“From sea to shining sea, these protected lands (national parks, seashores, lakeshores, and more!) are brimming with breathtaking scenery, amazing wildlife, and activities galore. Discover our nation’s most unspoiled getaways, from the rocky shores of Acadia National Park to the tree-covered ridges of Point Reyes National Seashore.”
See all of the Top 25 Gorgeous Coastal National Parks according to Coastal Living Magazine.
This past weekend we had a full house as we were one of the sponsors of the annual “4 Plus” Fishing Tournament. For many of you who vacation with us during the summer, you may not know how busy we can be in April, October and November for these large tournaments. The spring tournament has a special energy as the island is waking up from winter. Men and women who enjoy surf fishing come from central and northern Virginia to see what’s biting – and what they can catch. These events have gone on continuously for more than 30 years now and some very strong friendships have grown out of spending time together on the beach. The anglers generally come in on Friday (although some are able to sneak down a day before) and the fishing begins on Saturday morning after a meeting with all of the officials. This year Saturday began with some heavy rain, but the skies cleared quickly for a really pretty afternoon of fishing. Then the wind shifted and we had a stiff NE breeze and some cool temperatures for those hardy folks who decided to fish overnight! The catches this year were small – mostly sea mullet (or whiting as it is sometimes called), blow toads, and a few blues. On Sunday morning the fishing concluded, and winners were announced and prizes awarded at an early morning session at the Fesseden Center. But despite the fact that the catches were small, and few if any of the big drum made an appearance, all of the guests we served left with smiles on their faces and many have already booked for the fall tournament and even next April! The lesson here from behind the desk is that being at the beach can be anything you want it to be. For these folks, while they come to fish in a tournament, the fishing (and catching) is really secondary to the fun and fellowship they have at one of the most beautiful coastlines in America. Rain, wind, fish size, numbers of fish – they don’t let anything get in the way of their relaxation and enjoyment. We all want our beach vacations to be filled with blue skies, sunny days, and light breezes. But the joy of just being at the ocean, the smell of the salt, the crash of the waves, being with friends or family – those things all exist no matter what the weather and no matter what else is happening around us. Allow your vacation to be the break it was intended to be and don’t let outside circumstances interfere with your special time. The “4 Plus” fishermen and women have learned that lesson well!
PS: If you have never fished on your OBX vacation, why not give it a try this year? Many people do and get “hooked” for life!
If only vacations could last forever! But the days move along, and all too soon it is time to check out. Here are a few suggestions to make checking out a bit easier, so you can keep that OBX feeling all the way home.
1. If you are traveling on a Saturday or Sunday, it is wise to plan a very early morning departure. In the summer season weekend traffic coming and going is heavy. An early start helps you avoid those hassles. On a weekday, you are less likely to run into construction delays at the new bridge sites.
2. Check out time for any efficiency unit (a room with a full kitchen) is 10 am. For all other rooms the check-out time is 11 am. Remember how anxious you were to get into your room at check-in? The guests who follow you no doubt feel the same way. So please adhere to the check-out times. It assists us in coordinating the housekeeping and insures our incoming guests have an on-time check-in experience too.
3. If you really require a later check-in, please contact the office the evening before, or early in the morning on your day of check-out. We can review the incoming guest list to determine if a later check-out is possible. Normally an hour or two from your check-out time is the latest we can allow.
4. It is very helpful if you place all your loose trash in the trash cans in your room, and all your dirty towels in a pile in the bathroom. If you have smoked outside on the porch and had your butts in some sort of container, we ask that you dispose of those properly prior to departure.
5. Please bring your keys to the office when you leave. If you are checking out before the office opens, we ask that you use the key drop outside the office door. Again, this assists us in coordinating housekeeping as we then know exactly when folks have gone and we can begin cleaning. Checking out in person also means we have one additional time to have a conversation with you about your stay to obtain feedback, answer any travel questions, and wish you a bon voyage! If you had issues or concerns, we would much rather hear about them from you in person so that we can respond directly to you and also make an immediate note of the problem for our review and action.
6. Please remember your housekeepers. There is a tip envelope in every room. If they have helped you during your stay, an little thank you is certainly appreciated!
7. We have information on the ferry schedules in our office. If you are traveling south onto the mainland, be sure you have made your reservations ahead of time, and have allocated enough time for the Hatteras to Ocracoke Ferry transit to make your Ocracoke departure time.
8. We love seeing the photo memories of our guests. Don’t forget to tag us in photos for Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram so that you can see what is happening at your heaven on earth all year long!
