July 2nd, 2021

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JULY 2, 2021

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4TH OF JULY YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

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Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Locally Sourced Seafood Steamer Dinners Salads, Sides, and Dips Steamed Shrimp & Crabs (252) 441-8808 | 101 Grey Eagle St. | Nags Head whaleboneseafood.com

Guests of the Conlyn wedding enjoy an ocean breeze as they watch the ceremony unfold on the pier deck. DARYL LAW

Romance at the pier Jennette’s Pier to experience its biggest wedding season ever. PAGE 14

Reviving the spirit of Mex-Econo The Cashmere Jungle Lords to play iconic Outer Banks nightlife spot Mex-Econo. PAGE 6

We could all use a little

beach time.

OUTER BANKS VACATION RENTALS & REAL ESTATE SALES

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!

Say ‘I do’ to health and wellness Wellness guru Maggie Miles offers active, nutritious and adventurous inspiration for your next date night. PAGE 16

ABOUT COAST COAST covers the people, places and characteristics that make the Outer Banks a beach destination for families, surfers and anglers from around the world. For more than 30 years, this publication has featured individuals making a difference in the community, highlighted the latest happenings and shared events that shouldn’t be missed – from live music to theatrics, food festivities, art shows, fishing, surfing, and more.

All local. All the time.

This is COAST.

joelambjr.com • joelambrealty.com • 800-552-6257

EDITOR Hannah Lee Leidy hlleidy252@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Fairbank, John Harper, Sam Harriss, Daryl Law, Maggie Miles, Jessica Taylor ADVERTISE WITH US Find out how you can engage more readers with an integrated marketing program.

John“Ski”Miller, media sales manager, ski.miller@ virginiamedia.com; Elizabeth Catoe, senior account executive, elizabeth.catoe@ virginiamedia.com

THINGS TO KNOW During the summer season (May-August), when Coast is a weekly publication, information must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of an event.

During the shoulder season (September-October), when Coast is a monthly publication — with the exception of November-December and January-February, when two months are combined —information must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of an event.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? For more information, visit coastobx.com; facebook.com/CoastOBX

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

Oceanfront & Open Year Round at 11:30 AM

Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

6

Reviving the spirit of Mex-Econo

By John Harper

Correspondent

The Cashmere Jungle Lords, a Richmond-based trio, plays at 10 p.m. Friday, July 9, at Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint in Kill Devil Hills.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for the Lords, composed of Dominic Carpin on guitar and vocals, Rob Lytle on drums and Bryan Martin on bass. They were the unofficial house band at Mex-Econo, the iconic nightclub-restaurant that occupied the Jack Brown’s building from 1986-1994.

“We want to resurrect the spirit of Mex-Econo,” Carpin says, the Lords’ founder and spiritual leader since 1985. “Bring back some memories and the energy.”

He estimates the band rocked Mexis, as locals called it, more than 100 times over the club’s 8-year run.

For the uninitiated, Mex-Econo was an offbeat venue, known for its unique décor (vacuum cleaners on the walls, a mannequin hand on the front door, for starters), exotic food and welcoming attitude to freaks and geeks.

And the air was filled with sounds from all camps — alternative, rock, funk, reggae and funk, among them.

“It was the golden age of the Outer Banks music scene,” Carpin, 60, says. The Lords provided the perfect soundtrack for the era.

Their tunes feature quirky but literate lyrics addressing subjects, such as horoscopes, oddball characters and crescent rolls housed in a Waring blender of musical styles, which Carpin describes as “southern-fried salsa surfabilly.”

Titles include “My Brother Humpfrey,” “Sidewinder” and “Lady Godiva.”

A dozen of the band’s songs were featured in Season 4 of the Showtime series “Shameless,” starring William H. Macy.

Carpin cranks up the reverb and vibrato and delivers some stinging guitar licks as the rhythm section lays down a steady groove.

