Island Deliveries

The holiday kickoff weekend for Hatteras Island has arrived and with a steady flow of traffic has inundated HWY 12 since yesterday afternoon. Throughout the evening and into the morning the population seems to have quadrupled instantaneously. It’s a little overcast, but it seems this will pass and the rest of the weekend promises to be sunny and warm. With temperatures hovering in the low 70s, we should see an increase by Tuesday, and it appears that spring has finally revealed itself. All things In Hatteras should be open and in full swing this weekend. Refer to the next post for all of the Memorial week happenings!

Live Music

Breakwater Restaurant - Hatteras Village - Sunday, May 25 7pm - Jamie & Mark (classic rock) Outside Tiki Bar

Teach’s Lair Restaurant - Hatteras Village - Saturday, May 24 8:30pm-12:00pm - Dreadnecks (reggae)

Sandbar & Grille - Buxton- Friday, May 23 10:00pm-2:00am - Karaoke

-Saturday, May 24 10:00pm-2:00am - No Dreads (punk/ska)

Finnegan’s - Buxton- Saturday, May 24 7:30pm-11:00pm - Chicamacomico (classic rock)

Froggy Dog - Avon - Every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 9pm-1am - Karaoke

Fish House Restaurant - Buxton - Every Wednesday 7pm-12am- Open Mic

Dirty Dicks Crabhouse - Hatteras Village - Every Thursday 7 pm - Open Mic

Annual Outer Banks Beach Music Festival - Manteo - Sunday, May 25 11am-6:30pm

Other Island Activities

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - Buxton - Open 9am-4:30pm

Chicamacomico Lightsaving Station - Rodanthe

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum - Hatteras Village - Open M-F 10am-4pm

Maybe it’s the beach closures. Or possibly the yo-yoing weather patterns. The gas prices could have an effect. There are so many different factors probably attributing to the seemingly slow start to the season. I worked Friday night, and never got a table in the restaurant until after 7:30. But, then I go to the grocery store on Sunday, and it’s packed! (Which, by the way, you can avoid the lines at the grocery stores and the unnecessary grief by having your groceries delivered..hint, hint..) I can’t figure it out. It’s even hard to gauge by the crowds on the beaches considering the people and cars are more concentrated now that there are less areas open to pedestrian and ORV traffic. Hatteras is in such a transition period. There are so many things going on on a national level as well, so it will be interesting to see how all of this mixes with the changes occurring on a community level. Time will tell, and Memorial Day is right around the corner. At that time we will more accurately be able to ascertain the effects of the beach closures, the gas prices, and various other things that have befallen us.

It seems there are an awful lot of new restaurants popping up around Hatteras Island. Not necessarily new restaurants, per se, but old restaurants changing or falling under new management. Hodad’s Cafe which has been a staple in Avon for quite a few years is now Avon Cafe. A group of us went to investigate the new spot… For anyone who had been to Hodad’s, you would remember the “surf decor.” The walls were covered with signed surfboards, surf pictures, and other various memorabilia. Those days are gone. At the present time, the walls are bare, but I would guess that some sort of decor is in the works for the summer. The menu has also been completely changed. We ordered the crab dip, kung pao beef, and the eggplant bruschetta for appetizers. The flavor and presentation were excellent! I was not so impressed by my meal, a warm potato and arugula salad. The salad consisted of arugula, roasted red peppers, and shoestring french fries tossed in a lavender vinaigrette. I thought it to be a bit plain, and I didn’t care for the bitter vinaigrette. A friend had the ribs and said that although they were a bit tough they had a good flavor. Another member of our party did, however, highly recommend the Chicago dog, a hot dog topped with sliced tomato, a pickle spear, mustard, relish, and onion. Overall, I would say that while the appetizer’s sizzled, the meal fizzled. So-so on the food, great service, and so far no ambiance, but we will definitely give the place another try.

It was a little slower getting off the island today, and it’s beginning to feel like the summer season is upon us. The speed limits dropped yesterday to 35 slowing traffic down a bit through the villages. There was also quite a bit of work being done as crews are still cleaning up after last week’s storm. Just south of the Oregon Inlet bridge and just north of Rodanthe one lane of the highway was restricted as sand was being pushed off the road. There was also a small stretch of the Bonner Bridge where only one lane remains open as they continue work on the bridge. Most of the water has disappeared from the roads less a few puddles around the Pea Island area. Please drive slowly though these areas as this water is salt water and can potentially cause damage to your vehicle or to those vehicles passing beside you. Many don’t realize the detriment they may be causing, and it is a sure fire way to anger some locals and others who are “in the know”. (It’s also not a pleasant experience to be enjoying a drive with your windows down when someone flies past you through a puddle of water.) By the time I returned to the island, it seemed that most of the sand had been cleared from the roads so hopefully traffic will be alleviated for the weekend influx of visitors. There was long line of cars sporting surf racks dotting the road at the north end of Rodanthe, and I noticed tripods set up on the dunes. I imagine the swell must have been really good to see so much traffic on a Thursday morning. Despite the work being done and the speed limits dropping, it seems that traffic is becoming more dense in general easing us us into the full swing of summer!

