The Outer Banks ("OBX") of North Carolina

DGS49

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Apr 12, 2012
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I just got back from a week at the Outer Banks, and two things struck me heavily (aside from the enjoyment of the vacation):

There were literally thousands of vacation homes, valued at 3/4 million and up, and even though many, if not most of them were purchased through some sort of shared ownership, they still represent untold millions of DISCRETIONARY dollars, spent by Americans so that they can have a week or two of enjoyment at a beach that is...to be honest...not so great. No surfing, the swimming varies between awful and dangerous. Hell, even wading in the water is dangerous (details provided if you want). The best thing about the beaches is that they are not crowded.

The second thing was...ready for this?...everyone was white. No Blacks, no Indians, no Chinese, no Arabs. Hell, there were barely any Italians. One can only hope that the reason for this is that BIPOC's with the means have other places where they prefer to vacation.

It's a good place to relax - we've been going there on and off for decades - and as time goes by there are more and more things to do. It is a very popular place to vacation for people from Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, judging by license plates.
 
..I was stationed at Camp Lejeune ..I took a trip there once ..we just drove up there....looked around...ate and left......went to Wilmington a couple of times to drink ....
..it's a hurricane hazard though, being low land, I thought
 
I just got back from a week at the Outer Banks, and two things struck me heavily (aside from the enjoyment of the vacation):

There were literally thousands of vacation homes, valued at 3/4 million and up, and even though many, if not most of them were purchased through some sort of shared ownership, they still represent untold millions of DISCRETIONARY dollars, spent by Americans so that they can have a week or two of enjoyment at a beach that is...to be honest...not so great. No surfing, the swimming varies between awful and dangerous. Hell, even wading in the water is dangerous (details provided if you want). The best thing about the beaches is that they are not crowded.

The second thing was...ready for this?...everyone was white. No Blacks, no Indians, no Chinese, no Arabs. Hell, there were barely any Italians. One can only hope that the reason for this is that BIPOC's with the means have other places where they prefer to vacation.

It's a good place to relax - we've been going there on and off for decades - and as time goes by there are more and more things to do. It is a very popular place to vacation for people from Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, judging by license plates.

I know a fair number of people who have second homes on the out of the way places along the carolina coast. Often the do rentals during the season to make the payments and then use it themselves "off-season". They don't go there to party like it is spring break. They go there for the peace and quiet and to escape civilization, work, etc. People who go to the coast looking for something to do, usually hit up Myrtle Beach or Virginia Beach/Williamsburg.
 
..I was stationed at Camp Lejeune ..I took a trip there once ..we just drove up there....looked around...ate and left......went to Wilmington a couple of times to drink ....
..it's a hurricane hazard though, being low land, I thought
My wife was stationed there as well.
 
Much like the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge area.
Many 1000's vacation rentals.
You can invest in a 3 bdrm cabin, fairly shoddily built, for between $700k to $1,000,000 depending on location.
That cabin will rent for between $350 - $500 a day.
 
My wife was stationed there as well.
.....my buddy and I went on a canoe at the bay on our off time ....went down the bay, then turned into a ''river'' which turned into a narrow creek ...got out and walked a little ..back into the canoe.....then my buddy said ''look at that alligator!! ''''!!...I never knew there were gators there...we patrolled/hiked through the swamps all the time !!!! it gets cold there......
..we had a BBQ at a pavilion right next to the bay...one time driving over the bridge, I saw a gator jump into the water right by that pavilion
 
..I was stationed at Camp Lejeune ..I took a trip there once ..we just drove up there....looked around...ate and left......went to Wilmington a couple of times to drink ....
..it's a hurricane hazard though, being low land, I thought

All those expensive homes in the flood zone are insured by the federal government for some reason.

Your tax dollars have gone to rebuild those homes on more than one occasion.
 
I just got back from a week at the Outer Banks, and two things struck me heavily (aside from the enjoyment of the vacation):

There were literally thousands of vacation homes, valued at 3/4 million and up, and even though many, if not most of them were purchased through some sort of shared ownership, they still represent untold millions of DISCRETIONARY dollars, spent by Americans so that they can have a week or two of enjoyment at a beach that is...to be honest...not so great. No surfing, the swimming varies between awful and dangerous. Hell, even wading in the water is dangerous (details provided if you want). The best thing about the beaches is that they are not crowded.

The second thing was...ready for this?...everyone was white. No Blacks, no Indians, no Chinese, no Arabs. Hell, there were barely any Italians. One can only hope that the reason for this is that BIPOC's with the means have other places where they prefer to vacation.

