Things to Do on the OBX Archives - Page 2 of 2

Breaking News! The Rod & Custom Hotrod Festival Returns to The OBX

What Is The Festival And When Does It Take Place?

Matte black hotrod viewed from the side parked in front of the ocean.

At this two-day festival with a variety of activities, car lovers will meet and greet with fellow enthusiasts while exploring some of North Carolina’s most beautiful coastlines. The OBX Rod And Custom Festival is a unique celebration of vintage and antique automobiles that will include a variety of family-friendly events such as local food, cruise-ins, and car shows that will delight automotive buffs of all ages and tastes.

With over 300 hot rods registered for the show at The Soundside Event Site, the inaugural OBX Rod and Custom Festival drew attention from car and truck enthusiasts from every state on the East Coast on May 3-4, 2019. “I’ve had this dream of creating a car week for at least six years now, ever since I took my OBX, SS Monte Carlo, onto the show circuit,” explains event organizer Michael Tillett. “I’ve been out there ever since, building my credibility as a serious car guy and laying the groundwork to finally show the car world my home, the Outer Banks.”

This year the Custom Hotrod Festival runs from April 30th through May 1st, 2021. For 2021, the event will again be spread out over a number of locations, to allow social distancing and safer gathering. There are also additional sites for off-site trailer parking. If you are planning to make memories to last a lifetime and decide to bring the whole family you might want to consider booking one of our featured OBX vacation rentals to enjoy during the weekend festivities.

Dates for the 2022 show will be May 6-7. Registration for 2022 will open at midnight 12/31/2021. Additional information can be found on OBXRC.com, or you may call the Public Relations Director, Michael Tillett, at 252-305-5789.

Where Does The Festival Take Place?

Red hot rod parked at a beach access overlooking the atlantic ocean.

The main event location will be the Vertigo Event Site located at 7594 Shipyard Road in Manns Harbor, NC. This is a four-acre site and will accommodate several of the static displays, vendor tents, and food. There will be multiple additional locations throughout the Outer Banks hosting static displays and cruise-ins. These additional locations will be announced prior to the event. The previously announced event site in Nags Head is unavailable so please stay tuned to their Facebook page.

During the weekend-long party, there will be cruise-ins, static exhibits of antique cars, special events, games for adults and kids, and plenty of food to eat in between the action. This event is designed for you to make new memories together with your friends and family on the Outer Banks. In addition, guests are welcome to bring their own car treasures and enjoy a thorough tour of the Outer Banks’ numerous historic sites. The OBX Rod And Custom Festival, based in Kill Devil Hills, has the fortunate privilege of being close to a wide range of scenic roadways and attractions, from Corolla’s northern beaches to the sandy shorelines of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Past Charities and Affiliations

A supped up hot rod parked close to the OBX Beaches.

The festival’s mission is to create, promote and produce an event for the automotive enthusiast in a family-friendly environment.

They will be using the outer bank’s beautiful landscapes as a backdrop for their shows. Reflecting their historical significance, and all the attributes that make our area unique. Money raised through their sponsorship program will be used for the promotion of the event, with residual proceeds donated to local charities.

Just like Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates, The OBX Rod and Custom Festival likes to do good in the community. Both have given generously to some of the following local Outer Banks charities and organizations in the past.

OBX Rod and Custom Festival 2019 & 2020 Charities:

Children & Youth Partnership (CYP) for Dare County is a private, non-profit organization that connects kids and their families with resources to help them thrive. Created following the second State of the Child Conference in Dare County in 1994, the organization was charged with focusing on issues brought forward at that conference and worked to establish the Wright Place for Youth and the Dare County Youth Center. In 1997, the Partnership began administering North Carolina’s nationally recognized Smart Start early childhood program for Dare County, ensuring that all children are ready to succeed upon entering school. Since then, CYP has sponsored three additional State of the Child Conferences to focus work on what all kids need to thrive. Today, CYP works with the help of many community groups, businesses, and individuals to offer a variety of programs and services to ensure the healthy development of all children from birth through adolescence.

