Outer Banks - OBX

This week I headed to the outer banks for a memorial day vacation. Any time I head down to the Outer Banks it's a complete crap shoot for how long it's going to take. Traffic around DC is brutal. There's no other way to put it. Since I didn't feel like sitting in stop and go the whole way I took the back way which is taking route 301 to route 17 to I64. We sat in traffic getting out of DC and throughout Maryland but as soon as we crossed into the VA border it was smooth sailing. I’m going to need an entire blog post to explain Maryland drivers suck and their insistence on staying in the passing lane while a parade of traffic is lined up behind them losing their minds.

We stopped for lunch/Dinner in Tappahannock, VA on a hunch at the Riverbank Cafe & Seafood. Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! What a score this place was. Fresh seafood and amazing sides and what looked to be some of the finest pies and cakes ever made. We were told everything is made from scratch by the owner. I wish I could link to this place but it's a hole in the wall so all we have is this picture. That being said if you are in the area here's a review from tripadvisor and the address. I got the fried flounder dinner with two sides and hush puppies. The hush puppies were the size of racket balls and they were perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The also had these things called apple sticks which were basically deep fried hush puppies stuffed with apple goodness and what must be crack. The rest of my posse ordered the catfish, crab cakes and shrimp. Everyone loved their food and it's a must stop if you for some strange reason you find yourself cruising through Tappahannock, VA. Here is a picture of the crab cake & shrimp dinner. The Cucumber salad was also pretty awesome.

This particular trip took us about 6 1/2 hours. The trip is anywhere from 4 ½ to 7 depending on traffic. Once we arrived we were greeted by the rest of the Memorial Day posse with ice cold Miller Chills, I giant tub of cheese balls, a private heated pool and two hot tubs. The house was about 2/10ths of a mile form the ocean. Fifteen minutes after arriving we headed down to the beach to scout out the scene. The water felt freezing that night but gradually got warmer as the week went on. May is a great time to be on the Outer Banks but my favorite time is still September when the ocean water sits around 70-75 degrees. One thing you forget about when you live in the city is how beautiful the sky is when you can actually see stars. The sky was amazing but try as I might I could only point out the little dipper. I have vowed to improve upon this and purchased an astronomy book to rid myself of the celestial ignorance.

We found a great new BBQ place called Fat Crabs that had awesome traditional Carolina BBQ and great steamed shellfish. We also went out and played some putt-putt on a 20 hole (weird I know) all grass course. The course was really challenging and while I enjoyed myself I'd still rather putt one into the clown's nose any day of the week. Can anyone explain the difference between mini golf and putt-putt? I always thought this was a regional thing like coke, pop, soda, tonic...Who knows?

My better half and I stopped in Wilmington, VA on the way home. I was making an attempt to prolong my denial about being on vacation by hitting the waterslides and lazy river at water country USA. We were deterred when they didn't have a half day rate and continued home. Places like this should take a page out of how golf courses do things and run a twilight special because we were ready to shell out some cash but couldn’t see dropping a full day rate for two hours. Come on Water Country get your head in the game! The trip home took only 4 1/2 hours.

The Outer Banks is a place we go to a lot and they have some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The Sand in Corolla is soft and fluffy and when the tide is out the beach is gigantic. I often wonder if people on the other coasts would have a reason to come to the outer banks or if it's just an east coast thing. If you’ve never been it's well worth the visit and easily one of my top 5 beaches in the U.S. So as I continue to dwell on my vacation being over and already missing the beach I'd like to hear from my handful of readers what your top 5 beaches in the U.S. are so I know where to head next year. Mine have an East Coast bias.

Top 5 U.S. Beaches

1. Whale head Beach; Corolla, NC

2. Gay Head Public Beach (Moshup Beach); Aquinnah, MA

3. Captiva Island; Captiva, FL

4. Ogunquit Beach; Ogunquit, ME

5. South Beach Miami; FL