A Kitchen Makes Vacation Rental Hospitality Even More Enjoyable

The Benefits of a Vacation Home-Cooked Meal
Traveling doesn't have to mean ruining dedicated diets or budgets
Budgeting for food expenditures during travel to any destination can be almost as difficult as forecasting the week's weather. When staying at a traditional hotel, the challenge is multiplied as travelers face the added expense of dining out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While the majority of quality hotels do not offer full kitchens, professionally managed vacation rentals allow guests to enjoy their favorite (and often healthier) meals and snacks, as each property provides a full kitchen stocked with clean utensils, pots, pans, plates and ample cabinet/refrigerator space for food storage. "For my family, including grandkids, the best part of staying in a vacation rental was having breakfast in our jammies," explains Kathy Ogden, a traveler from Clovis, Calif., who stayed with Monterey Bay Property Management. "We loved the freedom to have meals at our leisure and have home-cooked meals instead of dining out."Often costing less than a single hotel room, vacation rentals afford travelers an accommodations lifestyle unlike any other, providing considerably more space (both for living and dining), amenities, guest services and privacy than other, more traditional lodging options. For answers to common questions, along with additional tips and tools for choosing a rental that fits travelers' needs and budgets, visit Discover Vacation Homes.

Dining on a Dime

The average daily cost for lunch at a full-service restaurant for a family of four is approximately $40.00; dinner prices can jump as much as $6/person totaling $64/day. As the majority of traditional hotels do not offer in-room kitchens or adequate amounts of pantry space, many families are forced to dine out for all three meals per day. Access to a full kitchen adds up to major savings throughout trips of any duration - For example, enjoying cereal for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch, rather than a full-scale restaurant meal, can save enough for additional activities, a nice night out, or more!

Sticking to a Healthy Living Meal Plan

While on vacation, travelers can easily consume more than 4,000 calories a day, translating into an average 5-pound weight gain for a one-week trip. With an in-home kitchen, vacation rental guests are no longer slaves to fast food or other high fat dining options, but are now back in control of their personal menu, allowing them to cook their food, shop for healthy snacks and accurately monitor their caloric intake. A Chef Just for YouSome professional vacation rental management companiesoffer personal chef services, catering to travelers whose idea of a vacation may be far away from the kitchen. During their stay, trained chefs are available to prepare a romantic dinner for two or an entire family. Chefs may even cook up to one week's meals in advance, ready in the refrigerator or freezer upon guests' arrivals. All entrees are customized for guests' nutritional goals or restrictions.

About Discover Vacation Homes

Discover Vacation Homes is the trusted public voice and an expert resource on behalf of the professionally managed vacation rental industry. As the awareness initiative of the long-standing Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA), it represents approximately 150,000 rental homes, condos and villas from more than 500 of the most well established vacation rental management companies in North America and the Caribbean. Often costing less than a single hotel room, vacation rentals afford travelers an accommodations lifestyle unlike any other, providing considerably more space, amenities, guest services, and privacy than other lodging options.

Sincerely,
VRMA Public Relations Committee

Outer Banks Wedding Association's Expo and Tour

Beach Realty/Kitty Hawk Rentals is a proud member of the Outer Banks Wedding Association.

The Outer Banks Wedding Association is hosting its 12 annual Wedding Expo on January 9 & 10th, 2010. We are very excited about participating in the Wedding Tour on Saturday, January 10th! Our featured home will be "Gertrude's Breakaway" #7974. This home is truly amazing! So if you are getting married on the Outer Banks in 2010 or anytime in the future you should really consider attending this event.

We have a new webpage devoted to Outer Banks Weddings!