9. We appreciate your business and in case we don’t get to see you before you depart, know you have our sincere thanks for staying with us and we will look forward to hosting you again soon!
If you’re headed this way, these updates provide important travel information.
File this under “Know before you go!”.
• Expect Daytime Lane Closures Monday – Friday until June 13*
One lane will remain open during these lane closures, but motorists are advised to allow extra travel time. From time to time, nighttime road closures may lasting up to 30 minutes.
“Greasy Spoons
Most restaurants here close for the off-season, so we cooked most of our meals. Whenever we met locals, though, we’d ask for restaurant recommendations. Those led us to a few choice eateries, such as, Fattys where we chowed down on biscuits and gravy.”
Read the entire awesome article in Men’s Journal.
You’re all settled into your room and now the real vacation can begin! For first-time visitors to the ocean and the Outer Banks (and even for repeat visitors), the variety of things to do and places to visit can be overwhelming. Here are some tips to enjoy your visit to the fullest. Just please remember, the beach environment is unique and can bring you challenges you don’t deal with at home. Use a lot of common sense and heed all posted warnings of any kind related to beach access and use. We are surrounded by national park land and there are rules and guidelines to follow.
1. No doubt you are anxious to see the beach and maybe you want to drive along the beach like you’ve seen them do in other places. First rule is: if you do not have a four-wheel drive vehicle, DON’T. Do not attempt to even pull off the side of the road as the shoulders are soft sand and you may very easily get stuck. A tow is not inexpensive, and we have seen this happen time and time again. You can rent a four wheel drive vehicle if you want to do some off-roading. Even if you have four wheel drive during the dryer summer months you will want to slack your tires. You do need an off-road permit which you can obtain at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor’s Center. Be careful of the tides – we always post the tide times outside the office along with the weather forecast. An incoming tide can catch you off guard if you have taken a long beach walk. Also, beach ramp access changes regularly and due to bird and turtle nesting, some areas are off limits. Check access information regularly.
2. Speaking of driving, the posted speed limit signs in the villages are for real – yes, that includes 25 mph in Buxton. Don’t ruin your vacation with a ticket. It’s vacation time – relax and just go slowly. Nothing here is going anywhere!
3. Let’s spend a moment on the beach itself. When the sun is shining brightly, you need sunscreen – a good high number. When the day is partly cloudy with nice, billowing clouds, you need sunscreen – a good high number. And when the day is overcast with no sun, you need sunscreen – a good high number. Especially in the summer, but actually all year, the sun is intense and a bad burn is no way to spend a vacation. Protect yourself! A beach umbrella is a fine investment!
4. The ocean is amazingly beautiful but it is the ocean. Currents can be strong, waves can be rough, and the water clarity and temperature can vary. Never, ever swim alone. Watch your children. Knowing how to swim in a pool is not a indicator of swimming ability in the ocean. On really rough days, stay along the water’s edge and enjoy the magnificence of mother nature. If you want to swim at a guarded beach, there is one provided by the Park Service near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Of course, you can also enjoy our pool but the same rules apply – watch your children and don’t swim alone!
5. There are fish, jelly fish and other creatures in the sea. 99.9% of the time you will not encounter a jelly but if you do, over the counter remedies will help ease the sting. If you see a lot of jellies on a particular day, you may want to simply stay out of the water or go to a different stretch of beach. The north beach and the south beach can vary tremendously on any given day, and the sound side can be different still. More and more people like the sound side especially if they have small children. The water is calmer and very shallow and often warmer.
6. Beach fires are a vacation tradition. There are rules to follow. We have copies of the guidelines from the NPS in the office.
7. Shelling is a wonderful past time here. We have found great shells at all times of the tide, although low tide does give you some advantages. The biggest rule of thumb is to get up early and be the first one out. If we have a day of stormy conditions, often shelling improves a bit on the day following as interesting things get churned up from the bottom and tossed on the shore. We can help you identify your shells, and if you haven’t found anything by the time you leave, check out our shell buckets for a treat to take home. All are OBX shells we collected during the winter months.
8. Many people love to spend a day shelling and sightseeing in Ocracoke. We have ferry schedules in the office. Tip: if you want to spend your day on Ocracoke and not in a line for a ferry plan to leave as early in the morning as you can. You will get there ahead of the crowds, have time to enjoy the beaches, catch a bite to eat and head home easily. The ferry lines are not where you want to spend your time.
