Not only was July a hot month for weather, but it was hot for facebook fan photos as well!  Here are our favorite fan photos from July

1st place winner - "Ramp 55" posted by Crystal Lynn Thornton

Thanks Crystal!  This photo is beautiful, it reminds me of something you see from the 60s.  I love the contrasting colors and textures in this photo, you win 2 OBR t-shirts for this gem!

2nd place winner - "The Return Trip" posted by Laura Cassanos

This is one of Laura Cassanos’ two entries.  The first one was a shot of the boat heading out to check crab pots, and this one is of the same boat coming back in.  Hence the title, “The Return Trip”.  I love the beauty of this photo with the sheet glassy sound and stunning sunset.  Thanks Laura, this photo earned you an OBR t-shirt!

3rd place winner - "Family" posted by Jane Allwood Adkins

What a photo!  This one really depicts what Outer Beaches Realty is all about, bringing families together on Hatteras Island.  I absolutely love how the eye starts at the textured sand and moves deep into the photo eventually focusing on the thunderstorm over the Atlantic Ocean.  Thanks Jane, this photo earned you an OBR t-shirt!

4th place winner - "Following a Shower" posted by Jenny Kindinger

I love this one!  This is one of those photos that makes you feel like you’re standing right there.  I can hear that truck splashing through sandy puddles while the storm grumbles as it passes overhead.  Stunning photo.  Thanks Jenny, this one earned you an OBR t-shirt!

5th place winner - "Jumping for Joy" posted by Michelle Hamill

This one just puts a smile on my face   That’s how I feel every morning when I look at the beach on Hatteras Island!  The colorful “Outer Banks” tubes with the Rodanthe Pier in the background puts this one on the top 5 winners list.  Thanks Michelle, this one earned you an OBR t-shirt!

Well that’s all for the July photo contest winners!  Thanks to everyone who posted their beautiful photos of our beloved Hatteras Island.  If these 5 winners would please email kurtk@outerbeaches.com with your t-shirt style, size, and mailing address – we’ll have them to you as soon as possible!  We have mens & womens styles with mens S-XXL, and womens S-XL.

Thanks for reading!

- Kurt & the OBR family

Canonball Jelly

Canonball Jelly 2

Canonball Jelly 3

Water Fountain

I hope you liked the photos!  Remember, the best time of year is fast approaching, so book your home through Outer Beaches Realty to guarantee the best value for your dollar, thanks

- Kurt & the OBR Family

Yesterday, the group was filming at REAL Watersports in Waves, NC – where they did some shopping, enjoyed a soundfront lunch at MOJOs, and took kiteboarding lessons from the Pros.  Here are a few photos, enjoy!

Alex Risser having a chat with Producer/Director, Jerry, before production begins.

REAL professional team rider Jason Slezak getting mic'd up for the classroom scene.

REAL professional team rider Sam Bell getting mic'd up for the classroom scene.

Jerry directing the shopping scene.

Filming the shopping scene.

Filming the kiteboarding classroom scene.

Jerry directing the kiteboarding lesson scene.

Filming the kiteboarding lesson scene.

If the t-shirts could talk they would say:

“Thanks for saving me from this dark and lonely cardboard coffin.  I would love to spend the rest of my life on your back, protecting you from the Sun’s powerful UV rays.  I would love nothing more than to go fishing with you, heck, you can even use me as a rag, anything is better than being folded up into a friggin’ box like a can of sardines!”

WITH THAT SAID, LET’S GET TO THE POINT!

The 5 people who referred the most fans and are most deserving to win 2 t-shirts each are (drum rolllllllllllllllllllll):

1. Barbara Johnson

2. Betty Kuhn

3. Susan Lee

4. Theresa Langlois

5. Michelle Brugh

And now for the 5 random winners of 1 t-shirt each:

1. Kurt Heidel

2. Wanda Phillips

3. Mary Runne

4. Beverly Wood

5. Diana George

And to wrap up our June t-shirt giveaways, the winners of the photo caption contest:

After reading through about 450 comments, I came accross about 10 captions that really made me laugh, but I narrowed it down to 2 winners.

1. Dan Berlemann’s caption:

Coming this fall from Warner Brother’s Studios, “Trailer Park Nights in Rodanthe”.

2. Ron Lewis’ caption:

Hatteras, we have a problem

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners!  To claim your prizes, please send your size(s) & style(s) to kurtk@outerbeaches.com

We have mens styles available in small to XXL, and womens styles are available in small to XL.

Remember, the first group of 5 winners gets 2 shirts each for being awesome referrals,  the second group of 5 winners gets 1 shirt each for simply participating, and the third group of 2 winners also gets 1 shirt each for my favorite photo captions!

Thanks again for being the best facebook fans in the World, and keep checking our page for specials, contests & giveaways!

