April in the Outer Banks
Now that March is almost over; it’s time to look ahead to April. The month of April is full of fun events and festivals for everyone to enjoy. Whether you want to learn some Outer Banks’ history or partake in the 6th annual Outer Banks Bike week; April is another exciting month to visit the Outer banks.
April 4: Children’s Fun Fair
The Children’s Fun Fair is geared towards young kids and is taking place at the Wright Brothers National Memorial Pavilion Kill Devil Hills. This is a free event and will offer a variety of educational, entertaining and hands-on activities.
April 4,11,18,25: Outer Barks – Yappy HourSponsored by the Scarborough Lane Shoppes in Duck; this is a great place to meet and talk to people from the community, and best of all it is pet friendly. Everyone is encouraged to bring their canine friend.
April 5-6: Kitty Hawk Kites Fly Into Spring Kite FestivalCome jumpstart spring and celebrate National Kite month with Kitty Hawk kites first festival of the year. This event takes place both days from 10am to 4pm and features professional kite fliers from all over the country.
April 7-28: Dare County High School Art Show
This annual exhibition features diverse 2 and 3 dimensional art in the form of portraits, landscape paintings, abstracts, mixed media work and more. The show is being held at Roanoke Island Festival Park, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
April 16: Wilbur Wright’s 141st BirthdayCome celebrate at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills from 11am to 4pm. The celebration is a family event full of fun, games, eating and learning.
April 19: Tour De CureHelp raise money and awareness for the American Diabetes Association. This fundraiser is a 100 mile ride beginning in Chesapeake, VA and ending in Manteo, NC. For more information please call (888) DIABETES, Ext. 3281.
April 24-27: 6th Annual Outer Banks Bike WeekThis is a must for all bikers. Bring your bike and partake in the fun which includes live entertainment, great food, events and special attractions. For more information please visit
www.outerbanksbikeweek.com.
April 26-27: 100th Annual Inter-Tribal Powwow, Journey HomeCome experience a traditional powwow filled with activities for the entire family. Events include drumming, singing, dancing, native crafts, exhibits, displays, story telling, native food and a whole lot more! This event is taking place rain or shine and is open to the public. Prices are $3 for seniors and students, $5 for adults, $15 for a family and children under 5 are free.
Labels: Outer Banks
Biking in the Outer Banks
Taking a bike ride is one of the best ways to witness the beautiful Outer Banks ocean front. Several bicycle paths and extra wide road shoulders allow you to take the whole family on a picturesque adventure.
Bike paths can be found in many towns along the Outer Banks for a slow paced, relaxing ride. Most of these paths are paved and wind along the highway, through wooded areas and along the ocean front. These paths allow you to travel from town to town without having to deal with all the traffic.
Here are some of the bicycle paths in the Outer Banks area.
Duck – This path begins at the Southern Shores Town line and continues into the town of Duck. The path is approximately 5 miles long and runs from Duck to Sanderling.
Southern Shores – This bike path travels from the Wright Memorial Bridge along US Highway 158 to the Southern Shores Town Hall and then north along NC12 to the Duck town line. The trail is about 5 miles long.
Kitty Hawk – There are two paths in Kitty Hawk. One is 2 miles long and located on Woods Rd. The other is about 3 miles long and is on Moor Shore Rd. Both trails offer wonderful ocean views.
Kill Devil Hills – This path begins at West First Street and continues along Colington Rd. (by the Wright Memorial), then extends east to the beach road.
Nags Head – This path is a multi-use path which also has breathtaking views of the ocean. It runs from Bainbridge on the ocean side of Virginia Dare Trail south to the end of Old Oregon Inlet Road in South Nags Head.
Roanoke Island – This is a nice relaxing bike path that winds from Washington Baum Bridge to William B. Umstead Bridge. The path is about 6 miles long.
Labels: Bike Paths, Outer Banks
Outer Banks Brewing Station
If you really want to get a taste of the Outer Banks; you must stop by the Outer Banks Brewing Station. Since 1992, the Outer Banks Brewing Station has been a favorite of locals and tourists alike. The 2008 Outer Banks official travel guide says the Outer Banks Brewing Station is an “Outer Banks must”.
The Outer Banks Brewing Station is located at MP 8.5 in Kill Devil Hills. It is open year round and boasts creative brewing, revolutionary cuisine, live music, on-site catering and award winning beers.
The following is a list of the tasty home-brewed beers:
Olsch: “The Thirst Quencher.” Brewed in the Kolsch style, it’s a refreshing, pale delicate beer with a lively aroma imparted by Saaz, Spalt, and Perle hops.
Hugh Hefeweizen: The main ingredient is Bavarian Wheat-Beer yeast which gives this brew a distinctive spicy flavor.
Monkey’s Dunkel: The main ingredient in this brew is roasted Belgian Wheat and Biscuit Malt creating a hazy brown wheat beer that’s unique in color and nutty, toasted flavor.
Ryes n’ Shine Amber Ale: This ale is aromatic, smooth, and mellow along with a subtle yet zesty and spicy hint which comes from the Rye that is complimented by Santiam, Mt. Hood and Simcoe hops and a unique blend of Irish and English yeasts.
Compass Rose “Secret Spiced” Ale: This tasty copper brow ale combines the scent and taste of subtle hops, secret spices, and Trappist Ale yeast.
Mack-Daddy Stout: This is a rich and creamy full-bodied stout brewed with a mixture of toasted, dark-roasted, crystallized and caramelized malts.
Bourbon-Barrel Barley Wine: This smooth and rich creamy brew is aged to perfection in Old Bourbon Barrels.
Remember to stop by the Outer Banks Brewing Station on your next visit to the
Outer Banks to enjoy the tasty home-made brews and live music and events.
Labels: Outer Banks Brewing Station
Surfing the Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is one of the top destinations in America for surfing enthusiasts. People come from all over the globe for a chance to ride the incredible waves of the Outer Banks.
The waves are top notch in the Outer Banks. This is due to the geographic makeup of the chain of barrier islands which form the Outer Banks. The islands stick far out into the Atlantic Ocean close to the continental shelf. Because of the many islands and their locations, waves come from all directions with hardly any decline in energy; causing some of the most awesome waves for surfing.
Surfing is fun all year round in the Outer Banks, but the best time to go would be the fall. At this time the water is still warm from the summer and tropical season is in full swing. As a result of the season and the changing weather patterns, the waves get more aggressive; providing for some of the best surfing waters around.
You can pretty much surf anywhere in the Outer Banks. Either bring your own board or rent one from the many vendors along the beaches. Be sure to follow the local rules and have a leash on your board!
Labels: Outer Banks, Surfing
