North Beach Sun Summer 2022

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Our strategic process will help you sell your property FAST and for TOP DOLLAR!

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CALL US! Choose from one of our beautiful communities spanning from Corolla to Hatteras OR let us custom build on your site.

CALL US! Choose from one of our beautiful communities spanning from Corolla to Hatteras OR let us custom build on your site.

CALL US! Choose from one of our beautiful communities spanning from Corolla to Hatteras OR let us custom build on your site.

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WE CAN HELP! With expertise in all OBX properties, new and re-sale, we can help find the home or investment property that fits your needs.

WE CAN HELP! With expertise in all OBX properties, new and re-sale, we can help find the home or investment property that fits your needs.

WE CAN HELP! With expertise in all OBX properties, new and re-sale, we can help find the home or investment property that fits your needs.

(252) 301-3090

(252) 301-3090

(252) 301-3090

This summer, many visiting families are simply planning to head north and find their way here. It is nice to know that the legendary Wild Horses of Corolla, iconic sites like the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Whalehead and the new Currituck Maritime Museum await you and yours here, in Corolla, NC.

Experience Beautiful

Find shopping, dining and entertainment with the new Corolla OBX Mobile App, available on the App Store and Google Play.

A Land of Legendary Wild Horses

The legendary wild horses of Corolla roam the beaches just north of where the paved road (NC 12) comes to an end. Many visitors will book a tour with a local guide to see these descendants of the Colonial Spanish Mustangs deposited here almost five centuries ago.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse

A beacon helping guide travelers for well over a century, the Currituck Beach Light towers over the Outer Banks landscape. For a small fee, visitors can climb the winding staircase for a wide-open view of both the Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.

Whalehead in Historic Corolla

In the heart of Historic Corolla Park, you will find the Whalehead Museum, a restored 1920s era Art Nouveau architectural masterpiece with a storied history. Whalehead is host to several seasonal events, and offers tours Monday through Friday.

The Currituck Maritime Museum

Located just across the park from Whalehead, the new Currituck Maritime Museum tells the integral story of the history of wooden boats on the northern Outer Banks and their craftsmen through exhibits and artifacts. Open Monday through Friday.

Find Your Way to Corolla, NC 877.287.7488

Purchases

Buying or selling an Outer Banks home doesn't have to be difficult. Edith combines technology, a high degree of local sales knowledge, and familiarity with the area found in few agents. Heavily invested in the Outer Banks of North Carolina herself as an owner of both investment and primary residences, you will find Edith's knowledge an invaluable asset in your own Outer Banks home experience.

BRINDLEY BEACH TOP PRODUCER

obxrealestate.net • 252-202-6165 • edithroweobx@gmail.com

on information from

Outer Banks Association of REALTORS®

12 FROM THE DESK

15 BUT FIRST...

16 SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

LIFESTYLE

18 FOUR IF BY SEA

Pack it up, pack it in

FEATURE

20 ROAD TRIP

21 SIGNS OF THE TIMES

North Carolina's Historical Marker Program

24 SEEN IN N.C.

Roadside attractions of Eastern North Carolina

26 LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

Things to see and do along five local byways

FOOD & BEVERAGE

34 RED, WHITE & BLUEBERRIES

Baking and shaking with local summer berries

NATURE

38 LEGEND HAS IT

The lore behind an Outer Banks wildflower

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

40 MAKING WAVES

How five local artists see the ocean

ABOUT THE COVER: A ride on the Ocracoke ferry at sunset. Photo by Casey Robertson. THIS PAGE: Images courtesy of Brent Nultemeier, Elizabeth Neal, and Ryan Moser (clockwise from top left).

REAL ESTATE

50 FIVE FACTS

The Black Pelican building

52 TOWN REPORT

54 BUSINESS BRIEFS

56 HOME SPOTLIGHT

Sugar Ridge Ranch in Frisco

58 ONE STITCH AT A TIME Furniture re-covering with seamstress Maria Avelar

60 (SURF) BOARD AND BATTEN

Decorating with surfboards

62 DESIGN SNAPSHOT

A taste of the tropics

64 SUN SALUTATIONS

THE LOCAL LIFE

68 DAVID ELDER

Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue supervisor

FROM

staff

PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHERS

e only way forward is to move one foot before the other.

THIS SUMMER MARKS 10 YEARS since Cathy and Adam took over North Beach Sun – a diamond anniversary in relationship parlance – and a milestone that seemed to warrant a bit of reflection on our past decade’s-worth of quarterly issues.

The North Beach Sun had already been around for more than two decades prior to that changeover, of course. Started by Rex Peters and Bob Furr in 1987, Adam initially joined the team as the Sun’s art director in the late ‘90s before starting Access Print & Design in the early 2000s. Not long after, Cathy and Adam got married and welcomed their children, Sam and Charlotte, before they decided to take the leap into publishing by purchasing the Sun in 2012.

But make no mistake: It was a leap. While Cathy had always dreamed of having a magazine as an English graduate student – and later, while bartending around the Outer Banks – actually taking that step was by no means a given. If anything, investing in a print publication at a time when internet advertising was becoming the rage, with two young ones at home no less, made the whole thing feel like a stretch under even the best circumstances.

But they jumped anyway. Their inaugural issue in the spring of 2012 was also, coincidentally, the Sun’s 100th issue, which made it fairly difficult to start out small. Dave Rollins – who had started working at Access only months before in 2011 – took over as the magazine’s art director, and labored on at least 15 different covers for their revamped debut. After settling on the perfect cover with the number “100” stamped on the front, they set out to interview dozens of residents on everything from their favorite Outer Banks foods to where they go for live music – and even what brought them to the beach to begin with.

It was exhilarating but also exhausting, and just as special as it was scary. Tackling the start of a single issue alone can be an intimidating prospect (even now, more than 40 issues later), so taking over the enormity of an entire magazine – and all the responsibility for its future that goes into that – was almost unfathomable during those early days.

But perspective comes with time, and with the hindsight of a decade, it wasn’t all that different than anything else. As with many cases of things that have such great scope, looking too far ahead can be paralyzing – so the only way forward is to move one foot before the other, taking it incrementally, a step at a time.

With so many steps behind us now – and so many yet to come – we’re finally at a place where we can see beyond the issue at hand. That perspective and experience has given us the special opportunity to cement our place in the fabric of the Outer Banks, as a quarterly reminder of who we are as a community, a historical record of our shared past, and a vision of how we’re moving forward collectively.

Thank you for reading right along with us all these years – and, as always, we hope you enjoy this issue!

Adam & Cathy Baldwin

Adam & Cathy Baldwin

EDITOR

EDITOR Amelia Boldaji

Amelia Boldaji

ART DIRECTOR

ART DIRECTOR

Dave Rollins

Dave Rollins

WRITERS

WRITERS

Cathy Baldwin

Cathy Baldwin • Amelia Boldaji

Steve Hanf • Catherine Kozak

Amelia Boldaji

Katrina Mae Leuzinger

Steve Hanf

Amanda McDanel • Maggie McNinch Arabella Saunders • Corinne Saunders

Catherine Kozak

Katrina Mae Leuzinger

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Amanda McDanel Arabella Saunders

Mark Buckler • Cory Godwin

Ryan Moser • Elizabeth Neal

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Casey Robertson • Wes Snyder

Cory Godwin

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Ryan Moser

Elizabeth Neal

Adam Baldwin • Dylan Bush

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

SALES MANAGER

Dylan Bush

Helen Furr

SALES MANAGER

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Helen Furr

Faith Turek

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

DISTRIBUTOR Donna Roark

Faith Turek

DISTRIBUTOR

Donna Roark

The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun

The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun

The views expressed in the articles contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or Access Media Group. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Access Media Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of claims made by advertisers.

The views expressed in the articles contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or Access Media Group. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Access Media Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of claims made by advertisers.

NORTH BEACH SUN

115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444

NORTH BEACH SUN

115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444

editor@northbeachsun.com

editor@northbeachsun.com

“Prevail” by Taylor Williams.

but first...

A Site to See

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources oversees everything from museums and aquariums to libraries and parks – and when it comes to preserving the past, they’re just as concerned with what’s underwater as they are with things on dry land. In 1991, the department designated the submerged remains of the USS Huron North Carolina’s first ever Historic Shipwreck Preserve – protecting it under both state and federal law, while also encouraging public divers to freely access and explore the wreck. Now known as a Historic Dive Site, there are only two such preserves in the state: Nags Head’s Huron and the Condor in Kure Beach. (Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology.)

Sources Say…

MORE THAN 2,000 SHIPS HAVE MET THEIR UNDERWATER FATE off the coast of the Outer Banks since at least the 16th century – which has more than earned this area its “Graveyard of the Atlantic” moniker. But where exactly did that ubiquitous appellation come from? Many have attributed it (rather grandly) to Alexander Hamilton, who reportedly penned it while recalling a terrifying night spent at sea off the coast of Cape Hatteras in 1773.

The problem isn’t only that there’s no credible historic record of Hamilton ever saying it, but also that there’s absolutely no evidence that he was anywhere near Cape Hatteras at the time. Historians such as Kevin Duffus have tracked the initial source of this longstanding rumor to one Ben Dixon MacNeill, a journalist and author whose 1958 book, The Hatterasman, seemingly conjured the story out of thin air.

The much more likely source of the nickname’s popularity is renowned Outer Banks historian David Stick’s classic 1952 tome, Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast – and even he attributed the term to local seafaring men who enjoyed being colorfully descriptive.

All Hands on Deck

LESS

NORTH BEACH SUN | 15 THAN 24 HOURS after the USS Huron departed from Hampton Roads in November 1877, it encountered a storm and ran aground only 200 feet from shore in present-day Nags Head. With all the nearby lifesaving stations shuttered until December, no one came to their aid, and the entire crew of 98 men perished. Only two months later, the steamship Metropolis was also grounded just 23 miles north of the Huron wreck with similarly deadly consequences – and the federal government bore the blame for underfunding the U.S. Lifesaving Service. The political reaction was swift, however, and one year later nearly a dozen more lifesaving stations were added to the Outer Banks’ coast. By 1905, that number had more than quadrupled from seven to a total of 29 stations from Corolla to Cape Fear.

BITTERN ST BLADEN ST NAGS HEAD FISHING PIER VA DARE TRAIL

USS HURON

?The USS Huron was built in 1875 and met its watery end just two years later in 1877. The ship had a beam of 32 feet and a length of 175 feet – and along with two sister vessels, it was one of the last U.S. naval ships built with iron rather than steel, and one of the last to be equipped with three sails to supplement the five coal-burning boilers that fueled its steam engine.

summer events

Though not all events are the same this summer, the Outer Banks is always full of fun things to do! Some of the following events were still being modified or added as of press time, so please don’t forget to check individual websites for the most current information.

