By Diana Andrews

If you’ve ever hung out around, are friends with, or just happen to overhear golfers while encapsulating their latest outings, you’ll know there are some pretty outlandish golf tales out there! Apparently, these tall tales can be traced back as far as 1938 (probably even earlier), the year of the Great Golf Marathon in which an outlandish golf wager was made.

Probably the safest bet that can be made related to golf is to say that there are some pretty outlandish golf outfits that have graced the links over the years. Everything from Rickie Fowler’s outlandish outfits to a recent story about the golfer who made the seemingly outlandish decision to remove his pants in order to play a shot out of the water can be reason to feel good about that bet!

Non-golfers may decree that it is utterly outlandish to participate in a sport where videos such as the three-legged alligator crossing a golf course can be made into its own form of spectator sport. Anyone who decides to golf in the Carolinas, for instance, should be prepared for such sightings as the alligator has made a comeback in North Carolina with the southern-most counties having the highest in the state’s population.

What wouldn’t likely be considered outlandish is the idea of taking a stay and play golf vacation NORTH of Myrtle Beach far from that concentrated alligator population to the south!

Outlandishly popular, golf is a sport that most anyone can enjoy at some level. Now that the air is warming and the greens are greening, it would be outlandish not to get out there and see where your own fodder for outlandishness will come from!

by Diana Andrews

While Autumn colors begin to fade and the light of day slips away into darkness as winter approaches, I imagine prospective brides curling up in front of the fire with a pile of bridal magazines as they ponder the fantasy of that special day.

They shiver in the chilly air, tuck the blanket closer around their feet and dream of warm climates, sandy beaches and being surrounded by their closest friends and family.  

The Outer Banks serves up the perfect location for a destination wedding, but where and how to begin planning such an epic event in an unfamiliar area seems daunting.

One of the biggest concerns is organizing lodging for large groups. Not only can this be time consuming, but finding room for everyone can be a logistical nightmare when guests are travelling from all ends of the earth to share your special day. Brides can relax in the comfort of knowing vacation rentals exist that are specifically suited for wedding & special events held in the Outer Banks.

With so many options to choose from, brides are certain to discover amenities and locations that suit everyone’s needs. Don’t overlook the beautiful photo opportunities that arise from a spiral staircase, private pool or a beach location.

Bridal parties can have their separate spaces to get their glam on while upholding the old traditions of keeping the bride secluded until her big entrance. Or parties can begin early with everyone enjoying the company and fun of pre-wedding preparations.

Get a firsthand look at the area and visit with potential vendors all under one roof when you check out the Outer Banks Wedding Show scheduled for April 27, 2013. But don’t worry if you’re unable to swing a pre-wedding planning visit.  The area merchants are serious about easing the burden of planning a destination wedding and have created online resources such as the Outer Banks Wedding Association and a complete online Outer Banks Wedding Library to help you find everything you need to make your wedding dreams come true.

Whether you’re escaping the cold or just want a beautiful backdrop for your special day, invite your friends and family to the Outer Banks and prepare to make all your wedding dreams come true.

by Diana Andrews

This year has been news making for the entire country when it comes to the drought. Half of the counties in the United States are currently affected. Of course, here in Colorado that means the danger of wildfires is extremely heightened and burn ban ordinances continue to ebb and flow with the rain (or lack thereof) which is to be expected.

What wasn’t expected on my recent trip back to visit family in Iowa was to hear there were burn bans in Iowa! All my life of growing up there, I have never heard such a thing. Now as I research beach vacation activities I discover that during sea turtle season on Oak Island, North Carolina there, too, are fire bans on the beach! Who knew?

Of course, I became curious to learn more interesting turtle facts and how a prohibition of beach fires can help to protect them.

Knowing how frustrating it is to live in a vacation destination and see people unknowingly (I assume and profoundly hope) throw a cigarette out their car window in an area with strict fire bans in place, I thought it might behoove me to get the skinny on other town ordinances that affect the Oak Island environment.

 
In my quest I discovered that I can become a tried and true beach lover

•   by signing a pledge,
•  becoming educated on beach preservation and
•  enjoying interactive ways to preserve this island’s beautiful beaches.

 And like any inquisitive, young child, I proceeded to become fascinated with just how sand dunes work in the first place and how my newfound preservation techniques apply.

