During the 17 years we lived in North Carolina, we never managed to make it to the Outer Banks… though not for lack of trying on my part. So on Day 6 of this vacation? A three hour road trip.
Past the Lamberts Point Coal Terminal in Hampton Roads…
The largest coal exporting port in the country.
And if you think it’s pretty? Just imagine how nice it smells….
Yes. Kind of like that.
Over and through the Hampton Bay Bridge Tunnel…
And past some tempting tourist attractions.
Is it shocking we didn’t stop?
No.
It is not.
One more very long bridge later….
And we were there.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic.
200 miles of beach.
Where the wind was so fierce it was blowing said beach right across the road when we got there.
It had been a mild 48 degrees in Williamsburg, but here?
It felt like minus 12.
Beachfront condos and rentals were everywhere.
And in every color you can imagine.
Neighbor’s roof blocking your view?
No worries, just build a deck on yours.
It never ceases to amaze me how little property they can build on these days. Our town has a 3 acre minimum….
At the Outer Banks? It must be 3 inches.
And though we were getting hungry for lunch…
Awful Arthur’s was closed.
Damn… and I really wanted to see how awful it was.
But since we have a good friend named Richard, who is sometimes called Dick?
We had to.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen.
I got my crabs from Dirty Dicks.
My She Crab soup that is….
And my hushpuppies….
And my Ocean Blue Margarita in a disappointing plastic cup as they had run out of funny bar glasses…. or so we thought.
I’m not a Bloody Mary fan…. but that looks like a meal in itself.
The husband had mussels and lamented over not getting a glass for his collection.
(Oh, did I tell you? Along with all the other ridiculous pieces of crap things he collects… he has now decided to acquire a glass from every fun bar or restaurant we visit.)
Did this place qualify as fun?
I don’t know….
But with fried potato salad on the menu it definitely qualified as southern.
Finished eating, the husband asked the waitress to rinse out the plastic cups so he could bring them home to our friend as a joke…. which is when she pointed to us to their entire store of Dirty Dick merchandise.
We should have known.
But it was too good to pass up and we bought him a hat, a t shirt and a bumper sticker for Christmas.
(P.S… He loved them)
River's world..... 
I vacationed in Avon every year for a while… usually with a group of friends. It was a gas. I’d stop at the fruit stand on the way and then I’d make pies for everyone. And, from the deck, you could see the sound and the ocean…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pie making?
Our idea of vacations differ slightly….
😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
The deck on the roof is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. Why not just put a sail up and beg Mother Nature to rip your roof off? Oh, wait, they did.
Food looked good and the Bloody Mary did look filling.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not to mention the aesthetic…. but at the beach? It’s all about the view. Rooftops and all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does seem to scream “hillbilly” – but that’s just me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
3 actual food pictures?!?!?!? OMG! The sand must have gotten into your eyes! That’s as many pictures as items you bought for Dirty Dick!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Does this mean you’re finally satisfied?
LikeLike
Well, there you go. Merchandise for sale. And such classy stuff, too. Who’d of thunk it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Only 5 star joints…. um, I mean establishments…. for us!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is a dish called a seafood bread bowl at Dirty Dicks that is divine!
The best thing about the Outer Banks? The Brew Thrus! Did you see those?
LikeLiked by 1 person
We did!
You have to love drive thru beer…
🍺
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mussels in white wine and garlic sauce? Hello, your speaking my language! The rentals do look just a tad too close to each other but, oh well a good meal can make up for a lot. And I’m sure the crabs from Dirty Dicks were worth the trip, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And a few smiles…
😉
LikeLike
You got your crab on huh??
LikeLike
I’m guessing that Poor Richard’s Almanac wasn’t available to buy at Dirty Dick’s store.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was not….
LikeLike
😬 bloody mary with prawns and mussels? You should have tried it. If not for the laughs… Our laughs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a limit to what I’ll do for my readers….
😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! I ate at Dirty Dicks somewhere around Pensacola. I liked it. It reminded me of another place I love called Pinchers. We agreed that if we returned we would eat there again. Yes, I do enjoy plastic tumblers and accordion straws, the bigger the better, especially in hot places.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It did have a certain tacky charm….
LikeLiked by 1 person