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!

 

The Art of Baking in the Heart of Avon

By Molly Harrison
Pastries, pies, cookies, cakes and cinnamon rolls. Seventeen flavors of fresh-made New York-style bagels. Colorful cupcakes and macarons. And, yes, a wide variety of baked-daily muffins and scones. Just when you thought Muffins and Scones had reached peak baking perfection, owners Julia and Blake Taft announce the... Read More

Destination WINE

By Molly Harrison
When Hatteras Island locals Julia Taft and her son, Blake Taft, bought the legendary Froggy Dog Restaurant & Pub in Avon in 2019, the entire wine list consisted of two reds and two whites. Fast forward to 2025, and the restaurant has one of the largest wine lists on the Outer Banks, monthly wine dinners and an in... Read More

A Place to Celebrate and Connect

By Gabrielle Giannone
Nestled in a colorful turquoise building in Avon on Hatteras Island, Studio 12, a DIY art makers studio and working gallery, serves as a creative hub for locals, vacationers and artists. After its change of hands from founder Carolyn Schena to now owner Dawn Eskins three years ago, Studio 12 honors its legacy while... Read More

What Do Y'all Do in the Off-Season?

By Molly Harrison
One question that summer visitors almost always ask Outer Banks locals is, “What do you do in the off-season?” Maybe it’s hard for city-dwellers to imagine these remote barrier islands as anything other than a summer vacation wonderland, but the truth is that the Outer Banks is a joy all year round, and the locals... Read More

Behind the Scenes at Avon’s Studio 12, a DIY Art Makers Studio & Working Gallery

By Heather Frese
At Studio 12 in Avon, summer is busy with art-seeking shoppers and art-creating makers. In the fall the studio stays open regular hours, but there’s also a lot happening behind the scenes to provide a terrific art experience for the next wave of summer visitors. Owner and artist Dawn Eskins says her focus for the... Read More