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.
Day 2
I awoke in the morning to a steady tapping on the window. Apparently it was still raining, but this didn’t bother me. I was still on vacation time, so I peeked out my balcony door and saw the spray rising off the ocean and heard the ocean’s waves crashing against the shoreline. It would have been nice to actually see the ocean, but you can’t ask for everything.
For a very nice touch on a hotel standard, complimentary baskets of juice, muffins, and fruit were sent to our room instead of the typical continental breakfast fare normally found in the main lobby. Our rooms were in an Inn, so the main gathering section was more reminiscent of a living room with couches, a fireplace, and a television.
Well rested and thoroughly caffeinated, we piled into the van for our first day at the Outer Banks. Unfortunately our plans revolved around good weather outdoors, so a few alterations had to be made. Our guide, Quinn, was more than up to the task, and had a few tricks up her sleeve to still show us "her favorite place."
To give us a brief introduction, we stopped at the Aycock Brown Welcome Center for the "Outer Banks at a Glance" overview, which includes 17 state-of-the-art displays, a theater, and brochure gazebo. There is no admission fee, and it provides a good baseline for your stay with answers to many, if not all, of your questions of what to do while there.
Our next stop was the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk. Almost 100 years ago, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew for 12 seconds at this very spot December 17, 1903. Ground markers tell the story of their success and previous failures along the way. A 60-foot granite obelisk stands atop Kill Devil Hill to mark the location as a point of sacred ground in the area. A full-size replica is on display at the Visitor Center, and plans are underway to commemorate the centennial of the first flight next year.
Still raining quite a bit, our plans shifted a bit from the outdoors events planned to a scenic (and wet) drive down the coast to see the Bodie (pronounced: body) Island Lighthouse and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Now, one would think, once you’ve seen one lighthouse, you’ve seen them all, but this is not quite true. For starters, the first thing you notice is the difference in stripes on these two. Bodie Island Lighthouse features horizontal stripes, while the Cape Hatteras one has spiral stripes similar to the old-fashioned barbershop poles. This was designed to help sailors and fisherman distinguish between the two while at sea. In addition, Bodie Island’s beacon is 156 feet high, and the Cape Hatteras one is 208 feet tall.
The Cape Hatteras lighthouse has quite a story behind it. Built in 1870, it is the tallest brick beacon on the American shoreline. It had also weathered many, many storms with that distinction, so in 1999, it went for a walk to stretch its legs for a bit...almost quite literally.
A restoration and preservation project was put in place to move it to more stable ground and out of the ocean’s path using a system of jacking it up and shifting it on tracks. Originally 1,600 feet from the sea when it was first constructed, prior to the "walk," it was now only about 120 feet from the sea. Deciding they needed to "move it or lose it," the relocation project restored the 1,600-foot buffer from the ocean in just a few weeks, taking place from June 17 to July 9, 1999.
I can almost imagine a fisherman watching this event from the water, swearing at his buddies, "Look, the lighthouse is moving!" only to have them smack him on the back of the head and pass him a beer! But it really did happen, and it’s quite a scene to even picture in your mind when you see the sheer size of the thing.
As we headed back to the resort, Quinn mentioned The Sanderling serves afternoon tea and cookies in the Main Inn, which was a perfect idea considering we were dodging raindrops and monsoon winds all day and needed to thaw out.
Tea in the afternoon at a seaside resort...can you see the "Heaven on Earth" theme? After relaxing chat over a cup of tea, we headed back to our room for some much-needed R&R before dinner.
Ocean Boulevard in Kitty Hawk is a cozy, upscale restaurant with a modern American Bistro feel. The rich wood and earth tones set the mood for a warm dining experience, and the kitchen is open for you to watch as they prepare the culinary feasts.
To start the evening off, I tried the Nutty Boulevard Martini, a fusion of Stoli Vanilla vodka, Kahlua, and Frangelico, topped off with toasted almonds. Vanilla martinis are my favorite, and this one did not disappoint me at all! It was flavorful, but not too much, and chilled to perfection.
We then sampled a few of the salads and appetizers, with such flavor combinations of goat cheese and pears, mesclun and field greens, seafood specialties, and warm rustic-style breads. For my entrée, I chose the pan-seared scallops in a lemon wine sauce, served with vegetables and pasta. The scallops were tender and juicy with just enough spice to make them a real treat. Dessert looked amazing, and we shared a slice of chocolate truffle cake, which should be illegal it was so good, and I tasted the white chocolate crème brulee, also a cardinal sin in at least five states. Overall the meal was incredible. In a great atmosphere and very high-quality, Ocean Boulevard could easily be picked up and placed in Manhattan at any time—just keep me posted and let me know when this happens!
Our first day at the Outer Banks ended on a very tasty note, whetting our appetites for a few more days of fun. Now if only the weather would shift in our favor...
