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Is the Crystal Coast a Good Home
Though this question could be considered an easy pitch, I am going to treat it seriously and try to look at the positives and negatives of living here on the Crystal Coast. My wife and I have been...
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The In Between Season
Winter has arrived on the Crystal Coast. It is not like winter in most places. While I have had some frost on the windshield of my pickup truck, the frost has yet to get my tomato plants which are...
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A Taste of Winter
We have been dodging the winter bullet all fall. Today it caught up with us. We awoke to a temperature of 34. Fortunately there was no frost this morning, but it does not look like we will be so lucky...
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Beaches Waiting for Some Visitors
I am finally willing to say that winter is here. This morning we had our first serious frost. I decided to let my tomato plant go so I did not cover it. There is a little life left in it, but I suspect...
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Our Main Street
I often tell people visiting the Crystal Coast to ignore the big roads if they are looking for our main street. I actually believe that the Intracoastal Waterway deserves that title. You certain get...
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The Holidays are a little different
I spend a lot of time writing about how special the Crystal Coast is. From the early North Carolina spring to the lingering warmth of the late fall, there is no doubt that the Crystal Coast is a great...
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Winter Takes the Stage
We are an area that sees cold temperatures only a few days a year so Sunday, January 3, was certainly a day to remember. We only managed to reach the middle thirties today. With much of the center of...
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Only One Sure Escape from the Cold
I have a college roommate who moved to North Carolina from Nova Scotia a couple of years ago. He was tired of cold winters and fighting snow and ice. He still abandons us in the summer for the cool...
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Almost Perfect
There has been no secret as to what has been missing here on the Crystal Coast the first two weeks of January. Almost anyone can tell you that the warmth that we often see in January has been missing...
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Cruising the Beaches
The east coast has seen some cold and nasty weather this winter. While the Crystal Coast has been spared the worst of it, we have seen more rain and cold than we normally have. It is only recently that...
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Times that I eally miss the Beach
Before we moved to the beach, I used to be convinced that once we got settled at the beach that we would get as much beach time as we desired. It turns out that just like anything else important in...
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More than Just Beautiful Beaches
We have been through some really nippy weather recently, but Saturday when almost all of North Carolina and Virginia were suffering through snow, sleet, and freezing rain, We only had to endure a very...
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A Winter to Remember
It is hard to believe that it was only Wednesday of this week when I snapped this peaceful picture of Bogue Sound and Emerald Isle. Tonight the east coast from North Carolina to New Jersey is under...
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Beaufort by the Sea
With some sunny days gracing the Crystal Coast this past week, we decided to take a trip to one our favorite places, Beaufort. It is a short thirty-five minute drive from where we live near Emerald...
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Our First Taste of Spring Weather
I am pleased that we have been treated to great weather this weekend. I suspect that with this dose of warmth, we have old man winter on the run. While we are likely to suffer through some cooling...
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Snow on the Crystal Coast
I am in the minority, but I consider snow to be a four letter word when it visits southern beaches. That being said, I have to report that the majority of our beach residents thought our brief...
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Spring Beach Dreams
It is amazing what a little stretch of warm weather can do for your spirits after a cold winter. This week has been just warm enough to get my imagination going. Even today when the temperature is...
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Beach to the Horizon
About the only good thing about cold weather is that I get very little sand in my shoes. I will admit to being a warm weather beach walker. I admire those folks who get out on the beach when the...
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Emerald Woods, A favorite Hike
The sun was shining and the skies were a brilliant blue when we headed over to Emerald Isle for breakfast at Ballyhoo's. I decided a couple of days ago that getting spring here requires an effort of...
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Spring is in the Air
While the water is still in the fifties, the air has made it to the seventies. I think we might just have made it through winter. With some nice days this week, and a really nice weekend on tap, winter...
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Wind and Waves
That is the thing about spring. Just when you think things are headed in the right direction, along comes a cold front, and you are back to wearing blue jeans and sweat shirts to preserve the illusion...
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A Sellar Afternoon at the Beach
There was a smile on my face yesterday well before I made it to the beach. All week I had tried to go for a walk on the beach. One day earlier in the week I had to turn the car's heater on to warm my...
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Living with March Weather
We all know that March can be a challenging month with weather that rarely pleases anyone. Yet for those of us living along the Southern Outer Banks, there are moments when it certainly looks and feels...
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Near Perfect Weather for the Weekend
If there is a kickoff for the beach season, it is Easter weekend. This year someone ordered up some nearly perfect weather to help all of us forget the really nasty winter weather that bedeviled us for...
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Waves that Sparkle
Sometimes I am almost embarrassed by how many photos that I take while walking on the beach. Often my wife says that I cannot walk for taking pictures. I will admit to that being true sometimes. While...
