Outer Banks Articles & Shorts - Issue 33: Spring 2024

Welcome, spring!

While I am admittedly a fall weather lover, I have to say that this year I am enamored with spring. Does anyone else think that the flowers are more prolific and that the warm days are coming in sooner this year? I drive down my street in Manteo, and it is ablaze with daffodils, tulips, already-greening lawns, camellias, tulip poplars, clover and more. And just last weekend, we saw our first osprey, always a harbinger of spring on the Outer Banks.

I also think that winter just didn’t seem to have the same hold on these shores this year. The traffic was still pretty steady on the bypass, the open restaurants have still been at least somewhat busy and it has seemed to me like there were more visitors here in the so-called off season than in years past. It will be interesting to see what data comes out on that.

So, even though it wasn’t the winter season that we locals used to experience of a really, really quiet couple of months, here we are blasting back into bloom, so to speak! Are you ready? I love seeing all the restaurants opening back up, our accommodations getting booked and Mother Nature giving us weather that compels locals and visitors to come back outside to play.

There’s so much to celebrate on the Outer Banks in spring. There are marathons, Taste of the Beach dining events, Easter egg hunts, outside markets, Earth Day celebrations, KidsFest, surfing, fishing and golfing tournaments, Bike Week, the Waterfowl Festival and Fireman’s Ball on Ocracoke, VusicOBX music events and even more! It’s gonna be an active season.

And one more thing to appreciate this spring: Capt. Marty and his popular Fishing Report and annual Fishing Guide are now a part of our Outer Banks This Week lineup. If you know Marty (as many locals do), you know he brings warmth, integrity and a wealth of fishing knowledge to the team.

We’ll enjoy seeing all of you out and about!

Beth

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