Windfall on the Outer Banks

Welcome to Windfall, the ultimate ocean and beach experience! As seasoned travelers know, the beaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks are among the finest in the world. And every one of the rooms at Windfall offers soul-filling views of this unspoiled oceanfront.

The main living area and all four bedrooms have sliding-glass doors that open onto custom, owner-designed, extra-wide decks. And the windows throughout the house can be opened to let in the breeze! (Don't worry, there's whole-house air conditioning for when it gets really hot.) One of our guests commented that standing at the doorway of the top-floor living area was like standing on the bridge of a ship--nothing between you and the rolling sea!

Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Furnishings

Windfall offers 4 bedrooms and 3 baths. The "cottage," as we say in Nags Head, can thus comfortably sleep up to 10 guests (all in bedrooms, not on sleep sofas). There are two master suites with queen-size beds, one on each floor. The third and fourth bedrooms each have a pair of twin beds and a pop-up trundle. That makes the cottage ideal for two families traveling together: the parents can sleep in the master suites, while the kids bunk down in the two additional rooms and share a bathroom.

And, speaking of the roomy, well-lit bathrooms. The top-floor master suite bathroom is equipped with a 4-jet Jacuzzi tub and shower. The second-floor suite offers a stall shower. The third bathroom (also on the second floor, near the two rooms with twin beds/trundles) has a tub and shower.

As you can see from the photographs, Windfall is tastefully furnished. (At least we like to think so.) You'll find comfortable couches and chairs throughout, a fully equipped kitchen, and an outdoor shower for when you come in from the beach.

Entertainment, Fun, and Games

What you won't find are big, flashy, flat-screen TVs, electronic game machines, and a swimming pool. That's because Windfall was planned from the beginning to emphasize the ocean and beach experience. It was designed to offer all the comforts of home, but none of the distractions.

To put it another way, Windfall is the ideal place for folks who like the idea of watching a squadron of pelicans flying low looking for breakfast, while having their own breakfast on the upper deck as the sun rises over the foaming breakers. It is for people who would rather spend the cocktail hour gathered around the deck picnic table feasting on fresh local shrimp (we call it "a shrimp feed") instead of watching the evening news.

Of course, when the sun goes down or when conditions are less than ideal for a beach walk, you won't lack for amusements. There are two TVs, one with a VHS/DVD combo unit, and one with a DVD player. (The nearest video rental place is The Video Store in Manteo, about five minutes away.) There's a CD/Radio/MP3 boom box. There's an interesting, eclectic library of novels and local reference books, a collection of jigsaw puzzles, and classic board games. And there is house-wide wireless Internet (cable, 54 Mbps).

Location, Location, Location...

We've emphasized Windfall's location vis-a-vis the ocean, but its location relative to other spots on the Outer Banks is also an important plus. Not only do traditional weathered-wood beach houses predominate (as opposed to the outre McMansions found elsewhere), Nags Head is close to many non-beach activities and attractions.

Consider the Elizabethan Gardens, "The Lost Colony" outdoor drama, or the North Carolina Aquarium. See the "Things to Do" page for the relevant links. But note that this page is standardized for all properties. For the real inside scoop on what to do, just scroll down this page to "A Windfall Vacation: What to Do, Where to Go, Where to Eat, and More!"

Our point is that if you want to enjoy any of these attractions, and your rental is in Duck, you'd better plan to make a full day of it. Off-islanders often look at a map and assume that it's a short drive south from Duck to Nags Head. What they don't know is that for much of the trip, they'll be on a two-lane beach road with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour. (On a rainy day, "if you're in Duck, you're stuck.")

For More Information or to Book Windfall for Your Outer Banks Vacation

If you have any questions, or if you'd like to reserve Windfall for your next OBX vacation, please call the Nags Head office of Village Realty, 1-800-548-9688 (toll free) and mention property code SN29. Their office is open seven days a week from 9 AM to 5 PM.

You may also use the 'Book Now' link to see a complete list of available dates and weekly rates. Please note that all rates are inclusive with the exception of NC taxes and optional trip insurance.

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A Windfall Vacation: What to Do, Where to Go, Where to Eat, and More!

We've been coming to Nags Head, often twice or more a year, for nearly four decades. And over that time, we've made many discoveries. Discoveries that only the locals know about.

The following list is by no means comprehensive. Think of it as a starter list to speed you on your way to making discoveries of your own. Almost all of these places have Web sites offering more information (including menus for the restaurants). Just do a quick Google search. Indeed, most of the copy below was adapted from the relevant Web site, enhanced by comments from us.

The Web site to start with is the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (www.outerbanks.org). That will give you a lot of background information. But it won't give you specific recommendations. We will. So here are "a few of our favorite things" about a Windfall vacation:

Places to Visit on "the Beach Road" (aka "Virginia Dare Trail")

Port O'Call Restaurant and Gaslight Saloon and Gift Shop. Located at Milepost 8.5 on the Beach Road in Kill Devil Hills. Phone: 252-441-7484. Excellent food. And a truly unique and eclectic gift shop.

