Sarah’s Summer Vacation | Outer Banks, North Carolina

It’s funny (and lovely) that photos help us remember things. Even things that happened just a week ago. I have a fleeting memory and as frustrating as it is, it’s nice to have pictures. As I’m looking through the photos I took while on vacation I’m remembering little things that I saw during our adventures and they bring a smile to my face. So, as I said, I went on vacation last week, and it was so so great! My mom’s side of the family all met up at the Outer Banks in NC. Three families from Charlotte, NC (Gram + Gramps, both of my Uncle’s and their families), one from Oswego, NY (my parents) and us, driving from Camillus, NY to spend a week together at the beach in Nags Head, NC, like we’ve done a handful or more times, since I was a kiddo!

These weeks on the beach always make for amazing memories because we really get to spend time together seeing we’re in the same house for the week. Granted, it’s a 3 floor home with an elevator, 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and a huge living space, I feel like there’s a ton of bonding time that happens.
Days on the beach are pretty routine for the family. Some wake up early, start the coffee and watch the sunrise. I caught it twice and both times it was lovely to be up overlooking the ocean, watching the porpoises, pelicans and ocean waves roll in as the sun was rising. Once more wake up we have breakfast, sometimes it’s basic cereal/fruit/etc. and sometimes we get fancy and make a sausage biscuit and gravy feast (which is always my favorite)!  The afternoons are spent at the pool that is loosely sandwiched between the ocean and the house, or we head to the ocean with beach chairs, umbrellas, beer and salted shelled peanuts in hand for snacking. Everyone comes in for lunch when they feel they are hungry and many end up taking naps because the wind and sun at the ocean knocks ’em out. 5:00 eventually rolls around and cocktails and fancy snacks are put out and we gather as a group, talk about our day and one of the families prepares dinner. Each night, a different family is designated dinner maker, and usually another family or family members will help clean up. The evening rolls around and some games are busted out. We played Uno, Buzz Word, Sequence and other favorites. After we’re pooped from games and the rest of the day’s activities we head to bed!
We ate very well this past week with meals like lasagna, tamales, thai noodle dish (our night), honey baked ham, and an epic seafood feast night including 6 pounds of shrimp, some scallops, flounder and tuna, all super super fresh and cooked amazingly! Oh and my cousin made cheddar bay biscuits that night which paired quite well!
Many adventures happened that I talk about in between photos, so make sure to keep reading and check out a glimpse into our OBX beach vacation!

We stopped at Front Porch Cafe probably every day we were in the OBX and bought 3 pounds of coffee to go!
The Elizabethan Gardens are one of my favorite peaceful places to wander around in Manteo!

Everywhere you turned in the gardens was another pretty nook worthy of photographing.

We wandered around Roanoke Island after the gardens and ended up in Wanchese, a fisherman village. I had to take some detail shots.

We stopped at Mulligans after our adventures (an adventure including JET SKIING!! Mulligans offered an amazing oceanfront view from their third floor Tiki Bar! Pina Coladas were had, as well as coconut shrimp! So delicious and fresh!

 Here’s Tim at Super Wings. This store exists on the island about every mile or so, I swear.

Ok, so. Duck Donuts. Go get some right now. Made to order pick your flavors fresh, hot, delicious donuts… Go NOW! Top row from left to right (Tim’s picks) – plain glazed, peanut butter bacon, chocolate salted caramel peanut. Bottom left row from left to right (my picks) – lemon raspberry, peanut butter bacon, chocolate peanut butter.

 Family time, storm, sunrise, etc! My Uncle Bob above, and his son Will about to jump in the pool. See how close we are to the ocean!?

My Dad.

Took a little drive to Bodie Lighthouse! While we didn’t get to go up it because it was the end of the day and tours were full, we did get to go in and look up and walk around the grounds. The sky was stunning and we got some lovely photos and enjoyed our walk!

After dinner beach walk to find the colorful houses all in a row! We caught a lovely sun set, you can see the back of our beach house too. Holy huge. haha.

 Such a lovely sunset.

 Tim and I decided to adventure on the “coolest” day we had I think it was 79, lol, to the tallest sand dunes on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. It was quite the adventure, and it was free!! Free is always good! I didn’t take my camera out after the walk out there, because I was too busy admiring it and taking it in, so you’ll have to check google images for photos.

Family photo’s after dinner! As you can see some of the bunch got a little silly. That’s my Dad, bottom left. 😛

 The early morning sunrises, time with my family on the beach, at the dinner table, games in the evenings, and adventures we all took, made this week a week that I’ll never forget. I am so thankful that we had the time off to be able to make it down to create these memories! I highly recommend an Outer Banks trip to anyone. It’s such a lovely vacation spot. 🙂

August 3, 2017

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