ELIZABETHAN GARDENS SUMMER PROGRAMS

Selected dates throughout the summer

Children will love the varied programs throughout the summer, including the butterfly release which happens every Tuesday through September. elizabethangardens.org

DOWNTOWN MARKET

Saturday mornings through the summer, ending September 17

Buy fresh local fruits, veggies and crafts at this farmers’ market every Saturday in downtown Manteo from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. townofmanteo.com

FIRST FRIDAY

Downtown Manteo comes alive on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. townofmanteo.com

THE LOST COLONY

May 27 – August 20 (Monday – Saturday)

This fascinating drama – the longest running outdoor historical drama in the United States –brings to life the mystery of what happened to the first English colonists right here on the Outer Banks. thelostcolony.org

DARE DAYS

June 3 – 5

Spend the weekend celebrating Manteo’s diverse history with music, crafts and food vendors. Events will be held in a number of beautiful Roanoke Island locations, including the brand-new College of The Albemarle’s campus, the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum and Roanoke Island Festival Park. townofmanteo.com

NORTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM SUMMER PROGRAMS

Selected dates throughout the summer

Visit the Aquarium on Roanoke Island to celebrate and learn more about World Oceans Day (June 8), National Pollinator Week (June 20 – 26) and Shark and Ray Awareness Day (July 14). ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island

COROLLA CORNHOLE TOURNAMENTS

June 15 – September 14 (Wednesdays)

Compete in weekly games at Whalehead in Historic Corolla Park for a chance to win a beach vacation donated by Brindley Beach. visitcurrituck.com

COROLLA CORK & CRAFT

June 15 – September 14 (Wednesdays)

Enjoy local beer and wine tastings, live music and curated craft artisans in the scenic setting of Historic Corolla Park. visitcurrituck.com

FARMERS’ MARKET

June 16 – August 18 (Thursdays)

Stop by Dowdy Park in Nags Head between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. each Thursday during the summer for fresh fruits and veggies. nagsheadnc.gov

40TH ANNUAL ROGALLO KITE FESTIVAL

June 17 – 19

This free kite festival at Jockey’s Ridge honors Francis Rogallo, inventor of the flexible wing, and features stunt kites, kite displays, kite instruction, kite making and more. kittyhawk.com

UNDER THE OAKS ARTS FESTIVAL

June 21 – 22

This free two-day art festival features talented artisans on the waterfront grounds of Historic Corolla Park. visitcurrituck.com

ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY PARADE AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

July 4

Cheer on this festive parade in Duck followed by a celebration with live music at the Duck Town Park. townofduck.com

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

July 4

Marvel at fireworks on the lawn of Historic Corolla Park while listening to free live music and enjoying family-friendly activities. visitcurrituck.com

TOWN OF MANTEO’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

July 4

Commemorate this national holiday with festivities in downtown Manteo. townofmanteo.com

44TH ANNUAL WRIGHT KITE FESTIVAL

July 16 – 17

Learn to fly stunt kites and watch large kite displays during this kiting event at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. kittyhawk.com

OBX SKIM JAM

July 16 – 17

Watch talented skimboarders glide across the shoreline as they compete in this regional tournament at Jennette’s Pier. skim-usa.com

OUTER BANKS WATERMELON FESTIVAL

August 4

There’s plenty for the kids to do during this summery event at the Kitty Hawk Kites store in Nags Head, including face painting, crafts, ukulele lessons, watermelon-themed competitions and more. kittyhawk.com

OUTER BANKS PIRATE FESTIVAL

August 10 – 11

Learn pirate lore, take pictures with mermaids and enroll the little ones in Scallywag School during this fun festival at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head. kittyhawk.com

WRV OUTER BANKS

PRO

August 31 – September 4

Top-rated surfers from around the world compete in this WSL QS1000 Event at Jennette’s Pier. wrvobxpro.com

2022OBX ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL

September 7 – 8

This annual show at the Hilton Garden Inn features paintings, pottery, jewelry, photography, glass and more. A portion of artists’ entrance fees are donated to local charities.

facebook.com/obxartfestival

DUCK JAZZ

FESTIVAL

October 8 – 9

This free, all-day event features national, regional and local acts at the Duck Town Park. townofduck.com

OUTER BANKS SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

October 15

Enjoy fresh, local seafood, cooking demos, mullet tossing, live music and more during this annual family-friendly festival at The Soundside event site in Nags Head. outerbanksseafoodfestival.org

BLUEGRASS ISLAND

FESTIVAL

October 20 – 22

Bluegrass lovers from all over the world flock to the Outer Banks for this annual gathering of acclaimed bands playing in one of the most beautiful venues anywhere, Roanoke Island Festival Park. bluegrassisland.com

OUTER BANKS BREWTAG

October 22

Watch teams launch handcrafted keg-driven flying machines from a flight deck while enjoying live music and sampling local and regional beers. obxbrewtag.com

Pack it up, Pack it inPack it up, Pack it in

by amanda mcdanel

charts while consulting other surf forecasting websites to optimize the chance of selecting an ideal location for the days’ adventure. Next comes a group text from one of the beach clan wives asking where we’re planning to spend the day, only to be met with someone suggesting a random beach access with no parking while another responsible friend offers a beach access where she’s meeting visiting friends, and Johnny declares the inadequacy of both locations.

want to mess around and catch a bluefish. While this could be reduced to one pole in theory, the enthusiastic sportsman usually has two available in case different test lines or rigs are needed. A full fishing backpack is clearly necessary as well in order to access different colored grubs just in case the trout prefer Electric Chickencolored grubs instead of the Salt and Pepper Chartreuse ones on a given day.

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG COLLEGE STUDENT SPENDING MY SUMMERS ON THE OUTER BANKS, I was either at my retail job, my restaurant job, or at the beach – often all on the same day. I would head straight across the street from the swimwear store where I worked to the beach, armed with nothing but a chair, a bottle of sunscreen and a cooler big enough to hold a water and two beers. I’d soak up the sun, chat with the lifeguards, take a dip in the ocean, then pack up, put on my dress blacks and serve crab-stuffed avocados to vacationers in Duck. The next day was some version of wash, rinse and repeat.

Little did I know how much everything would change after I moved here permanently and started a family.

I have a very clear memory of the first summer I was dating my future husband, Johnny, when we drove south to Hatteras Island where the waves were pumping from an offshore storm. It was a cool August day, grey skies overhead and a light drizzle of rain, but nothing was stopping him and his friend from enjoying the waves. For hours. Not even his date shivering under a blanket and a cockeyed umbrella, drenched to the core with rain sheeting off her eyelashes. For hours. HOURS. While I’m confident that day solidified our forthcoming nuptials in my husband’s eyes, I was not quite so keen to repeat it – and, in retrospect, I should’ve been able to recognize it as a precursor of what beach days would look like in my future.

Whether you’ve rented an oceanfront house or are enjoying the many open beach accesses along the Outer Banks, your beach days may not look quite as easy breezy as a young college student, but I guarantee you they are not as involved as the present-day McDanels’ planning of “a big beach day.”

The adventure begins at 8 a.m. over coffee while my husband checks two of the three local pier cameras to get an eye on the waves. He then cross-references the pier footage against tide

If there are no waves or little swell, we also have to find a location with a sandbar, which improves the chances of the “kids” (a guise for the dads) catching at least a few small waves. If there is swell, it might mean packing up and driving south for 45 minutes, climbing over a sand dune and dragging a tent, beach chairs, a beach table, a cooler, and a bucket of sand toys about a thousand yards toward the ocean. I must mention that both of these scenarios require a totally different set of equipment: short fat surfboards, beater boards or longboards for the small waves, light thrusters for larger waves, or stand-up paddle boards for completely flat days. And that’s just for the dads. The inclusion of any other young grommets

A waterman also has to be careful to never reach the point of dehydration, so a Yeti cooler filled with one large water bottle and 18 cold beers must be made available at any point during the excursion. Sandwiches from a local gas station provide sustenance for said waterman, however, if any other members of the beach party require provisions, they must be packed or procured themselves.

After a long day of water adventures, additional recreation is then required in the form of organized sports. The previous hours’ activities – while indeed recreational – do not fulfill this requirement since these land-based activities must be performed with a cold beverage in hand. Yet, like the previous watersports, they must be performed individually or only in the company of other adults. The top choice for the McDanel family includes horseshoes, but they must be a competition set forged of heavy solid steel weighing at least 20 pounds. Acceptable substitutes include cornhole and bocce ball, but no compact games such as frisbee, kadima or football are allowed – I don’t make the rules, that’s just how it is.

Finally, truly dedicated beachgoers do not abandon the day under any circum stance. Rain or storms will be met with a group huddle under the largest tent in the party, supplemental beverages and ice cream treats can be acquired by walking to one of the closest piers, and alternative bathroom requirements for all ages must be mapped out early on.

So if you’re reading this while perched on the sand in front of your oceanfront house, enjoy running inside to take advantage of indoor plumbing, a nearby fridge to make sandwiches and unlimited quantities of ice for bringing back another round of cold cocktails. And if you happen to see me chasing down a six-year-old, corralling a dog or pleading with a 12-year-old to apply another coat of sunscreen, and want to share, I’d appreciate it. While I love summer beach days, I probably still need one. Cheers!

Just because we’re local doesn’t mean we’re experts at packing lightly for the beach.

Join us for the Duck Jazz Festival!

This FREE event features jazz artists known locally and globally. Bring your beach chairs, blankets, coolers, and dancing shoes to the Duck Town Park on Saturday evening and all day Sunday. For more information, visit duckjazz.com

No tents or umbrellas, please.

ALL ROADS DON’T NECESSARILY LEAD HOME – and thank goodness for that. But even though summertime fun often includes hitting the road, you don’t always have to go far to feel like you’ve gotten away. Whether you live here, are just arriving, or you’re simply itching to get gassed up for that next big adventure, this section is for the road warriors out there: The drivers and dreamers who might just find that the journey of a lifetime is waiting around the corner – all you’ve got to do is start your engines.

Signs

THE Times

them quickly, explains Ansley Herring Wegner, head administrator of the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program.

“I really like [the size of] our three-inch letters,” Ansley says. “I think they do a good job of capturing attention and maybe sparking your interest to learn a little more. Even if you just Google and get a Wikipedia article, you’re still learning more about it.”

historical markers by county, title or text for more information about each sign.

But as handy as that is, the actual program predates the internet by decades. North Carolina was one of the nation’s first to create such a program in 1935, and it was modeled after the very first – Virginia’s – which began in 1927.

BY CORINNE SAUNDERS

GONE ARE THE DAYS OF CARS CHUGGING ALONG AT SPEEDS that easily let passengers read the historical signs that first graced North Carolina roadsides in 1936. Given the swift speed of traffic nowadays, these same distinctive markers are now typically located near stoplights and intersections so people can read

For those curious to know more from the historical marker program itself, however, full, printable essays are also readily available on the state program’s website, which explain the significance of each marker in detail. Currently, each of the 100 counties in North Carolina has at least one such marker, and there’s a total of about 1,600 markers statewide.

“It’s truly like a published book,” Ansley says of the program’s website, which allows the public to search

Any North Carolina resident can apply for a prospective marker as well – as long as the subject meets certain criteria, such as carrying statewide significance, and if it’s a person, that at least 25 years have passed since his or her death. Unlike other nearby states, it doesn’t even cost members of the public anything to apply.

But although the program has operated in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) from its very start, much has changed since it was first established.

Informing and educating North Carolina travelers is no easy task for the state's Historical Marker Program

Cast in 2013, the “USRC Mercury” marker was honored when it was first unveiled near the Cedar Island/Swan Quarter ferry landing in Hyde County (photo courtesy of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History).

“It’s not just a committee of a few buddies sitting in a restaurant,” Ansley says, explaining how a few professors from universities in the state’s Piedmont region originally managed the program.

Today, 10 history professors who span the state both geographically – and in areas of expertise – are selected from various four-year colleges and universities to serve five-year terms, and at least two committee seats change hands each year.

Other important national changes since the program’s inception include the extension of full civil and voting rights to African Americans and Native Americans –which has rightfully expanded a historical focus that once centered primarily on European-descended men and battle outcomes.

“In the early days of the program, the markers focused on big battles [and] the really big, easy stories,” Ansley notes. “I think the stories we’re getting now are much broader – maybe [even including] the stories you don’t know. We’re certainly getting more African American markers. It’s history for all the people.”

When it comes to things of statewide significance, that can also include more recently declassified events – such as the 1961 nearnuclear explosion in Wayne County.

The marker for that incident, titled, “Nuclear Mishap,” was cast in 2011. Fifty years earlier, a B-52 carrying two nuclear missiles crashed near Goldsboro, resulting in the deaths of three of the eight crewmen. Many historians believe that only the nuclear missiles’ final safety locks kept them from detonating after all the other locks failed.

“That might not have been a marker not that long ago,” Ansley adds.

UNLIKE MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS, roadside markers are distinct in that they’re not celebratory – the subject matter may be considered good, bad or merely neutral. “[They’re] part of our shared past,” Ansley explains. “Historical markers are like museum labels on the landscape, saying: ‘This happened here; this person lived here.’”

Given that context, some markers can seem more controversial than others, with topics such as the late Eugenics Board in Raleigh and the 1898 Wilmington Coup causing a bit of a stir, according to Ansley.

The Eugenics Board marker was cast in 2008 and reads, in part: “State action led to the sterilization by choice or coercion of over 7,600 people, 1933-1973.” Equally as chilling, the Wilmington Coup marker was cast in 2017, and it describes a racially motivated mob of white supremacists who wreaked havoc on the city while staging the only successful coup d’état in our nation’s history.

“We’re not celebrating it,” Ansley adds firmly of these and other similarly problematic events in our state

history. “[But] this happened, and that’s where I think our marker program does a good job [of telling] the good and the bad.”