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The Season is about to Open
While things might be a little damp until Sunday, it is time to declare beach season open. With temperatures in the mid-sixties for most of next week, winter seems to have finally been driven away. It...
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Some Visitors on the Beach
There are few things as nice as coming home. That is especially true when home is the beach. We were away for awhile, and as usual that made getting back to the Crystal Coast even more special. We...
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A Favorite Spot, Morehead City
I plead guilty to not writing enough about Morehead City, one of the neatest spots on the Crystal Coast. It is more a result of geography than any intentional slight. I live on the western banks of the...
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Dreams of Summers Past
Finally the beach vegetation is showing signs of life. The light green beach grasses as you walk onto the beach are a welcome sight. This time of year I like the grasses more than the blue water which...
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Watching the Seasons Change
One of the great things about living on the Crystal Coast is the weather that we get to enjoy. For the most part we have a very moderate climate with weather just cold enough so that you can have a...
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Knee Deep in Salt Water
Saturday, May 1, was a magnificent spring beach day. When I got up in the morning, I knew the air felt different. It was my lucky day. My boat ended up being my office. I took a client up the White Oak...
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The Crystal Coast, More than a Vacation
Most of us, who have moved to the Crystal Coast in the last twenty years, started coming here to enjoy the beaches and have a relaxing vacation.While those who were born and raised here might argue...
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Some Crystal Coast Favorites
I often get requests for information about the Crystal Coast. Just tonight I answered an email from a couple from Great Britain who will be vacationing in the area this June. They were looking for my...
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The Joy of Coastal Rivers
When I grew up in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, the woodland stretching for miles behind our home ended up being my childhood playground. While I really enjoyed playing in the forests, water...
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A Wonderful Saturday at the Beach
You know that summer is on the way when tomatoes start ripening, and the beach is a natural place to be on a Saturday. Late last week, the weekend forecast did not sound very promising, but after a...
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Just How Much Beach Do You Need
A few days ago I got a kick out of an article about people in Britain flocking to the beach. What really made me smile was the first picture in the story. It showed a beach scene by Brighton Pier,...
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A Dazzling Day on the Water
I emailed a friend a picture of his boat taken as we were turning from the Bogue Inlet channel to the Intracoastal Waterway. He emailed back and asked when I found a day that the wind was not blowing....
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The Best of Both Worlds
June can be a really stellar month along the Crystal Coast. There are days when both the air and water are warm, and the humidity is low. It is like having the best of fall and summer in one day. While...
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Life is Simpler at the Beach
One of the most appealing things about living along the Crystal Coast is that life is simpler here. While it would be impossible to remove all the modern annoyances that can make life so challenging in...
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How to Enjoy a Coastal River
There are some things in life that are just plain fun. Taking a boat down an empty coastal river early in the morning is on that list. Actually it is probably in the top ten small pleasures in life. I...
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Emerald Isle's Changing Sands
A vacation along the Crystal Coast is often remarkable for what has not changed. Year after year the waters are still emerald colored and as clear as crystal. No matter when you come, there is still...
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Treats from the Sea
There are some things in life that are just plain fun. Taking a boat down an empty coastal river early in the morning is on that list. Actually it is probably in the top ten small pleasures in life. I...
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No Other Water Like It
Salt water is a very sensual pleasure. Usually I can smell the richness of the ocean long before I actually see it. Often as I cross the dunes, I am amazed at the subtle colors of the waters along the...
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Betting on Beach Weather
Our family has a long tradition of beach vacations. I am told that my first trip to the beach happened when I was less than a year old. Many beach trips in the early years were for two weeks. While two...
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A World of Dazzling Water
Many people come to the Crystal Coast year after year just to enjoy the beaches. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Our area beaches are some of the finest in the country. However, a...
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The Heat Is On
Those of you who like me complained about last winter's cold temperatures are going to get another chance to soak up some extreme warmth over the next few days. This weekend we will see some...
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Enjoying your beach visit
Sometimes getting across the bridge at check-in for your beach vacation can be a challenge. With a short window on both Saturday and Sunday for people to pick up their keys, traffic can get backed up...
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Land and waters to stretch the mind
After many years of travel, your mind has wonderful images of beautiful places that you have visited. I have been lucky to have traveled to many scenic spots around the globe. From Alaska to New...
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Still Time to Make Memories
It is August the first, and the summer of 2010 is slipping away from us. Like most folks I have been so busy that sitting back and really enjoying summer has been a challenge. However, I am a hard core...
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Wandering the Streets of Beaufort
I cannot remember a month in the last four years when I did not cross over the drawbridge to Beaufort at least once.We even like to go visit Beaufort during the winter. Walking down the boardwalk along...
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