The Beach Road to Manteo

Nights in Rodanthe, Fall on the Outer Banks

2008-10-03T14:09:00.003-04:00

Well, the movie was sappy and melodramatic, but it was great seeing the beautiful Outer Banks beaches on the big screen! And also seeing a couple of friends in the scene of the party on the Pier.

After the show, we stopped by The Pearl which is located on the Beach Road at the Sea Ranch Hotel, near Third Street in Kill Devil Hills. It was a beautiful evening and there is a lovely oceanfront deck where we enjoyed cocktails before dining on fresh seafood - tile fish, shrimp and crabmeat.

This is what Fall is all about on the Outer Banks - no crowds, beautiful weather and the freshest of the bounties of the ocean and local farm markets!

The Front Porch

2008-09-16T16:07:00.009-04:00

After a week of HOT humid weather, a much welcome northeaster has blown in, dropping temperatures and bringing some rain.

It's a quiet afternoon in Marshes Light, perfect for sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch with a good book or magazine - I was just looking at the Paula Deen's magazine, trying to find inspiration for dinner tonight. Shrimp & Grits or Linguine with Clam Sauce? Hmmm...

This weather just feels good, bringing a change of seasons and my favorite time of year on the Outer Banks.

What would prompt you to buy in today's market?

2008-09-07T09:29:00.004-04:00

I've been following some blogs lately and this question was posed at [http://www.AtHome@HouseHuntNews.com]. There were several choices listed including: lower interest rates, better neighborhood, finding a good deal, growing family, relocation, etc.

Marshes Light is such a unique community located along the water in an historic town in a resort area - Roanoke Sound, Manteo, and the Outer Banks, respectively. Folks have been coming to the Outer Banks for years and usually visit Manteo at least once during their visit here - that's when they discover the laid-back charm and quieter lifestyle found on Roanoke Island and a relaxing break from the hustle bustle traffic on the beach.

So, join the discussion and post a comment. What would prompt you to buy in Marshes Light in today's market?

Is it the lifestyle (boating, marina, shopping, cultural events)? Is it relocation (permanent or second home or retirement)? Is it the area (less than an day's drive from family and friends in the northeast, proximity to the ocean and sound)?

How did you stumble upon Marshes Light?

2008-08-27T06:33:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts. August has been a busy month at Marshes Light. We've had a lot of visitors and we've been getting our marina up and running. The Dock Master's office is just about completed and we are welcoming boats to come visit and check us out. As a matter of fact, the first 50 to register will be given a free weekend (or 2 night) dock space through December 2008.

The Marshes Light website is being revamped and organized for easier navigation. Please visit us often at http://www.marsheslight.com/ for news, photos and updates. Speaking of websites, I have stumbled upon http://www.stumbleupon.com/ and am a big fan! There are an amazing bunch of creative and talented people posting blogs, forums, websites, etc., on the Internet - most of which you never see unless you "stumble upon" them. Check it out!

I'll be posting news on the upcoming 2008 Parade of Homes to be held the weekend of Oct. 10-12. The Coors Model Home will be a participant. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sitting on the docks overlooking the Sound

2008-07-26T12:23:00.006-04:00

On days like this, it's easy to imagine living in coastal North Carolina. On the Outer Banks, Carolina Blue Skies and soft easterly breezes herald perfect weather to be outside. And what better weather for the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum's 5th Annual One Design Regatta featuring Optimist, 420, Sunfish - adult and youth and Laser.

We were a major sponsor for this year's race by providing food for the participants from High Cotton BBQ of Kitty Hawk, NC. Check out their menu at http://www.highcottonbbq.com/. High Cotton is famous in Eastern North Carolina for their pulled pork barbeque, brunswick stew and cornbread, to name a few.

In the News: http://www.marsheslight.com/news_releases/july2008.htm.

Christopher Cross must have been thinking of days like this on Roanoke Island when he composed:

It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And
if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas
can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

On the Boardwalk

2008-07-06T07:53:00.002-04:00

Imagine Marshes Light - a community of homes, waterfront villas, and marina all connected by probably the only soundside wooden boardwalk in North Carolina.