“It’s danceable, accessible, fun music,” Carpin says, noting the trio also remakes tunes by artists ranging from Beethoven to The Shadows and Grand Funk Railroad. “We just rev them up and rock them out.”

The night will also feature a tribute to the late Chris Campbell and Michael “Miguel” Geissinger, two of the guiding lights of the legendary nightspot.

Above: A Cashmere Jungle Lords performance at Mex-Econo in 1987. ERIC MCDONNELL/COURTESY PHOTOS

Left: Cashmere Jungle Lords will perform July 9 at Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint.

When: 10 p.m. Friday, July 9 Cost: $10 Where: Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint, 800 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Milepost 8, Kill Devil Hills Info: Cashmere Jungle Lords Facebook

7

This Week at Downtown Books...

Mary Ellen Riddle & Douglas Stover

The Outer Banks Wildlife Art Gallery

Friday July 9 2-4pm

We carry over 75 artists, and specialize in Outer Banks wildlife! Pelicans, shorebirds, herons, ducks, songbirds and wildlife carvings, seashore paintings and prints, lighthouse art, gifts, cards, and all styles of decoys - antique and decorative.

Our 35th year!

New for 2021, a thorough history of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse- sentinel of the Graveyard of the Atlanticillustrated with over 150 historic photographs from two established and renowned Outer Banks writers

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

The Bird Store

Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

8

Load up the car and hit the beach this Fourth of July.

OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU/COURTESY

YOUR

ULTIMATE ATE GUIDE E TO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND

9

By Dave Fairbank | Correspondent

Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

W

hether you’re on the Outer Banks for the Fourth of July due to shrewd planning or a happy accident, there are ample activities and outlets for a festive Independence Day at the beach. Surf, sand, food, nature and, of course, fireworks provide a festive backdrop for visitors and residents for a day full of fun or pure relaxation.

Beach day essentials

Say you forgot beach gear at home or simply didn’t feel like cramming your entire garage into the vehicle for a beach trip. No sweat. Plenty of places have you covered for renting chairs, umbrellas, canopies, boards, bikes, you name it. Most deliver.

Just For The Beach Rentals | Beach chairs, beach wheel chairs, watersports, outdoor games, coolers Ocean Atlantic Rentals | Beach gear, bikes, watersports, baby items and grills Moneysworth Beach Equipment and Linens | Beach chairs, umbrellas, utility carts and coolers OBX Beach Cabana Services | Tents, cabanas, umbrellas, set-up service offered Beach Masters | Tents, beach chairs, coolers, Bluetooth speakers Whether you pack light for the beach or carry enough to equip a platoon, remember water and sunscreen and a wide-brim hat. Have aloe or Solar Recover on hand for the inevitable sunburn (seriously, you’ll thank me later). And if you plan on taking your pooch to the beach, be mindful of the temperature. If the sand is too hot for your feet, it’s likely scorching Rover’s paw pads, as well.

Swim safely

Lifeguard-attended beaches are along the entire expanse. Here’s where to find their stands at each town: Corolla: Ocean Hill, Bismark Street, Corolla Village Road, Shad Street, Stergeon Street, Herring Street, Bonito Street, Sailfish Street, Buck Island, Crown Point, Ocean Sands (Sections P, O, F, D and B), Currituck County Beach Access, Hampton Inn. Duck: Ocean Pines Drive, Carrol Drive, Sprigtail Drive, Widgeon Drive, Snow Geese Drive, Barrier Island Station Duck, Dune Road, Schooner Ridge Drive, Christopher Drive, Scarborough Drive, Four Seasons Lane, Plover Drive Southern Shores: Hillcrest Drive,

Dogwood Trail, Triangle, Chicahauk Trail.