 Where Oak Island and Colorado have some burn ban issues in common, there is so much to learn about this intriguing environment and our ability to influence it – in a positive, preservation-style way – that I may just have to stay a while. A long, long while.

by Diana Andrews

Dreaming of an unforgettable beach wedding, but want to skip the high cost of flying you and your guests to a pricey Caribbean resort? Then I recommend a North Carolina beach wedding and a vacation home rental for several reasons. First, this drive location can be accessed by many populated areas in less than a day via car. Second, a vacation home can sleep 20 or more guests all in the same location and with many amenities not offered in a hotel. Lastly, professionals are ready to lend their southern charm to help you plan unforgettable memories!

Avoid high cost airfare: Given its central location along the eastern shore of the United States, North Carolina’s Outer Banks can be an easy drive location from New England, the MidWest, and most Southern states. I’m from Northwest Ohio and we vacationed on the Outer Banks or Myrtle Beach each summer. With four kids in my family, flying was not financially practical so we usually loaded up the station wagon at 3:00 am and pulled up to our beach rental by check-in time that afternoon.

Stay together and save: If you’ve attended a destination wedding at a hotel before you know how frustrating it can be to book a room that will be close to the rest of your family or friends and then plan where to meet and eat each day. You can also imagine how pricey it can be to book 20+ separate rooms! Renting an Outer Banks vacation home for a beach wedding can solve these problems. You and your guests (up to 28 in one home) can all stay together or in a group of neighboring homes. Additionally, you’ll have access to money saving amenities like a fully-equipped kitchen and washer/dryer. Many of the homes you’ll find at Village Realty also include private pools, hot tubs, walkway to the beach, elevators, hi-speed internet, balconies, gas grill, and a game room where your guests can entertain themselves.

Professional Wedding Planners: The slogan at Village Realty is “Unforgettable memories begin with exceptional homes & extraordinary service,” and that’s just what you’ll get. Call the office at 877-262-4070 to discuss your wedding plans and we can recommend everything to help your special event unfold from the rehearsal dinner through the reception.

Like many young boys, my four-year old son has a fascination with pirates. I never realized how many pirate cartoons, T-shirts, books, flags, and toys were available until my son’s obsession began. Recently we visited a museum in Denver, CO that featured a two-story pirate ship where kids can dress like pirates, practice tying nautical ropes, use treasure maps, and fly 7 different flags. Among the flags there were British and France flags as well as a solid yellow flag that was flown to warn other ships of a sickness or epidemic onboard and sometimes used simply to deter pirates from boarding merchant ships. The flag that my son liked the best belonged to Blackbeard (aka Edward Teach: 1680-1718) who terrorized merchant ships in the Caribbean and American colonies in the early 1700s.

All of this I took in consideration when planning our next big family vacation. And by “big” I mean 13 adults and nine kids age seven and under. I purposefully try to plan these trips with fun and excitement while still being educational and include some relaxation time for the adults. Enter: Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. Part of the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island is home to a rich pirate history including the home to Blackbeard after his pardon and his final resting place. His final battle in 1718 occurred on the inner side of Ocracoke Island and it is said that the notorious pirate haunts that sea. Unexplained lights in these waters are often referred to as “Teach’s light.”

Teach’s Hole, a Blackbeard Exhibit and Pirate Specialty Shop, is one stopping point on our vacation. There, we’ll all be entertained by a life-size recreation of Blackbeard, a pirate weapons display, old bottles, Blackbeard’s own artwork (wood cuts) as well as other original art of that period, a pirate flag display, models of pirate ships and a documentary of Blackbeard’s short life on Ocracoke Island. And for families with older “pirate obsessed” children, Ocracoke also features world class shipwreck diving.

Beyond pirate legends, Ocracoke Island also offers uncrowded beaches, specialty and novelty shopping, fresh Atlantic seafood, and good old-fashioned Southern charm. Best of all, Ocracoke Island Realty offers over 300 charming and well-equipped vacation rentals that are large enough to house my whole family in one home! By staying in one of these beachfront properties, we have the benefit of all lodging together right on the beach with a fully-equipped kitchen and optional private pool. The vacation rental is a great money saver (we can split the cost amongst 5 families and cook our own meals!) and a great opportunity for all the cousins to unite for a family vacation to remember!