Outer Banks Vacation Homes

Across from Jockey’s Ridge State Park (the largest sand dune on the east coast) in Nags Head, North Carolina is Kitty Hawk Kites’ first and main location.  Beginning Wednesday June 13^th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and every Wednesday throughout the summer, the Wil-Bear Wright’s Festival of Fun is offered bringing a day of fun filled activities for the kids.  There will be kite making, kite flying, yo-yo stunts, face painting and more!

In operation since 1974, Kitty Hawk Kites is the oldest hang gliding school on the east coast and the largest school of its kind in the world.  Specializing in the instruction to students and instructors through its flight school, Kitty Hawk Kites offers both single and tandem hang gliding, ultralight instruction, and kite boarding.  Kayak ecotours, sport wall climbing, jet boat dolphin tours and parasailing are activities that are offered.  Over the years, Kitty Hawk Kites has expanded locations all over the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Retail stores are located originally in Nags Head and now are stationed in Corolla, Duck, Manteo, Waves, Avon, Hatteras, and Ocracoke.  You will find aviation and outdoor clothing, kites, and toys there as well.

Find out more by calling 877-FLY-THIS or 252-441-4124.

Always held on the first Saturday in June since 1976, the County of Dare, North Carolina, and Town of Manteo sponsor the Dare Day Festival.  This family event is free for those ready to enjoy a full day of a variety of music performed at two stages.  There will be approximately 120 vendors selling an assortment of delicious foods, crafts, furniture, toys, carvings, clothing, jewelry, birdhouses, paintings, wind chimes, photography and more.  The festivities start at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 3^rd, whereby a local pastor expresses a blessing upon the coming season and the fun begins.  The children will enjoy the kiddie train rides, magic show, face painting station and games that are set up for them to play.

The Dare Day Committee that promotes and produces this event is expecting more that 5,000 participants.  For more information, contact Melva Garrison at dareday@darenc.com .

The Outer Banks chapter of the Eastern Surfing Association will hold the Mid-Atlantic Region Surfing Championships at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 18^th and Saturday, May 19^th and on Sunday, May 20^th from 7 a.m. to noon. 

Scores of first rate surfer men, women and children will show their stuff on long boards, short boards and body boards.  This event is a qualifier for the Eastern Surfing Championship that will be held in September at Cape Hatteras and the U.S. Amateur Surfing Championships in California.

There is no admission fee for spectators.  For more information, call 252-491-5788.

For all of our weekly vacation rental guests, Carolina Designs Realty includes a starter supply of fresh roasted coffee, dishwashing detergent, 2 dish cloths, 2 dish towels, 1 pot holder, bath soap, toilet tissue for every bathroom, laundry detergent, paper towels and freshly made beds.

Many of our homeowners provide their own gestures of appreciation to their guests.  One homeowner sends periodic letters to past, present and future guests giving updates about the vacation rental home and information about the area.  Another gives a huge gift basket of gourmet goodies.  Postcards of the vacation rental home for guests to use have been left in the home.  Outer Banks souvenirs with the vacation rental home’s name are left for the guests to take home.  Disposable cameras are left throughout the home by some homeowners so that vacation memories can be shared with all guests through the years.  A phone call from one homeowner just checking in to see if everything was o.k. during the week to the current guest was very appreciated.  Guests give very positive comments for having a very thoughtfully equipped kitchen with every amenity you could possibly imagine.

When, for many, the week of vacation comes only once a year, it means the world to our guest that special considerations are made to make them as comfortable as possible.  For that reason, we have an extremely high volume of repeat guests.

Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the closest commercial flight airport to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, (approx. 90 miles south) is Norfolk International Airport. The carriers using the airport are American, Continental, Delta, Independence Air, Northwest, Southwest, and US Airways.  Norfolk International Airport is located 1 mile east of Interstate 64 at Exit 279 at 2200 Norview Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23518-5807. 

In August 2005. several major development projects were completed including the expanded parking garage and the new arrivals terminal. There is real time flight status, services for the handicapped, airport ambassador volunteers, a conference center and restaurants and shops.

You can call for more information at (757) 857-3200.

On Monday, May 14th, the staff at our new housekeeping services in Harbinger, North Carolina, hosted an open house for all Carolina Designs Realty employees.  After taking a tour of the building, it is quite evident that a lot of hard work, organization and man power had been going on because it looked fabulous!  The color scheme, spacious rooms, beautiful flooring and modern fixtures all lend to the appeal of this new location.  Spacious is a great word for the many rooms that offer many duties to be performed with ease for this vital operation of Carolina Designs Realty’s property management system.

A mass-produced, full-color newspaper is published for our guests staying in a Carolina Designs Realty vacation rental home and will replace the guest directory that has been circulated in the past. 

The newspaper is divided in sections to cover all Outer Banks towns from Corolla to South Nags Head, North Carolina.  Within each section, detailed information about the town will be provided.  In addition, procedures for checking in, checking out, trash pick up, recycling, places of worship, TV channel listings, radio stations, swimming safety, hot tub/pool information, lifeguard locations and hurricane/evacuation information will be listed.  A detailed area map is also provided. 

This publication has been so well received in the past; therefore, it made perfect sense to offer it as an alternative to the guest directory.  In addition to having our inspectors leave a copy of this publication in each of our vacation rental homes, the newspaper will be available in all of our offices.

Our 2008 availability search and online reservations for all of our vacation rental homes are up and running one month earlier this year!  All vacation rental homes from Corolla to South Nags Head are available for any week that has already passed this year, and may be pre-reserved for 2008.  Availability for these homes can be determined using several different types of searches.

Once the home is chosen, the reservation can be made with a pre-reservation fee.  The reservation is contingent upon the home returning to our rental program and the homeowner opening the week to rentals.  There is no rate information provided.

We are taking many pre-reservations over the phone as well.

“Customer Service Attitudes and Skills that make a Positive Difference… I Can Do That!”  Our staff had the opportunity to attend a seminar this week offered by the College of the Albemarle and sponsored by the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, the Outer Banks Association of Realtors, the Outer Banks Hotel/Motel Association, and the Dare County Restaurant Association.  The presenter, Beverly Madrin, has over 30 years of experience in business and education.  She holds M.Ed. degrees in Administration/Supervision and Human Development and Learning.  Over a two day period, four interactive and productive sessions were offered giving practical examples of a winning customer service attitude.  Scenarios of negative and positive responses gave way to learning appropriate behaviors when dealing with the public, or any relationship for that matter.  Beverly was very thorough and entertaining in her teaching approach.  The seminar was very beneficial to our staff as a refresher course as well as some new tips on offering superior customer service.

Recently, The Lost Colony Production Set was the venue for auditions of local Outer Banks residents to play as stand ins for the actors in the upcoming production of “Nights In Rodanthe” on Friday, May 4^th.  A writer of numerous novels that are primarily dramatic fiction, Nicholas Sparks has his first debut with this story line as a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

The story is narrated by a third party in 2002, but the majority of the story takes place in 1988 in the town of Rodanthe at a bed and breakfast typical of what you would find on the Outer Banks.  Romance, sacrifice and tragedy are built in to make this film one to be remembered.  It will be very exciting for those of us who live here to see the sleepy, weathered and small Rodanthe being the place where the story revolves and will hit the theatres in 2008.  The two main characters are Diane Lane who plays Adrienne and Richard Gere who plays Paul.  Ravi D. Mehta will be the executive director. �