It's a good place to relax - we've been going there on and off for decades - and as time goes by there are more and more things to do. It is a very popular place to vacation for people from Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, judging by license plates.
Sure seems to me that it is all a waste of money since AOC said that the world is going to end in 10 1/2 years now with the waters going to cover all the coastline...Do those living there think AOC is a big fat liar?
 
the upper banks are packed..if you want a true outer banks experience go to ocracoke...a twelve mile island ...accessible by ferry or boat...or small plane...hwy 12 is going under...soon the whole island will...they have markers showing the water level of each hurricane...one was 5 ft ...and this was inland on the island
 
It's a nice quiet place to go for a laid-back vacation. We used to rent a place at Whalebone Junction (easy to escape to the mainland on the causeway if necessary). I have a fond memory of packing up my excellent hunting-and-gathering skills, crab lines, and fishing gear, determined to come home with dinner for the four of us. I succeeded by expertly flipping my charge card at Whalebone Seafood.

It's a nice, quiet place in the southern part of the main island, but Nags Head, Duck, and Kitty Hawk are too commercial. Frankly, I wouldn't spend big bucks on a house built on a very large sandbar that is ground zero for east-coast hurricanes. And it's worse on the other islands south of the Oregon Inlet where Route 12 is the only way out in a pinch, the island is only a few hundred feet wide, and you have to take a ferry. I wondered how people could live permanently on Ocracoke, but there are some really old houses there.

I haven't been there in years, but I remember it as being very white. Maybe times have changed and more people of color have discovered it and hopefully have been given a nice welcome.

You went wading in the water, got knocked over by a wave, and raked across the pebbles and rocks on the bottom. I hope that you weren't roughed up too badly.
 
view from our rental house

1632664053420.png


sound side
 
I just got back from a week at the Outer Banks, and two things struck me heavily (aside from the enjoyment of the vacation):

There were literally thousands of vacation homes, valued at 3/4 million and up, and even though many, if not most of them were purchased through some sort of shared ownership, they still represent untold millions of DISCRETIONARY dollars, spent by Americans so that they can have a week or two of enjoyment at a beach that is...to be honest...not so great. No surfing, the swimming varies between awful and dangerous. Hell, even wading in the water is dangerous (details provided if you want). The best thing about the beaches is that they are not crowded.

The second thing was...ready for this?...everyone was white. No Blacks, no Indians, no Chinese, no Arabs. Hell, there were barely any Italians. One can only hope that the reason for this is that BIPOC's with the means have other places where they prefer to vacation.

It's a good place to relax - we've been going there on and off for decades - and as time goes by there are more and more things to do. It is a very popular place to vacation for people from Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, judging by license plates.
Interesting observations. I spend all my time on the water fishing when I am there never really paid attention to what was happening on land. Really good blue fin fishing there. Get a decent sized blue fin you have a ten thousand dollar day. There is some blue crab in the area also.
 
Interesting observations. I spend all my time on the water fishing when I am there never really paid attention to what was happening on land. Really good blue fin fishing there. Get a decent sized blue fin you have a ten thousand dollar day. There is some blue crab in the area also.
That is interesting. How much do you normally get for a Blue Fin?
 
That is interesting. How much do you normally get for a Blue Fin?
If a keeper 5k to 30 k. Not just based on size but also quality of meat. Average is 10 k. Don't always get one but always have the excitement of that possiblity! Even if ya blank you had a nice day on the water.
 
The joke used to be that people went to the Outer Banks BECAUSE there was nothing in particular to do there. No honky tonk, boardwalks, amusement parks. The big event was seeing the Roanoke Lost Colony play.

Fishing seems to be big. People like to go see the wild horses. Lots of people with 4WD's like to go up to the sand dunes where you are permitted to drive the beach (north of Corolla). Several establishments have facilities to lower and raise tire pressures to facilitate sand driving. I keep thinking that boating on the sound would be fun, but boats are rare over there. There are swimming pools, tennis courts, pickleball courts, gyms, golf courses, basketball courts, putting greens, hot tubs, and on and on.

The water is hazardous to most humans because the subsurface of the water is greatly uneven, and riptides are common. You can be standing waist-deep, 100 yards out, walk directly toward the shore and be in over your head in a trice. If that happens while you are being assaulted by waves from the rear, it can be a problem.

The beach, on the other hand, is quite nice. Not heavily populated, white sand, lots of rental stuff if you don't have beach tackle with you.
 

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