9. We love fishing – it’s what we are famous for along with the beautiful beaches. A license is required for surf fishing, which includes the beach at our motel. There is no license required at a pier. The nearest pier to us at CHM is in Avon about 7 miles away. There are tackle shops galore and plenty of fishermen and women who can give you advice on what’s biting and how to catch them. Talking to locals is truly your best bet for fishing information as they fish all year and have been fishing for many years. You can also rent charters for inshore or off shore fishing for a half day or a full day. There are also head boats (party boats) where your whole family can enjoy an outing. Check in at the harbors in Hatteras Village for information on any of these options. You can keep your catch in our freezer. Some of the local restaurants will prepare your catch for you if you bring it along.
10. Speaking of restaurants, there are some fine choices here on Hatteras Island. We have restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at every price point from family casual to special event evenings out. We keep many menus in the office for your review, and since we have eaten at all of them we can give you some firsthand information. During the summer months, most restaurants open at 5pm and close by 9 pm for dinner. A few places stay open after 9 if it is really busy. During the non-peak season, hours and closings vary widely so check in the office for who’s open and when.
As always, if you have questions on anything covered here, or something we missed, just stop by the office or call us ahead of your travels. We want you to have the best OBX vacation ever here with us at Cape Hatteras Motel.
Next up: Checking Out and Heading Home
USA Today Travel 10Best recently named, Cape Hatteras National Seashore #8 Best National Park Beach. Cape Hatteras National Seashore, America’s first national seashore, offers 70 miles of pristine sandy beaches running between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound.
You have just checked in, and now you are ready to settle into your home away from home. Even though it is not your real home, no matter where you travel, your room should be special to you and for you. Treat things as you would at home not only for your stay, but for guests around you, and also for future guests who will use your room. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. The thermostat in your room is usually set at a reasonable temperature for the season. We know that everyone feels cold and heat differently, so it is not a problem if you adjust things a bit up or down or even turn the unit off if that is what you prefer. However, in the summer, it does no good to push the thermostat to a very low level. The room will not cool any faster, and often times the system will freeze up completely meaning you will have no cooling until the unit can be repaired. That’s no fun for you or for us!
2. The allure of the sounds and smells of the ocean are very enticing and we don’t blame you for wanting to keep doors and windows open to take it all in, especially a gentle summer breeze. But please do not run the A/C at the same time you have the doors and windows open. This is a terrible waste of energy and again, causes excess wear on the heating and cooling unit.
3. You have neighbors. They are either above or below you, and on one or both sides of you. Everyone comes to the beach for a different reason, but for most people it’s for relaxation. When it includes celebration, please remember that we do have a quiet time of 10 p.m. and we ask you to recognize that as a courtesy. Also, even children’s footfalls can be loud at times so if you have little ones and you are on the top floor, encourage them to run on the beach! Inside and outside voices apply to vacations too.
4. Everyone loves our rocking chairs. Every room has two chairs located just outside the door on the porch. Everyone wants the chairs to be there when they arrive. So, if you “borrow” a chair during your stay from a vacant room, we ask that you return it. And please don’t borrow chairs from rooms that are occupied or take the rockers onto the beach.
5. There are several rental firms operating in Buxton, Hatteras and Avon that can provide you with everything from additional beach chairs to kayaks and more. Just ask at the office for information if you would like to rent something to enhance your time at the beach.
6. We do have wifi but it can be a bit iffy at times – that is part of the joy of life on a sandbar! We don’t mind at all if you come over to the office area where the signal might be a bit better.
7. If you break something, and we know that accidents do happen, please let us know right away so that we can fix it. That way, the next guest won’t go into a room where something is not quite right because we didn’t know about it. The same goes for letting us know when something isn’t working properly. We will work diligently to make it right for you.
8. All of our rooms are non-smoking. If you smoke on the porch or the beach, please keep your cigarette butts in some sort of container to dispose of properly. Butts are litter too!
9. Read our guest information sheet and make sure we have answered all your questions. Then relax and enjoy your OBX holiday!
Next up: On the Beach/Out and About
From Maine all the way down to Florida, America’s eastern shores are home to a diverse collection of beautiful beaches perfect for your next summer vacation. A panel of Beach and East Coast Local Experts were chosen based on their extensive beach knowledge and experience to pick their top 20 Atlantic and Gulf beaches. Of these 20 nominations, 10Best readers voted online for their very favorites.
From the list of nominations, Ocracoke Island Beach ranked #3 and Cape Hatteras ranked #6. Not a bad showing for the Outer Banks of North Carolina!
