What can I say about the outer banks but man, what a beautiful place. This is a destination that I have always heard great things about, but never had the opportunity to visit. I am so grateful we got to make our way down there on this trip.

The second you get in you are instantly thrust into a slower pace of life, whatever speed you were operating on automatically gets turned down a notch or two. As soon as I stepped out of the car to take in the 360 view of sea and sky, I felt all the muscles in my body relax. The Outer Banks is a peaceful,romantic place, this is where Jonathon Sparks set his romance novel: “Nights in Rodanthe”. The scenery is so idyllic that I kept expecting to see Diane Lane and Richard Gere locked lipped and windblown lurking behind every picturesque sand dune.

This is also the site of 11 shark attacks just last month. My husband though, ever the adventurer, dived right in anyways. The sun was very hot and the water very blue so I see the temptation, I however, fell victim to shark week which was on right at the time we were there, so I was content to post up safely by the pool with my rag mag keeping one careful eye on him the whole time.

The town itself reminds me so much of my beloved Cape Cod, but there is still that irresistible southern charm ever present with the locals and business owners. Like the cape, you can drive from one scenic side to the other on a long strip to the top, driving through each little village that has its own unique personality. We were staying in the adorable Nag’s head, which has a rustic charm about it. As you drive closer to the end of the coast towards the northernmost tip however, the towns change and take on a more preppy vibe, driving through Duck, for example I felt there was a required uniform of Kakis and popped collars. The actual drive from one end of the strip to the other is short, it only took a little over an hour to drive the whole thing. There was help from an amazing radio station, 92.1 “The Beat” to make the ride quicker. They played throw back hip hop and R&B the whole ride up and I felt like I was back in my 97 Honda Civic cruising to the beach. If you are in the area and looking for beach tunes, I highly recommend it.

Some points of interest along the route include, but aren’t limited to; the Bodie lighthouse. A classic black and white beauty that looks like all the postcards of coastal fame. At the other tip of the outer banks there is Corolla, where a historic town has been preserved in it’s original state. Most of the little villages that have existed there long ago are completely gone, the Corolla Village however, is still intact and can offer some insight into this region’s history. The most interesting part of this town was the tiny two room school-house that originally opened in 1890. It was recently restored and actually reopened in August 2012 and is currently a fully functioning school that teaches grades K-6. I have no clue how they fit all those kids in two rooms, but they seem to make it work. Corolla is also home to the famed wild Mustangs that run freely on the white sandy beaches. We unfortunately, with lack of foresight, didn’t plan accordingly and missed out on seeing these majestic creatures. You need 4 wheel drive to be able to make it out in the dunes and we came too late for the guided tours. Next time, but for now, goodbye horses.

I am not sure if this is the New Yorker in me talking, but everything in this region seems to close unnecessarily early, Eduardo officially dubbed it “The town that feared sundown”. All of the museums were closed very early and do not expect to eat past 9pm, for this is considered “Late Night” there and you will be left feeling very hungry and confused. On our last night, we walked out of our hotel at 8:50 expecting to have dinner at a reasonable hour (for us), and we were literally shut out of everywhere. We finally resigned ourselves to eat at an “after hours” ice cream stand called Fat Boyz. So take it from me, if you want a decent meal, get to the restaurants before 8pm.

If you do happen to make it  in time for dinner however, the food is as delicious as any sea town can offer. We had the pleasure of dining at one of the regions oldest restaurants called “Owen’s Motel”. It is an adorable place that has been up and running since 1945, the decor looks like something out of your great grandmothers dining room, with sea themed old sepia photographs. We had a tasty selection of their raw bar to start, followed by a straight forward fish dinner prepared to perfection. You can tell these people have been doing this for a long time, and their simple yet scrumptious recipes were a treat indeed. Another culinary delight was a trip to the Outer Banks Brewing Station, America’s first wind powered brew pub. I had a flavorful flight of 4 beers that they brewed right on site. They were all decent, but my favorite was the Lemon Grass Wheat Ale, it was amazingly refreshing on such a hot day. The food left a lot to be desired though, but if you are a beer lover and want an interesting experience, then I suggest this as a stop on the way to Corolla. The staff is lovely and you can even take home a growler of your choosing if you so desire.

