Happy Mother’s Day from Cape Hatteras Motel
This weekend we celebrate Mother’s Day.
There is no doubt in our minds that there is something very special about a Beach Mom. Beach Moms magically appear during family vacation time. They morph out of the Moms we all know at home but they have a special glow about them when they get to the Outer Banks.
The stress of everyday life seems to melt away with those first views of sand, sun, and sea; and Mom is more than up to the task for the family vacation. Perhaps we are reminiscing about our generation of Moms and our own beach memories, but every generation of Beach Moms has its own unique characteristics. Back in the day, coming off from the beach at Noon meant a great lunch of white bread, baloney, perhaps some fruit or homemade cookies and a big glass of milk. Then it was back to the beach for the kids while Mom cleaned up behind. Today perhaps it is fruit bars or veggie wraps on the beach – but Mom’s insistence on a good lunch is still the same. Beach Moms are also great at taking care of all of the little dramas a family vacation can bring – sunburn, a jellyfish sting, the wrong flavor in the ice cream cone – minor catastrophes which would be unnerving at home seem to shrink with Beach Mom’s love and care. Beach Mom seems more flexible with bedtimes, more flexible with picky eaters, and well, just more flexible in general. Bathing suits are always rinsed, beach towels hung to dry overnight, and buying beach souvenirs is perfectly alright!
Some of our best Beach Mom memories are when we recall that after a day of looking after the family, there was time for her to relax with a favorite book, favorite beverage, and of course, time to regale the events of the day with Beach Dad. But Beach Dad is for another time.
Family vacations make amazing memories and no matter how your beach holidays come back to you (though black and white photos, movies, faded color snaps, polaroids, videos or digital albums), Beach Mom is no doubt the star of the show.
Here’s our wish for a wonderful Mother’s Day to all Moms – Beach Mom, Lake Mom, City Mom, Suburban Mom, Country Mom – we love you all!
Enjoy your special day!
Cape Hatteras In “Top 25 Gorgeous Coastal National Parks”
“From sea to shining sea, these protected lands (national parks, seashores, lakeshores, and more!) are brimming with breathtaking scenery, amazing wildlife, and activities galore. Discover our nation’s most unspoiled getaways, from the rocky shores of Acadia National Park to the tree-covered ridges of Point Reyes National Seashore.”
See all of the Top 25 Gorgeous Coastal National Parks according to Coastal Living Magazine.
Lessons from our Angling Guests
This past weekend we had a full house as we were one of the sponsors of the annual “4 Plus” Fishing Tournament. For many of you who vacation with us during the summer, you may not know how busy we can be in April, October and November for these large tournaments. The spring tournament has a special energy as the island is waking up from winter. Men and women who enjoy surf fishing come from central and northern Virginia to see what’s biting – and what they can catch. These events have gone on continuously for more than 30 years now and some very strong friendships have grown out of spending time together on the beach. The anglers generally come in on Friday (although some are able to sneak down a day before) and the fishing begins on Saturday morning after a meeting with all of the officials. This year Saturday began with some heavy rain, but the skies cleared quickly for a really pretty afternoon of fishing. Then the wind shifted and we had a stiff NE breeze and some cool temperatures for those hardy folks who decided to fish overnight! The catches this year were small – mostly sea mullet (or whiting as it is sometimes called), blow toads, and a few blues. On Sunday morning the fishing concluded, and winners were announced and prizes awarded at an early morning session at the Fesseden Center. But despite the fact that the catches were small, and few if any of the big drum made an appearance, all of the guests we served left with smiles on their faces and many have already booked for the fall tournament and even next April! The lesson here from behind the desk is that being at the beach can be anything you want it to be. For these folks, while they come to fish in a tournament, the fishing (and catching) is really secondary to the fun and fellowship they have at one of the most beautiful coastlines in America. Rain, wind, fish size, numbers of fish – they don’t let anything get in the way of their relaxation and enjoyment. We all want our beach vacations to be filled with blue skies, sunny days, and light breezes. But the joy of just being at the ocean, the smell of the salt, the crash of the waves, being with friends or family – those things all exist no matter what the weather and no matter what else is happening around us. Allow your vacation to be the break it was intended to be and don’t let outside circumstances interfere with your special time. The “4 Plus” fishermen and women have learned that lesson well!
PS: If you have never fished on your OBX vacation, why not give it a try this year? Many people do and get “hooked” for life!
Checking Out and Heading Home
If only vacations could last forever! But the days move along, and all too soon it is time to check out. Here are a few suggestions to make checking out a bit easier, so you can keep that OBX feeling all the way home.
1. If you are traveling on a Saturday or Sunday, it is wise to plan a very early morning departure. In the summer season weekend traffic coming and going is heavy. An early start helps you avoid those hassles. On a weekday, you are less likely to run into construction delays at the new bridge sites.
2. Check out time for any efficiency unit (a room with a full kitchen) is 10 am. For all other rooms the check-out time is 11 am. Remember how anxious you were to get into your room at check-in? The guests who follow you no doubt feel the same way. So please adhere to the check-out times. It assists us in coordinating the housekeeping and insures our incoming guests have an on-time check-in experience too.
3. If you really require a later check-in, please contact the office the evening before, or early in the morning on your day of check-out. We can review the incoming guest list to determine if a later check-out is possible. Normally an hour or two from your check-out time is the latest we can allow.
4. It is very helpful if you place all your loose trash in the trash cans in your room, and all your dirty towels in a pile in the bathroom. If you have smoked outside on the porch and had your butts in some sort of container, we ask that you dispose of those properly prior to departure.
5. Please bring your keys to the office when you leave. If you are checking out before the office opens, we ask that you use the key drop outside the office door. Again, this assists us in coordinating housekeeping as we then know exactly when folks have gone and we can begin cleaning. Checking out in person also means we have one additional time to have a conversation with you about your stay to obtain feedback, answer any travel questions, and wish you a bon voyage! If you had issues or concerns, we would much rather hear about them from you in person so that we can respond directly to you and also make an immediate note of the problem for our review and action.
6. Please remember your housekeepers. There is a tip envelope in every room. If they have helped you during your stay, an little thank you is certainly appreciated!
7. We have information on the ferry schedules in our office. If you are traveling south onto the mainland, be sure you have made your reservations ahead of time, and have allocated enough time for the Hatteras to Ocracoke Ferry transit to make your Ocracoke departure time.
8. We love seeing the photo memories of our guests. Don’t forget to tag us in photos for Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram so that you can see what is happening at your heaven on earth all year long!
9. We appreciate your business and in case we don’t get to see you before you depart, know you have our sincere thanks for staying with us and we will look forward to hosting you again soon!
Important Bridge Updates For Hatteras Island Travelers
If you’re headed this way, these updates provide important travel information.
File this under “Know before you go!”.
• Expect Daytime Lane Closures Monday – Friday until June 13*
One lane will remain open during these lane closures, but motorists are advised to allow extra travel time. From time to time, nighttime road closures may lasting up to 30 minutes.
According To The Pros, FATTYS Is The MANLIEST Place To Go On Your FAT BIKE!
“Greasy Spoons
Most restaurants here close for the off-season, so we cooked most of our meals. Whenever we met locals, though, we’d ask for restaurant recommendations. Those led us to a few choice eateries, such as, Fattys where we chowed down on biscuits and gravy.”
Read the entire awesome article in Men’s Journal.
