Spending time at the beach is a traditional way to vacation in the summer months. How many times have you thought, “I wonder what it’d be like to live here in the winter?” What better way to figure that out than to rent a place and pack the heavy coat, hat and gloves and head to Manteo, North Carolina on the Outer Banks. The cottage was almost perfect, located in the downtown area about two to three blocks from the waterfront and centrally located between the northern and southern banks. (The extra firm mattresses on the beds made it less than perfect for me, but my kids didn’t seem to mind at all!)
We arrived late December while the town was decorated with holiday lights and hosting a festive New Year’s Celebration. We were able to walk everywhere–through neighborhoods, marinas, waterfront boardwalks and the Roanoke Festival Park. While we found trails along the Croatan Sound in the Fort Raleigh historic area that the dog really liked, my favorite walk took me to Chari’s Coffee for the best vanilla latte and specially made “cruffins.” Of course, the coffee came after the sunrise, and there sure were gorgeous skies over the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. There were fiery red skies that went orange, gold, mauve and purple and reflected in the water of Shallowbag Bay, and winter blue ones that calmed your soul, to misty gray skies that dampened your plans for that morning. Surprisingly, there were always people up and about on the waterfront; they jogged, walked their dogs, sat on the benches, or just watched the sunrise. They always said hello and were willing to start a conversation with you. It was a great place to spend a winter!
There are so many places to explore on the Outer Banks: fishing piers, boardwalks, bridges, gazebos, woods, the beach (of course), and lighthouses. It’s not always easy being in the right place when there is a phenomenal sunrise or sunset. Having an extended amount of time here enabled my son and I to photograph some of them. You always want to kick yourself when you miss one, but it just gives you more incentive to capture the next one.
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- Jennette’s Pier
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- Jennette’s Pier
The northern banks have a completely different vibe than the southern banks. There are quaint shops along a vast expanse of boardwalks built in Duck, a romantic bridge and lighthouse at Corolla historic Park, and the famous wild horses that I was unable to see without a 4-wheel drive vehicle. However, the sunsets were a golden warm blanket for a cool winter evening and the moonlight over the boardwalks chased away any winter blues.
Pea Island Lifesaving Station and dunes at Oregon Inlet is a treasure trove of sea glass and a great place to watch the sunset over the dunes. Heading down Highway 12, you can discover Rodanthe Pier and many different boardwalks and/or ramps over the dunes to the ocean. Keep driving to Buxton and you can walk to “the Point,” find the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, see a Portuguese Man of War and find amazing seashells, whelks and coral. Drive even further and turn off towards Billy Mitchell Airport in Frisco and take ramp 49 to the beach or go the distance and watch the sunset from Hatteras Village.
There were some cold north winds and rainy days, but for the most part, winter in the OBX was amazing.
Stay tuned for spring in South Carolina….