Outer Banks Spring, Families and Ospreys

Spring has finally come to the Outer Banks . . . and not a moment too soon. In fact, a little bit late this year. This past weekend was absolutely spectacular, there were kites in the sky, sailboats on the sound, and the roads are filled once again with our OBX guests from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and just about every other state up and down the eastern seaboard. It looks like it might get a little bit chilly again for a few days, but the sun should be out, and there can be no doubt that the seasons have changed.
The Outer Banks shoulder seasons have been getting longer and longer–great news for Resort Realty property owners . . . but Easter really kicks off the spring and this year is no exception. In some ways it mirrors the symbolism of the holiday, a time of redemption and renewal. There is a definitly a sense of rebirth of the spirit as our businesses fill with customers and we shed the winter doldrums. There are a lot of reasons why people come to the Outer Banks and we’ve written about it a number of times in the past. The bottom line, though, is people come here because of family. Yes, the OBX is a beautiful place; yes, it’s convenient to a number of places yet just remote enough to make it a little bit exotic; it is a little more affordable than just about any other similar vacation destination. All of that is true, and that may bring people here for the first time–but families keep coming back because it is a great place family vacation destination.
How good is the Outer Banks for families? Even ospreys agree, this is a great place to visit year after year. That’s right–our osprey parents are nesting once again outside our Duck office. If Mother Nature follows the course it did last year, by mid June we should have baby ospreys outside our doors and by the end of the summer they’ll be flying on their own.Of course Duck isn’t the only place that the cycle of the seasons in apparent. Trees are starting to bloom again–a little later than usual, but the buds are there. The snow geese and migratory waterfowl have all headed north . . . except for the Canadian geese that may have decided flying all the way back to their native land is just too much work.Last week and this week are spring break for most eastern seaboard schools–local kids are out this week–so it’s a wonderful time to bring the family down. But even after the kids are back in school, a weekend trip to the Outer Banks is a great way to take a mini-vacation. So pack a kite and a fishing rod  . . . trout are running in the surf and at the piers and April is usually when rockfish show up . . . and visit for a while.