Seaside Art Gallery of the Outer Banks. Located at Milepost 11 on the Beach Road. Exhibits the work of local and contemporary artists, as well as a wonderful selection of art by such masters as Picasso, Chagall, Whistler, Icart, Renoir and many others. Sculpture, porcelain, and art glass by Hummel, Staffordshire, Tiffany and others are represented. As well as a fine selection of estate jewelry. Since the early 1980s, a major feature of Seaside Art Gallery has been its large collection of original animation art by such studios as Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, United Features Ltd., and other animation studios. Fine antiques, silver, Russian lacquer boxes, and more. The shop stands behind everything they sell.

The Yellowhouse Gallery on the Outer Banks. Located at Milepost 11 on the Beach Road, this gallery was founded in 1969 by "Uncle Jack" Sandberg. (Uncle Jack has long written an opinionated column for the local bugle.) In 1977 it acquired a 1935 Outer Banks cottage in its present location. Features an extensive collection of antique maps and antique prints, Civil War prints, as well as modern artwork with a local, Outer Banks flair. In 2006, Eve and Pete Turek bought the gallery from the Sandbergs, but the Sandbergs continue to contribute their extensive knowledge to the enterprise by acquiring antique prints and antique maps for the gallery in their retirement travels. Note: We can personally attest to the Yellowhouse Gallery's reputation for excellent custom framing.

The Chalet Gift Shop. Located at Milepost 15.5 on the Beach Road. Offers an extensive selection of beach toys and fun beach souvenirs, as well as fine gifts. One side of the shop features "the largest selection of sterling silver jewelry on the Outer Banks," as well as a large assortment of 14K gold jewelry. The other side of the shop offers souvenir and beach items, including beach chairs, umbrellas, all kinds of floats and rafts (inflating is free). The Chalet also offers John Perry figurines, John Cook figurines, Crystal World fine crystal and the largest selection of Madame Alexander Dolls on the Outer Banks.

Places to Visit on "the Bypass" (aka US 158)

Jockey's Ridge State Park. The tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. It is one of the most significant landmarks on the Outer Banks. It's fun to climb the dune, particularly in the slanting sunlight of evening. But it's also fun to watch the daredevil hangliders push off during the day. And flying kites, or watching others do it, is fun any time.

A bit of local lore: Dunes form and re-form all the time on the Outer Banks. This one buried a hotel and a miniature golf course many years ago. Still visible are the turrets of one of the constructs built for that course. They are surrounded by sand fences, which we deem completely unnecessary.

Wright Brothers Memorial. Located at Milepost 8 on the bypass in Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. The name "Kill Devil Hills" allegedly dates to colonial times when locals would salvage rum from wrecked ships and hide it behind the sand dunes. The rum was said to be "strong enough to kill the devil." The rest, as they say, is history. "Kitty Hawk" is said to be derived from the original Native American name for the area, "Chickehawk" or "Chickahawk." Over time this evolved into "Kittyhuk," "Kittyhark," KittyHawk," and, finally, "Kitty Hawk."

This is the site of the world's first controlled powered flight on December 17, 1903. The Visitor Center features full-scale reproductions of the Wright 1903 Powered Flyer and interpretive presentations. A pavilion boasts an exhibit hall with special exhibits, including a replica of the 1902 Wright Glider and a multipurpose auditorium.

The grounds include historical markers of each attempted powered flight, replica camp buildings, and a 60-foot granite monument on top of Big Kill Devil Hill (a 90-foot dune) honoring the Wright brothers.

Normal hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, but hours are extended during the summer months. The entrance fee is $4 per person and it is valid for 7 days. Kids 16 and under are free.

As long as you're in Kitty Hawk, check out the Island Nautical Store at Milepost 4.5. It offers one of the best selections of high-quality "things from the ocean." And in Kill Devil Hills, you'll find Nags Head Hammocks (near Milepost 9).

Places to Visit: Manteo on Roanoke Island

To get to the town of Manteo on Roanoke Island, turn right at the foot of our drive and head for Whalebone Junction. This is the spot by the 7-11 Store where the bypass (US 158), the Beach Road (which now becomes "South Old Oregon Inlet Road), and US 64 start or end. The name comes from a 72-foot whale skeleton a local gas station operator placed there for promotion. Curiously, the name is widely used to describe the intersection, but there is no road sign that says "Whalebone Junction."

Be sure to check out Cahoons Store near Whalebone Junction. It's a friendly, small grocery and variety store. You can usually find your favorite morning paper at Cahoons, as well as a great selection of gifts, sweatshirts, etc. Many consider their meat department to be the best anywhere. (If Cahoons is sold out of a paper like the New York Times, try the 7-11.)

The Shipwreck Store. Located on your right as you take US 64/264 toward Manteo. A one-story, weathered building, it's the kind of place you'd usually drive right by. The store specializes in shells and jewelry. (It is both store and shell museum.) A fun place to browse and for children to find inexpensive gifts and souvenirs.

