Southern Shores 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.

Where To Vacation In The Outer Banks

The Outer Banks, frequently abbreviated OBX, is an ideal place to unwind and relax. The beaches are family-friendly, making them a perfect destination for a family vacation. With miles of sandy beaches fun off-shore activities, the Outer Banks offers a wide variety of activities that are well suited for everyone. There are so many fun things to do in the Outer Banks!

Where To Vacation In The Outer Banks

The Outer Banks is filled with quaint towns and fishing villages. An Outer Banks Vacation Rental gives you and your family a private home or condo to call yours for the duration of your vacation.

Three story blue vacation home on the Outer Banks of NC with a private pool.

To the north, Duck and Southern Shores are the newest communities on the Outer Banks.

Centrally located, the towns of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head are more populated, especially in the summer, with plenty of locally owned bars, restaurants, and shops. The town of Manteo wraps around Shallowbag Bay on the eastern side of Roanoke Island.

To the south, on Hatteras Island, isolated towns sit nestled right along the ocean. Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras: one road leads to them all.

Explore the Outer Banks and learn more about the OBX Towns. On your way, you’ll pass through Corolla, where you can spot wild horses roaming the beaches.

Brown horse walking along shoreline in Corolla, NC.

What To Bring To The Outer Banks On Your Vacation

What to pack for in the Outer Banks depends on when you’re traveling. The weather on the Outer Banks of North Carolina varies drastically. We have perfect sunny days, windy days, rainy days, and yes even sometimes snowy days. All in all, the Outer Banks has a lot to offer any time of the year.

Sunscreen, sunglasses, a bathing suit, and layered clothing are all a must. Although if you forget something, you can pick them up at many of the local stores. If you plan on exploring different areas of the island, be sure to bring comfy shoes or flip-flops.

Read more about what to pack in your beach tote when visiting the Outer Banks. You can also view our Outer Banks Weather Guide to see the current or upcoming weather on the OBX.

Waves crashing under the pier with a young boy playing in the surf along the coastline in the Outer Banks, NC

Pet-Friendly Areas Of The Outer Banks

We understand that no one likes having to leave their dog behind when the family goes off for a fun-filled vacation. It’s for that reason that we make sure to have plenty of Outer Banks pet-friendly vacation rentals for our guests. Each Outer Banks town has different beach regulations regarding dogs. Please review information about having your dogs on the beach or feel free to contact us.

Woman walking a dog up a dune path towards the beach access. Outer Banks, NC.

Plan Your Outer Banks Vacation Today

No matter where you choose to stay during your vacation to the OBX, we’re sure you’ll have fun! View all of our Outer Banks Vacation Rentals here and start packing your bags for your next family vacation.

Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates is one of the most trusted vacation rental managers in the local area by growing into a market leader in the Vacation Rental and Sales Industry. Joe Lamb Jr. and his family have played a vital and intricate role in the Outer Banks Community for decades.

Over the past 50+ years, Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates have worked diligently to help promote the Outer Banks for the amazing beach and family vacation destination that it is, helping to increase tourism in the area and grow our beautiful community.

The Beach-Is There One that is the Best on the Outer Banks?

People are always asking us, “What is your favorite Outer Banks beach?”

It’s a tough question to answer, because the truth is, we don’t have one.

When it comes to the beach, or at least an Outer Banks beaches, all of them have a some characteristics in common. From Carova to Ocracoke all of our beaches have a nice soft sand and especially now that so many have been nourished, they tend to be fairly wide. Although there are some exceptions, for the most part, Outer Banks beaches are pretty easy to get to.

All North Carolina ocean beaches are in the public domain, meaning anyone can use the beach when they are on it. Access to the beach, however, is not a public right, and crossing private property to get to the beach is trespassing. Please use public access to get on the beach.

Rather than call out specific beaches, we thought it would be better to give a more general description of each area and what the beaches in each area have to offer.

Corolla

From the southern border of Currituck County at the Sanderling in Duck or where the NC 12 pavement ends north of the Village of Corolla, there’s about 12 miles of wonderful, soft sand.