KittyHawk: Byrd Street, Eckner Street and at the Kitty Hawk Bathhouse near Kitty Hawk Road, as well as roving lifeguards on ATVs. Turn to Page 10

Bikes are available to buy and rent throughout the Outer Banks. OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU/COURTESY

Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

10

Produce stands provide fresh, seasonal produce for your Fourth of July cookout or picnic. PHOTO COURTESY OF TARHEEL TOO PRODUCE MARKET

from Page 9 Kill Devil Hills: Helga Street, Hayman

Street, Eden Street, Avalon Drive, 5th Street, 3rd Street, 2nd Street, 1st Street, Coral Drive, Asheville Drive, Woodmere Ave., Carlow Ave., Ocean Bay Blvd., Oregon Ave., Baum Street, Clark Street, Martin Street, Atlantic Street, Neptune Drive, Lake Drive, Eighth Street

Nags Head: Albatross Street, Abalone

Beach Access, Bonnet Street, Hollowell Street, Enterprise Street, Loggerhead Street, Nags Head Town Hall Public Beach Access, Epstein Street, Gray Eagle Street, Jennette’s Pier, Gulfstream Street, Hargrove Street, Ida Street, Indigo Street, Juncos Street, Limulus Drive Hatteras: Coquina Beach, Frisco, Cape

Hatteras Lighthouse Beach

Ocracoke’s Lifeguard Beach near the

airport is the island’s only beach patrolled by a lifeguard.

Bike ride essentials

Cycling is a leisurely, and sometimes more effective, method for exploring and getting around crowded streets and paths.

Outer Banks Bicycle on the Beach Road or Bike Barn on Wrightsville Boulevard in Kill Devil Hills.

Kitty Hawk Cycle on Poor Ridge Road in

Kitty Hawk.

Manteo Cyclery on U.S. Route 64 in Manteo.

Duck Cycle on N.C. Highway 12 in Duck.

Island Cycle and Beach Gear Rentals on N.C. Highway 12 in Avon.

Fuel up

Everybody’s hungry after a day at the beach or cycling around the towns. And you need to be well stocked if you’re hosting the holiday’s cookout!

It’s a special occasion so make grocery shopping special, too. Support the local economy and small businesses by visiting the local merchants and purveyors. These mom-and-pop businesses help bring freshcaught fish, seasonal produce and other island delicacies to the table (and grill) in time for a delicious meal before the fireworks begin.

For seafood

Austin’s Fish Company, Sugar Shack Fish Market and Whalebone Seafood Market in Nags Head.

Billy’s Seafood on Colington Road.

O’Neal’s Sea Harvest at the Seafood Industrial Park in Wanchese.

Dockside ‘N Duck and Tommy’s Natural Foods Market & Wine Shop in Duck.

Bluewater Seafood, Dockside North and Seaside Farm Market in Corolla.

Surf’s Up Seafood Market in Avon,

Buxton Seafood on Highway 12, Austin’s South Island in Rodanthe, and Harbor House Seafood in Hatteras Village.

Produce

Tar Heel Too in the Seagate North Shopping Center in Kill Devil Hills.

Nags Head Produce, next to Austin’s Seafood Company.

Manteo Farmers Market, on Saturday mornings at the Manteo waterfront.

Tomato Shack in Duck.

Dawn’s Harvest Mart or Seaside Farm Mart in Corolla.

Village Red and White Market in Hatteras.

Ready-to-go

Steamer pots are an option if you’d rather simply heat and not go full-on Martha Stewart. Remember to call early.

Outer Banks Boil Co., on the Bypass in Kitty Hawk.

Dockside ‘N Duck and Coastal Cravings in Duck.

Sugar Shack, next to Sugar Creek Seafood at the bend near the Nags Head Causeway.

Steamers in Southern Shores Crossing Shopping Center.

Fat Crabs Rib Co., in Corolla.

Austin’s South Island in Rodanthe.

Fireworks Nothing better captures a Fourth of July at the beach than fireworks over the ocean.

Here are six spots between Corolla and Ocracoke to catch the explosion of colors across the night sky.