On a more local note, Currituck County has nine historical markers, Hyde County has eight and Tyrrell County has one. Dare County is home to an impressive 25 markers, two of which are among the oldest in the program, including the “First English Colonies,” which was cast in 1935, and a marker dedicated to the Wright brothers that was created in 1936.

More recently, the Dasemunkepeuc marker was cast in 2012. Located near Mann’s Harbor, the marker indicates the site of a former Algonquian village that was home to Wingina, a regional tribal leader who was killed by colonists in 1586. The Freedmen’s Colony marker in Manteo, which describes the state’s first refugee community for the formerly enslaved during the Civil War was established a year later in 2013 – and both help shed light on some of the lesser-known chapters of Outer Banks history.

contract mowers, snow plows and other equipment failures can cause a fair share of damage, too.

Though far rarer, vandalism can also be an issue at times – but these aren’t just small inconveniences, especially considering the fact that markers are handmade in Ohio and they cost upwards of $2,000 each to produce.

Keeping track of such a vast network of signs isn’t a simple task either. Even though marker committee members are drawn from all over the state, they still depend on public reports when markers become illegible after sand or storm damage, especially on the coast.

In 2020, Ansley put out a social media call for volunteers willing to attach weatherproof reflective stickers to all the markers with the program’s phone number and a notice that the markers were the property of the state.

“In about two weeks, I had volunteers in all 100 counties,” she says, noting that most of the people who reported subsequent damage reports mentioned seeing the stickers.

The marker committee also receives 30 to 40 new marker applications annually and generally approves about half of those during their biannual meetings – or, at least, they did until 2019.

As a result of financial issues within the NCDOT, the historical marker budget was cut entirely in April of 2019, effectively suspending the program and putting 13 preapproved markers on hold indefinitely.

Thankfully, the January 2022 budget included $100,000 for the program, so Ansley anticipates resolving their three-year maintenance buildup and getting new approvals back on track as soon as possible.

One damaged marker that languished in storage since 2019 was recently repaired and reinstalled in Halifax County. The Ella Baker marker, cast in 2011, denotes the location of Baker’s childhood home prior to her organizing the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at Raleigh’s Shaw University in 1960 – which was only part of her tireless, lifelong efforts to promote racial equality – and the program’s accompanying essay explains that she is recognized by many as “the mother of the civil rights movement.”

“We’ve put it back up because we need to remember these things,” Ansley says. “People get markers and monuments confused a lot. Monuments are literally larger than life [that are generally positioned] in a place of power. These markers are fixed right in the ground, pointing to something…reminding you that they’re from here.”

HISTORICAL RELEVANCE DOESN’T MAKE THE MARKERS IMMUNE to more humdrum daily concerns, however. Their roadside locations make them vulnerable to traffic accidents, and factors such as extreme weather,

Dare County is home to an impressive 25 markers, two of which are among the oldest in the program.

The marker located at the Hyde County Courthouse in Swan Quarter sheds light on the African American led public school boycott of 1968-1969, which resulted in more inclusive decision-making on county-wide educational issues from that point forward (photo courtesy of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History).

Seen N.C.in

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST…which is helpful to remember since there aren’t really any shortcuts to the Outer Banks. No matter what direction you’re coming from (or departing), though, chances are you’re already traveling a route that isn’t exactly direct – so why not take in a few more sights along the way? From odd to awe-inspiring, these are our picks for relatively close roadside attractions you won’t find in any guidebook – but will earn you bragging rights during your next trivia night.

Fayetteville

C’est la vie; not all of us are Paris-bound. Good thing, then, that there are literally HUNDREDS of Eiffel Tower reproductions worldwide –and for those of us in the Tar Heel state, the 80-foot-tall replica that’s graced the Bordeaux Center shopping plaza in Fayetteville since 1971 (predating the famed Las Vegas copy by almost 30 years) might just be our pièce de resistance.

Durham

Drivers beware: The aptly nicknamed Can Opener Bridge takes no prisoners. Though this quirky Durham landmark was raised eight inches from its original 11-byeight-foot clearance in 2019, it’s still claimed the lives (or at least the scalps) of more than 160 trucks since it was built as a train trestle in the 1940s – and the viral fame of its dedicated YouTube channel proves it.

Raleigh

Prepare to be dazzled. Located behind the NC Museum of Art, the “Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky” was conceived by British landscape artist Chris Drury in 2003. Once you enter the chamber and seal the door behind you, a small hole in the roof acts as a camera obscura (technology that dates back to the Middle Ages), projecting an inverted image of the sky above onto the chamber’s walls – which offers you the opportunity to take a walk among the clouds.

The legs don’t lie. When Hendersonbased artist, and backhoe contractor, Ricky Pearce created the 40-foot-long and 17-foot-tall concrete ode to Marilyn Monroe’s (reclining) legs, titled “Reminiscing” in 2005, not everyone was amused. Said to be inspired by the legendary actress’ film The Seven Year Itch, the barefoot archway lies across the road from a fashionable pair of similarly sized concrete high heels.

Bladenboro

Tires are a dime a dozen – even oversized ones –but only ONE tire can rule them all, and that’s the 10,400-pound, Michelinmade tire in Bladenboro. This enormous rubber dump truck accessory is hailed as the world’s largest functional tire, and it’s also on permanent display as an advertorial beacon for the local auto shop, Hester Tire.

Zebulon

Yep, it’s unofficial: Zebulon’s town mascot is a two-story-tall cougar. Originallymanufactured by a companywhose clients included Disney,the figure was one of a paircreated in the ‘70s to promoteFord Motor’s now-discontinued line of Mercury Cougars. Onestatue was sent to Washington,D.C., and the other to North Carolina, where it stood sentinel over Lincoln-Mercurystores in Raleigh beforewinding up in Zebulon. Whileits home dealership has longsince gone out of business, thebeloved cat snarls on.

Actress Ava Gardner wasHollywood royalty duringher nearly 50-year career,but well before her timein the limelight, she wassimply the youngest ofseven children growingup on a rural farm sevenmiles east of Smithfield.Initially established byan earnest fan, the AvaGardner Museum housesthe definitive collection ofmemorabilia and personaleffects from remarkableGardner’s life.

Story by Amelia Boldaji

Map illustration by Natalie Rollins

Smithfield

What’s in a name? That’s what the town of Lizard Lick would like to know, and a directional signpost near an old used car dealer might just have the answer. Rather than listing nearby cities,

Littleton

If you’ve always wantedto know more about thingsthat go bump in the night,Littleton’s Cryptozoology& Paranormal Museum should be your nextdestination. Supernaturalactivity is basically thenorm in this town with a population of less than700 – and their flagshipmuseum boasts everythingfrom UFO testimonials to Bigfoot artifacts…and even aselection of haunted dolls.

Wilson

Pikeville

Designing metal dinosaurs started out as a way to pass the time during an economic slump at Benton & Sons’ steel fabrication shop – but these larger-than-life creatures have since put the town of Pikeville on the map. While Ben Benton Jr.’s initial project (an 18-foottall Tyrannosaurus rex) was unceremoniously dubbed “Useless” by his dad at first, years of curious crowds have changed his mind as well –the T-rex is now affectionately known by the name “Awesome.”

Vollis Simpson made his first kinetic contraption while he was serving overseas as a pilot during WWII: a windpowered washing machine for the troops. Many years later in his 60s, Simpson dedicated his retirement to transforming junkyard scrap into an extraordinary array of enormous whirligigs –the bulk of which are now part of an internationally acclaimed collection at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum in downtown Wilson.

Is it a bird, is it a plane?Believe it or not, blimpswere an integral part ofthe United States’ defense against German U-boatsduring WWII, and this steelhanger in Elizabeth City wasdesigned to house a dozenof those massive airships.Viewable from the main road (it’s now on private property),this historic structure is the only remaining evidenceof the once-strategicWeeksville Naval Air Station

Wilmington

Though it merely looks likean upright pinball machine,pachinko is a serious businessthat currently brings in about$200 billion annually in Japanwhere the game first becamepopular following WWII –and Wilmington’s Pachinko World is the only pachinkoparlor in North America. Itwon’t break the bank either: Pachinko balls only costtwo cents apiece, with a $1minimum buy in.

Keep ‘em cooking. The world’s largest frying pan isn’t only located in Rose Hill – it’s also fully operational. Though the best time to see it in action is during the annual fall NC Poultry Jubilee – when it can reportedly hold up to 365 whole chickens – this 15-footwide, two-ton pan (with an admittedly unusable six-foot handle) is a sight to behold anytime.

Enter at your own risk! Allyour beachwear essentialsbeckon at the Shark Attack surf shop in Sneads Ferry –the only catch is that in orderto enter the store, you firsthave to venture inside the gaping jaws of a 110-footlong Great WhiteBilled as the world’s largestshark sculpture, its creator,artist Bob Duato, is also responsible for an 80-footalligator on the other end ofTopsail Island.

New Bern

The “that’s what I like” soft drink had a rather inauspicious start in New Bern, where it was invented in 1893 by a humble pharmacist named Caleb Davis Bradham as a natural alternative to more narcoticlaced drinks available at the time – and the local Pepsi Store & Museum homage to its founder and the company’s oft-unsung beginnings.

Lizard Lick

Elizabeth City

Rose Hill

Sneads Ferry

Life isa Highway

We get it: It already took long enough to drive here. Do you really want to get buckled up again? Yes, is the answer. Yes, you do. Maybe you logged one too many sunburns right before water temps nosedived into the sixties, or maybe it’s just that a bit of relaxation restlessness is starting to set in. Whatever the reason, don’t let traffic deter you. The Outer Banks is more than the sum of its parts, and the road untraveled is bound to contain sides of this area you never knew existed.

BY MAGGIE MCNINCH

U.S. Highway 158: The Northern Corridor

Just across the Wright Memorial Bridge on the Currituck County mainland there’s more than a day’s worth of activities to experience at the Currituck County Rural Center in Powells Point. Launch your kayak or canoe and enjoy a paddle on the sound, catch an equestrian training at one of the two riding rings (horses are big here), or simply enjoy skipping pebbles across one of the center’s two ponds. This dog-friendly site also has disc golf baskets, a boardwalk and plenty of room for RVs, plus you can check to see if any special events might be going on while you’re there, such as horse clinics and dressage shows – and even, on some occasions, rodeos!

CURRITUCK COUNTY

If a casual family outing is more your style, pack a lunch and visit mainland Currituck’s Sound Park, a day-use destination that’s not far from the rural center. Along with plenty of covered picnic tables and grassy spots to spread out on, the park boasts family-friendly activities for all ages, including a deep-bowl skate park, a multi-use field, volleyball courts, walking trails, a tennis court and a playground, plus a boat launch area that’s typically much less crowded than the ones you’ll find on the other side of the bridge.

And if you forget to pack lunch, don’t worry: This stretch of asphalt is home to an impressive number of fresh local produce markets. Pull over whenever you see the colorful signs decorated with smiling fruits and veggies, and be prepared to load up on seasonal specialties that can range from sweet corn and tomatoes to berries, melons and summertime peaches that will positively melt in your mouth. Many of these family-run businesses also offer a selection of canned jams and relishes along with other baked goods – much of which you’ll find at reasonable prices that help support a longstanding tradition of regional farming.

Photos courtesy of the Currituck County Department of Travel and Tourism.

Currituck County Rural Center

Local Produce

Blair Meads, Owner

Route 12 North

At the northern juncture where the Virginia Dare Trail and Highway 158 converge, continue traveling north on the portion of NC 12 known as Duck Road – where you can visit the 11-acre Duck Town Park. Its amenities include easy access to the spectacular, mile-long Duck Boardwalk (which is lined with plenty of shops and excellent views of the Currituck Sound), a picnic shelter, a playground and an amphitheater that hosts many town-sponsored summer events – from yoga and children’s theater to magic shows, art activities, concerts and even family movie nights on the green. The best part is that the town council and generous local businesses chip in to keep all of these events free and open to the public.

For history buffs or environmental enthusiasts (or both), you’ll also want to venture a bit farther north to the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla. This 22,000-square-foot interpretive center is the perfect place to explore the diverse history of our regional wildlife – and its exhibits include an impressive collection of more than 200 antique waterfowl decoys that pay tribute to this area’s rich legacy as a sportsman’s paradise. (P.S., don’t forget to snap a picture with Banks the Bear in the lobby on your way out!)