More information on the event from the Outer Banks Wedding Association Website:

Starting Friday, our welcome centers will be open for your check-in, where you'll receive your packets including maps and info for Saturday's Wedding Tour. You can start that night by taking advantage of the great special offers our members have for you, discounts on dining and lodging so you can preview locations for rehearsal dinners, guests accommodations, catering menus, and more! Saturday morning start your tour of our outstanding venues from luxurious oceanfront event homes to historic sites, then break for lunch and sample something from one (or more) of our incredible restaurants and caterers. Along the way you'll have a chance to visit with many of our members who open their doors and welcome you into their business for the day.
That evening the party gets going at The Pointe Golf Club where you'll find a reception in progress, our chance for you to hear some of our finest musicians and sample fabulous foods while you get to meet and ask questions of many of our members.
And while you are sleeping in on Sunday morning we'll be putting the final touches on our booths and displays. When you're at the Expo you'll see our fabulous fashion show and be able to register for our 'Wedding of your Dreams' drawing to be given away that very afternoon!
For more info click on any of the links above then register to attend the Wedding Weekend or just our Expo. And if you register before December 12th you'll be eligible to win one of our two FREE Lodging packages for the Wedding Weekend. Come see why we say we are "Hours Away, But Worlds Apart..."
You Could Win An Outer Banks Wedding of Your Dreams!Each year, we give away an Outer Banks Wedding of Your Dreams, an incredible Outer Banks wedding package donated by our members and awarded at the Expo! You must be present to register and win.

November Nor'easter 2009 Outer Banks

The Sunny Skies are finally out after 3 days of harsh winds, waves and rain. The November Nor'easter lingered around for several days producing severe flooding in some areas of the Outer Banks. A few homes in South Nags Head were lost into the ocean as result of the storm and many more homes across the island suffered flood and wind damage. Many roads were impassable over the last few days making it seemingly impossible to get anywhere. Thankfully the rain has stopped and the sun has come out, hopefully to dry up all the rain. Here are some photos of the November Nor'easter.

Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills:

South Nags Head:
South Nags Head:
South Nags Head:

South Nags Head:
South Nags Head
Kitty Hawk Pier:
To see more photos of the Southern Beaches check out:
http://islandfreepress.org/2009Archives/11.13.2009-NightFallsOnIslandsBatteredByTheOceanAndSound2/index.html

Outer Banks Marathon

The 2009 Outer Banks Marathon was officially a hit with beautiful blue skies and great temperatures, not too hot - not too cold, not to mention the thousands of runners who ran their hearts out! Congratulations to everyone who participated and/or volunteered!

Kitty Hawk Rentals Guests are FAST!!!

We would like to congratulate and recognize all of our guests who participated in the event!

Matt Marchese qualified for Boston with a time of 2:53:27 and a 12th place overall finish!

Shawn Ngheim finished in 4:02

Ed Paraiso finished in 4:15

Henning Kramer age 30 finished in 1:32:58

Half Marathon: Jason Smith Finish Time: 2:08:44

Full Marathon: Amy Mercer Finish Time: 4:26:32

Nicole Hastings: 4:20.17 Full marathon

Tracey Gordon: 3:19. half Marathon

Liz Henderson 2:17. Half Marathon

Cathy Rege 2:34 Half Marathon

Jeannette Gassie 6:15 full marathon

Ellen Womack 6:15

Jim Leavis 1:50:20

Cindy Hilliard 1:53:42

Malin Thorin 1:58:43

Karen Leavis 1:58:44

Maggie Kerrigan 2:04:12

Evan Johnson: 5 hrs 2 min

Andy Shepard 3:50

Nestor Pineda 3:34

Looking for the Perfect Gift for the Holidays?

Why not give the best gift of all - A Vacation to the Outer Banks!

Do you know someone that is truly in need of a vacation? A Kitty Hawk Rentals Gift Certificate may be the best, and most needed, gift your loved ones have ever received. Too often these days, people work year-round, 40-50 hours a week without treating themselves to a vacation. This is not good for the human spirit! Many times this is not due to lack of vacation time or lack of money to splurge on a vacation, most often it is due to lack of incentive to book a trip!!! Maybe all that your loved ones need is a little incentive to make it happen! This is why Kitty Hawk Rentals is inviting you to purchase a gift certificate so that your loved ones can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience on the Outer Banks in 2010!

Kitty Hawk Rentals provides luxury homes in great locations that are sure to lift your spirits and allow you to truly understand the meaning of vacation! So if you have grandparents that could use some R&R or parents that work too hard and never pamper themselves or if you want to get the whole family together by giving everyone a little towards a vacation, Now is the time to do it!!! Call Kitty Hawk Rentals today to get your holiday shopping out of the way, 1-800-635-1559.

Feel confident knowing that your gift will provide a lifetime of memories!