Nags Head: Nags Head Fishing Pier | 9:25

p.m. | July 4

Kill Devil Hills: Avalon Pier | 9 p.m. | July 4 Manteo: Roanoke Sound and Shallowbag

Bay | 9 p.m. | July 4 Ample viewing spots along the waterfront, and Roanoke Island Festival Park will be open with music in the evening before the fireworks.

Hatteras: Avon Fishing Pier | 9 p.m. | July 4 Ocracoke: Silver Lake Harbor | 9 p.m. | July

3.

The island’s two-day celebration continues July 4 with a parade through town, a sand sculpture contest at the beach, a scavenger hunt and a community bonfire that evening.

Corolla: Festivities will take place July 5,

based at Historic Corolla Park near the Whalehead Club. Activities begin at 5 p.m. with live music, games and food trucks.

Fireworks will be launched over the Currituck Sound shortly after sunset.

SAGE ADVICE

11

THE SANDBAR

4 oz. Fresh grapefruit juice 2 oz. Vodka or Gin ½ oz. Sage syrup* 2 oz. Soda water Fresh sage leaf for garnish Add grapefruit, syrup and liquor to a shaker tin with ice.

Shake, strain over fresh ice and top with soda water and sage leaf.

ON THE LEDGER OF THE DEEP

By Sam Harriss Correspondent

I have this candlelit image of a man sitting in his boat shack, juniper walls aged with salt spray, buoys and netting hang from the rafters, and with pen in hand he sits stoic, dreaming of the perfect woman … the woman for which he will name his boat. It’s a hell of a decision, way more weighty than the naming of a first child.

It is Hamlet holding Yorick’s skull and contemplating death; it is Alice sitting on a toadstool deciding the right potion; it is your life and the lives of others to come after. A right of passage for every captain and a task to not be taken lightly, for to wish a name change is to wish the unfathomable … to sleep with the fishes. It has to withstand time and live up to the gilded letters painted with careful precision on teak, like the tile mosaics of the Vatican.

The Bow Movement, The Happy Hooker,

Retirement Funs … all names you must be willing to sink or swim with in your eulogy.

I have had a boat named after me and in turn have named a boat. I have even requested removals from Poseidon’s scroll that holds the name of every boat that ever sailed the seven salty seas. And let me whoop wise words of wrathful waves to the wharf men of our world … You hope never to have to go to Poseidon’s lair and kindly ask for an edit on the Ledger of the Deep. That cavernous trench is nothing like Sebastian singing Under the Sea. So burn the Fishin’ Fools keychains, koozies and tchotchkes, and erase the name on land. Light candles and hold a no-wakezone vigil to appease Triton. And for the fishes’ sake, just try and pick a decent name. ...a name we can all toast to because you don’t want your headstone reading Capt. Dan passed during a fatal Bow Movement adventure at sea.

*Add 1:1 sugar water and a bunch of torn sage leaves to a saucepan, dissolve sugar over medium heat and let steep for an hour. Strain.

Don’t skimp on the homemade sage simple syrup; it’s worth it. SAM HARRISS

TOP 10 EVENTS JULY 2-8

By Dave Fairbank

Correspondent

Music: Scott Sechman | July 2 Mako’s Beach Bar and Grill, 1630 N. Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills, 7-9 p.m.

Art: Kathleen Redman Pottery exhibit | July 2-3, 6-8 Dare County Arts Council, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.; Tue-Thurs. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Music: Brian Surratt | July 2 Hatteras Sol Waterside Grill, 58646 N.C. Hwy. 12, Hatteras, 6-9 p.m.

Music: Summer Saturday Shindig with Phil Watson | July 3 Village Table and Tavern, 1314 Duck Road, Duck, 4-9 p.m.

