Corolla Archives - Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates

Outer Banks Valentine’s Day Getaway

‘Tis the season for love! Valentine’s Day this year is all about romance on the Outer Banks. Your favorite seaside destination is perfect for a romantic couples’ getaway. Whatever you plan to do on Valentine’s Day, we know all the things to do to make it extra special.

Rent a beach house

To start off your Valentine’s Day, there’s nothing better than a scenic view from your front porch. With one of Joe Lamb Jr.’s beach houses, everyone is welcome, whether it is with a partner or the whole family. The beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina are the perfect place to spend Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart. Whether you’re staying for a long weekend or an entire week, you’ll have a great time.

Watch Sunrise on the Beach

The sunrise on the Outer Banks is unmatched. Stroll the island’s eastern side to watch a spectacular display of light shine across the Atlantic. Give your date a lifetime memory by sharing this experience! Enjoy the sunrise from the romantic comfort of one of our oceanfront homes while you catch a glimpse of the sunrise.

Watch Sunset at Jockeys Ridge

Jockeys Ridge is the largest sand dune on the east coast. Allowing for panoramic views of both the sound and the ocean. This time of year, there are fewer crowds on Jockey’s Ridge, which makes it an ideal spot to watch sunsets over the Roanoke Sound. During sunset, the sand dunes are unmatched.

Romantic Dinner

There are a number of different culinary experiences that you can enjoy on the Outer Banks. A wide range of dining options are available on the island, so you can choose the one that suits you best. In preparation for Valentine’s Day, many restaurants offer special dinner menus for their customers. We recommend making reservations (if possible) for your favorite local restaurant in advance.

Take a Stroll in the Gardens

The Elizabethan Gardens are located in Fort Raleigh National Park. This garden has become one of America’s most beautiful and unique gardens since the first attempts to colonize America by England under Queen Elizabeth I. The Roanoke Sound’s tranquil setting makes this scenic year-round garden a perfect spot for a Valentine’s Day stroll. Find out more about the fascinating beauty of camellias as one of the featured flowers in February.

Star Gazing

Observe the Milky Way and shooting stars! Among the most popular things to do on the Outer Banks is stargazing. The Outer Banks have dark skies and limited light pollution, and are a romantic place to stargaze with your loved one. Valentine’s Day beneath the stars.

Outer Banks New Year Resolution

Now that we are in 2023, people are starting to make changes. Spending time with family, learning new skills, relaxing more, or creating new memories might be on your list of resolutions. An Outer Banks vacation allows you to accomplish all of these things. Contact us today to reserve your 2023 vacation!

Learn to Surf

Besides its picturesque beaches, the Outer Banks is an ideal destination for surfers. World-class surfing spots are found around the Outer Banks, attracting surfers from all over the globe. However, these waves are not just for professionals but vacationers looking for water fun. Various surf schools offer lessons for vacationers of all ages. Try dancing on the water this year as a new year’s resolution.

Visit all 5 Lighthouse

There are five lighthouses on the Outer Banks, which protect its shores. Driving along the barrier island coast will allow you to see these lighthouses. Reach the top to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the island. Take an Outer Banks lighthouse road trip this year and visit them all!

Try a New Local Spot

Local restaurants, shops, and attractions are plentiful along the Outer Banks. This year try something new that you have never experienced before. Embrace a first experience this year!

Buy your Own Vacation Home

Buying a beach house has always been a dream of yours. Find that perfect beach home with the help of one of our real estate agents. Get in touch with an agent by clicking this link.

Reel One In

A favorite fishing spot has always been the Outer Banks. Known as “The Billfish Capital of the World,” fishermen travel far and wide to catch a bite. Perhaps you can fish deep sea, from the pier, or even from the beach. If fishing piques your interest, make this your destination. There may be a record catch this year.

Spending time with family

A vacation on the Outer Banks is the perfect way to spend quality time with your loved ones. Aside from the beach, there are plenty of activities to be enjoyed by the whole family. It’s an enjoyable way to spend time together, experience new things, and create new memories.

Go somewhere new

There is always room for new adventures. This year, why not spend some time on the Outer Banks beaches? Vacations are a great way to relax, have fun, and appreciate nature. Relax at the beach as you deserve it.

Fire Destroys the Original Cotton Gin

Fire destroyed the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg.

