Top 10 Outer Banks Holiday Traditions

Outer Banks Traditions

There are plenty of reasons why the Outer Banks should be your holiday destination for 2012. Celebrate and take part inn Annual Outer Banks Holiday Events this December. Take advantage of our Holiday Specials this Christmas season! Don't let 2012 pass without taking a trip to the Outer Banks. Come and join the fun and festivities for the whole family.

Events:
1. 24th Annual Festival of Trees - Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012, Jennette's Pier

2. LastFirst Friday of the Year - December 7, 2012, Downtown Manteo
3. Manteo Tree Lighting - November 30, 2012,Downtown Manteo
4. Manteo Christmas Parade - December 1, 2012, Downtown Manteo
5. Grand Illuminations - December 1, 2012, Elizabethan Gardens
6. First in Flight Holiday Lights - December 1, 2012, Aviation Park, Kill Devil Hills
7. The Poulos Christmas House - December 1, 2012, Ocean Acres Drive, Kill Devil Hills
8. Duck's Yuletide Celebration - November 30 - December 1, 2012, Town of Duck
9. 109thCelebrations of The Wright Brothers Memorial - December 17, 2012, Wright Brothers Memorial
10. Dinner with Santa / Bring Santa a Thank You Letter - December 14 and December 29, 2012, Elizabethan Gardens

Find the best deals on Outer Banks Vacations with Beach Realty & Construction/Kitty Hawk Rentals.Visit us at www.beachrealtync.com or call 1.800.635.1559.

Things to Do - Thanksgiving in Outer Banks

Thanksgiving is a great time of the year to support local establishments on the Outer Banks. Whether you'll be dining or shopping, check out these stores to find great deals:

SHOPS

a.       Foxy Flamingo Boutique

b.      The French Door

 GALLERIES

a.       Sea Green Gallery

b.      Yellow House Gallery

TREATS

a.       Outer Banks Rum Cake

b.      OBX Sweet Memories

RESTAURANTS

a.       Black Pelican

b.      Colington Cafe

c.       Red Sky Cafe

d.    Ocean Boulevard Bistro and Martini Bar

For list of events, check out our website.

Thanksgiving in Outer Banks

Thanksgiving is a unique holiday that has evolved over the years as part of the American tradition, gathering families together to give thanks for various reasons. (e.g. Bountiful harvests or blessings, which in our case is having a great vacation season on the Outer Banks.)

Over the years, more families are creating memories and family traditions by making Outer Banks their holiday destination. Don’t missed out on great opportunities to celebrate holidays with your love ones. The key is finding that perfect home that will suit your family's needs. We have over 490+ homes to choose from, so why not let us help you plan your next holiday? Check out some great specials for the week of November 17, 2012. To speak with our local vacation specialists, call 1-800-635-1559 or check out our website for more information.

Make lasting memories with Beach Realty, book your vacation now!

For list of things to do, click here >>

Beach Food Recipe - Shrimp & Grits

To all our foodie followers, 

Once a week, check out our Blog and Pinterest account, for the latest "Beach Food Recipe of the Week."

To start off this weekly recipe blog, check out this Southern staple from a local restaurant in Nags Head, many thanks to Outer Banks Catch for the recipe.

Sugar Creek Restaurant's Shrimp & Grits

Photo Credit: Sugar Creek Restaurant

2 tablespoons each of red & white onions – diced; green & red peppers – diced

1 cup andouille sausage sliced

3 tablespoons white wine1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sriracha (oriental hot garlic sauce)1 tablespoon cold butter

4 cups chicken stock 

1 cup heavy cream 

1 cup stone ground white grits 

3 tablespoon cream cheese 

2 tablespoon shredded pepper jack cheese 

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Salt & pepper to taste

Bring chicken stock & cream to boil. Add grits. Cook until creamy and done (30 – 40 minutes). Remove from burner. Add cream cheese, pepper jack cheese and butter. Stir until smooth. Add green onion, salt & pepper. Keep warm while preparing shrimp.

Let us know what you think of this recipe by commenting on this post.

Vacation 101 - Outer Banks Style

       Vacation, we all need to take one at some point. But you have to admit it that the thought of planning a vacation is a little bit scary. You just want everything to be perfect when planning your vacation; and I don’t blame you because I am as guilty as you are. I know it gets overwhelming, but going on vacation doesn’t have to be as tedious as they seem to look like.  Spontaneity is good but sometimes knowing what’s the main purpose of your trip gives you a head start in planning.