We really could have spent a whole week there. I feel like two days was just a crash course in the Outer Banks. I would love to come back and rent one of the beautiful Beach cabins on stilts and see those wild horses. There was a lot that we missed out on, actually. Kitty Hawk, the next town over, is where the Wright brothers launched their glider airplane and is known as the birth place of modern flight. We also missed out on some other light houses and historical houses that were either closed or a tad too far for our limited time span. There is so much to see and do there that I didn’t take the opportunity to soak up the serenity of the place. We did manage to catch an amazingly beautiful sunset on our last night however, that won’t soon be forgotten. I am a sucker for sunsets and the outer banks did not disappoint me on this front.

Traveling With Phoebe: Use cation when staying at “pet friendly” hotels. We were put on what was clearly the dog floor and it had a very strong pee smell. It was in our room too, which looked like it had been a little neglected. You could tell that this floor isn’t a priority for upkeep, most likely because a lot of furry friends stay there. Aside from this misfortune, Phoebe had the pleasure of visiting a beach for the first time. She absolutely loved it and was smiling from ear to salty ear. She was so happy that we can’t wait to bring her down to Florida with us next time we go.

Goodbye for now ,off to Baltimore, Charm City, or the place my husband kidnapped me to the night we met.

As I stated in my last post, I love traveling to places where I know a local. In this case the local in our next travel destination is my father. For the past 14 years I have had the pleasure of escaping from NYC to the picturesque island of Hilton Head, SC. When I graduated high school my father took me out to dinner and told me that he had something important that he wanted to ask me. “How would you feel if I moved to SC?” We lived in Tampa at the time, so this was going to be a change for everyone. However, I was just accepted to the Boston Conservatory, and would be attending there in the fall ,so my reply was “How would you feel if I moved to Boston?” I didn’t quite realize it back then, but this was going to be quite the privilege for me. I was now going to be able to take refuge from my brutal North East winters and travel to one of the most interesting and quaint communities I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

When you think of the “Low Country”, Savannah, GA probably comes to mind. But Hilton Head, by all means, is the epitome of Low Country Living. It has just as much  history,cultural heritage and natural beauty, than all of its Low Country competitors.

It is by all definition of the word an island, but it’s not the typical tropical islands of the Florida Keys that I was used to traveling to as a kid. This is a special kind of woodsy island, where the likely hood of seeing a deer grazing in your front yard is pretty high. The best feature of the island is arguably the 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean, where this past 4th of July we watched vintage war planes fly over, while we lazily enjoyed mango margaritas from the tiki bar.

Hilton Head Island is a nature lovers dream, with various types of natural beauty to take in. If you want an organized adventure, the Coastal Discovery Museum has many options and routes for nature walks, kayaking, and bird watching. My favorite way to see the island, however is by boat. My dad lives on the water and has taken me on some of the most scenic rides I have ever been on.

The history of Hilton Head is particularly interesting. The Gullah’s, who were freed slaves inhabited the island after it fell to the union solders during the civil war. Much of their cultural and ethnic identity is still preserved and a prevalent part of the island’s community today. One of my favorite things to do on my trips, is visit Daufuskie, a tiny island off of Hilton Head that was home to many Gullah’s and still is. It can only be reached by boat and it is a charming, bare bones, raw environment that only has one bar, which is a structure that is nothing short of a glorified shack.The beer is cold however, and it goes really well with tequilla shots, leaving me to pass away an entire day listening to a one man band, while watching the waves slowly roll in on an unspoiled beach.

The food on the island is delicious, boasting some of the freshest seafood you can get on the east coast. A lot of residents live off the sea, boating and fishing is a way of life and it is a very typical thing to catch your dinner for the night. You can actually see the shrimping boats returning with their fresh catch, from my father’s backyard.  One of my favorite memories was getting a bushel of fresh, still wet with sea water, oysters and shucking them myself. I took so much delight in slurping up the salty goodness with my family, siting around a bon fire and sipping peach moonshine from my Aunt Kathy’s fresh batch, that she prepared for the occasion. This is low country living.

