We live for Summer on the Outer Banks, so when those crazy awesome grandparents agreed to take our kids for a week so we could squeeze in a vacay before another busy school year started, we opted for a Staycation to soak in all the Summer goodness the OBX offers.
(Jumpsuit from Anthropologie)
Step 1 was cleaning my house for 4 hours, so we could enjoy a clean house for the next 6 days and 20 hours, and then it was time to play…and eat!
I’m a pretty terrible cook as I have mentioned before, but I love food, so our first stop was Single Fin for the best Sushi on the beach! It also has a casual but really cute atmosphere so you can dress up or down and feel right at home.
The next days were full of nothing but soaking up sunshine, swimming in crystal clear water and drifting off to Steve Winwood and his yacht rock buddies. It would not be a proper staycation without Barrier Island Bagels’ bacon, egg and cheese everything bagels for breakfast and their tasty sandwiches to go for lunch on the beach. Surf would have been icing on the cake, but that view just never gets old. 😎
We had never been to the Salt Box Cafe (we are hard pressed to stray from the Colington Cafe), but Adam had a gift card from a student he taught (holla!), and it ended up being one of the best meals we had all week. I have never had Tuna so artistically prepared and the Mocha Avocado Pudding I brought home and ate in bed while watching Hawaii 5-0 was 2nd to none (not to mention the healthy wine poor, which I greatly appreciated).😋
(Top and Skirt from Shein, Bag from Anthropologie, Earrings from Honey and Hive)
Shoes are linked!
Then the ever classic Kill Devil Grill. We got the ushe (yoozh/yuzh/uzhe 🤔)… cheese steak eggrolls as an app (the only app needed on the menu in my opinion), my go-to Salmon Salad, and Adam’s Fried Shrimp…delicious every.single.time. I did branch out and try their margarita (I usually hate margaritas, but needed some tequila to rally and they had me at ‘agave nectar’ 😆), and it may be my new go-to drink there.
If you know me, you know I live for a good sunset so an evening chasing the Sunset on the Duck boardwalk was definitely on my must-do list. Duck is also great for delicious but pricey restaurants, and all I really wanted was a food truck and to watch the sky light up. Sadly there are no food trucks in Duck, so we settled for the Coastal Cantina since it has simple tex-mex food and an open air view on the water. It is always crowded, which I actually love because it’s just a fun vibe on the boardwalk…so be prepared for a wait…and the food is pretty basic tex-mex, but still good for what it is. If you are in it for full on flavor and not worried about spending some bucks on dinner, then I would highly recommend the Blue Point. Give Coach D a shout out at the bar for us if you go!
(Dress from Anthropologie. Same brand, similar style linked below!)
Thursday was the day that topped all days. I surprised Adam with a near shore fishing trip with Matt Lusk, and I was not only sore from fighting fish all day but also from the perma grin that I could not shake off my face. We did a half day trip, left from Oregon Inlet around 8 AM, and it could not have been a more beautiful morning. The swell was a decent size (I did not barf 😅) and the bait balls were endless!! Everywhere we turned, there were Albacore jumping. I had not been near shore fishing since I was about 15, but I was seriously contemplating a career change after this day because it was just that fun.
(Long Sleeve Swim from Seea)
Adam had the fight of his life when one of his fish was also being chased by two sharks, making it one of the longest battles Lusk said he has even seen with an albacore! 😆
Book your next, or first, fishing trip with Matt!! I am hooked and can’t wait to go again! 🎣
Our last full day of staycation was perfection with another casual beach day, more crystal clear water, a 1.5 hour nap 😱, and the most perfect evening sitting on the beach at Kitty Hawk Pier watching the Sunset with Southern Shores Pizza for dinner. I topped off the night watching Mama Mia for (Adam thrives on a good musical and was asleep 10 minutes in 🙈), which is still a solid 10 in my books.
(Dress from Shein)
AHHHHH, what a week. Not having to deal with travel days if we had left the Country was also pretty magical. Don’t get me wrong, I am already planning our next adventure off our little island, but I highly recommend a Summer Staycation and soaking up your favorite things to do on the OBX as a local.✌🏼
Oh, and if you dream of becoming an OBX local and need to buy a beach house, just call me. I can help with that. 😉