According to Dana Breashears, one of our Marketing Coordinator here at Beach Realty, licensed broker and a resident of the Outer Banks for 15 years, “families that have been visiting the OBX usually celebrate a momentous occasion with their love ones; from birthdays, weddings or anniversaries and more.” For some, it’s been a family tradition to visit the Outer Banks every year and make lasting memories with friends or families.

I have to agree that one of the key factors in any vacation planning is budget. How much is it going to cost a family of four to go on a vacation and how much are they willing to spend?  If budget is indeed an issue, nowadays, Vacation Home Rental companies offer various solutions for prospective guests to make your dream vacation happen. (e.g. Partial Week Rentals)  At the end of the day,  “It is not how much money you’ve spend on your vacation that makes things all worth it, it’s how you make the most out of your stay together with your love ones.”

After nailing your purpose and budget, make sure you determine the location you want to be in, the Rental Company you want to book your vacation with, the amenities included in your vacation home and activities that you can do with your friends or family while on vacation. Booking your vacation in the Outer Banks requires certain knowledge of the area, such as key locations and activities. Prices vary from an Oceanside, Sound side, Oceanfront, Semi-Oceanfront or walking distance from the beach.  There are also plenty of Outer Banks Attractions to see and Activities for the whole family to choose from, you just have to know what activities fit your family’s interests and needs.

So if ever you are planning to take a trip here in the Outer Banks, remember these five things: 1. Purpose, 2. Budget, 3. Location, 4. Amenities, and 5. Activities, for an awesome and memorable vacation.  Still need some help?  Beach Realty will make it easy for you. We make sure that we got it all covered for you by providing excellent customer service to all your needs. We have a website that allows you to see various vacation homes to choose from. We have great vacation specialists who can help you book your dream vacation homes; we also provide our guests a checklist of “things to bring” and when you come in to pick up your keys, you might get lucky to get some “free” cupcakes for a sweet start to your vacation.  What are you waiting for, your next vacation starts here.

Beach Realty NC Team

CONTACT US:
Kill Devil Hills Office
2901 N. Croatan Hwy. (Rt. 158)
P.O. Box 69
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
Email Address: info@beachrealtync.com
Website: http://www.beachrealtync.com

Phone Numbers:
Rentals: 252-441-7166
Sales: 252-441-1106
Sales Toll Free: 877-814-1106
Fax: 252-480-1329
Toll Free Number: 800-635-1559

Outer Banks Activities for the Young Ones

          Kids enjoy the simplest things in life. It really doesn't take a lot to make them happy and make your vacation truly wonderful.

Living here in the Outer Banks is quite different than living in the city, thank God for all the fun and kid-friendly places around. If you have little ones or even teenagers, be sure to take notes of these activities, it will definitely make your stay fun and memorable. 

(Photo Credit: Cai Palmiter, MBA)

1. Take your little one at the Dare County Parks and Recreation Center for an afternoon of fun at the park. (Amenities: Playground, Skate Ramps and Bike Trails)

2. Find some of the Big Colorful Chairs when you are out and about and take a picture of your kids (little ones and teens alike) sitting on it. (Hint: It is almost everywhere, you won’t miss it at all. It's those little things that keeps them)

3. Visit some of the National Parks and famous landmarks around. Cross out some of the things on your family’s bucket list, it is a great way to remember and say, “Been there, done that!” (The Wright Brothers National Memorial, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Lighthouses, The Whalehead Club and Currituck Heritage Park, Roanoke Island Festival Park, The Lost Colony and many more)

4. Ride a bi-plane with the young ones, guaranteed they will be talking about that experience the whole trip and how awesome it is to see how tiny Outer Banks is. (Check out Outer Banks Air Charters in Manteo, NC)

5. Indulge once in a while for a cone or cup of ice cream, frozen yogurt or smoothies, it gets really hot in here in the summer so make it as a treat. (Dairy Queen, Cold Stone Creamery, Surfin’ Spoon, Sweet Frog, Logan’s Ice Cream Cottage, Fatboyz Ice Cream and Grill and many more)

6. Take them to a car show or mud race which we normally have this time of the year for enthusiasts and visitors alike. Also, don't forget to visit the Digger's Dungeon, get a shirt, have it signed by Dennis Anderson himself (check out his schedules for autograph signing). While you're at it, if you like some adventure, why not try to ride the monster trucks. Again, they will be talking about this experience like it is the most awesome thing that they have ever done.

7. Mini golf, go karts, laser tags, bowling and even teen nights, are also some of the activities that the beach offers for you and your family to enjoy together.

8. Lastly, let them play and enjoy the beach. Kids and teens can get really creative and they find a lot of things to do while at the beach. They enjoy getting chased by the water, feeding the seagulls, playing in the sand, swimming and skimming.