Dare County Motorsports Charity Group’s mission is to offer and promote Motorsports events to benefit underprivileged children in Dare County. Our three main events are the Dare County Motorcycle Toy run, The Cat5 Jeepers Toy Run, and the OBX Bike Rally. Each of these events is designed to raise funds and Toys for the needs of the children of Dare County during the Christmas holiday season each year.

Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates Charitable Community Contributions:

Joe Lamb Jr. is a generous supporter of local educational activities and fundraisers in the Dare County School System. The Lambs place high importance on education. Since 2007, the Joe and Ann Lamb Scholarship has been open to students who have been admitted to UNC-Chapel Hill, with Dare County students receiving first priority, followed by students from other North Carolina counties.

The Dare County Relay for Life is one of the largest fund-raising activities in the area, committed to finding ways to prevent and cure cancer. This annual American Cancer Society event brings people from all over the world together to honor those who have fought cancer, remember loved ones, and join the fight to end cancer forever. Joe Lamb Jr. has been a supporter of the Outer Banks Relief Foundation since 2004. The Outer Banks Relief Foundation has grown into one of the OBX’s most important charities, and Joe Lamb Jr. walks hand in hand with them every year as a sponsor of the Couture by the Shore fundraiser in May.

We encourage you to dream, explore, and discover culture & tourism here in the beautiful Outer Banks. With plenty of gorgeous weather on the horizon and more sandy beaches than you will know what to do with the OBX is a wonderful place to book your next vacation!

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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.

Outer Banks Spring Picnic Places

A fully equipped Outer Banks Vacation rental kitchen with a view of the ocean.

Each Vacation Rental Home comes equipped with a kitchen capable of whipping up some amazing picnic meals!

The arrival of Spring weather on the Outer Banks seems to send everyone racing to the nearest beach, park, or patch of grass, with a gingham blanket and basket in hand. A picnic menu requires skill: the food must be prepared ahead of time and packed correctly so as to not make things soggy, it needs to also be robust enough to survive the journey, and delicious at room temperature.

All of the Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates Vacation Rental Homes on the Outer Banks have kitchens where you can create your own fabulous picnic so much easier than trying to navigate a tiny hotel room with just a dorm fridge and microwave.

From the quick and easy to the more involved glamorous feast here are some great ideas for meals and some scenic suggestions for that perfect OBX picnic location!

Quick wraps and rollups perfect for an Outer Banks beach picnic.

Enjoy quick picnic foods perfect for grabbing on the go and heading to the beach.

When it comes to the most basic of beach picnics the theme is often quick, easy, and cold. Check out these suggestions for simple beach picnic foods to pack.

Fruit: When sandy fingertips are involved, whole fruits are preferable to cut up fruits. Apples, peaches, and bananas (which can become soggy in the sun, so keep them in the cooler) are all good options. A tub of watermelon or cantaloupe slices, cut from the rind, is also perfect for the beach. Almost all of these foods are also hydrating, which is a plus!

Nuts: It’s a perfect way to get some protein in a rush. If you think you can eat this without crunching on sand (struggle!), make a trail mix of dried fruit and nuts.

Chips or Crackers: If you need to bring some snacks, crackers and chips are a nice choice. If you prefer whole-grain crackers, they would be less salty and healthier for you.

Wraps: The star of the show down on the beach. A sandwich filling like tuna or chicken salad is more enjoyable to eat when it’s wrapped in anything other than two pieces of bread, whether it’s a tortilla or your favorite gluten-free plant. Kids may also eat a wrap with one hand, leaving their other hand free to keep their sippy cup upright. Wraps are a lot easier to make. Protect the bottom half with a cloth napkin or even a paper towel to keep the sand out.

Drinks: These can be whatever you want as long as they are cold and refreshing and fit in the cooler. But please do not bring glass to the beach, that is a huge NO-NO!

