Outer Banks Vacation Homes

Explore the coastal wildlife and the opportunity to build your outdoor skills from workshops offered daily at a recently built, 22,000-square-foot center located on the Currituck Sound.   The center resides between the historic Whalehead Club and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse along Route 12 in Corolla, North Carolina.  Waterfowl hunting, decoy making and fishing are all traditions connected to the region’s ecology and are important elements in the center’s design.  Tour the exhibit hall, auditorium and waterfowl decoy gallery.  Exhibits focus on the barrier island environment and its wildlife, including migrating waterfowl and the many fish that live in estuaries.  Daily hikes are scheduled to allow the participant to discover first hand the sound and marsh experience.  The programs are very educational and led by the center’s professional staff.

Outreach programs include Project WILD and CATCH workshops and Outdoor Skill Experiences.  Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops are also included.  These workshops are facilitated by the center’s regional education specialist.

The center is open Sunday through Saturday beginning at 10:00 a.m. and closing at 6:00 p.m.  For more information, call 252-453-0221.

Begin your bunny trail on Sunday, April 7^th at 10:00 a.m. in Nags Head at MP 12.5 at Kitty Hawk Kites for some family fun of over 2,000 candy and toy-filled eggs waiting to be collected.  Some eggs will be filled with gift certificates to local stores, restaurants as well as a grand prize.  Chalk coloring contests, kite making games and surprise visits from Wil-Bear and friends. Come welcome spring to the Outer Banks.  Event ends at 4:00 p.m.  For more information, 877-FLY-THIS or 252-441-4124.

Just travel north on the Route 158 trail and at 1:00 p.m. there will be yet another Easter egg hunt at the Nags Head Town Park located at 415 Health Center Drive (turn onto Barnes Street and proceed one quarter of a mile; the park is on the left).  Two separate Easter egg hunts will be held for children between the ages of 0-5 and 6-10 years old.  In addition, police, fire, and rescue personnel and equipment will be on scene to answer questions and perform child safety seat inspections.  McGruff the Crime Dog will also make a special appearance.  Children are asked to bring their own Easter egg basket.

The Town of Duck, North Carolina, is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a number of fun, family-oriented events.  The events will take place on a temporary stage within Duck’s new sound side park, with seating available on the lawn.   So bring your blanket or lawn chairs and spend some time in Duck this summer!  All events are being held outside.  In case of inclement weather or site unavailability, an event may be cancelled or rescheduled.

Please call the Special Events and Meeting Hotline at (252) 255-1286 for the most up-to-date information on Town meetings, events, and special advisories.

The Outer Banks Hospital located in Nags Head, North Carolina, opened their doors one week before I gave birth to my son who was the eighth baby they had delivered in the new maternity ward at that time.  It was an exciting time; the hospital was the first and only healthcare facility of its type in the area.  Residents from Corolla to Ocracoke now could depend on the finest care, latest technology and now the closest source for the best in emergency, inpatient and outpatient surgery, labor and delivery, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, speech therapy and diagnostic services.  The all-digital state of the art Radiology Department provides cutting edge rapid diagnosis using multislice CT, MRI, ultrasound and radiography.

As my son’s 5^th birthday approaches, The Outer Banks Hospital will also celebrate 5 years of service to our community.  There will be a Community Open House on Thursday, March 22^nd from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Tour the hospital and enjoy some refreshments.  For more information, call 252.449/4512.

Summertime is here
And it is time for me to swim
 The tingle of water through my feet
Provides peace for me

My body becomes accustomed to the sea
As the heat linger on over the beach

Swimming in the sea provides solitude for me
Swimming in the sea sets me free!

Except from poet, Lee John Siebritz

Yes, the beaches of the Outer Banks are beautiful, in deed.  The informed swimmer can enjoy the ocean for many wonderful, memorable vacations here.  By being informed, you will become aware of the dangers in the sea.  Rip currents account for 80% of rescues performed by surf beach lifeguards.  In an attempt to provide a safe swimming experience for all of our guests, there will be an information magnet on all of our vacation rental homes’ refrigerators regarding rip current activity in our ocean. 

This information is provided by The Eena Project, founded by Michelle and Steve Koles in memory of Steve’s 32 year old sister, Kristina (Eena, as his 2 year old son called her) who drowned as a result of a rip current.

We may have lost an hour of time this past Sunday, but we gained an hour of sunshine.  According to the weather prediction, sunshine is definitely in the forecast.  This week’s high temperature will peak on Wednesday at 73 degrees.  A majority of locals on the Outer Banks do not work your typical Monday through Friday work week schedule, therefore many may very well have this day off to go and enjoy the beach.  Signs of spring are everywhere; colorful bursts of perennials are popping up.  Visitors are coming out of the woodwork and many businesses have opened their doors for the much anticipated busy vacation rental season.

First proposed in the 1980s, the long debated project for the building of a bridge from mainland Currituck County over the Albemarle Sound to the northern tip of Corolla in North Carolina has become a reality.  The construction of a 7-mile, three-lane bridge is set to begin in 2010, and estimate completion by 2014.  According to Senator Marc Basnight, “A new agency called The Turnpike Authority, created by the Legislature to oversee the construction of several major road projects in the state, is using a new permitting method.  This method is approved by Congress and will expedite the project by years.”  The cost estimate is almost half of what was projected just one month ago, now $460 million.  Toll revenue when the bridge opens will cover approximately half of this cost and the remaining amount will be generated from a public-private partnership between the Turnpike Authority and private investors. 

All in all, the bridge will eliminate the bottle neck of traffic that occurs during in-season, allow for safer, quicker evacuations and give a third bridge to enter and exit the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

As our Customer Service Manager, Evelyn McDonald provides outstanding customer care to guests before, during and after they have arrived on their vacation.  She is extremely attentive to our guests’ needs and has the history at Carolina Designs to prove that.  No matter how labor intensive the matter at hand may be, Evelyn maintains a consistently stable and competent attitude.  Evelyn is also available to owners for any concerns or questions.  She is responsible for the annual publication of the Homeowner Manual, and she handles all aspects of vendor payroll.  A lifelong resident of Hertford, NC, Evelyn has traveled 1.5 hours each way to work at Carolina Designs Realty since 1998.  Kip McDonald, Evelyn’s husband and one of our Technical Masterminds, along with Chris Peckham, her nephew and our Media Distributions Coordinator, also work here.  Evelyn enjoys working in such a warm, family-like atmosphere.  She believes we have an unbeatable team helping people solve problems and ensuring that they have the best possible experience with our company.

An invaluable member of our staff, we are incredibly fortunate to have Evelyn as our Customer Service Manager.  In 1998, Evelyn started working as a cleaner for Carolina Designs Realty.  Within two years, she was promoted to the position of Maintenance Coordinator.  Soon after, Evelyn was promoted to Maintenance Manager.  This year, Evelyn once again moved up the ladder to her current position where she will learn even more skills and continue to grow.  Way to go, Evelyn!