The truly adventurous can go even farther north to the literal end of the road. Carova (so named because it lies across the Carolina-Virginia state divide) doesn’t get any more off-the-beaten path – but you’ll have to get in four-wheel-gear first. If you’re lucky, you might spot one of the Corolla wild horses during your drive, but please keep your distance: These horses are protected by a county ordinance that makes it illegal to get within 50 feet of them. Normal traffic rules do apply on this stretch of sand as well, and you’ll need to get a permit ahead of time if you plan to park. Prior fourwheel-drive experience is also highly encouraged so you don’t make a rookie mistake – like not reducing your tire pressure – because a tow will cost you some serious change.

U.S. Highway 158 (a.k.a., The Bypass)

Running the full length of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head, U.S. Highway 158 – which is known locally as simply “the bypass” – is the main drag for so many hidden treasures, it can be hard to narrow them down. Of course, you’ll find shops and eateries galore here, but activity-wise, these towns aren’t just known for their pretty beaches.

If even one of your crew is a fishing fanatic – but no one else finds trekking out on a crowded pier the slightest bit appealing – a compromise can probably be found at Sandy Run Park. Located on The Woods Road within the Kitty Hawk Coastal Preserve, this park features a half-mile boardwalk that loops around a small pond where

KITTY HAWK

DEVIL HILLS

NAGS HEAD

Duck Town Park & Boardwalk

Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education

Carova

Sandy Run Park

Photos courtesy of the town of Duck, Mark Buckler, Cory Godwin, and Kip Tabb (top to bottom).

you can peacefully enjoy the shade and cast a line (just please remember that you need to have a valid NC fishing license first if you’re older than 16, and that it’s catch-and-release only).

What if your aim includes hitting a few too many people on the head during a round of beach frisbee? If that’s the case, you can hone your skills at the public Casey R. Logan Disc Golf Course in Kill Devil Hills. This town-sponsored 18-hole course behind the First Flight schools has something for both professionals and amateurs – with a portion that’s eminently suitable for beginner practicing and a mostly pine-shaded area that’s definitely a bit more challenging (don’t say we didn’t warn you) near the First Flight High School football stadium. The ultimate unwind at the end of a long day is still to come, however. For a breath of fresh air, consider heading to Nags Head Woods Part of a preserve that’s protected by The Nature Conservancy, this area is one of the largest remaining maritime forests remaining on the East Coast, and it’s your best bet for a quiet hike that’ll feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of the summertime crowds. The Roanoke Trail in particular is a moderate, 1.5-mile roundtrip path that takes you to a tranquil beach on the sound – and it’s even okay to bring Fido along, too.

Route 12 South

Although Hatteras Island may seem relatively far away to those staying on the northern stretches of the Outer Banks, it’s well worth a little added travel time – especially since it can feel as though you crossed over into a whole new world once you hit the Marc Basnight Bridge. (And honestly, the view of Oregon Inlet from the top of the bridge is worth the trip alone.)

HATTERASNATIONALSEASHORE

Once you’re on the other side, birdwatchers in particular will want to keep their eyes peeled for Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge’s three major wildlife impoundments, which are hotspots for feathered friends of all types. One of those impoundments is located at the Pea Island Visitor Center, which is a great place to park and either browse its educational displays or simply take a nearby stroll along the beach – where you just might get a glimpse of the Oriental, a steamer that ran aground in May of 1862, but can still be sighted peeking above the surf in calmer weather.

If you keep heading south, however, you’ll enter what’s known as the tri-villages – which includes Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo – and that’s where you’ll want to be on the lookout for the white picket fence surrounding the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Historic Site. This impeccably restored lifesaving station was the first of its kind in NC when it was established in 1874 – and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a historically accurate rescue reenactment.

But don’t run out of steam yet! It’s absolutely worth going the extra mile(s) to the island’s southernmost Hatteras Village. The epicenter of fresh seafood that reaches well beyond the bounds of the Outer Banks, this village is home to a number of fishing marinas where you can watch local crews unload their catch of the day if you time it right. Depending on what’s running, that could include anything from tuna to snapper – and perhaps the occasional big-game marlin, which the area’s been known for since at least the 1930s.

Photos courtesy of Dave Rollins, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Coastal Helicopters, Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Historic Site, and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (top to bottom).

Nags Head Woods

Marc Basnight Bridge

Hatteras Marinas

The Oriental

U.S. Route 64

While the town of Manteo might already be on your radar, Roanoke Island as a whole can be full of surprises – including being the site of the only roundabout on that island.

Located at the intersection of Bideford and Sir Walter Raleigh streets not far from downtown Manteo, this roundabout is especially notable because of the life-sized bronze statue of Richard Etheridge at its center. Etheridge, who was a former slave, served as the first African-American commanding officer of a U.S. lifesaving station from 1880 until his death in 1900. As keeper of the Pea Island Lifesaving Station, Etheridge also led the country’s first all-black lifesaving crew – and you can learn more about their historic contributions at the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum, which is located nearby on Sir Walter Raleigh Street.

Looking slightly farther west, if you drive to the northernmost point of Roanoke Island, you’ll arrive at the William B. Umstead Memorial Bridge – where you won’t want to miss the migration of purple martins that roost there from July through August. This annual spectacle of around 100,000 martins is so significant that the speed limit on the bridge officially decreases during the summer months to accommodate them! Best viewed at dusk, the public Bebop Multi-Use Pier at the west end of the bridge is a great spot for observers to watch the birds perform their aerial acrobatics.

From there, mainland Dare County’s 158,000-acre Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is often regarded as the area’s crowning jewel. Outdoor activities abound on the refuge, including special summer events from June through August – where you can learn about things like the federal red wolf recovery program, which has helped reintroduce this critically endangered species back into the wild. The Alligator River Refuge now hosts the only wild population of red wolves in Eastern NC, and the program has been such a success that the very first wild-born litter of six pups was just welcomed there this past April.

Photos courtesy of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, Wes Snyder, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (top to bottom).

Richard Etheridge Statue

The Purple Martin Migration

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

64

ISLANDDARE COUNTY

Red, White & Blueberries

Styled by Chef Dan Lewis / Photo by Elizabeth Neal

“Maybe just one bite.”

We’ve all said it before, but that doesn’t make it true – especially when fresh berries are involved.

While it can seem as though locally sourced land-based menu options get short shrift in favor of their deep-sea counterparts here on the Outer Banks, true foodies know that both are equally valuable – and that berries can be just as much of a regional delicacy as blue crabs.

But if that’s news to you, don’t worry! Here’s a refresher: In North Carolina (and northeastern NC in particular), strawberries are a tasty homegrown treat from April through June, while blueberries pick up the seasonal slack from May through July.

Yes, it’s a short season, but it’s definitely not an insignificant one. North Carolina places about third in national strawberry production, while also

ranking as the not-too-shabby sixth highest-producing state for blueberries nationwide.

But one of the things that really distinguishes NC from other wellregarded berry-farming areas such as California and Florida is that sales of both strawberries and blueberries here consistently favor a direct farm-toconsumer approach. Approximately 75% of NC strawberries and blueberries are sold fresh at local retail markets, unlike many other states where the crops are prominently dispersed across the nation or exported internationally.

And although it is true that most good things must come to an end, that doesn’t have to be the case for your beloved (local) berries. While you can certainly use them as a festive centerpiece for your upcoming Fourth of July feast, giving them a slightly longer lifespan doesn’t have to include the stress of breaking out the mason jars and learning how to (safely) can jams and jellies.

Pictured here: Local North Carolina strawberries and blueberries stand and salute on a buttercream sheet cake – with a side round of cocktails, including a strawberry mojito and a blueberry gin fizz, that were both made with fresh berry-blended syrups.

In order to take the easiest preservative route, consider making a fresh syrup instead. For every pound of berries you’d like to use, dissolve two cups of sugar in approximately one cup of water, then boil the mix until the water has fully evaporated. Next, blend your chosen berries with the sugar syrup before straining out any seeds – then simply store your resulting berry syrup in the refrigerator for up to 30 days or in the freezer for up to one year.

Its next act is up to you: Use the syrup to make a morning energy shake, pour it into a refreshing afternoon slushie or add it to a round of evening cocktails at the end of a long day – just try to make it last until the next local berry harvest, and be sure to savor every sip.

Go l d advent e!

Sam & Winston

A family-owned shop with fine art, books, gourmet kitchen goods and high-design gi s for ladies, gentlemen, children and dogs.

108 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-475-9764

@shopsamandwinston

Frosties

Frosties Downtown Manteo is now open for the spring and summer season! We o er superb so -serve ice cream, specialty sundaes, shaved ice, shakes and more! Open six days a week, March-October.

106 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-473-2319 Like us on Facebook

Town of Manteo

Join in the fun all summer long with these fabulous town events: Dare Days, June 3rd - 5th Independence Day, July 4 National Night Out, August 2

407 Budleigh Street 252-473-2133 info@manteonc.gov

Avenue

Grille & Goods

Indoor and outdoor waterfront dining. Local seafood, specialty burgers, pizza, cra beers, wine and cocktails. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan selections. Visit our NEW eco-conscious and small business-based shop! Clothing, jewelry, crystals, metaphysical books, yoga gear, gourmet items and more!

nest

Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream

Dozens of homemade ice cream varieties, smoothies, shakes, sundaes, handmade Belgian chocolates, fresh fudge, ice cream cakes and delicious espresso drinks.

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-423-3118 bigbucksobx.com

nest

Distinctive clothing by CP Shades, Frank & Eileen, Juliet Dunn, Wilt and other niche brands. Sophisticated accessories, jewelry and fragrances for you and your home.

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-473-4800 avenuegrilleobx.com avenuegoodsobx.com

Lighthouse Studio

Join a class or book a private session at this NEW waterfront studio overlooking Marshes Light. O ering yoga classes in the morning and evening, special events and reiki. Sign up online for a class, private yoga or reiki session, or community reiki session!

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-473-4800 lighthouse-obx.com

Sisters Boutique & Gifts

For your wardrobe + home.

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-305-8582 @sistersofmanteo

DISCOVER

Magnolia Lane 252-473-5141 nestobx.com

Laughing Lollipop

Take a walk down memory lane in this li le mom and pop sweet shop! Ice cream, throwback candies, chocolates, homemade co on candy, fun gummies, bulk candy and more!

101 Budleigh Street 252-473-2579 laughinglollipop.com

Like us on Facebook

Sleeping In, Ltd.

Celebrating 22 years in 2022! Fashion, sleepwear, jewelry, home textiles and more! It’s a “go a have it” kind of place.

101B Fernando Street 252-475-1971 Like us on Facebook

Bloom Boutique

A fashion-forward boutique

o ering unique, high-quality women’s clothing and accessories. Pop in for an enjoyable, personalized shopping experience.

107 Fernando Street 252-305-8638 bloomboutiqueobx.com

The Tranquil House Inn & 1587 Lounge

This waterfront, 25-room coastal Carolina inn was updated in 2021. Visit the 1587 Lounge, a cozy tapas lounge and event venue overlooking the water, and enjoy all that downtown Manteo has to o er.

405 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-473-1404 tranquilhouseinn.com

Historic Old Manteo Candlelight Walking Tour

Experience this fun, engaging, interactive, and even at times funny, walk along the historic downtown Manteo waterfront. The charming, quaint town of Manteo has so much to o er for visitors and locals. Purchase tickets online at our website.

107 Budleigh Street 252-423-3039 manteowalkingtour@gmail.com manteowalkingtour.com

Natural Selection Apothecary

O ering our customers a place to buy high-quality products that are grown, organically sourced, or foraged locally! We take the time to provide you with the guidance, knowledge, and tools needed to find the right herbal remedies for you.

104 Sir Walter Raleigh, Suite A 252-305-6668 naturalselectionapothecary.com

Charlotte’s

The Wheel House Lounge

The newest cra cocktail bar located inside of Outer Banks Distilling, specializing in Kill Devil Rum cocktails. The distillery gi shop is open from 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and the Wheel House Lounge is open from 12:00-9:00 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

510 Budleigh Street 252-423-3011 outerbanksdistilling.com

Downtown Books

Books for all ages and genres, the best selection of Outer Banks titles and the biggest collection of greeting cards on the OBX. Check our online event calendar and follow us on social media to see our upcoming events and book signings! Open seven days a week in-season.

103 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-473-1056 ducksco age.com

PARKING

ANANIAS DARE STREET

MAGNOLIA LANE

ROANOKE Full-service ladies’ boutique specializing in fashions that are traditional with a contemporary flair. Seasonal makeup events with Trish McEvoy and designer trunk shows. Check website for details.