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful day already after enduring two classic Hatteras days of blustering winds and a stint of sound flooding. Winds are calm and the temperature hit 60 already and is expected to climb into the upper 60s this afternoon. Winds are expected to switch west and pick up a little bit as the day progresses. Natural Art Surf Shop’s surf report (252-995-4646) states that waves at the lighthouse are well overhead on the outer bar with a tough paddle past a turbulent inside. I checked Frisco at 8 am, and waves at the Frisco Pier are about shoulder high and also breaking on the outer bar. Definite size, but could use a little cleaning up. High tide is at 4:35 pm.

It is no surprise to me that infractions have already occurred defying the recent negotiations settled upon in court regarding Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s beach access rules. The courts stated that any area could be closed on the beach for colonial waterfowl nesting areas, and that any violation of the stated rules would result in increasing 50 meter expansions of the boundary. I’m not sure if the 50 meter expansion threats were an honest attempt at avoiding these infractions or if it was simply known that they were inevitable, and this is exactly what they wanted to happen…..More of the beach closed. Well, that’s what happened when 12 signs were destroyed at the southern boundary of the South Beach closure. We have all been punished as a result of the careless actions of one or a few. It is the first punishable offense, but, sadly, I predict it will not be the last. There will always be a few who will exhibit their rebellion through angry and destructive acts. I am a proponent for fighting and standing up for our freedoms and rights, but the only way to be true victors is through wit, integrity, and respect. It is important to make our voices heard in an honest and articulate fashion not through antagonistic and destructive behavior. I, like many, lack faith in the hope that our politicians and government would actually protect the common wishes of the community as opposed to bending to the wishes of special interest groups or lobbyists, but I would still encourage those opposed to the beach closures to continue to appeal to local and national politicians and more importantly the media. Make your voice heard!

• Click here for a list of contact info for local & national politicians and involved environmental groups.
• Suggest a story to the Virginian Pilot.
• Or Write a Letter to the Editor of the Virginian Pilot.
• News Channel 3 in Hampton Roads contact info.
• News Channel 13 in Hampton Roads Investigates
• WAVY News 10 in Hampton Roads “On Your Side”
• The News & Observer in Raleigh

There are endless other outlets to explore. These are just a few local options that may be inclined to pick up on the story. Thanks to all for their support of our little beach community. We will continue to fight to make this a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy!

Hatteras Harbor Deli has changed management again. While quite different from the original deli, it is an improvement from the past couple of years. I was originally disappointed that the porch was closed in, but it’s actually still quite nice on the deck, and I see the practicality in the design, especially once it gets too hot to sit outside. The inside looks fresh and new, and the menu has been revamped mostly offering your basic deli sandwiches. We were told that the ribeye sandwich is cooked & sliced on premise and was a must try. I couldn’t pass up the “Faux Plover”, a turkey & Havarti sandwich, as there are not many places that offer Havarti cheese as an option. I enjoyed the sandwich and loved the sweet potato fries as a side item. All in all, I give the “new” deli two thumbs up for good, reasonably priced food, a relaxing atmosphere, and friendly service. It’s such a great location with an appealing view of the marina, and I’m glad to see things shaping up for them.

Although the winds are still fairly strong today, the worst seems to have passed off shore. With gusts reaching upwards of 50 mph yesterday, Hatteras Island experienced a late-in-the-season, but not so surprising low pressure system yesterday afternoon. At its peak around 2:30 on Tuesday, waters had submerged the low lying areas of Hatteras Island in sound water. We frantically waded in calf to knee deep waters underneath our house to get as much off the ground in our garage in possible and relocated the cars to slightly higher ground. Almost as quickly as it came, the waters receded, and by evening most of the water had fallen back into the the sound. Winds have died out quite a bit today, gusting north up to 23 mph. Tomorrow looks even nicer as the temperature should climb back into the upper 60s, and the wind should switch NW blowing in the teens. That could be good news for surfers on the south side of the island. It looks like Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras might be a good place to find some decent waves tomorrow!
Check out the wind and wave forecast here.

Cape Hatteras High & Elementary Schools let out around 11:30 this morning trying to beat possible sound flooding as a result of strong NW winds today. Winds are gusting between 30 & 40 mph, and they are expected to reach speeds of 50 mph later this afternoon. As of the time of this post, 2:00 pm, sounds waters are starting to come up over HWY 12 in Frisco. I’m not sure about the other villages, but I would imagine parts of Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, and the Rodanthe area are experiencing similar flooding. The winds are expected to persist throughout tomorrow and clearing up for a sunny day by Wednesday.

More info on the weather here.

Update as of 2:15: Since I wrote the post 15 minutes ago, water has fully covered the road in parts of Frisco. As of now, the water depth on the road is only a couple of inches, and high tide is at 2:35 pm.