Cheers,

Kurt & The Outer Beaches Realty Family

So how does this affect your Hatteras Island vacation? Well, since the fire started on May 5th, certain areas of the Outer Banks have been more heavily affected than others. This time of year is known for strong southwesterly winds, carrying smoke throughout the northern Outer Banks. With that said, whether or not you are affected by the smoke, depends 100% on wind direction.

As a matter of fact, I have found that the smoke trail has been relatively narrow. Meaning, if you are in a part of the Outer Banks experiencing dense smoke one day, simply drive out of it to enjoy your day at the beach. To make this more affective, drive against the wind about 10 miles. If the wind is coming from the SW, Nags Head will probably have dense smoke, so drive to South Nags Head or even as far as Pea Island. If the wind is NW, the Avon area will probably have dense smoke, so drive North to the Tri-Village (Rodanthe/Waves/Salvo) area.

Simply put, be mindful of the wind’s origin. If you are on vacation and find yourself in dense smoke, drive North or South against the wind, not with it. If you are down wind of the smoke, the air quality is still in jeopardy even though you may not be experiencing dense smoke.

For the sake of the people who are in close proximity to the blaze, let’s remember that it’s not so bad over here on Hatteras Island, and we can get away from it. Chances are, they probably can’t. Let’s keep all of those people in our thoughts as we enjoy our Hatteras Island vacation!

Cheers!

Kurt Kessler & Outer Beaches Realty

Click the map below to read full details of the fire.

Get your t-shirt by being our facebook advocates. We are waiting to hit 17,500 fans to give away the 15 shirts!

Visit the notes section of our facebook page, and there you will read a short note titled WIN OBR T-SHIRTS explaining exactly how you can help us reach our goal so you AND your friends can win shirts. These shirts are not for sale, and are only being given to contest winners and deserving fans. Click the image below to access the entry form, thanks!

- Kurt Kessler & Outer Beaches Realty

I see you!

I like to walk around with bare feet as much as possible before surfaces really start to heat up on Hatteras Island.  Building a base for my “summer feet” will prove important on those days we find ourselves sprinting to the Ocean like a desert-dwelling lizard skimming across the sand.  As miserable as that may sound, I actually can’t wait!

Along with locals coming out of hibernation, we also see people (and animals) returning for seasonal pleasures and perks.  The birds are flying back from their deep South Winter retreats.  And the roads are starting to fill up with different colored license plates.  Even our beloved Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is opening its doors to the public!

The past few days have been absolutely beautiful, and the Yellow-belly Sliders have been taking full advantage of the morning Sun angle to recharge their cold batteries.  To me, these images represent how all creatures feel about Spring/Summer on the Outer Banks.  Enjoying sunshine and swimming with family and friends in one of the most beautiful places in the World.

Is it time to flip yet?

Hop in, the water feels great!

Take a picture buddy, itll last longer.

THANKS FOR READING! – Kurt

OuterBeaches.com – 800.627.1850

Thursday, March 10 – The forecast was looking very promising for warm weather and great surf conditions (with exception to the chilly water).  My friend Doug decided to make the 4.5 hr drive up from Wrightsville Beach with his surfboard, wetsuit, fishing pole, and a 1-year-old Great Dane named Beast.  Of course Jimmy in Raleigh liked the idea of a surfing/fishing weekend on the Outer Banks, so he managed to get Friday covered and head East on hwy 64.

Doug & Jimmy soaking up some warm sun after a cold water experience with the Atlantic.

Friday, March 11 – The day started with a meeting in Kitty Hawk, and then a b-line South through hwy 158, hwy 12 and hwy sand.  By the time I got to Rodanthe, my friends had already found a good (and secluded) sandbar down the beach in Salvo.  Elwang and Stacie had just returned to the OBX from warm surf travels.  We rendezvous at the beach ramp where I drop my tire pressure to about 25 psi.  The first thing we saw coming over the ramp were 8 to 10-footers peeling down the sandbar in 3 spots.  I couldn’t scramble for the camera fast enough.  Waves came in one after another.  Left, right, a-frame, left, right, uppercut – it was confirmed – the conditions were lining up, and it was “macking”.

Elwang and Stacie looked at each other, and decided to make the jump from thin swimsuits and warm air – to neoprene from head to toe.  Chargin’ it.

Happy Birthday Beast! - Photo Credit - Derek Boney

Perfect waves with nobody around, again!  Now we just need this water to warm up.  Good thing wetsuit technology has come a long way in recent years.

CLICK THE PHOTO TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM - Photo Credit - Derek Boney

I had to suit up and paddle out for at least one wave.  It was a lot more powerful than expected.  I was definitely caught off-guard, but managed to snag a decent one before heading in to take more photos.