ISLAND

BUDLEIGH STREET

MANTEO WANCHESE 103A Fernando Street 252-473-3078 shopcharlo es.com

WALTER RALEIGH STREET

PARKING

HAS IT Legend

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH NEAL STORY BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

AS WITH MOST MYTHS, THE STORY STARTS SIMPLY: THERE IS A MAN WITH A FLOWER.

Various narratives branch out from there, but nearly all include a broken heart – and the protagonist in question goes by the name Joe Bell. Here on the Outer Banks, he is remembered as the man who introduced the striking red and yellow flowers that now mostly thrive unattended in the shallows of sand dunes and along roadsides throughout the barrier islands.

The flower has become so common locally that many assume it’s always been here. In truth, the perennial is native to more northwestern regions of North America where it’s usually called a blanketflower or a firewheel – a strain of Gaillardias that are kin to sunflowers – and it only arrived on the shores of the Outer Banks in the early 1900s.

This is where the romance, and a touch of mystery, lies. Some of the Joe Bell accounts describe him as an adventurer, some as a forlorn wanderer, and others as a courteous man who merely admired beautiful things. Said to have been unlucky in love, Joe moved to Ocracoke Island later in life after growing up on the North Carolina mainland, and he brought with him the seeds of his legacy.

Like Johnny Appleseed, Joe introduced the flowers to the village – whether by planting them in his yard, letting them blow away in the wind, or by gifting them to kind strangers who helped soothe his broken heart; it’s hard to say. Whether he passed away unremarkably at the end of a long, well-lived life or he was struck down suddenly and discovered in a burial shroud of fiery petals, is also somewhat debatable.

Regardless of the tale you choose to believe, what’s undeniable is that these vigorous summer-season wildflowers return here year after year no matter how harsh the conditions, making a coastal home in the only area where they’re known as joebells. Which is, perhaps, just a touching reminder that love – even when it may appear lost – can always blossom again.

Though sun-filled days are certainly a large lure of the Outer Banks, for many, water is the island element that makes its mark the most. For local artists in particular, water is a theme that can inform their creative work in ways both large and small – but just like the endless forms of sand that surround us, none of them bring the mercurial subject to life in quite the same way.

BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

MAKING WAVES

Susannah Sakal

An artist all her life in one form or another, Susannah Sakal often finds herself using watercolors and sketching with pens while she’s traveling – which she tries to do for several months every winter with her husband, Paul – but that’s only because they’re the easiest things to transport on a boat. When she has more room to expand in her home studio here on the Outer Banks, Susannah prefers to work with resin – a versatile substance that’s well-suited to her imagination. “Waves are my passion, and this is my favorite way to make them,” Susannah says of the liquid medium, which she mixes to fine-tune the incredibly precise colors she envisions. “It can move like water, so it captures that certain type of energy.”

MAKING WAVES

Taylor Williams

Only five years ago, Taylor Williams was working as a local barista when she stumbled onto a whole world of oil painters on social media – and it was like nothing she’d ever seen before. With the help of some YouTube tutorials and a lot of persistence, Taylor taught herself to paint by honing in almost exclusively on waves in the beginning. Though the 26-year-old has since branched out to include seascapes, every one of her paintings start with a photograph she’s personally taken. “You might think a wave is just blue and white – but sometimes it’s purple,” Taylor adds. “I only pick the reference photos that stick out to me, which is why color is so important. I’m not making it up.”

WAVES

Jackie Koenig

The biggest impact on Jackie Koenig’s creative practice wasn’t her fine arts degree – it was the early encouragement of her artistic grandmother. Years later, Jackie describes her personal style as intuitive –perhaps even slightly chaotic when there’s paint on the floor and she’s working on multiple pieces at the same time – but that’s exactly when she has the most fun with it. Besides, when you’re a mom to three young boys, sometimes you have to do what you can to make things work. “It’s not just one dimensional,” Jackie says of her affinity for capturing a similar sort of chaotic beauty in coastal landscapes. “You’re never really going to master moving water – it just draws you into the feeling of a place.”

MAKING WAVES

Dave Rollins

Decades of working as a professional graphic designer made one thing very clear to Kill Devil Hills-based artist Dave Rollins: He did not have the temperament for routine paperwork. With a need to be constantly making something, it was only a matter of time before his creative energy spilled outside of his nine-to-five into an equally fulfilling side gig – and years of experimenting with digital illustration as an artform taught him that he could lean into his love of pop art and embrace the theory that landscapes are so soothing precisely because of their visual simplicity. “The idea is to take out all the clutter of the real world, and distill that fluidity down to basic geometric shapes,” Dave explains. “That’s the challenge I like the most.”

Brent Nultemeier

Artist, musician, graphic designer and father of three, Brent Nultemeier recalls feeling absolutely shocked the first time someone paid him for a painting. In the 16 years since he moved to the Outer Banks from Richmond with his wife, Brent had gotten used to the fast pace of working multiple jobs to make ends meet. But when a drastic slowdown during the pandemic forced him to recalibrate, it also helped him rediscover an earlier appreciation for watercolors – and a lifetime of surfing gave him a unique vantage point when it came to thinking about what constitutes a perfect wave. “I’ve seen so many types of waves in my life, and every one of them has their own characteristics,” Brent says thoughtfully. “They’re like fingerprints.”

Whether you are looking for the perfect place to vacation or seeking to invest in your own Outer Banks beach house, we offer unprecedented service in making your experience the best it can be. Kick off your shoes and stay a while!

Life takes you down many paths, but the best ones lead to the beach.

Black Pelican

1

Bad Blood

By all accounts, a local man named Theopolis Daniels and James Hobbs (the second person to be appointed keeper of the Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station) hated each other. Possibly because he coveted the keeper position, Daniels repeatedly accused Hobbs of things such as pillaging a shipwreck – and the insults continued until Daniels reportedly spat tobacco juice on Hobbs’ wife. The feud finally came to a violent end in 1884, when Daniels reached for a pistol during an official investigation, and Hobbs beat him to it by grabbing the shotgun that ended Daniels’ life. To this day, numerous Black Pelican staffers claim to have seen blood dripping down the walls, doors slamming shut of their own accord, and sometimes –particularly on Halloween – the spectral form of a vengeful Daniels himself.

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The Wright Stuff

Though the Wright brothers were a curiosity when they first arrived on the Outer Banks, the surfmen at both the Kitty Hawk and the Kill Devil Hills lifesaving stations became quite keen to see the so-called flying machine in action – which was good because the brothers needed all the assistance they could get. On December 17, 1903, the brothers hung a white sheet on the side of their shed, which was a prearranged sign that they could use any extra hands the local surfmen could spare. Three surfmen, a dairy farmer and an 18-year-old boy showed up that bitterly cold morning – and subsequently became the first to witness (and photograph!) the successful flights before others working at the Kitty Hawk station helped the brothers telegraph the historic news later that evening.

3A Peaceful Protector

A since-debunked belief that mother pelicans will bleed themselves to nourish their young in times of need made pelicans a potent symbol of selflessness that’s persisted since at least the 13th century – so it’s perhaps understandable that when some early Kitty Hawk surfmen repeatedly spotted a black pelican sweeping through the air just before they were called to action in a storm, many took it as a sign. During nor’easters, the dark bird was credited with braving the elements in order to draw the crew’s attention to vessels in peril, and to hover over survivors protectively until help arrived. W.D. Tate, the station’s first keeper, maintained a record of those encounters, and praised the pelican as being the “watchdog” of the seas.

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PHOTO BY CORY GODWIN STORY BY KATRINA MAE LEUZINGER

THE OUTER BANKS HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF HISTORY, but not so many historical buildings – mostly because the longer a piece of architecture sticks around here, the more it tempts fate to sweep it into the Atlantic. That’s what makes the Black Pelican restaurant in Kitty Hawk particularly unique, since swarming seas are the very reason its main structure exists in the first place. Long before it was a place known for its seafood specials, the Black Pelican was Station #6 of the first seven lifesaving stations constructed on the North Carolina coast in 1874 – and in the 148 years since then, its (now considerably expanded) walls have weathered more than most…and have plenty of stories to prove it.

The Man Behind the Myth

The station’s longstanding legend made finding a good name easy when Outer Banks entrepreneur Paul Shaver opened its doors as the Black Pelican restaurant in 1993, complete with several structural additions that had grown around the building since it was decommissioned. No stranger to investing, Paul and his business partner, John Lancaster, had already launched several other local businesses, including a nightclub called Oz, Nags Head Realty, Barrier Island Station Resorts and J. Fleming Munde’s Restaurant (which later became Kelly’s). But aside from his visionary contributions during the decades that transformed this area from a collection of sleepy fishing villages into a popular vacation spot, Paul was also a beloved adventurer who spent time motor racing internationally, mountain climbing and even running with the bulls in Spain.

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A Perfect Storm

Before author Sebastian Junger dubbed it The Perfect Storm in his bestselling book turned Hollywood blockbuster, Outer Banks residents called the cataclysmic fall weather event of 1991 “The Halloween Storm.” Caused when the remnants of Hurricane Grace and a robust high-pressure system clashed with a massive south-moving low, the surprise storm rocked much of the Eastern Seaboard. Under deceptively blue skies locally, strong winds and days of crushing 12-foot surf caused severe flooding that particularly affected the area around the old lifesaving station, where ocean overwash even reached the bypass. While nearly 100 local structures were condemned in the storm’s aftermath, the building that would be renamed the Black Pelican only two years later stood strong – almost as though its namesake was still watching over it.

Vacation Rentals and Property Management

Celebrating 35 Years on the OBX!

Celebrating 35 Years on the OBX!

Celebrating 35 Years on the OBX!

Celebrating 35 Years on the OBX!

Since 1987 Resort Realty has been helping families and friends create vacation memories that will last a lifetime. Tap into Resort Realty’s 35 years of experience and more than 540 vacation homes, and enjoy what could be your family’s best vacation ever.

Since 1987 Resort Realty has been helping families and friends create vacation memories that will last a lifetime. Tap into Resort Realty’s 35 years of experience and more than 540 vacation homes, and enjoy what could be your family’s best vacation ever.

Since 1987 Resort Realty has been helping families and friends create vacation memories that will last a lifetime. Tap into Resort Realty’s 35 years of experience and more than 540 vacation homes, and enjoy what could be your family’s best vacation ever.

Since 1987 Resort Realty has been helping families and friends create vacation memories that will last a lifetime. Tap into Resort Realty’s 35 years of experience and more than 540 vacation homes, and enjoy what could be your family’s best vacation ever.

Are you ready to place your home in a rental program on the Outer Banks? We’d also love to tell you about our custom, cost-effective, and stress-free program that gives homeowners the flexibility and stability they’ll need to own a successful vacation rental home.

Are you ready to place your home in a rental program on the Outer Banks? We’d also love to tell you about our custom, cost-effective, and stress-free program that gives homeowners the flexibility and stability they’ll need to own a successful vacation rental home.

Are you ready to place your home in a rental program on the Outer Banks? We’d also love to tell you about our custom, cost-effective, and stress-free program that gives homeowners the flexibility and stability they’ll need to own a successful vacation rental home.

Are you ready to place your home in a rental program on the Outer Banks? We’d also love to tell you about our custom, cost-effective, and stress-free program that gives homeowners the flexibility and stability they’ll need to own a successful vacation rental home.

458.3830

458.3830

town report

Kitty Hawk

COMPILED BY CATHERINE KOZAK

Currituck County

In April, the Currituck Board of Commissioners voted to amend the Carova beach ordinance for safety reasons, limiting the parking permits for Carova day trippers to 300 per week from April 30 to October 1. Visitors who are not renting a house in the four-wheel-drive area can purchase a weekly permit on the county website for $50 each, and they must be picked up at the Corolla Visitors Center. Weekly renters in Carova will be provided two free parking permits, and county residents and property owners can use their solid waste decal as a parking permit.

Duck

A year after being chosen to participate in the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management’s Resilient Coastal Communities Program, the town of Duck is expected to complete phase two of the program (which involves planning, identifying and prioritizing projects), and advance to phase three (engineering and design), this summer, according to information on the town’s website.

The new program is focused on assisting coastal communities with technical expertise and funding in order to develop resilience strategies and incentivize innovative and nature-based solutions to climate change challenges. The goal is to complete a resilience strategy for the town, and updates on the process can be found on the town’s website.