Currituck County provides four parking areas for beach access. By far the largest is the southern access off Yaupon Road, a little bit south of the Harris Teeter shopping center.

The bathhouse at this access is wonderful. Large and well-maintained, there are a good number of outdoor showers and a fairly large parking area.

One thing to be aware of though, it is a fairly long trek to the beach; about a quarter of a mile, although there is a boardwalk that makes things easier. However, this is one of the best beaches anywhere with a lot of room between the sea and the dunes.

Farther north in the more built up areas of Corolla, parking for beach access is either immediately adjacent to the dunes or across the street.

Something for parents with younger children to consider, the Albacore Beach Access is very close to the Food Lion in Monterey Plaza, and is the closest to retail stores and businesses.

The beach tends to be a bit wider farther south than on the north end toward Carova.

Carova is the 4WD area of the Currituck Banks, north of Corolla. It’s’ a very nice beach but be aware, the beach is the road in this area. If you do decide to drive to Carova to enjoy the beach, Currituck County does require a permit to park on the beach.

Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head

These three towns, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head are actually the core of the traditional Outer Banks vacation spots. They are the most built up and because of that, they will have more businesses, stores and services within easy walking distance than other areas.

Kitty Hawk has the name recognition. Kill Devil Hills is actually the largest town on the Outer Banks. And Nags Head is where it all began–the first tourists started coming to Nags Head in the 1820s.

There are too many parking areas and beach access points to note them all. Look for the CAMA Beach Access sign. Generally that denotes a parking lot for the beach, although sometimes it’s simply an access point with parking elsewhere.

All of the beaches in this area have been nourished and they are in very good condition, and we don’t have a clear favorite at all.

The widest beach is probably south of Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. It is a great location for families. The bathhouse is large and well-maintained and there are a couple of places very close by for food and beach necessities. That area is also a popular surfing site.

Coquina Beach, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, South Nags Head

We had to include Coquina Beach. The entrance is directly across from the entrance to Bodie Island Lighthouse about a mile and a half south of the intersection of Old Oregon Inlet Road and NC 12, which is considered South Nags Head.

This is very much the original look to the Outer Banks. Not a home in sight; rolling sand dunes covered in sea grass; and a beautiful beach.

The parking lot is huge and there is a wind powered bathhouse with showers.

We highly recommend this beach—it is absolutely beautiful. But, be sure to take everything you’re going to need. The nearest businesses, stores or restaurants are at least four or five miles away.

About Duck and Southern Shores

We haven’t included the towns of Duck or Southern Shores for a reason. Their beaches are wonderful, but access to their beaches is permit only for property owners. People renting in a home in those towns do have permission to use the beach.

A recent lawsuit in the town of Duck may allow public access, although that ruling may be appealed.

Are you ready for summer? Here at Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates we’re gearing up and can’t wait to hear from you.

The Cookie Crumbles at New Cookie Bakery Crumbl in Southern Shores

A plate of Crumbl chocolate chip cookies.

It’s that wonderful scent of freshly baked cookies that that seems to reach out and beckon to the unwary. And even the wary.

It doesn’t seem to matter. Crumbl, the new cookie bakery that opened just a couple of months ago in Southern Shores is doing a lot right. And one of the things they are most definitely doing right is baking cookies fresh all day long.

Even though they smell like home, these are not the cookies you and your mom and dad would sit around baking. These are huge, multiple serving behemoth of cookies.

Ok…admittedly, even though they’re really big, a lot of people just go ahead and eat the whole thing. But they are so big they could be a multiple serving dessert.

Crumbl is a national franchise that seems to be really taking off. The Southern Shores store, owned by local Dave and Susan Bramwell, is the only one right now on the East Coast, so the couple may be somewhat cutting edge in their business model.

What sets Crumbl apart, aside for the wonderful taste of the cookies, is how the company sets up their business.

It’s simple—they bake cookies and nothing else.

There are two cookies that are always on the menu—the chocolate chip, which is a rich full-flavored cookie made with milk chocolate chips. The other cookie is a sugar cookie. And Wow is it sugary.

