Outer Banks Articles & Shorts

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!

 

Days & Nights at Manteo's Sandwich Emporium and Music Mecca

By Sandy Semans
Nestled in an old shotgun-style building that stretches from the sidewalk to the boardwalk on the Manteo waterfront, Poor Richard's Sandwich Shop has become a landmark since it opened in 1984. "Back then, we only opened on weekdays," says owner Tod Clissold. "That was when the county offices were still here so most of... Read More

Food + Beer + Community = Full Moon Cafe & Brewery

By Michael Lay
Standing before the Full Moon Café & Brewery, a bistro-style restaurant wedged into a peculiarly shaped lot at the corner of downtown Manteo's Sir Walter Raleigh Street and Queen Elizabeth Avenue, it's easy to come away with the impression that the restaurant has occupied its present location, essentially... Read More

Pirates & Pixies

By Lisa Loy
When Pirates & Pixies Toy Store opened for business four years ago, a young boy named Luke was the first customer. He paid for the toy with his own money. This pleased the shop's owners as they were also Luke's parents, Sarah and Beau "Butch" Midgett.Sarah and Butch have always loved finding toys, games and cute... Read More

Gliders Flying Half-kegs!

By Lisa Loy
"THIS IS THE HAND OF THE MAN THAT SHOOK THE HAND OF ORVILLE WRIGHT," Francis Rogallo said, back in 1997 upon meeting and shaking hands with a group of boys during the Rogallo Kite Festival in Nags Head. He wasn't kidding. After earning a degree in aeronautical engineering at Stanford University in 1935, Rogallo... Read More

The Quiet Giant

By Sandy Semans
For many guests, vacationing on the Outer Banks becomes a long-standing family tradition, and annual visits feel like a return to their second home. A part of being home is having a family you can depend on, and for many vacationers, that family has become Carolina Designs Realty. "We maintain a large, year-round... Read More