It’s all smiles at the finish line of the annual Freedom 5K/Veteran’s Mile, taken 2017. OBX RUNNING COMPANY/COURTESY

Races: 9th Annual Freedom 5K/ Veteran’s Mile | July 4 102 Town Hall Dr., Kill Devil Hills, 7:30 a.m., registration fee Festival: Fourth of July Celebration | July 3-4 Ocracoke Village; Festivities begin Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Music: Gypsea Souls | July 5 The Tap Shack at Coastal Cravings, 1209 Duck Road, Duck, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Nightlife: Kinnakeet Karaoke with Rory Kelleher | July 7 Turner’s High Moon Bar, 40618 N.C. Hwy. 12, Avon, 8-11 p.m.

Culture: Mustang Mornings | July 7 Betsy Dowdy Equine Center, 102 Young Rider Lane, Grandy, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Music: Mary Joy McDaniel | July 8 Cafe Pamlico, 49684 N.C. Hwy. 12, Buxton, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

A Sailor’s Sage Advice

13

12 Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

15 + varieties of New York Bagels

Hatteras Island Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere

Homemade soups and lunch specialties Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and more Cozy coffee shop Custom cakes and pies

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

The perfect place to start or end your day!

Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

14

Guests of the Conlyn wedding enjoy an ocean breeze as they watch the ceremony unfold on the pier deck. DARYL LAW PHOTOS

Parties at the pier

An inside view of Jennette’s Pier

By Daryl Law Correspondent

It’s a typical summertime Friday around the Jennette’s Pier — feisty fish are tugging on anglers’ lines, kids are soaking up surf camp and Oceanview Hall in the pierhouse is alive with activity as another couple prepares to celebrate their wedding day with a seaside reception.

The round tables are set, a dance floor is going down and celebratory spirits are chilling in the catering kitchen. With beautiful weather forecasted, we hope these two have a lovely, memorable evening surrounded by their family and friends.

After more than a year of inactivity due to the pandemic, the three-person team for facility rentals has again ramped up for wedding season, and the bookings are pouring in, according to Jenny Ash who heads up the department.

“Things are now retaking their normal shape, as capacity limits and restrictions on things, such as mass dancing, have been lifted from event spaces like Jennette’s Pier,” she said in between phone calls. “In the wake of the last executive order from the [North

Carolina] governor; wedding parties can now envision what they originally had planned.”

She also noted community events, like seminars and fundraisers, are also getting back on the calendar such as The Outer Banks Hospital’s Get Pinked and More breast cancer fundraiser in October.

Ash attributes the surge of new bookings to the fact everything was closed in 2020 for COVID-19 restrictions.

“The year ‘on hold’ came with lots of cancelations and reschedules,” she said. “We experienced a significant revenue loss, like so many others.

“Additionally, this creates extra demand on the dates this coming fall and in 2022,” she said. “We are accommodating lots of excited couples and area event plans.

Ash has noticed a few trends emerging with this.

“As for this coming fall as well as spring and fall of 2022, we are seeing lots of action,” she noted.

“Of course, these are always popular wedding months and people are ready to plan out their events after waiting so long.”

The pier team books dates up to 16 months out, so they’re

Inside Oceanview Hall.

now booking into October, 2022.

There are, however, plenty of open dates still available.

“As for the summer season through August, there are nine weddings on the calendar and several community events, including a Blood Connection blood drive July 21 and the Outer

Banks Skim Jam on our south beach July 17-18.”

Ash took over the helm of the facility rentals department several months ago. She looks forward to a bright summer and fabulous fall.

“It is an exciting time for those who are planning or have been

waiting to host events,” she said.

“We are pleased to have our beautiful venue up and running.

We look forward to being a part of some overdue gatherings and seeing a safe return to the social scene!”

For more, go to www.jennettespier.net.

15

Serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner!

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

Seasonal Nightly Entertainment!

Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

16

Take a trip to Roanoke Island for dinner in downtown Manteo and a performance of The Lost Colony. DANIEL PULLEN PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY

INNER BANKS

Healthy date options

By Maggie Miles

Correspondent

Bored of the usual dinner and drinks date? Looking for some healthy options to enjoy with your partner that get you moving or leave you feeling nourished?