The other four cookies rotate, Monday being changeover day. So if you’re in the store, find a cookie you really like, Sunday will be the last day to get it.

Crumbl is located at 5385 N Virginia Dare Trail. That’s that little strip center on the access road between NC 12 and US 158 just past the Southern Shores Town Hall.

Another wonderful reason to spend some time on the Outer Banks. Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates has all the perfect locations and best homes.

Couture by the Shore Coming to Duck Woods Soon

Fashion, food, a little wine and it’s all for a good cause. Couture by the Shore is celebrating its 9th annual fundraising event for the Outer Banks Relief Foundation, and this is one fashions how that should not one missed.

It’s an afternoon affair on Saturday, May 11 beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Duck Woods Country Club in Southern Shores.

There are 10 retailers outfitting the runway models this year: Birthday Suits, Foxy Flamingo Boutique, Grays Sportswear, Honey & Hive Boutique, Life’s A Beach, Mudpie, Outer Banks Boarding Company, The French Door, Untucked, and Zen & Zip.

And the models? They’re employees and friends. In other words friends and neighbors of just about everyone on the Outer Banks.

The event, as much as it’s a lot of fun, serves a really important function—it is one of the largest fundraisers for the Outer Banks Relief Foundation.

The Relief Foundation is often the first organization to reach out to local residents in times of need. If there is a house fine, they are often the first ones to offer the financial assistance needed to find temporary housing. When families face devastating illnesses, it’s the Relief Foundation that often stops forward to provide transportation or other services.

In the 13 years since the organization was founded, the foundations helped more than 850 families, providing $1.75 million in aid. That’s more then 65 families helped every year.

Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates is a proud sponsor of this event and we would love to see the Duck Woods banquet room filled to capacity.

Tickets are available at any of the ten stores dressing the models.

Surf & Sound Series-World Class Music for the Outer Banks

Musicians of Surf and Sound in performance at All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern shores. Katie Hyun, violin; Amanda Halstead, piano, Jacob Fowler, cello.

A Tradition of World Class Music

For the past four years the the Surf and Sound Series has been a part of the Outer Banks August scene that to the Bryan Cultural Series. We have to hope it becomes a summer tradition that becomes a part of local life.

Bringing five world-class classical musicians to the Outer Banks for a series of concerts, Surf and Sound travels from Southern Shores to Duck, Buxton and Manteo in a series of concerts that are musically as fine a performance as there is anywhere.

The Southern Shores always kicks things off at All Saints Episcopal Church.With a concert grand piano at the church, the musical selection allows the musicians a little more leeway and the music they performed this year took full advantage of having a piano on hand.

The Tuesday performance featured a work from a Hungarian composer Ernst von Dohnanyi, who is not all that well-known, but wow, was it amazing. Challenging, and complex, it was the type of music that broadens the understanding of what classical music can be.

The musicians also played a Dvorak composition—his Piano Trio No. 5 in E minor. The von Dohnanyi piece was wonderful, but there was no discernible melody. By comparison the Dovorak trio, with its distinctive melodies, seemed even more beautiful by comparison.

What makes the Surf and Sound Series so special is the musicians don’t sit in one place and wait for everyone to come to them. Rather they take the show on the road…and the first stop was an outdoor concert at the Duck Amphitheater.

Unfortunately concert grand pianos don’t travel well at all, so the Duck concert was all strings.

But that was fine. With a gentle breeze off the sound and and early evening temperatures in the upper 70s it would be hard to imagine a better setting to for an outdoor concert.

Again the music selection seemed to fit the setting perfectly. The Beethoven Trio was typical of music from the master—complex with moving parts everywhere, yet easily followed by the audience.

The Mendelssohn selection was the last major work he created. Written after the unexpected death his sister, the work was beautiful and sad yet in the final movement, there seems to be a sense of joy or at least acceptance for what happened.

Wonderful concerts. We haven’t had a confirmation yet, but hopefully the Surf and Sound Series will be back for a fifth year next summer.