After work I decided to check S-Turns to see if it was worth putting on 4mm of cold neoprene.  The conditions were a little cleaner, and closer to shore.  Which usually means better conditions, but the crowd makes for less waves.  So glad my friends and I scored to ourselves.  Gotta love Hatteras Island.

Saturday, March 12 – The conditions were even better than Friday, and I got to surf more than 30 minutes this time.  Since my buddy Derek has a broken wrist, he was willing to chill on the beach (in the sun) and take care of the Canon 50D.  Here’s a shot of my buddy Doug getting the best left of the day!

Doug Carroll finds a green tunnel - Photo - Derek Boney

SAVE 10% on advertised rental rates for arrival dates between June 3 and June 12.  Mention offer code “FBSUMMER” when booking.  Offer applies to minimum advertised rates of $495.

800.627.1850

Visit www.OuterBeaches.com to start searching for your perfect Hatteras Island vacation rental home!

OR – take advantage of our “Love is in the Air” Spring Special Package!  CLICK HERE FOR PACKAGE DETAILS

Today, the wind direction was forecasted to switch at around noon.  It is very rare that forecasters nail it on the head like this.  I was heading back to the office after doing a beach report with some friends from Montreal, and I checked the colorful flags that decorate HWY 12 through the Tri-Village area.  As the flags drop, I notice “12:03 pm” greenly glowing from my Jeep’s audio unit.  I turned into the vacant Camp Hatteras parking lot and snapped a few photos, checkmout.

Imagine being a settler during the old Pirate days.  Out of the invisibile distance you hear a series of loud booms that travel swiftly across slick water.  Suddenly, it’s raining canon balls from the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Thanks for reading!

15% off an Outer Beaches Realty Vacation Home + 2 Spa Koru Fitness Passes + 150 Spa Dollars + Dinner for 2 at Cafe Pamlico = SPRING SPECIAL PACKAGE

CLICK HERE for more info

This year for Saint Valentine’s Day, we reserved a couple’s massage at the lovely Spa Koru in Avon. This is truly a unique experience for the both of us. Not because we’ve never had massages before (because we have), but because neither one of us have ever been to Spa Koru. So we were both pretty excited to see what it was all about.

We entered the facility to an inviting and warm atmosphere. The setting had a healthy and natural feel to it.

To the right of the reception desk was the gym. This workout facility was very clean, with virtually every top-of-the-line fitness machine you could imagine. A number of my coworkers spend a lot of time here. Jen, who shares a hall with me in the Outer Beaches Realty office in Waves, works out at this gym nearly every day. (Good for you Jen!)

Directly to the left of the reception area is the retail section. Here you can purchase lotions, oils, apparel, etc.

After checking out the reception area, the gym and the retail section – we were escorted to the “whisper zone”. This is the spa treatment area that hides behind closed doors for maximum tranquility. The whisper zone was comforting with lovely aromas and soothing music.

The locker rooms were very nice and clean. Each locker is equipped with a quality robe, a pair of Spa Koru slippers, and a code lock to keep all of your belongings secure.

I had to get a picture of these awesome slippers!

Once we were changed and prepped for massages, it was time to hang out in the “Relaxation Lounge” until our therapists were ready for us.

Strategically decorated with couches, chairs, plants and books – the relaxation lounge was the perfect place to detach yourself from the outside World, and get into the perfect state-of-mind for a spa experience.

They even had tea, nuts and a triple-option water dispenser with cold, room temperature AND hot water! My kind of place.

Alas, our massage therapists Joshua and Angela greet us in the relaxation lounge. After an introduction, they lead us to the couple’s massage room. They asked us about our bodies, and wanted us to describe any problem areas so they could tailor their therapy to our individual needs. Both therapists were very skilled in their craft. I almost fell asleep a few times, until Angela started working that knot on my right shoulder blade. The setting in the room was very peaceful, and at no time did we feel uncomfortable. Once the session was over, Joshua and Angela advised us to take our time getting up, and to drink plenty of water as our bodies were releasing toxins, and dehydration can occur if you don’t drink plenty of water after a full massage.

In the locker room, you also have access to bathrooms, steam rooms and showers. I opted out of a steam or a shower because I actually enjoyed the way the massage oil smelled on my skin. If I had been working up a sweat in the gym, or doing Yoga, the steam and shower combo would’ve definitely been in store!

The Spa Koru experience was absolutely wonderful. Outer Beaches Realty is proud to include this exceptional facility in our “Love is in the Air” Spring Special Package. If you are excited about Spring (and I know you are), you don’t want to miss out on this package deal. Come on out to Hatteras Island and enjoy true bliss in one of the most unique and beautiful places on Earth. You won’t regret it!

CLICK THIS LINK or click the image below for more details about the Spring Special Package. Thanks for reading!