Outer Banks Articles & Shorts - Cotton Gin

If you’re like a lot of people – like hundreds of thousands of people – you love the Outer Banks of North Carolina. You might consider us presumptuous drawing this conclusion so quickly, and we would agree with you . . . except for the fact that we’re right. You love the Outer Banks beaches, the Outer Banks water sports, the Outer Banks towns, Outer Banks shops, the Outer Banks events and Outer Banks activities . . . everything about this place (you wouldn’t be on this site if you didn’t). We do too. And, lucky for you, we also love writing about the Outer Banks. Locals and visitors alike value our Outer Banks information.

Our local writers tell you how to negotiate dining out if you have a big crowd. We show you, step by step, how to pick a crab. We’ve written articles highlighting Corolla and the Currituck Outer Banks or about charming Manteo on Roanoke Island or telling you the mysteries of Ocracoke Island. We cover the events happening on the Outer Banks – and, boy, are there a lot of them to cover! Outer Banks activities, everything from water sports to walking tours to lighthouse tours to birdwatching trips, are focal points. Businesses, rituals and legends local to the Outer Banks are detailed in our articles. You’ll find out how that restaurant got its name or the modest beginning of that now-booming business. We give you insider Outer Banks information about staying safe in the ocean, how to navigate those pesky turn lanes, which restaurants to check out for the best Southern cuisine in the area and resorts’ present and future aspirations. Our Outer Banks articles are good reading. You’ll feel like a local with all the knowledge you’re sure to collect! And we’re adding to them all the time. Click on in to learn about the Outer Banks from the locals' side!

 

Resort-Ready Style All Year Long

By Leah Wingenroth
The Cotton Gin knows style isn’t seasonal – it’s all year round! With each passing year, The Wright family, longtime owners of The Cotton Gin, find new ways to create an exciting shopping experience unlike any other. For more than 60 years, The Cotton Gin has sought innovation in the world of retail, marrying a... Read More

Rich History and Great Style at The Cotton Gin

By Leah Wingenroth
It is a rare and special thing to have deep family roots on the Outer Banks. Though a bustling vacation destination today, these beloved barrier islands used to be a hidden gem, sparsely populated with year-round residents. The generational ties and history of the Wright family, longtime owners of The Cotton Gin, are... Read More

A Breath of Fresh Air at Sanctuary Vineyards

By Hannah Lee Leidy
Experience the great outdoors any day of the week by visiting Sanctuary Vineyards winery. Owned and operated by the Wright family, the same folks behind The Cotton Gin, this winery put Currituck on the map with its award-winning wines. In the grassy fields surrounding the vineyards, sample wines al fresco while... Read More

Embracing Timeless Shopping Traditions at The Cotton Gin

By Hannah Lee Leidy
Over on the Currituck mainland, a flurry of excitement surrounds The Cotton Gin. The flagship store – a fixture and attraction on N.C. Highway 168 – has been closed since October 2019 when a fire engulfed the historic building in flames. However, the store’s long-time owners, the Wright family, haven’t let that (or a... Read More

Shopping Traditions Return with The Cotton Gin

By Hannah Lee Leidy
It’s hard to imagine that a little over a year ago, a fire engulfed The Cotton Gin’s historic red, farmstead building. With the original store temporarily closed, shoppers sought out The Cotton Gin’s characteristic Vineyard Vines, Southern Tide, Simply Southern, Pandora, Scout, Vera Bradley and coastal beach decor and... Read More