Outer Banks Vacation Homes

The Town of Duck, North Carolina, morning exercise classes will be held in the municipal park beginning on Thursday, April 2, 2009. Classes include Mondays - Yoga; Tuesdays - Tai Chi; and Thursdays - Pilates. The free classes start at 7:30 a.m. and are being held on the Town Green.  No registration is required.  Please bring a mat or towel if you are participating in the yoga or Pilates classes.  In the case of inclement weather, classes may be cancelled.

The municipal park is designed to be a premier community recreational facility on an 11-acre soundside maritime forest and willow swamp.

Park amenities include:

• >soundside boardwalk;
• >public kayak/canoe launch;
• >picnic shelter;
• >playground;
• >gazebo;
• >water fountains, including a special one for our canine friends;
• >walking trails throughout the park;
• >summer events for everyone to enjoy; and
• >an annual Jazz Festival on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend

Also, the Town is seeking qualified contractors to construct the Town Park Amphitheater Project.

The Outer Banks is considered by the largest travel community in the world, TripAdvisor®, as one of the Top Ten Spring Beach Destinations. The Outer Banks ranks as a premier vacation destination Also celebrated, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been named by USA Today as one of 10 Great National Parks That Will Engage Your Kids, and is one of the favorite sites by author Trefoni Rizzi of Teddy’s Travels: America’s National Parks. “This park is filled with the history of pirates, shipwrecks and lighthouses. Check out the many Especially for Kids programs at the visitor centers to learn more…Kids will love the ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island, and the best of all, it’s free.”

“The barrier islands experience is a truly beautiful dance with mother nature.  The Outer Banks offer a safe, family-friendly place to vacation at a great value. Norfolk International  Airport (ORF) is just 90 miles to our north. We are a few hours drive from most major cities on the eastern seaboard. The barrier islands offer the feeling of being a million miles away, but you can get here on less than a tank of gas for many families.”

At its annual meeting March 11^th at Penguin Isle Restaurant in Nags Head, the Outer Banks Community Foundation reported giving over $336,000 in grants and scholarships back to the Outer Banks community in 2008.

In addition, Stuart Bell, member of the 2009 Nominating Committee, conducted the election of the 2010 Nominating Committee. The foundation members present elected Bobby Harrell, Monica Thibodeau, Principal Broker and Owner of Carolina Designs Realty, Inc., and the 2010 board president (who will be elected by the board in December) to serve on that committee.

The Outer Banks Community Foundation, a holder of the National Standards Seal in philanthropy, was organized in October 1982 as a public charity to meet local needs in the Outer Banks area not ordinarily within the province of other charitable organizations, religious institutions, or government.

For more information about the Outer Banks Community Foundation, call the office at 261-8839 or visit the website at www.obcf.org.

Friday, April 10^th & 13^th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Currituck Heritage Park  - join the Easter Bunny & the Currituck Duck for the Easter Egg-stravaganza with an Egg Hunt (bring your own basket); duck pond & bunny petting zoo; balloon art; face painting; temporary tattoos; egg & spoon races; bean bag toss; jellybean counting contest; rock climbing wall; bake sale, snow cones, popcorn & refreshments; fabulous prizes!  Admission & parking are free. For more information, call 252-453-9040.

Saturday, April 11^th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Kitty Hawk Kites Kitty Hawk Kites in Nags Head sponsors the largest Easter Egg Hunt in the Outer Banks with over 2,000 candy and toy-filled eggs to be collected. Chalk coloring contests, kite making, games and surprise visits from Wil-Bear and friends. (252) 441-4124, (877) FLY-THIS.

In conjunction with The Lost Colony, the Land of Beginnings Festival Committee will hold the 4^th Annual Land of Beginnings Festival beginning Friday, March 27^th through Saturday, April 4^th.  This nice day celebration of cultural and historical heritage of the Outer Banks is held at the Wright Brothers Pavilion at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, NC.  The activities focus on children and visitors; the festival brings the community together as well.

Events include Living Legend Community Luncheon, Children’s Fun Faire, Story Telling, Black & White Ball and more. Participating sponsors include both nonprofit organizations and businesses that subscribe to promoting the future of the Outer Banks by preserving its past. 

For more information, as schedule of events and to purchase tickets, call 252-473-2127.

Water Wisely
Challenge: The typical single-family suburban household uses at least 30 percent of their water outdoors for irrigation. Some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of landscape water use goes to waste due to evaporation or runoff caused by overwatering.
Solution: Drip irrigation systems use between 20 to 50 percent less water than conventional in-ground sprinkler systems. They are also much more efficient than conventional sprinklers because no water is lost to wind, runoff, and evaporation. If your in-ground system uses 100,000 gallons annually, you could potentially save more than 200,000 gallons over the lifetime of a drip irrigation should you choose to install it. That adds up to savings of at least $1,150!

Source:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense/water/simple.htm#water

When our vacation rental homes are available during the off-season, staff from our Reservations, Housekeeping and Maintenance Departments enjoys the opportunity to view them.  Many times, the homeowner will provide a tour and go over any changes or additions that have occurred in the home since we last viewed it.  This gives us a chance to refresh our memory with the home’s characteristics and amenities.  We enjoy getting together with the homeowner as they are an essential part of the Carolina Designs Realty “family.”

Recently, we had the opportunity to view 439 Whalehead Surprise, a beautifully decorated oceanfront seven bedroom home in Corolla.  The long time homeowners of ours are such gracious hosts and we enjoyed our time there immensely.  After touring 541 Duck-N-Sea, an oceanside six bedroom home in Duck Landing, we noticed the upgraded furnishings and brand new carpet throughout the home.  After, we joined the homeowner and viewed their other home, 295 Aqua Duck, with all of its fine décor, and personal touches.  We all sat down to a home cooked gourmet meal prepared by them.

Our web site offers extensive information, pictures, inventory and floor plans on each and every home in our program.  With this information, along with our personal visits to the home, we have become extremely knowledgeable about the homes we manage and the area we live in here on the beautiful island.

The Town of Duck is conducting a survey to solicit the opinions of property owners, residents, businesses and visitors on the use of renewable energy within the Town and the surrounding water bodies. According to the report given on the web site, a number of properties use solar technology to provide hot water and electricity. A number of inquiries regarding the potential for the construction of wind turbines on private property have been received as well.

To take the survey, please visit their web site at www.townofduck.com and click on the “Take Our Renewable Energy Survey” button which is midway down the home page.

With the chill and snow from winter’s weather has you indoors for days, take advantage of this time to plan your escape away from the cold to your favorite vacation spot on the Outer Banks.  School will take a break in April and we have created an “Easter Specials” tab on our web site to help make your stay as affordable and enjoyable as possible.

Take advantage of these specials before the vacation rental homoes are all gone and you are still left out in the cold.

Named in the top ten Seafood and Wine Festivals in the nation by Coastal Living Magazine and sponsored by the Dare County Restaurant Association, the OBX Taste of the Beach offers four nights and days beginning tomorrow through Sunday, March 8^th .

Planned events that are guaranteed to please your pallet tasting some of the finest coastal cuisine, drinking some of the best wine and micro brewed beer all while having the time of your life.  Some planned events will include: Brew Tours, Music Crawls, Wine Tastings, Cooking Classes, Tapas Crawls, Dine Arounds, and Dessert Dive-ins - just to name a few.  The weekend will culminate with the Taste of the Beach Expo at The Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk.

Pick and choose when and where you will participate, email info@obxtasteofthebeach.com to get more information.