There’s so much more to do on the Outer Banks than go to the beach and drink Coronas, think again. With a little creativity and sense of adventure, you’ll find healthy date activities throughout the islands. We’ve done the work for you, and drummed up with fun, alternative dates for you and yours to enjoy this summer.

Dinner and a play

Disc golf

How often do you and your partner actually go out to see a play? Reserve tickets for The Lost Colony, the Tony-award winning, historical outdoor drama held at the open-air Waterside Theatre on Roanoke Island. Grab dinner in downtown Manteo beforehand. Both Avenue Waterfront Grille or Olives A Greek Kitchen have an array of delicious, fresh and veggie-forward options. If you have time, stroll the picturesque waterfront boardwalk and watch the sunset over the sound.

A relatively new activity to the Outer Banks, disc golf is the perfect activity if you want to get out into nature and get your muscles pumping. Three options around the central Outer Banks include the Casey R. Logan Disc Golf Course and the Outer Banks Disc Golf Course, both located in Kill Devil Hills, and the Ace Run Disc Golf Course in Manteo. You could even bring a picnic and drinks to enjoy as you make your way along the course.

Hike to the end of Jockey’s Ridge to watch the sunset

Don’t just cross the U.S. 158 to climb the first dune. Make your way to the state park’s final hill for a show-stopping sunset over the Roanoke Sound. You can do this by hiking from the highway across all of the hills or taking the network of trails through the maritime forest around and behind Jockey’s Ridge. There’s no right way to see the sunset from the park, but two of Turn to Dating, Page 18

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Dating from Page 16

my favorite viewing points are from atop a dune or the beach at the Soundside Access behind Jockey’s Ridge. Go to ncparks.gov for trail details.

Check out Backyard Bootcamp with 3.13 Coaching at Jack Brown’s

Earn your beer together in the backyard at Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint in Kill Devil Hills. $20 suggested donations gets you a class and on Saturdays it gets you a beer as well. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. Bonus: A portion of all proceeds go to local charities, which rotate monthly.

Bike along the Bay Drive for a coffee date A locals’ favorite, Bay Drive (the soundside road in Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk) includes a scenic multiuse path for foot and bike traffic. It connects to Palmetto Street and Helga Street, which lead to Front Porch Cafe and Ashley’s Espresso Parlor, respectively. What’s better than taking a bike ride on the water, absorbing all of the beautiful sights and smells, and ending with a warm, locally roasted, cup of joe? Go to kdhnc.com for bike map details.

Create your own Beach Road bike tour in Nags Head

A stretch of N.C. Highway 12 (known as the Beach Road) through Nags Head is filled with a row of amazing restaurants.

Start around Danube Street and make your way north to restaurant stops like Blue Moon Beach Grill and the oceanview deck at Mulligan’s Grill in Historic Cottage Row. Taste the Caribbean cuisine at the famous Tortuga’s Lie (their steamed veggie/ seafood platter is amazing), try the salads at Lucky 12 Tavern, and end the outing with some fro-yo from Surfin’ Spoon on your return trip.

Go get a ‘Big Salad’

Whoever says a salad isn’t a sufficient meal doesn’t know how to do a proper salad. These local spots, on the other hand, prove this point. If you are looking for a nutritious and filling salad to break up the margaritas and chips and guac, find the balance of leafy greens, whole grains and proteins at these local faves: Lucky 12, Poke Box, Khan’s Mongolian Grill, Woo Casa, Fresh Fit Café, Shine On Juicery, Bad Bean Baja Grill, or Trio Restaurant & Market.

Take your sweetie on an invigorating hike through Nags Head Woods. PHOTO CREDITS TO CARRIE BROTHERS

Explore the forest Get a taste of the wild by taking U.S. 64 west across the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. This preserved wetland is home to black bears and red wolves.

