Virginia Dare's Birthday, National Aviation Day, and Mom's Sweet Shop

August 18, 2026

Good Morning OBX Crew!

Virginia Dare turns 439 on Tuesday, and both the Elizabethan Gardens and The Lost Colony are making a day of it. Wednesday is National Aviation Day, which the First Flight Society is celebrating out at Dare County Regional Airport. Fitting, given it's the OBX.

Let's get into it!

The Duke Jacket Incident

We walked into Stack'em High Pancakes and So Forth one morning and my mom was wearing a Duke jacket.

If you've been to Stack'em High, you know the problem. They are Tar Heels people. There's a whole corner of the restaurant with newspaper clippings and UNC memorabilia on the wall. So in walks my mom in Duke blue, and Nick, the owner, came right over to have a conversation about it.

In our defense, we'd been at Duke, it started raining, and we bought the jacket because it was the jacket available. Nick gave us grace on that one.

Then my daughter started getting fussy at the table. Nick disappeared, came back with a coloring book and crayons, and handed them over so she'd have something to do. Nobody asked him to. He just noticed.

That's the whole reason I keep going back. The food is great and the service is great, but it's really about the people. Nick and the crew he hires are some of the best I've met on the OBX. Go eat there, and maybe leave the Duke gear at home.

Restaurant Spotlight

Mom's Sweet Shop

3213 N Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills

Mom's is my favorite shop on the OBX and it's hard to explain why in one sentence, because it's about four stores in one. Incredible clothing, records, skate decks, sneakers, perfume, locally made jewelry and candles, and then a full sweet counter in the back. Soft serve, milkshakes, açaí bowls, cold brew, and bunch of candy options. You can browse for twenty minutes and walk out with a shirt, a candle, and a milkshake. Go see it.

Go Get a Treat

The Report

Conditions

Tides: High 1:46 AM · Low 8:07 AM · High 1:58 PM · Low 8:16 PM (Duck Pier)

Water Temp: ~81°F

Surf: ~2 ft

Wind: 6 mph

Sunrise: 7:24 AM ↑

Sunset: 8:49 PM ↓

Moon: Waxing Crescent 🌒 (First Quarter Wednesday)

Humidity: 85%

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Thanks!

-Ryan, From OBX

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Where to Stay

Flyer's Nest

Here's your annual reminder that the good OBX weeks get claimed absurdly early. Flyer's Nest is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house in Kill Devil Hills, about a ten minute walk to the beach access, with reserved parking so you're not circling for a spot. Stocked kitchen, laundry, WiFi, beach gear already there so you're not buying another set of chairs. Being in KDH means you're roughly in the middle of everything, so Corolla one day and Hatteras the next are both realistic instead of an expedition. If you're planning for next summer, now is the time to lock it in. And if you've never done the OBX in December, there may still be room this year. Empty beaches, no traffic, lights up in Manteo and Duck. It's my favorite version of this place and almost nobody knows about it.

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