The original Cotton Gin on the Currituck Mainland has been so much a part of Outer Banks life that it’s hard to imagine what it will be like without it. After Saturday’s blaze the left only charred remains of the store, we’ll have to face that reality.

We don’t know yet what caused it or why it burned fro eight hours and the Currituck Fire Departments were unable to put the blaze out.

We can hope the Wright family who own the Cotton Gin will be willing to and have the resources to rebuild it.

But we don’t know any of that right now.

All we know right now is that one of the most remarkable and wonderful stores ever is gone.

Wandering through the Cotton Gin was like walking through an attic that was a combination rambling old mansion and barn. There was a randomness about how it all came together that made exploring the many rooms—none of them very large—the type of activity that could keep anyone, man, woman, child, occupied for hours.

The product selection was, well, different. In a wonderful individualistic way. That the store was successful was obvious. Why it was successful —that’s a bigger question.

In the world of retail that now exists, the Cotton Gin is exhibit A that most of the experts don’t know what they’re talking about.

This is not, or was not in this case, an example of a slickly merchandised store. Just the opposite. Instead there was a beautiful charm that it exhibited was founded on not being perfectly organized.

It absolutely would not work in almost any other store or setting. But for the Cotton Gin it was perfect.

There are three Cotton Gin stores still in existence—Corolla, Nags Head and Duck. They are very nice store; Corolla comes closest to the original. But nothing will ever quite match the original Cotton Gin.

Hot Music, Hot Night for Midsummer Meltdown

People's Blues of Richmond at Mike Dianna's Grill Room, Corolla during the Midsummer Meltdown on Sunday. — People’s Blues of Richmond at Mike Dianna’s Grill Room, Corolla during the Midsummer Meltdown on Sunday.

It was hot, it has humid and, yes, maybe there was a bit of a melt down but the Mid Summer Meltdown in Corolla was one heck of a show.

The headliner was the People’s Blues of Richmond. This is probably the third time we’ve seen them thanks to Bearded Face Productions who keep bringing them back to the Outer Banks.

The important thing to know about PBR, though, is they seem to just keep getting better and better. The group is a trio with Tim Beavers on guitar, Matthew Volkes on bass and Nekoro Williams, drums. But their music is so full, so complex that it’s sometimes where it’s hard to imagine there’s only three of them.

They played some of their newest material, and it’s really interesting stuff. Still based on the blues, but they’re clearly seeing how far they can take their sound. This is really a group worth checking out if the opportunity comes up.

C2 & the Brothers Reed opened for the Meltdown. Evidently they lost their lead singer a little before the Midsummer Show date. What they decided to do, since they didn’t have someone for vocals was put together some jams. Wow! There is no other word to describe how tight and how musically interesting what they were doing sounded.

Hopefully they’ll be back and maybe even with a lead singer in the future.

The summer and the fall a filled with events for the whole family. Be sure to check out Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates for the best homes in the best locations.

An Outer Banks Sanctuary Takes the Lead

High waters of the Currituck Sound at the Audubon Sanctuary docks in Corolla.

The Pine Island Hunt Club is now the Donal C. O’Brien Audubon Center in Corolla. At one time it was one of the premier hunting lodges on the Currituck Sound, it’s holdings stretching from the Currituck Sound to the Atlantic Ocean.

Before NC 12 connected the Currituck Banks with the rest of the world, to drive to Corolla, everyone had to pass through the guard gate at the south end of the property. The guard house is still there on the south end right on the Dare/Currituck County line.

There’s a wide, hard-paced path that used to be the dirt road everyone took to get drive north. It’s a wonderful walk now, and perfect for any bike that has fat tires.

Forty years ago it was donated to the Audubon Society by the Slick family, the last owners of the property. For the past 10 years, Audubon has been solely responsible for maintaining the grounds.

The administrative center is in a beautiful old building—the 1913 clubhouse.

There was a gathering at that clubhouse recently of northeastern North Carolina elected officials, representatives of the Governor and Audubon North Carolina executives.

It was an interesting meeting, bringing together a variety of ways of viewing how and what government should do. But what was particularly interesting was the agreement—not consensus, but agreement—that concerted action was necessary to mitigate rising waters.

It had rained very hard the day before the meeting. The ground was saturated and at the docks where kayak tours are launched, Currituck Sound had flooded the road leading to it.

Robbie Fearn, Sanctuary Manager explained what was happening.

