Blogging the Beach

Great news for cyclists, and joggers and nature walkers! Pretty soon you’re going to have a terrific new bike trail in the Currituck Outer Banks to enjoy!

Thanks to a $500,000 state grant, Corolla residents will soon have a trail for walking, jogging and biking.

Currituck County officials announced Friday that the county has been awarded the grant by the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The $500,000, combined with $500,000 in county funds, will help pay the $1 million cost of constructing a 10-foot wide, 1.2-mile paved trail in Corolla.

“We’re really excited about it,” said Holly White, senior planner in the Currituck Planning Department. “Right now there’s nothing there, so people are riding bikes and moms are pushing strollers along the side of the road.”

Once constructed, the path will stretch from Currituck Heritage Park to the Currituck Banks Coastal Reserve, White, who wrote the grant for the county, said. In addition, a small park will be built along the trail, she said.

More on this exciting story from the Daily Advance.

The Corolla trail will run parallel to NC 12, so if you bring your bike to the Outer Banks you can enjoy a leisurely ride along the most serenely beautiful areas of the OBX. You might spot a wild horse or two or other “natives” of Currituck. More news on this development as we get updates.

Everybody in the Outer Banks knows the Whalehead Club is one of the most popular, and most beautiful attractions in the area. Whether you’re down for the summer or enjoying a winter weekend on the shore, there’s always something fun to do and see on the grounds of this historic home, once a vacation destination for the well-to-do. It is truly one of our great treasures, and depending on one’s view of the world, it contains more.

The Daily Advance has reported that excavations on the property have revealed the Whalehead’s original foundation. This is an exciting time in Outer Banks history, as it gives us the opportunity to learn more about Currituck’s history and the people who lived and played here in the early part of the twentieth century. Here’s hoping we’ll find more buried gems.

When one prepares a trip to a beach destination, it’s expected most of the time will be spent outdoors, playing in the sand and enjoying the warm ocean waves. Sometimes, though, a patch of unexpected weather appears to put a damper–literally–on all the fun. Nothing could be worse than having to deal with a rainy day while on vacation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find alternatives for your enjoyment.

So let’s say you’ve come to Currituck to discover it’s raining. You can’t go to the beach or watch for the wild mustangs, so what do you do? Rather than wait out the weather in your hotel room or vacation rental, you can take advantage of other attractions in the area where you can stay dry.

Go Shopping! - Down at the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg, you can get lost in rooms filled with country decor and unique clothing, gourmet Southern food and fragrant bath gifts. Slip down to the wine cellar for a tasting while you’re there - it’s the perfect remedy for beating the bad weather blues.

Explore Natural Habitats…Indoors! The Corolla Wild Horse Museum and Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education provide great opportunities for people of all ages to learn about the environment of the Outer Banks and Currituck Sound. Come inside and learn about the native species of waterfowl, flora and fauna that populate this area.

See Stars! We don’t mean to check the sky and get hit in the face with raindrops. Currituck’s first-run movie theater in Corolla provides entertainment daily. Splurge on popcorn and soda and spend a few hours wrapped up in a great flick. It just may be the ticket to waiting out the rain until you can head for the beach again.

So if you happen to get caught in the rain in the Outer Banks, you can still find things to do for enjoyment. Plan ahead and prepare for any type of weather, and you’re certain to make memories of a grand vacation.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Outer Banks vacations.