There’s also Nags Head Woods Preserve, where a network of trails lead through the maritime forest. A good option is the trail that ends on top of Run Hill. Pack a picnic and watch the sunset. Just leave with enough time to get back to your car before dark. For info and safety procedures go to fws.gov/Alligator_River and nature.org

Yoga and breakfast

Take a free yoga class with the Peace

Garden Project, held at Beechland Farms in Manteo (donations accepted). Yoga is on the first Sunday of each month and guided meditation on the third Sunday. Ask if you can meet the goats, ducks and chickens while you’re there. Following your time of stretching and centering, head to Fresh Fit Café located waterside on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway to have an amazing, healthy breakfast on the sound. Their menu is amply supplied with gluten-free and vegan options.

Home-prepared farm-to-table meal Go to Secotan Farmers Market or Dowdy Park Farmers Market together,

and procure fresh vegetables, organic, local meats and home-baked bread for dinner at home. While these markets have everything you need to create an amazing meal, simply walking around them is a whole experience unto itself.

The Secotan Market is located in an open-air farm-house style venue in Wanchese. Check out their farm tours and craft workshops while you are there.

Dowdy’s is equally charming, located in Nags Head right across the Bypass from the Outer Banks Family YMCA in Nags Head. In season, the Secotan Market is every Saturday 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and Dowdy’s is every Thursday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Now get out there and nurture your Inner Banks!

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CURRITUCK COUNTY Small Business Spotlight

When You Need More Than a Band-Aid...

Sunny Care Clinic brings minor urgent care to the Currituck Outer Banks rolla Community Clinic last year, which was unsuccessful. It would have brought year-round, traditional medical care to the village. This area needs care.

While my clinic isn’t for everyone, nor does it provide year-round care, it will be a local facility to have minor urgent care needs met during the summer season without traveling south to Duck or Kitty Hawk.

What are the biggest challenges?

Krissi Williams PA-C is the owner and medical provider at Sunny Care Clinic PLLC in Corolla, NC. How long have you been in business in Currituck County?

“While my clinic isn’t for everyone, nor does it provide year round care, it will be a local facility to have minor urgent care needs met during the summer season without having to travel south to Duck or Kitty Hawk.”

The seasonality of our tourism patterns makes it difficult to sustain the practice. I do not have an affiliation with any large medical systems. I do not participate with any health insurances, which is a deterrent for some folks. I believe in direct cost and transparency.

What are the biggest rewards?

I get to take care of people.

What sets you apart?

People will be treated in a personal, and compassionate manner.

We’re brand new, opened up on June 1, 2021. This is the second location for Sunny Care Clinic. The first location opened in Duck in April 2018.

Hawk, I was offered the opportunity to start my own practice.

Can you describe the business?

Why do you do what you do?

Sunny Care Clinic offers same day medical care for minor illnesses and injuries. We can treat strep throat, ear infections, urinary tract infections, rash, insect bites, sun burns, sutures, and most splinter or fish hook removals. Rapid Covid testing is available.

I have always loved medicine, and loved taking care of people. I wanted to practice medicine in a straight forward, transparent manner. I designed my practice to be direct with patients.

Why did you choose Currituck?

Sunny Care Clinic

Talk about the decision to start your own business.

The northern Currituck beaches do not have a public medical clinic for care of any sort. I had contributed to the grant proposal for the Co-

821 Ocean Trail Unit 101 Corolla, NC

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Any advice for someone starting a business in Currituck County?

I would advise them to reach out to the tourism and planning and development departments within Currituck County. They have a wealth of knowledge and resources that are instrumental in smoothly starting a business.

(252) 429-7200 www.sunnycareclinic.com

Larry Lombardi, Director (252) 232-6015 M: (301) 237-8951 Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com www.ThinkCurrituck.com

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

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NATUREWISE

Friday, July 2, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

The mascots of Roanoke Sound

By Jessica Taylor

Correspondent

Summer on the Outer Banks is in full swing and so are the field surveys conducted by the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research (OBXCDR). Our group monitors the local bottlenose dolphin population in the Roanoke Sound through a technique known as photo identification.