*** Please remember to use recyclable silverware, paper straws, and other items that are beach and marine life friendly while on your beach picnic. Also, it is important to note that all OBX beaches are carry-in carry-out so remember to pack a trash receptacle in your picnic basket to carry any trash off the beach. Leaving your best beach picnic place as clean as you found it.***

Choose one or all of these suggested beach spots to have your best beach picnic:

Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The park is known for its towering sand dunes, which stand between 80 and 100 feet tall and appear to belong in a desert region rather than a coastal beach town.

Nags Head Town Park. A scenic 1-mile hike through sand dunes and maritime forests leads to a remote, quiet sound side beach at the nearby Nags Head Woods Preserve nature trail.

The beach right outside your door. If you are lucky enough to secure one of our oceanfront vacation rentals in the Outer Banks then just throw open your door and head down to the beach where you are staying!

A group of young adults gathered around a picnic basket in an Outer Banks park eating sandwiches.

Sturdier dishes and sides are perfect for the in-between or impromptu picnic spots all over The Outer Banks.

Unlike a quick beach picnic the inland outdoor dining experience can be a little more creative and fun. Dishes that can be prepared together for a bit more grown up and sophisticated feel are perfect for these types of Outer Banks picnics.

Sandwiches with a little flair can start to come into play with these picnic levels. Think panini’s and cubanos wrapped tight to stay warm. Triple decker club sandwiches stacked high with all the toppings come to mind as main attractions for these basket dinners.

You can also think of pairings such as chicken on the bone whether it is fried, grilled, or baked all three taste great with some rice and beans and salad. Maybe even some fish tacos with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob would be a delicious treat. These foods can still be eaten with your hands if you wanted or since you will have put a little more thought into this meal and you had plenty of room in your vacation rental homes kitchen they can be placed on some reusable plates and eaten with utensils.

Foods on a skewer can be added to these types of picnics. They are still in the wheelhouse of convenience but also lend themselves to the diversity of multiple flavor profiles all in one meal. Kabobs of steak and peppers or chicken and tomatoes come to mind.

Finding one of these fun sites or Outer Banks parks to dine outside along the coast this Spring will make your vacation feel exciting and eventful!

Lighthouses. Although you will not be allowed to actually eat at the top of the lighthouse you could voyage up to the top and come back down to work up your appetite and then have your picnic nearby with the stunning view of the lighthouse as your backdrop.

David Paul Pruitt Jr. Multiuse Path and Park. It’s a family-friendly community playground with play equipment for both young and older children inside a fenced-in area and picnic tables near the parking area on the outside. Perfect for that mid-range meal with friends or a special someone.

Dowdy Park. There is a fitness trail for adults to work up a healthy desire to eat. For everyone else, there are picnic pavilions, covered tables, and grills.

A woman pouring a sparkling water while feasting on a charcuterie board of nuts and fruits all on top of a hip southwestern design blanket.

Fancy portable meals that are easy to unpack but still feel glamorous like crab legs and charcuterie boards are a great fit for places that set the mood just right.

If you really want to create a posh picnic that will make memories to last a lifetime it starts in the prep work.

The key to really going all out during this process is planning. It’s also crucial to resist the sack-lunch mindset and instead opt for dishes that need more participation and collaboration. Choose recipes that you don’t make very often or that use higher-end ingredients for the most enjoyable picnic. This can be difficult to envision, so here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Meal ideas like crab legs, lobster, oysters, and filet mignon come to mind as the culinary experience unfolds. These are decadent but also easy to eat in the picnic setting.

Something else to include is a charcuterie board. Not only are these beautiful to look at but you can get as fancy and visually creative as you want. You can add nuts, cheeses, fruits, meats, jams, honey, crackers or bread, and more. All of those ingredients travel well and make customizing your picnic flavorful and fun.

This is also where you can break out the higher-end drinks, a good bottle of wine or champagne. Maybe a pre-mixed themed beverage that can be made ahead of time and brought in a large thermos or tumbler.