And if you happen to book your vacation with us, make sure you check some of the amenities included with your choice of rental houses or condos here in the Outer Banks. Most of these vacation homes are loaded with fun things to do indoors such as recreational room, swimming pool, beach volleyball court, basketball court and if you like to wander around some rental houses or condos even provide bikes.

So relax, if this is a vacation, you don't have to worry. Kids are really low maintenance if you think about it.

We are going social!

Change is truly inevitable and here at Beach Realty we always find ways to adapt to certain changes. Social media nowadays plays a big part in our everyday lives. With the vast changing technology, we tend to look and rely for news and updates mostly from various social networking sites more than the typical traditional media (TV, Radio and Print). These changes post challenges in real-time for various businesses in different fields of industry particularly the retail and services industry.


As a vacation rental company, we are committed in bringing updates however we can to our consumers. We are happy to announce that we are taking the high road and adapting to technological changes, thus, we are going more social than ever. If you are a social media savvy and are fond of social networking sites, follow us on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube,  and we will get you updated whenever, wherever. Check out our daily posts of beach photos and weather updates, happenings around the Outer Banks, listings of gorgeous rental houses for all your vacation needs, tips and more.


For more information, check out our website for more updates in the future, we'll surely keep you posted!




CONTACT US:
Beach Realty Construction & Kitty Hawk Rentals
Kill Devil Hills Office
Office Address: 6 Miles South of Wright Memorial Bridge
 
Mailing Address: 2901 N. Croatan Hwy. (Rt. 158)
                             P.O. Box 69
                             Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
Email Address: info@beachrealtync.com
Website: http://www.beachrealtync.com


Phone Numbers:


Rentals: 252-441-7166
Sales:     252-441-1106
Sales Toll Free:  877-814-1106
Fax:       252-480-1329
Toll Free Number:  800-635-1559

Beach Realty’s own John Amrhein authors two books!

Beach Realty is not your ordinary realty company; we have many experienced real estate agents, even one that has authored two books!  John Amrhein formerly of Richmond, Virginia, has been a resident of the Outer Banks since 1992 and has been an active real estate broker with Beach Realty & Construction for sixteen years.  In 2007, he published The Hidden Galleon: the true story of the legendary wild horses of Assateague Island, and recently published Treasure Island: The Untold Story, which was inspired by a series of events that took place in Ocracoke.  There would be no Pirates of the Caribbean without Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and there would have been no Treasure Island without the historic events that happened at Ocracoke in 1750. With his second book now published, he has documented the complete history of the 1750 Spanish fleet. Both books have won awards in history.

For more information about his books or real estate check out John's website www.outerbanksnc.com or contact him at john@beachrealtync.com. 

Top Agent Recognition

Beach Realty & Construction / Kitty Hawk Rentals Announces Top Agent Recognition

Beach Realty & Construction / Kitty Hawk Rentals congratulates real estate sales associates Joanne Kepler and Ilona Matteson for achieving top 10 honors for volume ranking within the Outer Banks Association of Realtors. At the end of the first quarter Joanne Kepler and Ilona Matteson were ranked fourth and fifth respectively out of 319 Realtors® that have sales volume in 2012.


“Beach Realty is very proud of Joanne and Ilona’s level of achievement. I can attribute the success of both agents to sheer hard work and a heightened dedication to their profession and their clients. Both agents have a thorough understanding of market conditions and the issues that are unique to our geographical area.” says Beth Urch, Sales Manager for Beach Realty & Construction.


Joanne Kepler works from the Corolla office of Beach Realty & Construction and can be contacted by emailing joanne@beachrealtync.com. Joanne was named Beach Realty & Construction’s agent of the year for 2011.

Joanne Kepler, Associate Broker – Corolla Office


Ilona Matteson works from the Duck office of Beach Realty & Construction and can be reached via email: Ilona@beachrealtync.com. Ilona is a former sales manager for Beach Realty & Construction and a former coach for a nationally known coaching and motivational firm.

Ilona Matteson, Associate Broker – Duck Office

Beach Realty & Construction / Kitty Hawk Rentals is the largest full-service real estate office on the Outer Banks. Beach Realty offers a turn–key solution to homeownership from lot purchase to new construction to vacation home rental, property management and remodeling. With over 45 years of experience, you can invest confidently and trust your needs will be met with professionalism and integrity.



For additional information contact Beach Realty & Construction / Kitty Hawk Rentals at beachbuy@beachrealtync.com or visit us on-line at: http://www.beachrealtysales.com/.