Scallops
by b1bob
Before my first trip to Nags Head in 1975, I never heard of a scallop. That's logical because I was born and raised inland. I first tried the scallop at Owen's Seafood Restaurant our second night there and fell straightaway in love with the earthy taste. I had it fried with baked potato and salad, not to mention plenty of cocktail sauce in which to dip it. The waiters and waitresses were all bumfuzzled that someone pushing 6 years old could eat all that. Regardless of the restaurant, I knew what I liked and my parents knew that any seafood restaurant worth its salt down there had fried scallops (with the usual sauce and sides) on the menu. I also had the scallop sauteed in seafood Norfolk (Owen's now calls it Seafood Outer Banks), but I have to say that now, as then, I prefer my scallops fried.
Tacky, even here
by b1bob
As many good Outer Banks memories as there are, some are tacky. For one example of my definition of tacky is the Sea Foam Motel. I cannot speak for the quality of this motel. My parents stayed there in the mid 1960s and had nothing but good things to say about the service and the cleanliness of the rooms. But on enlarging the photo, you will see what I mean in my critique of the decor. The aqua trim of this hotel, which may have been in vogue at the time the hotel was built, stands out even in the mid '70s, let alone the 21st Century. The pictured Sea Foam Motel isn't the only example of tacky I could cite.
- There used to be this t-shirt place on the Beach Road right across from Surfside Plaza that was a pitch black cinderblock building with a flat roof and gray floors. Even when I was a kid, I thought this was tacky.
- There are as many shops that sell nothing but cheap, gaudy, Outer Banks rubbish as a dog has fleas.
This kind of tacky can be found at any beach resort and is acceptable. However, tacky isn't only in the look, but in the attitude as well.
- I find it tacky that a formerly good restaurant like Owen's which did well its first 35 years by keeping the food simple and good has gone upmarket and snooty.
- It's a tacky thing when the Croatan Inn and its restaurant incarnations has to be torn down in favour of more condominums.
There were many crocodile tears shed a long time ago that the inn was built into the dunes. Suddenly, nobody's crying about the condominiums taking more of the dunes. If it keeps getting tacky like that, the next thing you will have is Baja Virginia Beach. The Outer Banks needs to grow some backbone and revert to the character it had when I was a kid and tell the elites from elsewhere there are plenty of other resorts that will cater to their snooty whims. As to the Sea Foam, it may look tacky, but at least they haven't been bought out by a national chain!
Galleon Esplanade
by b1bob
The Galleon Esplanade has to be the most unusual shopping places I have ever seen. See, I never have liked to shop. However, one shop was a replica of an honest-to-goodness galleon (a large three-masted sailing ship with a square rig and usually two or more decks, used from the 15th to the 17th century especially by Spain as a merchant ship or warship, for those in Roxboro) and the unique offerings made shopping here an excellent adventure in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1981. They sold things here I couldn't find at home such as t-shirts, seashells, wind chimes, and ceramics (Mama was keen on that back then). Having an ice cream shop also helped: they had great lemon custard. Sadly, it closed some time in the 1980s. I cannot imagine it not doing a good business because the curiosity factor alone would draw people there. For example, my first time there, I saw a car with Texas plates.
Sun block
by b1bob
If you don't want to look like you were roasted on satan's own spit, don't forget to use sunscreen. In 1995, when I was old enough that you'd think I'd know better, I applied it to everywhere but my legs. They were so red I could stop traffic at night!
Jennette's Pier
by b1bob
Jennette's Pier is the oldest fishing pier on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Since it was built in 1939, this historic ocean landmark has weathered dozens of hurricanes and noreasters over the past six decades. The latest, Hurricane Isabel, took 540 feet (165 m.) of pier with it. However, if they haven't already rebuilt it, they seem to intend to do just that. My first night in Nags Head, Mama, Daddy, and I visited Jennette's Pier on our nightly beach walk. It was a short distance north of our hotel. There, I saw a fisherman actually catch a small shark. Keep in mind, 1975 was the summer the movie Jaws was released and many folks were actually scared to go into the water. I didn't take that threat seriously. I was more afraid of thunderstorms. If you're not there to fish, they have an arcade and a gift shop. Any rod and reel will do.
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From the entrance
Road leading to Lighthouse, Outer Banks
Yes, there IS good surfing on the Outer Banks.
Fishing at Cape Hatteres