(FUN IDEA: you both take turns trying to name the drink based on some of the memories already made on this vacation, like the “Lighthouse Lemonade” etc…)

While you are back in the kitchen putting this basket of goodies together put some thought into the presentation as well. Use real silverware, bring the good china, use the coziest blanket. This is not the picnic to skimp on the details. This is one for the record books!

(Do Not Forget The Flowers!)

When you have the meal portion of the picnic planned it’s time to think of a location here is where Spring on the Outer Banks really shines because you can go to one phenomenal spot and have an outstandingly romantic experience.

Say hello to Historic Corolla Park! Here you can cozy up to each other on the lush green lawn of the Whalehead Club, a stunningly restored Art Nouveau-style mansion on the National Register of Historic Places from the 1920s. You can marvel at the beauty all around you while dining on your carefully curated Outer Banks Spring Picnic!

A concrete sidewalk leading to a beautiful view of the lighthouse on the Outer Banks.

Any way you slice your sandwich, Spring is a wonderful time to start taking advantage of the incredible outdoor areas the Outer Banks has to offer.

The Outer Banks is known for its regularly breezy days, blooming trees, and daily temperatures perfect for outdoor opportunities in the Spring.

We have plenty of wonderful vacation rental homes with well-equipped kitchens that are excellent for prepping any type of picnic you choose to go on around the barrier islands. Spring brings plenty of chances to start taking advantage of all the incredible outside activities and areas available to you in the Outer Banks.

So reach up to the top of your cabinets and dust off that old basket and throw the super plush extra-large blanket in the washing machine because it is Spring Picnic Season on the OBX!

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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.

Beach Reading on Your next Outer Banks Vacation.

A stack of books to read on your next OBX Vacation.

Take the time now to prepare for your upcoming OBX vacation.

Finally, a place with no urgent deadlines, endless meetings, or obligatory workplace lunches to distract us, vacation is one of the only occasions we can just totally lose ourselves. However, decision fatigue may have set in after picking a vacation destination (Nags Head? Kill Devil Hills? Kitty Hawk?), a beach house, figuring out what to pack and what to place on the itinerary.

Remembering to pack a book or two can be an oversight while trying to navigate your pre-trip planning. Take the time in the “off-season” to load up your book list or e-reader now to prepare for your next Outer Banks Vacation.

If you are a bit of a traditionalist and still find comfort in a physical book here are some pros and cons of a hardback and paperback to hopefully help you decide what to bring.

Let us start with hardbacks, a few pros are they are very durable which makes them capable of withstanding a bit more handling and placing/removing from that beach tote full of sunscreen and sand toys. They are also a little more sturdy and can probably handle a splash or two. The cons of a hardback are obviously their heft and weight, this might make lugging more than one a bit of a chore. The hardbacks are also a bit more expensive to replace so bringing them around the beach or pool might not be the best idea.

Now let us move on to the paperback book. The pros of paperback books are they’re great for travel due to their lightweight design, they are usually much cheaper than hardbacks and can generally be held open with one hand making beach reading very easy. As with their hardback counterparts, there are a few cons. Their design although great for travel actually makes them a bit more vulnerable when it comes to wear and tear and no one likes to borrow a book only to find out the last three pages have been ripped out or water damaged!

These are just a few examples of things to think about when it comes to physical books, now let us move on to a completely different option to increase your leisurely vacation reading. The e-Reader! Did you receive a gift card for a birthday or other holiday that you might want to use to fill up your e-reader? Now’s the time to decide on those book titles.

Reading from an e-Reader on the Outer Banks.

Download your favorite beach reads onto your e-reader.

There are a few die-hard physical book readers vs. e-reader vacationers left out there, so packing a few books on a beach vacation is nothing new. But as with many things, the advancement of technology has made the art of reading much simpler and accessible.

e-Readers have the benefit of downloading a lot of books all in one easy to use and convenient location. Giving you a variety of options to choose from without having to dig in the bottom of your seemingly endless beach tote for that big cumbersome murder mystery hardback you could have sworn you packed only to remember it is sitting on the dining room table of the amazingly spacious 5 bedroom beach house you rented. When you use an e-Reader you are keeping your beach bag light and your time focused on the beach. Not worrying about what you might have forgotten or having to get up and walk back.

