-style beach community in the Florida Keys: brightly colored, palm tree accents, and a few Hawaiian shirts for an authentic beach look. We shared a few appetizers of a warm Crab Dip, which had a zesty spicy flavor, Coconut Shrimp, and fried pieces of Dolphin fish. I tried the She Crab soup, which was made of "she" crabs, and it had the similar taste of the Crab Dip. Continuing on the crab theme, I tried the Crabcake dinner, served with potatoes and cole slaw. Plump, juicy, and filled with real crabmeat, the two crabcakes served were way more than I had anticipated but could easily satisfy a ravenous appetite.
Sufficiently stuffed and a tad wilted from our trip, we settled in to our suite for a cozy night’s rest.