The boardwalk connects Festival Park to the Manteo downtown shopping, art gallery and restaurant area to the Mariners Museum and to Marshes Light - which will add upscale shopping, restaurants and the Marshes Light Boutique Inn along with homes, villas and townhomes to quaint and historic Manteo on Roanoke Island.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-02T07:11:00.003-04:00

Old Town Manteo and Marshes Light will be the place to be on the 4th! Activities include:

Legends of Rockabilly

Patriotic Tribute featuring The Lost Colony Choir and the Echoes of Heritage Choir and Nikki Sharp

Apple Pie Contest

Decorated Bike Contest

Wacky Hat Contest

Karaoke Dance Party

North Carolina School of the Arts Evening of Patriotic Music

Fireworks by "Boom Boom Zambelli" at Dark

In the meantime, please check out Brad Paisley's newest music video "Waiting on a Woman" featuring Andy Griffith. This was filmed just a few weeks ago at the Outlet Mall in Nags Head and at Pea Island on Cape Hatteras National Seashore on our very own OUTER BANKS!

Copy of click on this link to Brad Paisley home page: http://bradpaisley.musiccitynetworks.com/index.htm?id=14670&sid=14356

Have a safe and happy 4th!

Sights and Sounds around Town

2008-06-04T07:23:00.003-04:00

Spotted recently Brad Paisley recording music video with Andy Griffith in Nags Head and Pea Island. Brad will be performing in Raleigh on July 19 and in Virginia Beach on August 31.

Soft shells are here - try them at Blue Point in Duck or Lone Cedar on the Causeway to Manteo. Mmmm!

Carolina blue skies and the Beach Music Festival made a recent Sunday afternoon very special at the Roanoke Island Festival Park - boaters were also able to enjoy the music from Shallowbag Bay.

Babies have hatched - the little finch who built the nest in our grapevine above the front door of the model home on Fernando Street has had her babies.

Speaking of Fernando Street, it was repaved yesterday, thanks to Kitty Hawk Land Company.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary held a Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony a few weeks ago, lots of people and boaters and the Auxiliary was on hand to promotesafe boating practices.

The Roanoke Island Home and Garden Tour last week was a big success, ticket sales proceeds benefitted the Elizabethan Gardens.

If you haven't been to the Gardens recently, you owe it to yourself to visit soon. I made a brief visit yesterday and can't wait to get back and purchase some plants. Bettie and I were very impressed with the different container plants around, combining iron plant, bright white impatience and ferns = really pretty and creative, perfect for a covered porch or a shady spot.

Come visit us soon at Marshes Light!

This just in from a new villa owner...

2008-05-19T13:56:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Nancy and I recently bought an investment/cum retirement potential, newbuild condo in Manteo, NC which is on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks. Manteo is 1 mile from the Nags Head beaches, 1 mile from the Elizabethan Gardens, 1 mile from the North Carolina State Aquarium, 1 mile from the Lost Colony, and 1 mile from Wanchese at the southern tip of the island which is a commercially unspoiled, charming fishing village.

It is 9 hours from Binghamton and 2 hours from the Norfolk airport. And for you, John Travolta, there is a private jet compatible airport 1 mile away.

The condo is a five minute walk to downtown Manteo on a boardwalk connected to the town's boardwalk system and a ten minute walk to a park complex that includes an outdoor auditorium hosting daily concerts, a maritime museum, and a replica of Sir Walter Raleigh's brigantine that brought 110 British colonists to the Outer Banks before Plymouth, only to promptly lose them. (If you happen to find them, please contact me or the Queen on our BlackBerrys for further instruction.)

You can go to www.marsheslight.com to check out the complex, named after a very unusual lighthouse known as Marshes Light which is visible from our porch.

The condo is the 2 BR BR model depicted on the website. With a pull out couch and chair in the LR, it sleeps 7 and rents for $1295 per week in season. But we also purchased a J/24 sailboat which us sort of a cult boat racing machine. It has a very wide beam and sleeps 4. So that increases the sleeping accommodations (the boat slip is a short wedge from the condo's front door) to a total of 11. If you want to rent the boat just to sleep up to 4 more, its $900 per week in season. If you want to sail the boat (and there is additional paperwork necessary to sail) its another $900.

We chose the J/24 because it is a user friendly, practically indestructible boat that is easy for just one person to sail. Details about the boat are available at www.jboats.com/J24/
If you don't sail, on a per capita basis it works out to about $200 a person per week. And the kids can sleep on the boat. (Let that one sink in for a while . . .)