All of this attracts the tourists, and they come in droves every summer to enjoy the wonders of Hilton Head. Another main drawl of the place is golf. The island has beautiful greens and proudly hosts the heritage golf tournament every year. My father and his wife play every week and someday I hope to get a good enough swing to join them.

I am lucky to consider myself an honorary local. Which is such a gift for me, because I am able to see the island in a different way. I can go to the popular watering holes and complain about the tourists with the rest of them, disguised as a resident via my dad. If I were to suggest a trip down here (and don’t tell the locals I sent you), I suggest that you rent a beach house on one of the island’s beautiful beaches. Another wonderful thing about Hilton Head is its proximity to other great historical places. It is an hour south of the lovely Charleston, SC, and hour north of the classically beautiful Savannah, GA. I would make Hilton Head your home base and rent a car to travel to these other significant American cities.

The best time to go in my opinion would be the Spring or early Fall. The summers are very hot and very crowed, you will get better rates before or after the peak season. My time there was too short, as it always is, but I look forward to the next time when I can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the relaxed pace of the  low country life.

Pet Check In: Phoebe liked staying in my dad’s house much better than the hotel. She even had a playmate, Ozzy the Golden Retriever puppy. She isn’t the best house guest though, she ate two of his toys and peed and pooped on the floor twice, and acted like she owned the place. Sorry Ozzy.

They say that the youth is wasted on the young, which for the most part is true, but when it comes to history museums I believe that it is an experience that can only get better with age.

My father took me on my first trip to DC was when I was a disgruntled 12-year-old girl (That’s me above, looking pretty displeased and bored). During our visit to the Smithsonian’s American History Museum, I was convinced that the endless rows of model battleships were going to be the death of me. I was not yet mature enough to appreciate their importance, and the key role they played in establishing the Navy that we know today.

The girl in that picture definitely wouldn’t have noticed the gorgeous screen prints of african american painter Jacob Lawrence, or appreciate the beauty of John Coltrane’s Sax, whose music means so much to me now. As an adult I can now feel the gravity of Lincolns bronze bust, displaying each wrinkle and concern on his face, wrought by the civil war. The stove top hat he was wearing when he was shot, now brings me feelings of sorrow and regret for the American people. The younger me, certainly would not have marveled at the chairs from the Appomatox courthouse, in which Grant accepted Lee’s surrender ending the civil war. These are things that can only be appreciated with age.

My favorite part of this trip however, wasn’t the museums, it was visiting the incredible monuments lit up at night. It is hard not to feel patriotic standing in the Lincoln Memorial, reading his famous Gettysburg address, while looking over the towering Washington monument. As luck would have it, we also went on a particularly beautiful night, the moon was bright orange and full, casting an almost magical glow on this historic city.

To round out our trip, we recruited a local to show us around, this is my favorite way to travel. Yelp and Trip Advisory can only get you so far. If you really want to experience a city then you should ask a resident. My good pal, Ariel took us to an amazing restaurant called, Bus Boys and Poets. It was equal parts bookstore, bar, coffee shop, restaurant, and performance space. The food was a delicious blend of vegetarian soul food and classic healthy American cuisine. The vibes couldn’t have been better and if we lived in DC we would definitely be regulars.

There is so much to say about this city that it was hard to keep it brief. I could go on and on about the history and the traditions of this sacred ground. As I reflect, I can only assume that my love for history sprung from that initial trip my father took me on,

when I was a difficult pre teen with so much to learn.

An Amendment: If you want more info about Bus Boys and Poets, look them up here:

Busboys and Poets

You should definately check them out if you are going to be in the DC area.

Pet Travel Tips: If you are going to be staying at a hotel with your pet, ask to be in a room far away from the elevator. Our Phoebe barked almost the entire night at the comings and goings of the guests.

Ok, off to Hilton Head, SC. Got a 9 hour drive ahead of us.