Outer Banks Articles & Shorts - Issue 17: Summer 2018

A few days ago on Facebook, someone posted that they were sick of this heat! Aw, come on, people! It wasn’t a month ago that I read post after post asking when, oh when, this cold weather would finally end. We humans are weirdly fickle, aren’t we! “ I want it to be summer! No, I want to not sweat all day! No, I want warm days but not the summer humidity.” We had an au pair years ago who loved to state, “I want never gets!” (Say that in your head with a British accent, and it gets less serious.) I have an idea. Let’s ignore that au pair and our own fickleness. Let’s want everything! Let’s want long summer days where the sun doesn’t go down until almost 9. Let’s want to go dive into the ocean when we get off work. Let’s want to slather on the sunscreen and head out all day on a boat under that hot summer sun. Let’s want beach yoga and the scent of honeysuckle and watching purple martins and osprey and wearing the least amount of clothing possible. Let’s say yes to every bit of it while the summer sun shines. It’s summer for three months – that’s not long! – so take advantage of drinks and dinner on the decks of our local restaurants. Go on that horse tour in Corolla or on a wine cruise! Head out to the Gulf Stream or hop on a head boat to fish. Take an entire day and go shopping. Spend hours on the beach perfecting that tan or sitting under an umbrella with a can’t-put-it-down summer read. Take the kids to the water park. Get local advice on fishing techniques. In short, let’s be here now – with the heat, humidity, late-afternoon thunderstorms, warm ocean, warmer sounds and everything else that summer brings. Soak up the summer sun while you can. Then when the weather begins to change, too soon from now, you can slide into that season knowing you’ve taken full advantage of all the 2018 summer fun.

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Outer Banks Ocean Rescue Lifeguards: Zero to Hero

By Beth P. Storie
Let’s state the obvious: No one plans to get into a potential drowning situation in the ocean. Instead, you plan on a lovely summer day on the beach, chairs and umbrella set just so, friends and family surrounding you and that refreshing, cooling Mother Ocean beckoning you to dive on in to cool off.  But all of a... Read More

Find Your Summer Reads in a Local Bookstore

By Sandy Semans
There’s little as relaxing as having a good book stuffed with paper pages to sink your mind into while stretched out in a lounge chair or on a beach towel. Four Outer Banks bookstore owners, experts in what’s hot in reading, have provided their summer picks that range in genres from historical fiction to real history... Read More

The Thrill of the Hunt in Duck

By Molly Harrison
There are two kinds of shoppers in this world: those who regard making purchases as an unavoidable chore and those who consider every buying opportunity to be a joyous, thrilling hunt. While those in the former category are satisfied with the quickest possible trip to the internet or nearest big-box store, those in... Read More

Ocracoke Magic

By Beth P. Storie
It seems like everyone writes and talks about how cool Ocracoke Island is. You read about the ferry ride over the water, away from the ticky-tack sameness of so many towns, and how it eases you into a different vibe. It’s like a Brigadoon experience where, at some point in that journey across the water, you pass... Read More

Manteo Is

By Beth P. Storie
Tree-lined streets, lush green grass lawns, flowers Bed & breakfasts and inns that mirror the gracious island lifestyle and that are only a stroll away from the waterfront A waterfront downtown area bordered by a mile-long boardwalk A harbor filled with vessels, large and small, hailing from all over the... Read More