If after, checking out the websites, you have further interest, please send me your fax number and I will fax you the detail info.

Thanks, and have a nice weekend.

Donald S. Bernardo

If anyone is interested in renting Don's villa, give me a call at 888-319-3557

Updates

2008-05-15T15:03:00.002-04:00

Marshes Light Marina is gearing up for operation this summer. We will not have fueling operation initially, but our future plans for the marina will include an attractive dock office and bathroom facilities. We will be participating in the Blessing of the Fleet and Safe Boating Day on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Spring is here and it's a great time to visit!

2008-05-07T06:35:00.003-04:00

We are happy to announce that a beautiful two bedroom villa at Marshes Light went under contract yesterday. This top floor residence offered great views of the Town and Shallowbag Bay.

Now is a great time to visit our community and choose the villa or homesite that’s perfect for you. Our Discovery Package is through The Cameron House Inn in downtown Manteo and offers superb accommodations at a reasonable price.
There are lots of fun things coming up in Manteo, and you might want to arrange your trip to coincide with one of these happenings!

Visit www.outerbanks.org/events/index for more information and activities.

May 17: Blessing of the Fleet. In conjunction with Safe Boating Week, the Coast Guard Auxiliary will be on deck at the Manteo and Marshes Light waterfront. Activities include: Safe Boating Booth with a Video Presentation set up; "Coastie", a robot Tug Boat on hand for young people to enjoy. Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet along with representatives from Sector North Carolina will be present. Station Oregon Inlet will have a 25 foot boat on display.
Fly over with a C-130 and H-60 and at noon will be the Blessing of the Fleet Service. The Concert Choral of the Outer Banks under the direction of Forest Warren will provide the music.

May 29: The Roanoke Island House and Garden Tour. The Elizabethan Gardens and Roanoke Island Garden Club invite you to The 2008 House and Garden Tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The $25 admission will provide access to island homes and their gardens and a special lecture by Dabney Morgan from WAVY-TV10 at The Elizabethan Gardens. Royal Tea will be served during the lecture. All proceeds benefit The Elizabethan Gardens. Call 252-473-3234 to order your tickets today.

June 6: First Fridays on the Waterfront 6 – 8 p.m. Shop unique boutiques, browse Manteo’s galleries & visit various attractions in a street fair atmosphere, live music, artisans and historic interpreters, rock climbing wall and more.

June 7: Dare Day is an annual celebration of the people and history of Dare County, held on the streets and waterfront area of downtown Manteo for over 30 years. Dare Day entertainment features live music for audiences of all ages, and ends with a street dance.

July 4: Independence Day in Manteo is a full day of fun, with children’s games and activities, contests, and a flea market. Nighttime activities include the North Carolina School of the Arts Pops Concert at Roanoke Island Festival Park, and culminate in fireworks over the Roanoke Sound.

August 13 & 14: New World Festival of the Arts is a juried exhibition featuring 80 selected artists from Vermont to Florida exhibiting and selling their works on the Manteo Waterfront. This two-day outdoor art show has been held for over 23 years running.

Call me and I’ll be happy to arrange your visit!

Boaters Find Safe Anchor at Marshes Light Marina

2008-04-29T07:16:00.003-04:00

The Marshes Light Marina will be open this summer with fueling service, ship's store and dock office. Boat slips are now for sale and will accommodate up to a 45' boat with electric and water available. Prices start at $75,000.

The Marina welcomes boaters and is anticipated to help serve the popular Manteo town docks that are often filled to capacity all season long.

Anchoring at Marshes Light will allow boaters to hop onto our boardwalk and stroll the waterfront over to Manteo for great shopping, browsing the arts and fine and casual dining. A few of my favorite places include Manteo Booksellers, Full Moon Cafe, Endless Possibilities Boutique (proceeds go to the women's shelter and Hotline), Poor Richard's, and Charlotte's (upscale ladies clothing). On my radar is the opening of the new Front Porch Cafe on May 15th for coffee, tea and my favorite the "West Third". Venture over to Festival Park and the Roanoke Island History Center, enjoy the North Carolina School of the Arts summer performances; for more information on specific dates and shows, visit http://www.roanokeisland.com/.

