New Years 2018/2019 we wanted to take a road trip and bring in the New Year in a different way than we had done in the past. We set our sites on The Outer Banks. We had been there a few times before and really love the area.
We made plans to leave on Saturday 12/29/18 and return Saturday 1/5/19. We booked a condo in Hatteras for this trip. We usually stay in Kitty Hawk or Nags Head, so we were looking forward to staying in Hatteras. Being this far south would allow us to explore that area more than we had previously. Also, we had never been there in the off season so it would be a very different and quiet trip to bring in the New Year.
It would be a 6 hour drive, so when the day arrived we headed out about 9:30am. We were in no rush as this would be a week long trip. We didn't feel as if we needed to be in a hurry for anything.
We arrived in Hatteras just in time for a beautiful sunset. Our condo had a wonderful view and a large covered porch. This trip was getting off to a good start.
We picked up some scallops at the fresh seafood market and cooked in the condo, after which we enjoyed a quiet evening in.
The next morning we awoke to an overcast sky, but it wasn't raining so we made plans to drive out to the Cape. Luckily Lynn brought her Bloody Mary kit and set us up with her ever popular Bloodys before heading out.
On our way to the Cape we stopped at The Pamlico Deli to load up with picnic sandwiches and stuff to enjoy later. Our plan was to spend most of the day on the beach and around the light house area.
A mid-afternoon storm rolled by over the ocean south of the cape. This created a darkened sky and some beautiful colors over the ocean. Looks like a sunset in the middle of the afternoon.
Many places were closed for the off season, but fortunately for us the Light House Sports Bar and Grill in Buxton was open and was on the way back to Hatteras, so we stopped in for dinner. We met some fun new friends and found out that they were planning a NYE party there, so we had a plan! That evening was another quiet one in the condo. This trip was relaxed, to say the least.
The next day was Monday, 12/31. New Years Eve. We spent the afternoon exploring the southern parts of the Hatteras National Seashore, east of the Cape. There was the remains of an old ship wreck that was recently exposed due to beach erosion. It would be so interesting to know what else is buried in the surf!
Our plan for the evening was to chill at the condo for a while and head up to Avon for dinner. There was a place there called Pangea Tavern that is open in the off season. After that, it was back to the Lighthouse Sports Bar to ring in the New Year!
Happy New Year!!!
Tuesday, New Years Day, we got a slow start... shocking. We wanted to pick up some fresh seafood to have that night so we scoped out The Harbor House Seafood Market just a mile down the road from the condo. The owner explained that her selection was based on what her son would bring back from his outing that day. He was a very well known fisherman in the area, so she recommended we stop back by later and she would hook us up! Sounds like a plan!
We stopped by the deli and grabbed some sandwiches for a picnic lunch, then spent most of the afternoon out on the Cape. The sky off of Cape Point really offers some magnificent views if you are lucky enough to catch the right conditions.
It is hard to believe that the picture above and this picture below are only 14 minutes apart. The storm rolled in quickly so we packed it up left the beach.
Back to the seafood market we went to see if she had anything for us. Well, yes, she did. Her son had landed a yellow fin tuna and she selected some center cut steaks just for us. Wow! You cannot get any more fresh than that. After a few pointers on preparing the tuna steaks properly, and some recommended seasoning to put on it - we were off to the condo!
Once back at the condo I made us some cocktails and set about preparing these awesome tuna steaks.
Meanwhile, this is Lynn. Feet propped up with her new locally purchased slippers on, drink in hand delivered to her by me, watching the Ohio State game. She was really liking this 2019 stuff so far...
The tuna steaks turned out excellent even if I do say so myself...
The next day, Wednesday, we were ready to travel up the coast and spend some time in Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk. Our first stop was Sam & Omie's for lunch. This place never disappoints and has been serving locals since the 1940s.
After lunch we stopped by Kitty Hawk Kites, then the Outer Banks Brewing Station before visiting the Wright Brothers Memorial.
Saw this along the way. Ok, good to know in case we decide to book a room there - ha!...
From there we headed up to our favorite local dive for the best burgers on the Outer Banks (TRULY), Art's Place! Love this place.
At this point it was about 7:30pm so we started our way back to Hatteras. Most people don't realize the distances on the Outer Banks but it is a bout 1.5 hour drive from Kitty Hawk to Hatteras. We got back to the condo about 9:00 pm and settled in for the night.
The next day we decided to take the ferry over to Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke is only accessible by ferry. One from Hatteras on the east and the other from Cedar Island on the west. The west ferry terminal also has a ferry run to Swan Quarter to the north. We were looking forward to this as neither one of us had ever visited Ocracoke.
We caught the 2:00pm ferry from Hatteras.
Ocracoke is a wonderful town with plenty of accommodations, restaurants, and a brewery on the east side of the island. The island is long and narrow as is most of the Outer Banks. Because it is so narrow and only 3' above sea level, this island is hit particularly hard when a hurricane comes through. The area was still cleaning up (and lots of places closed up) after Hurricane Florence (Sept. 2018) as well as Tropical Storm Chris (July 2018) and Tropical Storm Michael (Oct. 2018). We stopped in at 1718 Brewery for some brews, then went next door to Gaffers Sports Pub for dinner. We had no idea the devastation that was to come from Hurricane Dorian in September of 2019 that made landfall at Cape Hatteras!
We caught the 7:30pm ferry back to Hatteras and settled into the condo for the night.
The next day we stocked up with sandwiches and picnic stuff from the deli again and drove out onto the cape for lunch. It was quite chilly so we spent more time driving on the beach and seeing sights. We saw dolphin swimming really close to shore. Lynn got some video but it's really hard to catch them with stills. We also stopped to check out Hatteras Lighthouse.
We really enjoyed the vibe and the people at Pangea when we were there, and with limited choices on open restaurants - back to Pangea we went for dinner. Excellent food and wonderful atmosphere.
The next day, Saturday, was our check out and return to home day. We got loaded up and hit the road about 10:00am. We had beautiful blue skies so the drive would be pleasant.
Of course we can't just drive non stop for home - making even the travel part of the adventure is what we do! Our first stop was in Manteo on the waterfront. Love this place. We grabbed a beer and appetizer at The Lost Colony Brewery and then checked out the waterfront area.
One thing Lynn was fascinated by on the trip home was how close to the highway deer stands were. Disturbed is probably a more accurate word. They were everywhere. Welcome to Eastern NC!
Of course we stopped in Tarboro for Mexican food and Lynn's big margarita (again). We got home about 7:30pm with a beautiful and rather uneventful drive.
What a fantastic trip, and a great way to bring in the New Year! As I've said before, the Outer Banks is a great get away, family friendly, with a vast history. If you have not been there,we recommend it highly.
"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." lbn Batutta
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