There is always something happening on the Outer Banks and Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates has all the best locations.

Bryan Cultural Series Brings Quintet to Outer Banks for Free Concert

The Surf and Sound Quintet in performance at All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern Shores.

World-Renowned Musicians Will Perform Four Free Concerts

The Bryan Cultural Series is one of the local organizations that helps to make the Outer Banks such a special place to live and visit. This is the week for the Fourth Annual Surf and Sounds Chamber Music Series.

Bringing five musicians with well-deserved international reputations to the Outer Banks, the Cultural Series is sponsoring four free concerts beginning Tuesday, August 21 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern Shores at 7:30 p.m.

The music is classical music and in past years the performances have been breathtaking—wonderful interpretations of the music.

The Wednesday performance will be at the Town of Duck Amphitheater, at 6:30. The performance in Duck will be a string quartet—the fifth instrument in the quintet is a piano, an instrument that does not travel well.

The last two performances will be at Cape Hatteras Secondary School on Thursday, and a Friday evening performance at the Dare County Arts Council Gallery in Manteo at 7 p.m.

A playbill for the performances has not yet been made available, but in the past the musicians have presented a wonderful collection of compositions, ranging across centuries to include Haydn and Mozart then venturing into the late 20th century a contemporary sound.

By all means, check out the outdoor performance at the Duck Amphitheater. There is something magical about listening to great musicians perform some of the most remarkable music ever composed in an outdoor setting.

The Bryan Cultural Series has truly come to the fore in brining great performances to the Outer Banks and their next performance may be their most ambitious and genoursy yet. In cooperation with Elizabeth R and Company, a free performance of La Traviata will be presented on September 15 at First Flight High School.

There is always something worth checking out on the Outer Banks. Check out our Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates homes for the best locations.

The OBX Great Dogwood Trail Traffic Experiment

Traffic approaching the prohibited left turn onto S. Dogwood Trail in Southern Shores.

This was the weekend of the great South Dogwood Trail experiment in Southern Shores…the weekend when, working with NCDOTand the town of Kitty Hawk, a left hand turn onto South Dogwood Trail off US 158 was prohibited.

Was it successful?

That’s hard to say, and there probably will not be anything approaching an answer for some time.

From the ground, observing the intersection, it appeared as though traffic was moving in a typically slow summer pattern to the intersection of US 158 and NC 12 about a mile to the west. That’s the intersection that leads to Duck and Corolla and is invariably a bottleneck on summer weekends on the Outer Banks.

There was significantly less traffic on South Dogwood Trail than there has been over the past few years. However, because right hand turns and through traffic coming from Kitty Hawk road could still access the blocked street, there was still an increase in use.

The use of South Dogwood Trail as a way to get around the 158/12 bottleneck has become a significant safety issue for Southern Shores. The roads are narrow, and designed for residential use. None of the roads that are used after leaving the highway were ever designed for the volume of traffic that uses them on a weekend summer day.

Much of the problem lies with GPS systems that tell drivers the best route is through the tree-lined streets of residential Southern Shores.

NCDOT seemed to do a very good job of telling drivers that a left turn at S. Dogwood was prohibited. Signage and barrier barrels sealing off the turn lane, kept motorists from even getting into the left turn lane.

Will the experiment be repeated?

That is a possibility, although the the state and local authorities want to go over data NCODT collected before drawing any conclusions.

Summer on the Outer Banks is spectacular. Check out Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates. for vacation possibilities.

Outer Banks Beach Nourishment Project Gains National Recognition

The beginning of the Outer Banks intra-local beach nourishment project. Duck, spring 2017.

Intra-Local Effort Recognized for Multiple Community Benefits

What does a couple of years of planning and $38.5 million earn? When it comes to beach nourishment, recognition as one of the best projects in the nation.

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) which is a trade organization for companies engaged in nourishment, recognized the Intra-local project, taking note especially that it took a couple of years to move the project forward and that multiple towns and jurisdictions worked together.