Dock up and join us at Marshes Light and discover beautiful Roanoke Island!

Time to talk real estate

2008-03-27T07:36:00.004-04:00

This week's blog comes from Heather VanderMyde - who is a very important member of the Marshes Light Sales Team:

I'm just going to list a few reasons for you to ponder as you investigate other areas in Manteo for purchase:

1. LOCATION------Last 22 acres to be developed in walking distance to downtown Manteo. The boardwalk is a huge asset to our community by linking us not only to downtown, but to the Roanoke Island Festival Park. Have you done the walk? It's absoluetly gorgeous and it's about 2 miles long.

2. EXPERIENCE-----Kitty Hawk Land Co. is the developer and if you look at past communities,i.e., Southern Shores, Chicahauk, Sea Pines in Duck, Water's Edge in Kill Devil Hills, The Currituck Club in Corolla, Arlington Place in Newbern, and Viniterra in Virginia, you will see Mickey Hayes pays great attention to detail in each community. He has the midas "touch" and believes in sound ecological development. Lots of our clients are repeat homeowners that believe in his work and follow him from development to development. The Coors family is a great example, they been with Kitty Hawk Land Company for many years, and know whatever we do, it's going to be done to the nth degree. Mickey has made many investors lots of money, and they trust his experience and attention to detail. He's been known to move a road at great expense in order to follow the contours of the land or save a tree.

3. QUALITY-------I wish I had a dime for everytime someone walked in our villas and model home and talked about the quality of our product. Solid wood doors, acoustic matting between floors, Quiet Rock between walls, granite or Corian countertops, heated ceramic tile, Andersen tilt windows,compartmentalized plumbing,and the list goes on. We believe in relationships here at KHLC and by teaming with the same builders and sub contractors from one community to the next, the end result only gets better.

I think these are the primary reasons why Marshes Light is a success and will continue to grow into a "buzzing" and vibrant community.

Signs of Spring

2008-03-18T06:34:00.004-04:00

I noticed a thicket of daffodils on the property the other day. The grass is greener and there is new growth budding on the live oaks along the boulevard. The osprey are back, livening things up a bit on the Sound.

We have grapevine draped around the front door of the model home on Fernando Street. It has little white lights laced through it and it really frames the entrance in a sweet old-fashioned way. For the past week I've notice a small bird fluttering just outside the door, not sure what kind of bird, she is smaller than a cardinal. I watched her fly off to a nearby tree and greet her mate, who is a mottled shade of red, so maybe they are very young cardinals. She came back a few minutes later up near the front door under the porch roof. The next day she's back again. And I realized that she is taking the grapevine to build her nest.

If she keeps it up, I'll have to do something about the white lights, they won't look as romantic without the grapevine.

Our State

2008-02-27T09:40:00.006-05:00

I just opened the March/April issue of North Carolina Signature Magazine and can't wait to dive into the pages from cover to cover. Living along the northern Outer Banks, we are separated from the rest of the state by water and a lot of cotton and tobacco fields. We are very much North Carolinians though. And thanks to the NC Department of Transportation and our improved highway system, it is easier than ever for North Carolinians to visit Roanoke Island and the Outer Banks.

There's a bounty of treasure to discover here, including the outdoor drama of The Lost Colony, the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Festival Park, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Jockey's Ridge State Park, the birth of aviation at the Wright Brothers National Monument, and miles and miles of pristine beaches.

Coming up the weekend of March 6-9: A weekend of food/drink/fun at the 2008 Taste of the Beach. Visit http://www.obxtasteofthebeach.com/home.htm for schedule of events.

From Manteo to Murphy, there's much to discover and enjoy here in the beautiful State of North Carolina.

President's Weekend

2008-02-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

Sunny skies welcome our first annual Wine and Yoga event this Saturday at Marshes Light. Join Heather at 11 at the Azalea Marina Residences at #100C (second floor, green building) for a relaxing gentle stretch yoga class. At 4 o'clock, Kenny from Native Vine will host a wine & chocolate tasting - at the Coors model home. We are completely booked for this event but will be hosting other events throughout the spring and summer - check back often for more news. As always, please visit our website at www.marsheslight.com for information on our properties, the community and the beautiful Outer Banks.

Thanks - look forward to seeing you around town! Lee