Southern Shores

After a proposed 2022 street maintenance project planned for a total of 20 streets in Southern Shores failed to get any bids by late March, the town modified the project and included more details about the areas in need of maintenance. At an April town council meeting, Town Manager Cliff Ogburn said that the town could also divide the proposed work into two different projects if necessary. The proposed project would be the first year of street rehabilitation work identified in the town’s 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, which incorporated results of an earlier study on pavement conditions.

Beach renourishment work in Kitty Hawk is expected to begin in early July and last for about 40 days, according to an update on the town’s website. Based on a presentation at a public information meeting the town held in April, contractor Weeks Marine would likely use the public bathhouse near Black Pelican and the Byrd Street beach access parking areas to stage equipment, and work closures along the beach would be done in 1,000-foot sections. The project is mostly intended to replace sand that has eroded over the last five years, but may also include several areas where dunes need further attention. In most sections, the goal is to build an 80-foot dry sand beach area with a six-foot slope, using about 750,000 cubic yards of sand removed from deposits about six miles offshore.

Kill Devil Hills

A budget amendment for $261,468 from the town of Kill Devil Hills’ undesignated fund balance was approved at the April board of commissioners meeting for improvements at Meekins Field, which is expected to be completed by this summer.

The board had initially approved the four-phase project at a cost of $888,000 in September 2020 to update the old site into a modern recreational facility with new playground equipment, expanded parking, and new restrooms and shelters. The proposed improvements even include a splash pad for water play – Dare County’s first – though the site’s existing tennis courts will remain unchanged.

Nags Head

Input from a recent survey of town residents will be incorporated into ongoing work on the town of Nags Head’s Estuarine Shoreline Management Plan, which is intended to create the community’s first comprehensive management plan for its 17-mile estuarine shoreline. While working with partners that include the Coastal Studies Institute and the North Carolina Coastal Federation, as well as an advisory committee of local citizens, the plan will include a biogeographical inventory of shorelines and the changes and impacts they’ve experienced, according to information on the town’s website. Part of the process of identifying the best management practices will also include examining regulatory/legal barriers and other issues. The plan, which was kicked off in October 2021, is scheduled to be finalized by late 2022.

Manteo

Manteo town commissioners voted in April to approve, with conditions, a special-use permit for a mixed residential/commercial project on Old Tom Avenue at the site of the former Evans building. The proposed three-story project would consist of motel rooms on the first floor and apartments on the other two floors.

Also in April, the town announced that installation of high-speed internet broadband fiber technology recently began in Manteo. According to a statement on the town website, Charlotte-based Brightspeed acquired CenturyLink properties in 20 states, including North Carolina, in August 2021. The company plans to invest more than $2 billion in fiber optics, reaching up to three million homes and businesses over the next five years. Manteo is the first community in the nation in which this broadband technology is being installed, according to the town, and when it’s completed, internet connectedness is expected to be “simple and seamless.”

“We are very excited to be in Manteo and hope to offer our highspeed broadband service to its residents shortly after the CenturyLink transaction closes,” said Tom Maguire, chief operating officer of Brightspeed.

Dare County

The former Dare County Center in Manteo was officially renamed in May in honor of the late Virginia Tillett, a longtime community leader who spurred its creation.

Tillett, who passed away on October 7 at age 80, served Dare County as an educator and elected official for more than 30 years. When the center was first proposed, Tillett insisted that it had to be a multi-generational place for the entire community, not just senior citizens or youth. In testament to her vision, the facility now offers a variety of programs for youth, adults, seniors and families, and includes a wellequipped fitness room and a library/media room. The range of classes to choose from includes exercise, arts and crafts, cooking, estate planning and more.

The Virginia S. Tillett Community Center is located near the Dare County Administration Building and the Dare County Justice Center in Manteo.

What’s happening in your town? Here’s a report from all over the Outer Banks.

business briefs

COMPILED BY CATHERINE KOZAK

Sustaining the Future of Our Community

At the Dare County Tourism Board’s March 17 meeting, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles announced that development of a long-term management plan to foster sustainable tourism growth on the Outer Banks is now underway, with a consultant expected to be selected in May 2022. The planning process will seek to identify what local qualities to preserve and enhance over time, and will include opportunities for public input.

“It’s really important that we take this opportunity just to catch our breath and set a path for sustainable tourism growth,” Nettles said in an online recap of the meeting. “That is, being able to grow in a way that doesn’t compromise the things that we hold true about the Outer Banks, the things that make us special and unique.”

Two New Directors at Roanoke Island Attractions

The Elizabethan Gardens announced in April that Theresa M. Armendarez has been hired as the 10.5-acre site’s new executive director. Armendarez has a background in nonprofit management and education, according to a press release from the 71-year-old Gardens. She replaces Carl Curnutte, who resigned in January after serving 12 years in the position.

“We are confident in Theresa and how she will fit seamlessly into our mission and vision at The Gardens, and look forward to working with her,” said Linda Davenport, president of The Elizabethan Gardens’ board of directors.

Another beloved and time-honored Outer Banks attraction, The Lost Colony summer theater production, has a new person holding the reins. In March, the board of the Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA), which produces the outdoor play, appointed Chuck Still, a 30-year veteran of theater management, as RIHA’s executive director.

“Chuck Still has the skills, experience and personality that we wanted in our executive director as we prepare for our show’s 85th year,” said Kevin Bradley, chairman of the board.

The show opens on May 27 and runs through August 20. The Lost Colony is presented at the Waterside Theatre, which is located at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site alongside The Elizabethan Gardens.

New Bridge on Hatteras Island

A new jug handle bridge that juts out over the Pamlico Sound between the north end of Rodanthe and the south side of Mirlo Beach opened to pedestrian traffic in early April, giving the public a good look at the 2.4-mile span and its surrounding marshland before opening to traffic a few weeks later. In the works for four years, the $145 million Rodanthe Bridge bypasses the locally famed “S-turns” surf spot, as well as one of the most troublesome, and often dangerous, overwash areas on NC 12. During storms, or moon tides, entire sections of the roadway in that area often flooded with water surging from the Atlantic Ocean or the sound (or both). At times, the breach was so bad that the road was closed for days – all too often at the height of the busy summer season.

Dare College of The Albemarle Opens

Completion of the new Dare County College of The Albemarle (COA) campus was celebrated at a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 8. Costs for the 36,000-square-foot academic building, located off U.S. 64 in Manteo, were provided for by $1.5 million in state ConnectNC bond funds and a $17 million contribution from Dare County.

Replacing a 60-year-old facility, Dare-COA’s new campus boasts the latest technology to connect students and faculty, as well as allowing classrooms, workspaces and gathering areas to easily connect with other campuses.

Real Estate

market snapshot

The local real estate market’s sugar high may be over, but market activity on the Outer Banks is still plenty sweet, as demonstrated by the Outer Banks Association of Realtors’ March 2022 MLS Statistical Report.

According to the report, only 50 residential listings in the entire MLS system were priced below $400,000, and just 19 of those properties were located on the Outer Banks between Corolla and Hatteras. Year-to-date residential sales were down 20% over last year (703 versus 877 in March 2021), but residential median sale prices were $575,000, an increase of 27% over last year. The town of Duck had the highest percentage increase in median sales price, at a 38% increase to $900,000, and Hatteras the lowest, at a 1% increase to $530,000.

Although lot and land sales (190 total) were unchanged over March 2021, the median lot/land price of $116,417 was also up 7% over last year. Total volume sold was up by 8%, including a jump of 45% in commercial sales, thanks mostly to three large sales in March 2022. In addition to this, the number of days residential properties spent on the market averaged 42 in 2022, compared with 78 in 2021, and for lot/lands the market days averaged 160, compared to 205 in 2021. Overall, inventory was down by 24%, with residential down by 30%, lot/land by 24% and commercial by 4%.

A WHOLE DIFFERENT BEACH.HATTERAS ISLAND

A sliver of land so thin that in some places you can see both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, Hatteras is a barrier island unlike any other. The drive south is worth it for the view alone, but mosey on down and you’ll find quaint towns with restaurants serving up the local catch, a thriving art scene, world-class fishing and the East Coast’s premier kiteboarding destination. Come see why Hatteras Island is truly an unforgettable destination!

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OBX Kiting

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Island Attic

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Island Acupuncture & Massage

Pamlico Station

24267 Highway 12, Rodanthe islandacupunctureobx.com 252-995-4481

Specializing in massage and acupuncture. The only healthcare practice on the Outer Banks that specializes in traditional Chinese medicine. Licensed and certified.

Rodanthe

Pier

24251 Atlantic Drive, Rodanthe rodanthepierllc.com 252-987-0030

Fun for the whole family! Pier passes available, no fishing license required for those who fish the pier. Beach access parking is available for a fee. Our pier house offers bait and tackle, merchandise and refreshments!

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39774 Highway 12, Avon 252-489-1919 • theislandattic.com

Instagram: @islandattic

At Island Attic we travel annually across the world to bring the finest global imports from Bali and Thailand. We feature artisan direct handicrafts, teak furniture, local art, jewelry, and stylish apparel. We love to share our stories of wanderlust and all of the beautiful, diverse cultures in our travels.

CapeAttitude®

At The Cape Hatteras Motel 46556 Highway 12, Buxton capeattitude.com • 252-995-5611

Show them your Attitude! The place to go for unique reminders of your time on Hatteras Island. Apparel, cups, koozies, stickers and more!

Buxton

Village Books

47918 Highway 12, Buxton buxtonvillagebooks.com 252-995-4240

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Uncle Frank’s Hot Dogs & BBQ

25972 Highway 12, Waves unclefranksobx.com • 252-715-5200

Uncle Frank’s is not your ordinary hot dog stand or BBQ joint. We proudly serve up hot dogs, BBQ and cold beer of the highest quality while sourcing the finest ingredients and striving to protect our planet.

Hatteras Island's independent bookseller. Open all year. Offering the newest best-sellers the day they release. Books for all ages.

Rodanthe

THE

REINS

Photos by Ryan Moser / Story by Steve Hanf

Maggie and Dan can create quite a stir when people see them frolicking in the ocean. Sometimes they’re so far out in the surf that waves break over Dan’s head. Other times the water is absolutely frigid, but he still refuses to take no for an answer, and they dive right in.

“He’s a mess,” Maggie says cheerfully.

Dan can’t deny it. Dan’s also a horse, of course – he was seven months old when Maggie got him, and he’s 17 years old now. “He’s like my kid,” she explains fondly.

Maggie Austin was born and raised in Frisco, and she developed a passion for horses thanks to her neighbor and kindergarten teacher, Georgana Johnston. She got on a horse for the first time at 18 months old and rode Johnston’s horses for years before getting her own horse at the age of six. Then came Dan. And Tex, who used to live on a dude ranch where Maggie once worked in California.

Maggie loves riding Dan and Tex, and just about every time she’s out with them on the beach, folks stop her to ask some variation of the same question:

We’ve always wanted to bring our own horses on vacation. Where can they stay when we bring them?

“There aren’t many places down here to have your own horse if you aren’t in the know,” Maggie says. “That’s how the inspiration worked out, but I had no idea it was going to spiral off into this.”

“This” happens to be one of the most unique accommodations around: Frisco’s Sugar Ridge Ranch, which features cottages for people out front, and a barn for horses in the back.

Simple. Quaint. Charming. Thoughtful. The barn is all of these things. The open-air structure offers nice airflow for warmer weather, while sandy floors provide cozy spots for horses to relax after long trailer rides. Paddocks let them stretch their legs, and tack rooms with keyless door codes include water and feed buckets, spots for saddles and a small refrigerator.

The barn’s six stalls were also completely booked ahead of time for the spring of 2022 – not bad, especially considering that the ranch only opened back in September 2021.

“It’s been my dream to do something involving horses since I was a kid, so here I am – I just kind of followed a little voice in my head,” Maggie says. “Once this takes off, I want to build another bigger barn, and then maybe have

This vacation property in Frisco caters to guests with two feet as well as those with four hooves.

a little house of my own here, too. It’s all going to come together, one step at a time.”

Well before there was even a glimmer of the ranch in her future, however, Maggie’s parents told the 2011 Cape Hatteras Secondary School graduate that she had to go to college first. She obliged, but after earning an associate’s degree, she left to follow her first love. She guided for Equine Adventures in Frisco for a while, and spent time at ranches in Jackson Hole, as well as in California and South Carolina – always knowing she’d find her way home to the beach at some point.