“One of the big challenges that has really not been addressed about barrier islands is that you have the ocean coming up on one side and the sound on the other side. The water table sits on this pocket of salt water underneath. As that come up, every time it rains, like it did buckets last night, that water has no place to go,” he said.

To mitigate some of those effects, Audubon will be being a very large living shoreline project on the property soon. Other plans were also discussed that will keep the facilities viable for some time.

The Outer Banks is a beautiful place to live or visit. Come stay with us at Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates and discover for yourself what life on a sandbar is all about.

Outer Banks 4th of July an All Day Affair

Fireworks over Avalon Pier, Kill Devil Hills.

On the Outer Banks the 4th of July is pretty much an all day affair. There’s a parade; there’s a street fair—two of them, really. And of course fireworks. Spectacular fireworks.

One of our favorite ways to start our Independence Day celebration and really get us in the mood for the rest of the day is to check out the town of Duck’s 4th of July parade.

Parade, Town of Duck, 9:00 a.m.

Nothing that we have seen is quite like it. It is this wonderful combination of the weird, wacky and love of country that it is impossible to walk away and not be smiling.

Plan to arrive a bit early. Parking and traffic can be a problem.

The Duck parade is a morning event, so there’s plenty of time to get ready for the afternoon events.

There are two of them and they lead right into some spectacular fireworks.

Whalehead Club, Corolla, 3:00 p.m.

Fireworks at Dusk

Games, competitions and rides geared toward children during the afternoon. Lots of food vendors are always on hand and usually there’s fundraiser or church group thrown in the mix with some delicious homemade goodies.

The setting is beautiful and the fireworks over Currituck Sound is as good as it gets.

Manteo Waterfront, 3:00 p.m.

The Manteo 4th of July festivities are street fair and celebration all rolled into one.

A lot of food vendors, craft booths, offbeat and original competitions—Wacky Hat and Best Bike Decoration contests—and the traditional. Best apple pie…it doesn’t get any more traditional than that.

Live music all day. Just a wonderful, wonderful time.

The fireworks are lit off at Roanoke Island Festival Park, but can be easily seen anywhere along the waterfront.

Just Fireworks

Nags Head, Nags Head Fishing Pier
Kill Devil Hills, Avalon Pier

There is something indescribably wonderful about sitting on the beach and watching fireworks. Making it better, the towns do a really nice job of putting on an excellent show.

The two locations are about five miles apart, so it is possible to sit in the middle of the piers and watch both shows. Some of the sound and effects are lost over distance, but it is a pretty cool experience.

We hope you’re as excited as we are at Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates about celebrating our nation’s birthday.

Second Outer Bean Opens in Village of Duck

Outer Bean in Duck. A great look and many of the same great items.

Outer Bean in Kitty Hawk has always been one of our favorite places. Great coffee, excellent smoothies, wonderful sandwiches and lunch specials—made with organic ingredients when owner Necla (Nay-schlah) Rader can get them.

The help is always friendly and the feeling is very much a European cafe, where you can sit and sip an espresso and no one will hurry you away. Some of that feeling may be that Necla’s native country is Turkey and before she became a citizen she traveled a lot.

The big news is, though, there are now two Outer Beans.

This past week the second Outer Bean opened in the Barrier Island shops right on the north end of Duck. The shop is right across the street from Sunset Grille.

This new place is much smaller, so some of the menu items are not available in Duck. However, the staples are still there. On a hot day, the iced cappuccino is excellent and their smoothies are guaranteed to put a bounce in anyone’s step.

They will be serving sandwiches at the new location, but paninis and those spectacular soups that Necla whips up…well, there’s just no room to make any of that.

Initially the Duck Outer Bean will have to be mostly a to go place. Over time, Necla may be able to figure out some sort of seating arrangement, but right now the place is pretty small and any seating would have to be outside.

It’s definitely worth checking out. It is the perfect location for weekend traffic heading to Corolla. Just about the time things begin to ease up a bit, Outer Bean will be on the right. A great excuse to stop before the last half hour of the trip.

Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates homes put our guest in the heart of what’s happening on the Outer Banks. We look forward to seeing you this summer and many times to come.

SELC Sues to Stop Mid Currituck Bridge

Proposed route of the Mid Currituck Bridge.

In a move that is probably a surprise to no one who is following the events, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is suing NCDOT to stop construction of the $500 Mid Currituck Bridge.

