Every year the routine was the same: Pack the car the night before. Wake up before the sun to fill the ice chest and cram, what seemed like, the entire contents of the kitchen cabinets into any spare spots. Get on the road with your breakfast of soda and a pack of nabs tucked into your cup holder. The drive was always long, but that made the arrival all the more exciting. My dad took us on these beach trips every year. As a small child I enjoyed my time on the beach, frolicking in the sand and surf without a care in the world. To me "the beach" was any beach, but that all changed after one visit to the Outer Banks. This "beach" is so much more. When you visit you feel a connection that is hard to describe. That connection brought me back to the banks for my wedding atop Jockeys Ridge in 2007. My father was there to walk me up the dune. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a short time later at the age of 55. It was devastating but my dad pledged to make as many memories as he could with his time. We took many more beach trips in these last 10 years. Owning a beach house was an impossible dream for my father. I loved the idea of a beach home but thought that was always a "someday" purchase. As my dad's disease slowly stole his personality, his humor, and his memories I realized not everyone is guaranteed a "someday". So we have taken the leap and purchased this property with the hope that we can provide our children with the kind of memories my dad left for me. RIP Daddy. We love you, always.

I hope that you enjoy your vacation to the Outer banks. I hope you have good weather, a cool breeze, and beautiful sunsets. But most of all I hope you make memories with your family and enjoy the time you have together!