Her mother, Chyrel’s, success as a local restaurateur, was part of the backdrop to Maggie’s upbringing (Maggie even continues to help her mom run the Cockeyed Clam near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse), but Maggie’s parents also had the foresight to buy some property a few years ago when the opportunity arose.

This included the site that Maggie’s parents wound up selling her – a once overgrown jumble of a lot, which they helped her clear to make room for a brand-new

barn. The three formerly rundown units at the forefront of the property were also remodeled into two-bedroom, one-bath cabins with screened-in porches, brightly colored bicycles propped out front, and horse pictures on the walls, of course.

Guests have brought horses to stay at the ranch from as far away as Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina –with another potential visitor talking about making the drive from Texas – and word continues to spread rapidly. Though you don’t have to bring a horse (and booking a stay for your filly actually requires a completely separate reservation), Maggie’s found that the prime seasons for equine enthusiasts tend to be the spring and the fall, likely because traveling with a horse during the height of North Carolina’s summerseason heat isn’t necessarily all that fun.

Though Maggie would love to eventually work with the National Park Service to develop a half-mile path from the back of the ranch directly to the beach, it’s currently

only about a 15-minute ride in the saddle from the edge of the property to the sandy shores of the Atlantic – and the unique thrill of strolling through the surf with their own horses is exactly what most of Maggie’s guests ultimately want to experience.

As for the horses: Some love the beach. Others are wary after watching the water go in and out. Every horse owner knows that the animals can be “fire-breathing dragons sometimes,” Maggie explains with a laugh, and every one of these animals has a different personality.

But virtually all of Maggie’s guests report that the experience is worth it no matter what.

“Nothing compares to the adrenaline you get when you’re riding on the beach,” Maggie explains. “I try to ride out with most of my guests, too…to help get their horses in the water if that’s what they want to do. Mine will go in over his head any time of the year, so he’s a good influence.”

Meeting these various guests and their horses has been a delight for Maggie, and with each new visitor at Sugar Ridge Ranch, her childhood dream canters a little closer to reality.

“It’s been kind of crazy to see it all come to life,” Maggie says. “But it’s also been nice. It just feels like confirmation that this was the right thing.”

Guests have brought horses to stay at the ranch from as far away as Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina.

Pictured above from left to right: The barn at Sugar Ridge Ranch gives horses the opportunity to get away from it all, too; Three onsite, two-bedroom cabins accommodate visitors with or without horses in tow – though the décor is delightfully equine approved; From the ranch, it’s just a 15-minute ride in the saddle to the shining shores of the Atlantic.

Stitch ONE AT A TIME

PHOTO BY RYAN MOSER STORY BY ARABELLA SAUNDERS

IN 1992, MARIA AVELAR WAS A STUDENT AT A SMALL CATHOLIC SCHOOL in Nacaome, Honduras – and as a teen, she was often reprimanded by the nuns for fidgeting with sewing projects under her desk while she was supposed to be learning mathematics.

Thirty years later, Maria is the owner and sole employee of Slipcovers by Maria, where she creates custom slipcovers for hundreds of homeowners all over the Outer Banks.

“It was just something that I knew I wanted to do since I was a little girl,” Maria says. “If there’s a heaven, I’m living in it.”

Her love for needlecraft grew from childhood afternoons spent watching her mother work the sewing machine at their kitchen table. When she was later required to choose a trade at Catholic school to learn on top of her other studies, sewing was a natural choice.

“I started doing clothes for the girls in my village while I was still learning,” Maria says, “but I always want to be better and practice every day.”

After graduating, Maria moved to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, to continue making custom clothes. Soon after, she got married, and then pregnant, before moving to Los Angeles with her husband in 1995.

At the time, Maria didn’t speak English, and she didn’t have a job lined up in the States. She knew she was hardworking and talented, though, and she hoped those two traits would lead her to a job in the sewing industry.

Which wound up coming to fruition with the help of a well-timed pizza delivery driver.

“My friend was delivering pizza to a designer who asked if he happened to know someone who could sew,” Maria explains. “And he said, ‘As a matter of fact, I do.’”

A few days later, Maria went in for an interview. The designer presented her with a chair and instructed her to design and sew a slipcover.

“I was actually fascinated because that was a new task for me,” Maria says. “She gave me the fabric, and I started it, and she was very impressed.”

So impressed, that Maria worked for the designer for roughly a year and a half – but during that period, she and her husband also separated. As a newly single mother living on a limited income, Maria was forced to make a difficult decision: To temporarily send her son, Jay, who was less than a year old, back to Honduras to live with his grandmother.

“Just thinking about it gives me chills,” Maria says. “The best way to describe it is like being ripped apart. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”

For seamstress Maria Avelar, there’s no substitute for quality, and it’s led to a busy life rescuing local furniture.

In early 1998, Maria moved to Washington, D.C. to live with her brother. She took a job as a barista in a coffee shop and enrolled in English language learning classes. Word traveled fast that she was skilled with a sewing machine, and she was soon running an independent seamstress business as well. For two years, she worked tirelessly to save money – and in 2000, all that paid off when she was finally reunited with her son.

“I remember when I went and picked him up at the airport I was crying because he didn’t want to come with me,” Maria recalls. “It was hard because he didn’t recognize me.”

Only a few years later, Maria visited the Outer Banks for the first time on a vacation with her boyfriend and Jay, and by 2004, they relocated here permanently as a family.

At first, Maria got a job waiting tables during lunch shifts to ensure that she was home in the afternoons when Jay got out of school, and once again, she began establishing herself as a talented seamstress in a new area.

“I got to know a lot of people through the restaurant business, so I started telling them that I was doing slipcovers,” Maria says. “It got to the point that I just wasn’t able to do both, and so I decided that it was a no-brainer to do something that I love.”

In 2017, Maria was able to quit her waitressing job in order to sew fulltime.

Today, her social media pages are filled with nearly 500 posts of the different projects she’s worked on – from custom-made slipcovers for dozens of dining room chairs to a hand-sewn dress she tailored for a friend’s wedding.

Her favorite project to-date is a slipcover she created for a blue leather sectional in a large rental home in Carova. The couch’s leather was peeling badly after a few seasons of use, and the homeowner was ready to send it to the landfill. Luckily, he called Maria first.

“Instead of throwing it away, I thought, ‘I can rescue that,’” Maria says, recalling how her teachers used to give her and her classmates large bags of donated clothes to repurpose the fabric for new designs – a guiding concept that has stayed with Maria throughout her entire career. “Sometimes the customer doesn’t grasp what I’m seeing, but they trust me, and I think that might be the part I enjoy the most.”

In the future, Maria hopes to continue bringing new life to pre-loved items – but only as quickly as her schedule allows. To put how busy she is in context, she recently refused to let a friend create a website for her business. She knows her limits, and she won’t take on new clients if it might mean sacrificing the quality of the work she’s known for.

“It’s not like, ‘Okay, I’ll charge you this amount of money, then, ‘See you, ‘bye,’” Maria explains. “I don’t want that. I want to build relationships with my customers – and it’s crazy because I’ve really been able to do that.”

For now, Maria simply continues to do the work she loves for the people who’ve grown to love her, and she does it all with a total of six sewing machines – five in the house, and one in the car for on-the-fly emergencies. Propped on top of two of those machines in her living room are two miniature American flags. Maria got them when she was sworn in as a United States citizen in Raleigh in December 2018, and she still says it was one of the best days of her life.

“My mother passed away about six years ago, and when I told her that I was doing really well with my business, she said, ‘I knew you would,’” Maria adds. “She didn’t have any doubts about it.”

“Sometimes the customer doesn’t grasp what I’m seeing, but they trust me, and I think that might be the part I enjoy the most.”

A MARRIAGE IS A PARTNERSHIP OF COMPROMISE. Sometimes those compromises revolve around big things, such as where to put down roots or how to navigate dual career pathways. You’ll also likely have to figure out whether you married into a family that runs 5ks on Thanksgiving morning or one that sits around watching the Macy’s parade with mimosas, and decide whether your vacations revolve around a sandy beach or a snowy mountain.

Board

Ba enand

Other times, compromise means dividing household chores according to who despises emptying the dishwasher more or who has gone through the CVS drive-thru less on any given month – or having heated debates in the garden section of the local nursery about what exactly you’re supposed to plant in September when your partner hates mums.

In my marriage, it all came down to a rather unexpected compromise on home décor.

For context, I’ve learned that marrying a surfer comes with a whole set of parameters – one being that you have to figure out how to accommodate all their excessive sports equipment. During our wedding ceremony a dear friend thoughtfully cautioned me to never refer to surfboards as “toys” – and given the success of his 30-plus year marriage, I have taken his recommendation to heart.

True surfers do not have one mere surfboard. They maintain a quiver – a selection of boards that are used for very specific conditions or display a level of collectability and/or status. So while my husband’s active quiver may contain six boards that are stored in the shed, we also have four to five given “wall hangers” that absolutely dictate my home décor. These are collectibles: specially shaped, vintage, limited edition single fins with raised pin lines and unique resin tints (I’m told) and are to be adored and admired, but never used, much like a Waterford crystal paperweight.

by amanda mcdanel

But how do you display such curios when there’s no cabinet designed to neatly store them? I currently have one suspended from the ceiling in our living room, one perched on top of the kitchen cabinets, one leaning up against a wall in the den, and another on active duty in the office.

Maybe you, too, live with a sizeable quiver, or even simply have an old unridden board from your glory days that you procured from a neighbor and – while it’s not a wall hanger – it’s also no longer rideable, but you’d still like to hold on to it for nostalgia’s sake. Have no fear: With a bit of ingenuity (and a few crafty essentials), you can easily brush the dust off those old boards and give them new life on land.

[One caveat: I am required by surfer marriage law to state that you should get your board checked out by a professional before defacing it by using any of the methods below. If a single fin vintage Hobie or Gerry Lopez board gets destroyed in this process, you and I are both dry docked on a reef.]

Inside your home

Memo Board: After giving your board a quick sanding, apply a primer, followed by a coat of chalkboard paint. Use it to display the week’s dinner menu, a daily quote or an ongoing grocery list.

Custom Wine Holder: Purchase several small metal wine display racks and mount them either horizontally or vertically on your board – then display it either by hanging the board or leaning it up against the wall.

Hanging Chandelier: Suspend your board from the ceiling so that it’s parallel to the floor (high-test fishing line works well here) and drill a few small holes through the center to thread cording for pendant lights.

Vertical Plant Garden: Use a sharp chisel to hollow out several small sections (or one large section) along the length of your board without going all the way through to the other side. Pack the holes with dirt and cover them with chicken wire to contain the growing medium, then insert succulents or other hardy plants.

60 | SUMMER 2022 (surf)

Taking it outd rs

Mirror Mosaic: Cover your board with a light coat of concrete material and insert broken pottery, dishes, tile, shells or pieces of a broken mirror to create a colorful mosaic masterpiece for your yard.

House Numbers: Propping or mounting a board against a house piling or other road-facing area gives you a blank canvas to paint a mural of your house numbers in a bold coastal style.

Outdoor Shower: First, measure the height of your water spout to make sure the board will fit, then cut openings in the board to accommodate your shower head and faucet – bonus points if you also install a soap holder on the board or mount a second board horizontally with hooks to create a matching towel holder.

What to do with oken boards

Directional Sign: Displaying a post with directional signs is a fun customizable trend, and you can use the broken nose of a board as a sign to include the milage to your favorite surf destination.

Mailbox Post: Swap out your boring wooden mailbox post for a broken board by sinking the bottom of the board into the ground and attaching your mailbox directly to the front of its nose.

Tiki Toss Game: Also known as a Hook and Ring game, this fun bar activity involves a ring hanging from a string and a hook mounted to a flat vertical surface. Attach a large c-hook to your board, mount it to a post and use it as your target – first one not to spill their drink is the winner!

Joe

Lori McGraw

A Taste of the

TROPICS

Compiled by Amelia Boldaji Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Neal

Not one to shy away from a challenge, interior designer

Amy Hilliker Pope found herself wondering if there was a way to revamp a shoreside look that didn’t stray too far from that original concept. With a client who was open to fresh ideas, Amy took inspiration from the few years she spent designing in Miami, Florida, to give the casual bar room of this Corolla home a bit of that Sunshine State swagger – and let a taste of retro style pull together an exciting new way of defining coastal cool.