It involves photographing the distinctive markings on the dolphin dorsal fins and cataloging the photos to keep track of individual dolphins. It tells us which dolphins are in the sound each year, when they are here, what they do and who they like to spend time with.

Just as visitors flock to the Outer Banks beaches for summertime fun, bottlenose dolphins gather in the Roanoke Sound for abundant food, shelter from predators and shallow waters for playing. Although many dolphins each year are first-time visitors to the sound, the area is a favorite summer vacation spot for a small group of dolphins known as “seasonal residents.” Many of these seasonal residents have been seen for more than 20 summers on the Outer Banks and have given rise to questions: Who are these dolphins? Where are they from?

Why is the Outer Banks so important to them? Years of following our summer “regulars” are illuminating the answers to these questions.

The longest and best known dolphin on the Outer Banks is Onion. This male bottlenose dolphin was first sighted in Beaufort, N.C., during the winter in the late 1980s.

He was a frequent visitor to the area every winter, yet his summertime whereabouts remained unknown until he was sighted by the Nags Head Dolphin Watch in the Roanoke Sound in 1997. Onion is distinctive by the three large slices in his fin.

Although most markings on dolphin dorsal fins are natural, large cuts, such as those on Onion’s fin are likely caused by boat strikes or entanglement. If you do the math and assume that Onion was an adult when he was first sighted (about 10 years old), he would be in his 40s now. This may sound old, however, dolphin males typically live into their 40s while females live into their 50s. Onion is seen frequently feeding and traveling in the Roanoke Sound, distinguishing it as an important feeding and transit area for the dolphins.

However, Onion is not the only seasonal resident that enjoys wintering in Beaufort.

Fatlip, a female bottlenose dolphin, has been seen in the area since the late 1990s.

Over the years, she has been seen with at least four different calves; of them, her current calf will turn 6 years old in August.

When sighted in the sound, Fatlip is typically hard to follow as any good, protective mom would be. She is distinc-

Fatlip first sighting of 2021 on June 6. OUTER BANKS CENTER FOR DOLPHIN RESEARCH/COURTESY PHOTOS

Onion has been spotted in coastal North Carolina since the 1980s.

tive by the large butterfly pattern cut out of the back of her fin which reminded someone of a pair of fat lips. Watching Fatlip raise her calves in the sound year after year has made us realize that the sound provides an important nursery habitat for the dolphins.

As the sound has a much lower salinity (less salt) than the ocean, most types of sharks won’t enter the sound. The shallow habitats in the Roanoke Sound additionally make it less appealing to fresh water-toler-

ant bull sharks. Due to the lack of predators and abundant food sources, nursery groups are plentiful in the sound during the summer, and females, such as Fatlip, are frequently seen traveling with dependent calves or stopping in the shallows for a play date.

Not all seasonal residents choose to spend their winters south, however. Jack is a juvenile dolphin that is a regular visitor to Roanoke Island during the summer but has yet to be seen in Beaufort waters. The

OBXCDR first sighted him several years ago and has watched him (or her) grow in size and friendships over the years.

Male and female dolphins can typically be determined by their behaviors. A dolphin frequently seen with a calf would be considered a female, while a dolphin that typically pairs up with another adult would be considered a male. Jack seems to like to spend time with another dolphin named Long. The pair has been seen trailing adult females, which would be typical male dolphin behavior. (IJack were to appear with a calf several times, he would then become “Jackie.”) It is still a mystery where Jack spends his winters but continued photo-identification monitoring and collaborations with other researchers along the coast may soon elucidate his winter time patterns.

As time goes on, our long-term photo identification study will continue to develop our understanding of how the dolphins use the Roanoke Sound. Keep an eye out for the pods the next time you’re on a boat or at the beach. You might notice them exploring a new area as first time visitors or searching for their favorite feeding spots they had traveled to as calves.

Either way, they’ll also surely be taking great pleasure in enjoying their summer vacation in the Outer Banks!

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, July 2, 2021

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