“The take-home message for these projects is a multi-town beach nourishment project can be successful even when the odds seem to be against you,” Lee Weishar, chair of the association’s Best Restored Beach Committee, said.

The initial observation is that the project, that included the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, performs as advertised. Although there were a number of significant storm events over the fall and winter of this past year, overwash and flooding was minimal with no reported infrastructure damage.

For a town like Kitty Hawk that is remarkable. The town’s beaches in particular suffered significant loss of sand and even storms that were not particularly strong caused widespread road closures as waves overtopped the dunes.

The ASBPA ranks nourishment projects on three criteria:

The economic and ecological benefits the beach brings to its community;
The short and long-term success of the restoration project; and
The challenges each community overcame during the course of the project.

The funding for the project was an innovative combination of local and Dare County money. Contributions from the towns were significant, but the lion’s share came from County coffers.

“Dare County is committed to preserving our beaches,” county board chairman Bob Woodard told the Outer Banks Voice.“They are the engine that drives our tourism economy and they require ongoing attention.”

Take some time to explore Outer Banks beaches. Check out Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates. for the best properties and the best locations.

Tshombe Selby-An Outstanding Afternoon of Music

Tshombe Selby getting the audience to clap along in his performance of "You Better Mind." — Tshombe Selby getting the audience to clap along in his performance of “You Better Mind.”

An Afternoon Treat in Southern Shores

Tshombe Selby is a man who is going places. After being treated to an afternoon performance at All Saint Episcopal Church in Southern Shores, there can be no doubt that this is an artist who is going to make a name for himself.

And he’s local. Well, not local anymore since he now lives and works out of NYC, but there is no doubt that his roots are on the Outer Banks—Manteo to be exact.

If there was any doubt about that it was laid to rest by the SRO audience that fills date rectory for the recital.

Selby has always had a rich, powerful voice, but what is coming to the fore now is the ability to modulate that power. Even singing softly he still fills the room with music, but what stood out in his performance on Sunday was the ability to use the full dynamic range of the music.

He is also animated in his recital—using hand gestures, facial expressions and body language to tell the tale of the songs he is performing. Since many of the selections he chose for the recital were in a variety of foreign languages—Russian, Italian and French—that ability made the afternoon that much more enjoyable.

The title of the recital was “An Afternoon of Spirituals and Arias.” Tshombe has been championing the American spiritual as a classical form of music for some time and his interpretations of them create a new appreciation of what are often considered something akin to folk music.

He had some fun with the spiritual as well, getting the audience to clap out the rhythm of “You Better Mind.”

Certainly the local crowd was there to cheer him on. Still the two standing ovations were well-deserved in this case—and he did have two encores ready to go.

Accompanied by Violetta Zabbi on piano, this was truly an outstanding afternoon of music.

Tag: Southern Shores

Outer Banks Valentine’s Day Getaway

Rent a beach house

Watch Sunrise on the Beach

Watch Sunset at Jockeys Ridge

Romantic Dinner

Take a Stroll in the Gardens

Star Gazing

Where To Vacation In The Outer Banks

Where To Vacation In The Outer Banks

What To Bring To The Outer Banks On Your Vacation

Pet-Friendly Areas Of The Outer Banks

Plan Your Outer Banks Vacation Today

The Beach-Is There One that is the Best on the Outer Banks?

Corolla

Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head

Coquina Beach, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, South Nags Head

About Duck and Southern Shores

The Cookie Crumbles at New Cookie Bakery Crumbl in Southern Shores

Couture by the Shore Coming to Duck Woods Soon

Surf & Sound Series-World Class Music for the Outer Banks

A Tradition of World Class Music

Bryan Cultural Series Brings Quintet to Outer Banks for Free Concert

World-Renowned Musicians Will Perform Four Free Concerts

The OBX Great Dogwood Trail Traffic Experiment

Was it successful?

Will the experiment be repeated?

Outer Banks Beach Nourishment Project Gains National Recognition

Intra-Local Effort Recognized for Multiple Community Benefits

Tshombe Selby-An Outstanding Afternoon of Music

An Afternoon Treat in Southern Shores

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