Twenty-four area restaurants to try  read more »

The Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter is hosting its 18th annual Sculpt for Wildlife Fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9am to 3pm at the Atlantis Lodge in Atlantic Beach. Teams in categories of family, children 18 and younger and adults will compete for a variety of local prizes. Registration begins at 9am and judging starts at 2pm. Registration is $20 in advance and $25 the day of the event. To pre-register or for more information, call 252-240-1200.

A list of things to do at the beach, specifically in the Emerald Isle area.  read more »

The restaurant/bar called Boondocks seems to have had a soft opening this afternoon at 5PM.  Their sign said they were offering wings.

No other details are known.  Boondocks is located on Highway 58 at location that previously housed The Dive.

First I thought the Marines were having some mortar practice, but  a quick trip to the front porch revealed that a large thunderstorm is to the north and  read more »

Saying the clouds are back is more for the benefit of my sun deprived friends in New England than it is a description of our weather.

We are warm, humid, and likely to have afternoon thunderstorms.  That is a safe forecast for most of the South on any given day during the summer.

It also works for here along the Crystal Coast.  Being in the heart of the summer here on the coast is not something to fear.  You just have to accept the heat, humidity, and afternoon storms.
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While I have not hear anything since the evening news, I suspect the winds gusting to 25 mph did little to help the fire fighting efforts over by Nine Mile Road in Croatan National Forest.

According to news reports the fire has already burned 800 acres.  Some reports that I have heard indicate that this weekend's rain actually hindered efforts to contain the fire by burning areas ahead of it.  read more »

The other day we were headed out of town.  It had been a morning with on again off again clouds.  Sometimes the blue sky was winning, other times the clouds seemed to be taking over.

I started thinking about all the times that we have piled in the car and headed to the beach with the hope that we will find blue skies.

If you think about the orientation of our beaches which run north-south, then it should not come as much of a surprise that once in a while if you head up the beach from Emerald Isle, you will drive out of the clouds into blue sky.
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Forty years ago today I was on Ocracoke Island watching Neil Armstrong step on the moon.  I had been camping down the island, and just in time to catch the lunar landing, I checked into Ocracoke's only motel.

It was a neat spot to be for the first step on the moon.  I have this great picture of the Outer Banks taken from space hanging in our home.  It reminds me of where I was for Apollo 11 each time that I see it.  read more »

The bridge that connects Emerald Isle and the mainland is a vital link.  While we residents will often complain about summer bridge traffic, we know in our hearts that it is not really much of an issue.

After spending all day showing homes to a young New Jersey couple, I needed to deliver some forms to another real estate agent whose office is in Emerald Isle.

We headed across the bridge at about 4:30 PM.  I am happy to report that we got caught in some stop and go traffic which allowed me to take some pictures from the bridge.
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This has to be considered a glorious beach day.  The temperatures were in the mid to upper eighties with a slight breeze.  As far as I can tell the skies were completely blue with only a hint of some clouds.  On top of that the sea oats are at the peak of their beauty.
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Summer weather continues on the Crystal Coast.  We got a very good dose of rain on Monday.  It was the first rainy day that I can remember for a while.

We got about 1.33 inches of rain in Bluewater Cove.  That is over three inches in the last couple of weeks.  read more »

There will be a free concert on the Beaufort waterfront August 20 on the stage at The Dockhouse. It is sponsored by Beaufort business Bureau. For information call 252-504-3396. There will also be concerts in this series Sept. 17 and Oct. 15.

There will be a free concert on the Beaufort waterfront on the stage by The Dockhouse on July 16. It is sponsored by Beaufort Business Association. For information call 252-504-3396. There will also be concerts in this series Aug. 20, Sept. 17. and Oct. 15.

The Beach Jive after Five free concerts will be held September 17 at the Western Regional Ocean Access, 299 Islander Drive, Emerald Isle. Bring chairs, blankets, etc. No alcoholic beverages allowed. For information call, 252-354-6350.

The Beach Jive after Five free concert series will be held August 20 at the Western Ocean Regional Access, 299 Islander Drive, Emerald Isle. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, etc. Alcoholic beverages prohibited. For information call 252-354-6350. There will also be a concert in this series September 17.

The Beach Jive after Five free concert series will be held July 16 at the Western Ocean Regional Access, 299 Islander Drive, Emerald Isle. Bring chairs, blankets, etc. Alcoholic beverages prohibited. For information, call 252-354-6350. There will be concerts in this series also on August 20 and September 17.

Some places have roads that get crowded, and in other places roads are not the main attraction.

Beaufort is one of those places where the water ranks very high on the list of ways to get around.

Late this morning we headed east from Cape Carteret towards Morehead City and Beaufort.  We stopped in at West Marine to check out their Crocs sale.  A friend was looking for a pair.  Unfortunately they had almost no Crocs left for adults.  After that we stopped by Boats, Inc where we bought our skiff.
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Yesterday, I could not take it any longer, I had to go for a beach walk.  We headed off for one of our favorite spots, the access point on Inlet Drive near Coast Guard road.  There's a small parking area on Coast Guard road, and the beach is about a five to ten minutes walk.

And yesterday's weather was perfect for a walk.  It was 64.5F when we got up at 7:00 AM.  Even at 10:00 AM it was still cool.
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I am not sure the weather can get much better.  Even when it looked like we might get a line of storms yesterday, it turned out to be a false alarm.  This morning it was 64F when I got up.  Even just before 9 AM, we have the air conditioning turned off, and the windows all open.
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BHA will continue to celebrate the town's 300-year history with a summer party, "300 Years of Making Summer Friends" from 7-11pm July 11, at the Beaufort Historic Site Grounds, 130 Turner Street. The evening features gourmet cuisine by local favorite, Beaufort Grocery Co., and live music by The O'Kaysions, known nationally for their hit "I'm a Girl Watcher." Tickets are $100. For information call 252-728-5225 or visit www.beauforthistoricsite.org.