Tufted-Back Velvet Sofa

It all started with the sofa, according to Amy – which was, ironically, the piece of furniture that took the longest to arrive. As the design centerpiece, however, it was worth the wait. Since the room sat adjacent to another area done all in blues, Amy suggested focusing mostly on green tones in this space for contrast, and adding a retro twist all but demanded an era-appropriate touch of velvet – which perfectly played up the room’s jungle-like faux palms.

Marble-Tiled Wall

Narrowing down ideas for a statement piece to fill the blank space behind the sofa took time – but in collaboration with house builders Mancuso Development, a vision soon evolved to create a showstopping marbletiled wall. Though the unusual approach was tricky to execute, the team made it work – which allowed the gold-accented pattern to do double duty by drawing attention first to the luxe sofa, and then upward to the exposed-beam ceiling.

Accent Accessories

Using the couch as a focal point against the tiled wall ultimately meant that the rest of the room needed to take a backseat to those headliners. Hence the neutral and texturally contrasting leather club chairs, the softly round stone-top metal coffee table, and the woven cowhide rug with a geometrical pattern reminiscent of (yet not identical to) the wall tiles. As a whole, no detail was spared – even when it came down to the accent pillows.

“I wanted to have one pillow that incorporated all the colors in the room,” Amy says of the sofa’s central lumbar

cushion. “Finding that exact fabric was a mission, and we had to have it custom-made, but in the end we did it.”

Painted Shiplap Ceiling

While the pop of a peacock-blue shiplap ceiling is surprising to say the least, the color wasn’t only visually appealing on its own. Forgoing traditional white also gave Amy the opportunity to tie together a number of other design elements in a predominately green-hued room –including the (unpictured) iridescent blue-green shade of the room’s tiled bar – while also making a transition to the adjacent blue room feel cohesively seamless.

sun salutations

Beach Realty & Construction

Beach Realty Recognizes Top Agents

Beach Realty & Construction is pleased to announce the top producing agents for the first quarter of 2022 by month. Congratulations to Ilona Matteson (January), Jackson Dixon (February) and Charles Rocknak (March). All three agents are consistent top producers and have more than 75 years combined experience in real estate sales on the Outer Banks. Beach Realty & Construction is a full-service real estate company offering real estate sales, vacation rentals and new construction and remodeling. For more information contact salesteam@beachrealtync.com.

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Welcomes Jessica Burnette to the Sales Team

A native of the Outer Banks, Jessica Burnette’s father was a contractor who built homes from Carova to south Nags Head – and one could say Jessica grew up on the job site. Jessica enjoys fishing, gardening, boating and raising her daughter here on the Outer Banks. Contact Jessica to discuss your real estate needs at (252) 564-5612 or jessica@brindleybeach.com.

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Recognizes Edith Rowe as 2022 Top Sales Agent To-Date

Edith Rowe has earned the Top Sales Agent Award for the last five years. This award is based on closed sales volume. Edith holds a broker’s license and has been in sales on the Outer Banks since 2000. She brings to the table a degree of local sales acumen and a familiarity with the area found in few agents. Contact Edith at (252) 202-6165 or edithroweobx@gmail.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Names VanderMyde Group the First Quarter Top Producing Team

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce that the VanderMyde Group is the firm’s Top Producing Team for the first quarter of 2022. Heather VanderMyde, along with team members Kiirsten Farr, Will Gregg, Kasey Rabar and Trish Berruet, have ranked number one in listings, sales volume and units for the quarter. Team leader Heather VanderMyde can be reached at (252) 202-2375 or hvandermyde@gmail.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Names the Heather Sakers Team March’s Top Producing Team

Heather Sakers, along with team members Charles Gill, Ann Taylor Lusk and Dolly Saunders, earned the firm’s Top Producing Team Award for the month of March, which is based on closed sales volume. “If you are searching for a realty team that performs at its highest potential, then look no further than Heather and her team,” said a recent five-star review. Team leader Heather Sakers can be reached at (252) 599-6814 or heather@cbseaside.com.

Emily Bray of Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Earns Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist Title

Emily Bray has earned The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing’s Million Dollar GUILD™ recognition for experience, knowledge and expertise in million-dollar and above residential properties. Emily is now a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Agent and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), part of an exclusive group of real estate professionals who have completed The Institute’s training and have proven performance in the upper-tier market. She can be reached at emily@cbseaside.com or (252) 412-5991.

John Leatherwood and The Sandman Team Earns Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite Award

John Leatherwood, along with team members Lisa Strydom and Debbie Knieper, have earned the prestigious Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite Award, presented to the top 10% of all agents worldwide. “If I repurchase in the OBX, John will be the only agent I will use. John the Sandman is the man for all your realty needs!” said a recent five-star review. Team leader John Leatherwood can be reached at (252) 202-3834 or john@sandmanteamobx.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes

Cori Collins to the Elizabeth City Location

Cori Collins recently joined the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Elizabeth City sales team. A native of West Virginia, Cori resides in Elizabeth City with her husband and family. She can be reached at (304) 544-4362 or cori@cbseaside.com.

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sun salutations

Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates

Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates Welcomes Zee B. Lamb as CEO

Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates and Joe Lamb Realty welcome Zee B. Lamb as chairman and CEO. In January, Zee retired as county manager of Nash County, and he previously served as county manager of Chowan and Bertie counties. Prior to his 21 years serving as a county manager, Zee served as general counsel for the State Board of Elections and as legal counsel and senior policy advisor for the Office of Lieutenant Governor. From 1988 until 1997, Zee served as a Pasquotank County commissioner. He attended undergraduate and graduate school at Duke University and law school at UNC-Chapel Hill. Zee has been an active licensed real estate broker since 1979. Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates, founded in 1968, is the longest operating family-owned vacation rental and real estate sales company on the Outer Banks.

SAGA Realty & Construction

SAGA Realty & Construction Welcomes Bonnie Paone to the Sales Team

As a new agent on the SAGA Realty & Construction sales team, Bonnie Paone’s more than seven years of experience managing vacation rentals gives her clients a competitive edge. She has an unrivaled expertise in rental projections, ROI, and identifying positive cash flow opportunities for her clients. She looks forward to being a valuable resource and asset to each of her current and future clients for all their real estate needs.

SAGA Realty & Construction Welcomes Kevin Cretella to the Sales Team

Kevin Cretella has joined the sales team at SAGA Realty & Construction. He graduated from James Madison University, where he played Division 1 college tennis and then later coached tennis in multiple states. His experience has taught him to act quickly and stay calm during high pressure situations. His work ethic, marketing expertise, ability to understand his clients’ needs and sharp negotiation skills make him the optimal agent to lead you through the process of buying, building or selling a home.

Sun Realty

Michael Davenport Earns Agent of the Month, Fourth Month in a Row

Sun Realty sends huge congratulations to Michael Davenport for earning Agent of the Month four months in a row. Michael has been with Sun Realty for 37 years. He provides exceptional service for his buyers, sellers and investors, and works hard to get the best result for his clients. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current home or find your perfect spot on the beach, give Michael a call. He can be found at the Sun Realty Kill Devil Hills office or (252) 202-6113.

Twiddy Premier Sales

Twiddy Welcomes New Sales Agent Mitzi Thompson

Mitzi Thompson is no stranger to Twiddy & Company – in fact, she’s been a member of the Guest Services team for nearly two decades. With extensive knowledge of the property management world and decades of local insight, Mitzi is a fantastic resource for buyers and sellers alike. Reach Mitzi anytime at (252) 455-7515 or mthompson@twiddy.com.

Twiddy Celebrates Jason Summerton’s Success

Congratulations to Jason Summerton on his continued success and consistently ranked position as the #1 Sales Agent in the 4x4 area of Corolla. Since 2006, Jason has been a leader in 4x4 sales, and his expertise makes him the best resource for buying or selling in the most unique area of the Outer Banks. To learn more, contact Jason at (252) 202-0105 or jasonsummerton@twiddy.com.

Twiddy Honors Janice Scarborough for Years of Service

Twiddy Premier Sales would like to recognize Janice Scarborough for her many years of service with the Outer Banks Association of Realtors. Janice is a thoughtful and dedicated agent who can’t wait to help others achieve their real estate goals. Call Janice at (252) 722-2410 or email  jscarborough@twiddy.com.

Twiddy Congratulates the OBX Legacy Home Sales Team for Outstanding Sales

The OBX Legacy Home Sales Team has remained a top producer along the northern Outer Banks and beyond. Hunter Davis, Martha Springer and Kaleigh DiPietro are a powerhouse trio with more than $23 million in year-to-date sales. Call Hunter Davis at (704) 936-6456 or email hdavis@twiddy.com.

Twiddy Congratulates The OBX Homes Team for a Record-Breaking Year

Heather McLay and Crystal Swain of The OBX Homes Team were Twiddy & Company’s top producers for another consecutive year in 2021 with more than $98.5 million in total sales volume, which is a record-breaking figure for the company! Heather and Crystal were the top selling agents in Corolla and the #3 agents in the entire Outer Banks MLS for 2021. Specializing in oceanfront, rental and investment properties on the northern beaches since 1996, this dynamic duo provides excellent service and outstanding results for both buyers and sellers. You can contact Heather and Crystal at (252) 573-1646 or team@obxhomes.com.

During the offseason, David’s dog, Lilly, can also help keep watch.

David Elder

NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY’VE SEEN A WHALE JUMP OUT OF THE OCEAN FROM THEIR OFFICE WINDOW, but David Elder is one of them. Though it was never exactly his plan to spend the majority of his career by the shore, the outdoors always did call to him – from whitewater rafting in southwest Pennsylvania where he grew up to a two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, and then another two years as a climbing guide on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, it was only a chance encounter in Nags Head that sent him down an entirely different path than he’d ever imagined – and now 30 years later, he’s one of the most familiar faces on the beach. Literally.

How did you get involved with ocean rescue?

I had just come back to Pennsylvania after four years in Africa, and had reverse culture shock when I went to buy some toothpaste – there were too many choices! [Laughs] The phone rang later that night, and it was a friend inviting me down to Nags Head for the weekend. One morning we were there, Sandy Sanderson – the father of Nags Head Ocean Rescue – was out on the beach when we went for a run. At the time, the test for lifeguards was to run from Bonnett to Bladen Street, swim out around the Huron wreck, and then run back to Bonnett – so I did it, and Sandy said something like, ‘You can swim, do you want a job?’ [Laughs] I swallowed the hook, and I don’t even know if it had bait on it.

How did you end up in Kill Devil Hills, and what kinds of things are you responsible for as supervisor?

I worked for Nags Head Ocean Rescue for several years in the early ‘90s, then started Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue and ran that for a year. That winter, the town of Kill Devil Hills was looking to bring ocean rescue in-house as a municipal service, and I’ve been here now since 2000. As far as I know I’m the only year-round lifeguard on the Outer Banks, so this is my primary concern…I have to have an understanding of [things like] planning, contingencies, expenses, recruiting, training and equipment – everything from trucks to guard stands and more. But at the end of the day, if you ask me what I do? I’m a lifeguard. [Laughs] I don’t need a whole lot of words to say it.

Has a lot changed in the three decades you’ve been working in ocean rescue?

Last year we didn’t have one fatality in the ocean in Dare County – and we also had the largest crowds anybody had ever seen. While I’d love to say we’re better informed now, it’s still about problem-solving and preventing…and making information approachable. There are a pretty crazy number of levels that factor into that, but I think that the biggest thing that’s changed is communication. I don’t educate; I prepare and then inform. The job is still a person with a buoy and fins, but I always tell my staff that it’s important to be approachable…that’s how we can make sure people have access to good information.

What are some of the most important things to know about your job?

During the offseason, I’m an army of one, and in peak season we have a staff of close to 60 on stands about 400 yards apart from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day – plus a bunch of ATVs, and more than two people with communication devices on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wind, swell, tide: That’s the total safety package; that’s what I look at every day. In life, and in this job, if you’re observant, you’ll see things. But it’s constant, and it’s definitely a calling. A [cautionary] flag is only as good as the guard who put it there, and I don’t make the waves – I just have to figure out how to deal with them.

Photo by Cory Godwin / Story by Amelia Boldaji

Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue Supervisor