Summer's Close in Nags Head

Last week we skipped town, driving down to the Outer Banks to spend a few days with family at the beach in honor of savoring these last few days of summer. A quick getaway turned out to be just what we needed and today we're rounding up a few of our favorite snaps if you care to see.


The cottage rental where we stayed was just behind the main road in Chicahauk, secluded among scrub oak trees and situated in the same neighborhood as our family-owned cottage from childhood. It had an outdoor shower and full wrap around wooden deck, just perfect for boisterous little children during the day and sips of wine during the sunset each evening:

Each morning we'd walk along the access path to the beach and take turns teaching my sister's children to jump the waves, build sandcastles or look for sand crabs. And while the fishing was less fruitful, Tim had a chance to work on perfecting his surf cast and we did catch a glimpse of a family of porpoises making their way along the surf line.

Thursday afternoon Tim indulged me in a drive down the ocean road to check up on old favorites like the Kitty Hawk Pier, Wink's, the now retro motels:

Oh, and John's Drive In, which seems to be a local institution — we couldn't pass up a boat of dolphin bites, crinkle cut fries and a couple of thick homemade milkshakes.

Separately, my sister and I piled the 3 oldest kids in the car to go see Jockey's Ridge for the first time. This had been a favorite stop from our childhood and we were eager to introduce the same fun memories of climbing the "tallest natural sand dune in the Eastern United States" to the next generation.

Boy it was hot, but we made it up to the very top!

It's amazing to look back at photos from our last family beach trip and see just how much the children have grown in the last 5 years. In fact, we celebrated Sophia & Benjamin's 5th & 6th birthdays while on vacation since they fall so close together (they were both born in August within the same year).

In the evenings, Tim also took advantage of being outside of the city to experiment with night photography. One night in particular while trying to focus in on the stars just above the ocean sand dunes, he captured what I consider to be a pretty incredible shot of the big dipper.

As always, thank you for taking the time to check in on what we've been up to. Now back home and with September just around the corner, it's the time of year where a fresh start feels possible. The little children are heading back to school, Brandon is embarking on his last year of college, Stephanie's moved into a new house and is preparing for a new teaching job that begins this week. Tim and I are also making plans to tackle a few house projects from the back-burner this autumn and are generally feeling optimistic about what the busy season ahead may bring.

How about you? Do you have an end-of-summer ritual or also feel like September's return welcomes a new beginning?

Discover More:

Our Honeymoon in Hatteras | Beach Eats: Ahi Tuna Bites