Wilmington, North Carolina – Wilmington is the grooviest little city that you never heard of – an eclectic blend of historic charm and contemporary cool. Who knew? I had a blast in this dynamic and diverse city. Here’s how you…
Beauteous Beaufort
Beaufort, North Carolina – Beaufort was the best surprise of my trip to North Carolina. I fell in love with this picture-perfect town, with its white-washed Bahamian-style houses (including one where Blackbeard lived!) and its wildflower-strewn, pony-dotted offshore islands. Welcome…
Ocracoke Island
Ocracoke, North Carolina – There’s no bridge to Ocracoke Island – only the ferry services from Hatteras and from the mainland. The relative isolation has protected this idyllic place from overdevelopment and from influxes of outsiders (known locally as “dingbatters”).…
Graveyard of the Atlantic
Hatteras, North Carolina – Shallow shoals, shifting sandbars and inclement weather have long posed a threat for ships navigating the waters off the North Carolina coast. Near Cape Hatteras, the Diamond Shoals are particularly treacherous. As evidence, the seafloor is…
Marsh Land and Maritime Forest
Hatteras, North Carolina – Summer vacationers flock to the OBX for fishing and surfing and other beachy fun. But there is a backside to these islands, a patchwork of marsh land and maritime forest that is also a wildlife wonderland.…
The Lost Colony
Manteo, North Carolina – Here’s a little piece of history that I didn’t know about: the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Island. Here was the FIRST English settlement in the Americas, dating from 1585 (more than 20 years before Jamestown!). The…
Wild Mustangs on the Beach
Corolla, North Carolina – Wild mustangs roam freely on the beaches and dunes north of Corolla. It’s not unusual to see the horses grazing amid the houses and communities at the north end of Bodie Island. There are no roads…
A Meaningful Destination
OBX, North Carolina – I am currently on assignment in the Outer Banks and the North Carolina coast. It’s not the most exotic destination I have ever written about, but it is a meaningful one. The last time I visited…
Another snow storm
Sarasota, Florida – I just want to point out that we were supposed to fly home–from Sarasota to Boston–last Friday. But we didn’t. Why not, you ask? (As do the administrators at the twins’ school…) Because our flight was canceled…
Pickleball
Sarasota, Florida – You have probably heard that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. I think it’s fair to ask: who doesn’t play pickleball these days? I don’t know… but not us! We always play a little bit…