The SELC has been opposed to the bridge since it was first formally proposed in the late 1990s. The span will connect Aydlett on the Currituck mainland to Corolla, bypassing the troubled intersection of US 158 and NC 12 in Kitty Hawk. Highway planners see the bridge as the best option to alleviate the traffic jams that have plagued weekend traffic in the summer for years.

With the announcement in March of a Record of Decision approved by the Federal highway Administration, the the Mid Currituck Bridge moved closer than it ever has to reality. The Record of Decision is the final step before construction bids are let.

According to the SELC they are representing a number of groups and organizations including the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, hunters, fishermen. A local group NoMCD, is also opposed to the bridge, although it is unclear if they are part of the suit.

The case was filed on April 23 in in the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The SELC maintains the bridge is an expensive and unnecessary project that will significantly damage to the environment. The suit alleges NCDOT failed to hold any public hearings on the Environmental Impact Statement since 2012.

The current Environmental Impact Statement is based on a 2012 EIS that was issued just before a planned ROD. NCDOT did solicit public input for the updated EIS, although there were no public hearings.

The bridge will be toll bridge. Although highway engineers believe it will alleviate traffic congestion it main purpose is to bring hurricane evacuation into compliance with state standards.

Sp[ring is here and it is spectacular on the Outer Banks. Plan your visit now with Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates.

Outer Banks Taste of the Beach Coming Soon

Spring is almost here and that means the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach cannot be far behind.

There are a lot of places that do a “Taste of…” but no one does it as well as the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach.

Think of it as a combination amazing culinary adventure and a tour of the of everything from Corolla to Manteo…with a couple of side trips to the mainland.

The dates have been moved back just a bit this year and the event will be the last weekend in March, beginning or Thursday. The dates are March 28-31.

Hopefully that will get us slightly warmer weather. In the past the ToB has been in the middle of March and weatherize we’ve run the gamut from balmy springtime to nor’easter.

Regardless of the weather, the show must go on.

Since most of the events are indoors, what’s happening outside shouldn’t matter too much There are, however, two outdoor events that will certainly benefit from better weather…although experience has taught us that regardless of the weather the BBQ & Wings Showdown is a lot of fun.

Look for the Showdown at the Nags Head Soundside Event Site from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

One other big event to put on the radar is the Chefs Grand Tasting & Bartenders Bubbly Bash. That also will be held under the tent at the Event Site.

Although it’s outside, the Event Site tents will allow far more room for the what is a grand finale of the weekend. The Grand Tasting has been growing is size and squeezing everyone into one room has become difficult for the restaurants and at time uncomfortable for the guests.

The Chef’s Grand Tasting will be Sunday from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

As the big weekend gets closer, we’ll call out a couple of events that look especially different and interesting.

Be sure to book your home for this very special week with Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates.

Hello to Mustang Rock & Roast, Goodbye to TS Michael

Hurricane Michael will be just a memory by Saturday and Sunday, but as it leaves the Outer Banks it’s dragging some awesome weather behind it.

Actually by the time it gets to the Outer Banks, it will be Tropical Storm Michael and after looking at every weather forecast we can find, it looks as though Thursday and early morning Friday are going to be wet and windy days, but nothing that would raise concerns on the Outer Banks.

What that means is for anyone who had plans for the upcoming weekend, don’t change those plans.

The big event of this coming weekend is the Saturday and Sunday Mustang Rock & Roast, combining great music with food. It’s hard to imagine anything wrong with that combination.

Six bands will take the stage on both days, and one of the best features of Mike Dianna/Bearded Face Production is the continuous music through the use of two stages. As one band is playing, the next one is setting up, and when the fist band’s set ends, the music begins immediately

It creates a great day of music.

This year though, Mike is taking it one step farther by combining fun food with the festival.

Saturday its steamed oysters—that’s the Rock—and Sunday there’s a barbecue showdown. That’s the Roast.

The headliners for the festival, Big Something on Saturday and Pink Talking Fish on Sunday will be capping two days of great music.

And the weather will make this an even better event, with daytime temperature hovering around 70 and bright sunshine.

Proceeds from the Mustang Rock & Roast supports two fantastic causes—the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and the Mustang Outreach program that helps to supplement the music programs in local schools, teaching kids about music and performance.

The Mustang Rock & Roast is just one of a number of great fall events on the Outer Banks. Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates has the perfect accommodations and great rates for an autumn getaway.

Tag: Corolla