You'll also find dubloon-like jewelry pieces stamped from some of the 1,000 silver bars the late Mel Fisher found in the wreck of the Nuestra Seora de Atocha (pronounced "ah-toe-sha," we're told), which sank in a Florida huricane in 1622.

The Christmas Shop and Island Art Gallery. This shop has been a fixture in Manteo for over 40 years. It was certainly one of the very first Christmas-themed stores in the country. In 2006, its owners wanted to retire. So they auctioned off everything. For one reason or another, the property failed to sell. So now they're back, better than ever. Plan to spend at least an hour if you want to see everything. And don't miss the "country store" section with its extensive stock of old fashioned candy.

Manteo Historic Waterfront. You can quickly get to the Manteo Historic Waterfront by turning right on either Sir Walter Raleigh Street or on Budleigh ("bud-lee") as you come into town. It's a place where you can book a dolphin/sightseeing tour or rent a jet boat for a bit of fun on the Sound.

More important, from our perspective, it is a place of shops, coffee shops, and restaurants. Poor Richard's Sandwich Shop, for example, is considered to have some of the best she-crab soup on the Outer Banks, but they don't always have it, so it's best to call first: 252-473-3333.

Before you explore with "sandals-on-the-ground," however, explore this Web site: http://roanokeisland.net. In particular, we recommend seeking out clickable links to the following exceptional attractions:

o Elizabethan Gardens
o Festival Park
o Manteo Historic Waterfront
o North Carolina Aquarium
o Queen Elizabeth II
o The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama

Manteo Booksellers. This shop deserves special attention. Located on Sir Walter Raleigh Street in the Manteo Historic Waterfront district, it's one of the best independent bookstores in the country. You will find all the conventional bookstore staples (bestsellers, children's books, magazines, local cookbooks, etc.). But Manteo Booksellers specializes in books about the Outer Banks of coastal North Carolina, plus non-fiction, nature guides, histories, and more. It carries books on Outer Banks lighthouses, diving the wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, Civil War battles fought here, and "The Lost Colony" and early colonization of America by the English.

Also books about the natural history of the area, including field guides to the area's flora, fauna and sea life, travel guides and dozens of other topics that reflect the life and times of North Carolina's barrier islands.

Not to mention Outer Banks folk tales, ghost and pirate stories, as well as photo books and calendars of some of the Outer Banks' most popular scenes. Also fiction set on the Outer Banks and non-fiction written by Outer Banks authors. (Many of these books are signed by the authors.)


Places to Visit (farther away)

o Hatteras Light (www.hatteras-nc.com/light) The famous lighthouse that was recently moved.

o Oregon Inlet (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Inlet). The deal here is to arrive around 4 PM to watch the chartered fishing "head boats" come in and off-load their catches. "Real tuna, right now. And much of it is for sale!"

Best Fresh Seafood

One of the fundamental characteristics of the Outer Banks is constant change. Truly, you can patronize a great restaurant one vacation, and return a year later to find that the spot is now occupied by a tattoo parlor, with no trace of the original restaurant building. So we're not going to recommend specific eating establishments. Instead, we're going to recommend two fresh fish stores--because, for us, fresh, locally caught fish is what food is all about in Nags Head.

The two stores are the Whalebone Junction Seafood Market and Sugar Shack Seafood Market. Whalebone is at Whalebone Junction (insider's tip, drive up to Grayeagle Road and turn left.) The Sugar Shack is just beyond the 7-11 store toward Manteo, on the right. Whalebone is pure, fresh seafood. No cooked meals. Sugar Shack is fresh seafood, but you can also eat in or take-out. (And they sell beer by the bottle or the six-pack.) We love them both!

Where to Shop for Food

Food Lion is the leading grocery chain. And it is quite good. But our preferred store is Harris Teeter Market on the bypass Milepost 10. We think it is super and are really, really, glad that the company chose to establish outposts on the Outer Banks.

More Food Notes

North Carolina Barbeque. Here we sail into treacherous shoals. When it comes to barbeque, everyone has his or her own ideas. Our understanding is this: North Carolina BBQ consists of smoked, roasted pork that has been pulled (shredded) from the bone and cooked in a vinegar-based sauce. (No tomatoes.)

It is served on a hamburger bun with a side/topping of coleslaw. A vinegar-with-crushed-red-pepper hot sauce and malt vinegar are offered as "sides." There may also be baked beans. In a word: NC BBQ is not your father's barbeque. We adore it!

Hatteras Chowder. This is a clam/fish chowder with no embellishments. It is clams, vegetables, and clam juice--plus a bit of chicken stock, if necessary. It is certainly not anything like a cream-based chowder. Think "Manhattan" without tomatoes.

OBX Souvenirs

Finally, there are lots of places to buy souvenirs, but Souvenir City is one of the best. Located at Milepost 16 on the Beach Road, this store has been locally owned since the 1960s. It's just a great place (unlike all the "Wings" and "Sunsations" monstrosities). Really fun for the kids.