They make saving your spot in the story you are reading a breeze while you take a quick break to enjoy a refreshing dip in the Atlantic Ocean just a few feet away. Quick tip, make sure your e-Reader is waterproof and or has a waterproof case if you are taking it to the beach or the pool! Just like no one likes reading a water-logged book from wet fingers and hands making the pages all wavy, no one likes buying new tech toys due to not planning ahead and making sure their technology was properly safeguarded!

Father and Daughter reading on the beach in the Outer Banks.

We just want you to be happy and relaxed while reading!

At the end of the day, all that matters is the experience you have while on vacation here in the Outer Banks.

You can choose to bring one or two hardback books to escape reality or bring a stack of paperbacks to catch up with your book club. You can even download everything to your e-Reader so you can lounge on the beach or poolside of your OBX vacation rental. Whatever you decide, we just want you to be happy.

In fact, you really do not have to bring a book at all because we have about 15 little free libraries all around the Outer Banks to give you a chance to grab a book and unwind. The Outer Banks also has a great selection of local bookstores to shop when visiting: Island Bookstore in both Kitty Hawk and Duck, Duck’s Cottage in Duck, and Downtown Books in Manteo.

Just book your vacation and then vacation with your book (anyway that works for you)!

Before that decision fatigue sets in permanently, if you have not booked your next Outer Banks vacation yet click here to get started and use this off-season as a time to plan for your upcoming OBX vacation!

Joe Lamb Jr. & As s ociates 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.

Experience the Elizabethan Garden in Manteo in the Outer Banks

Vacationing to the Outer Banks any time of the year has its perks for many different reasons. One of the reasons is the many various parks that are located on the island. Staying in one of our Outer Banks vacation rentals will allow you and your family to enjoy all the beautiful parks and wildlife refuges located on the OBX. From Pea Island Wildlife Refuge near Hatteras Island to exploring the Elizabethan Gardens just over the bridge in Manteo. The Outer Banks is bursting with natural history for you to share with your family. So grab your camera and start exploring this unique barrier island located off the NC coast.

The Outer Banks Secret Gardens

If you have ever read the book “The Secret Garden,” you know that within the walls stood a beautiful garden hidden from the world. The Elizabethan Gardens happens to be just like that garden only located here on the Outer Banks. The gardens are lush with beautiful greenery with flowers and bushes you may not have seen before. Take a stroll down one of the many paths that the gardens have to offer or sit on one of the many carved marble benches. Treat yourself to a day to explore the park a little with the family.

What to Do in the Gardens

The Elizabethan Gardens is part of the NC Birding Trail, and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to see some incredible birds native to our area? Not only are there birds to spot and photograph, but you can see some history as well. Some of the other extraordinary exhibits that you will find at the gardens are the Virginia Dare statue, or the bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth I. Take a stroll beneath the Crepe Myrtle trees as you listen to the water in the fountain nearby. There are so many different options and things to explore when you visit the Elizabethan Gardens.

A Little More Information on the Elizabethan Gardens

Visiting the Elizabethan Gardens can be one of the highlights of your trip as you explore the land and sea here on the Outer Banks. The gardens are located a little north of Manteo over Roanoke Island and are within the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. It’s just a hop, skip and jump over to the Elizabethan Gardens from Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk. Admission to the park is $9 plus tax for adults, $6 plus tax for Youth (6-17), $2 plus tax for Children (5 & under) & $3 plus tax for 1 Pet per owner. Imagine how many memories will be made when exploring the exquisite grounds of the Elizabethan Gardens!

We here at Joe Lamb, Jr & Associates are proud sponsors of the Elizabethan Gardens, and we invite you to explore the garden on your next stay with us. By staying in one of our Outer Banks vacation rentals will find your next vacation relaxing and restful. We look forward to hearing all about your visit to The Elizabethan Gardens on your next trip!

Tag: Things to Do on the OBX