Seagull Says: Friday's Got That Check-In-Then-Check-Out Energy

🌊 TODAY’S TIDE (Weather + Surf Report)

• 🌞 Friday Weather
  Sunny with zero patience. High of 74°, breezy WNW winds at 10–15 mph, and a UV index of 9 out of 11. Your beach chair might stay put, but your hat won’t. Tonight dips to 60° with a few clouds—aka perfect porch wine conditions.

  🗓️ Weekend Forecast Sneak Peek
  Saturday stays in the 74° club with light wind and just enough clouds to give your skin a break. Sunday cools down a touch to 70° with a side of cloud cover and a 20% chance of “Did you pack the umbrella?” vibes. Showers could crash the party late Sunday night, but we’ll pretend they’re fashionably late for now.

• 🏄‍♂️ Surf Report
  Friday afternoon is looking fair with 2–3 ft waves—enough to justify waxing the board and pretending you planned this. Saturday dips to poor to fair with 1–2 ft baby waves. Sunday? Let’s just say poor and save you the paddle drama. It’s giving “maybe just tan instead.”

📰 HEADLINES + CHATTER

Because hurricane season’s already flexing, the oystercatchers are outlasting your exes, and the rip currents said “not today.”

• 🏋️ Fessenden’s Freshened Up
  The Fessenden Center gym in Buxton is back open after a glow-up: new roof, siding, lighting, and a calendar full of activities. Just don’t get too excited—railing and deck work are still in progress, so the rear dock is closed. Translation: no post-workout dock selfies until June.

• 🌊 Rip Currents Just Leveled Up
  From Duck to Cape Hatteras, the rip current risk is officially high, so if you were thinking of “just wading in a little,” don’t. Lifeguards are on reduced staffing, and the ocean is basically in rage mode. Water temp’s nice, though, if you want to just look at it.

• 🌀 NOAA’s Spicy Hurricane Outlook
  NOAA says we’re in for an above-normal hurricane season with 13–19 named storms, 6–10 hurricanes, and 3–5 majors. Reminder: hurricane season starts June 1. Now’s the time to prep, stock up, and make sure you didn’t lend your generator to your neighbor in 2021 and never get it back.

• 🚗 Toll Trolls on 158
  Traffic counters are popping up near Duck Woods Drive to check who’s rolling in with E-ZPass or other transponders. No, it’s not Big Brother—it’s prep for the possible Mid-Currituck Bridge. Expect some lane closures and a little passive-aggressive data collection.

• 🐦 OBX Bird Royalty Returns
  A legendary oystercatcher named AL just returned to Cape Lookout for her 21st nesting season. She’s outlived the average oystercatcher lifespan and most celebrity marriages. Her bright orange beak is as iconic as ever, and scientists say her comeback tour is proof the ecosystem still has a fighting chance.

🎟️ FRIDAY + WEEKEND: EVENTS SO GOOD YOU’LL FORGET ABOUT TRAFFIC

Because tourist season starts now, and your social calendar just went from 0 to 100.

🛶 FRIDAY

• 🎨 Rotating Art Show: Wes Snyder
  Beachscapes that might convince you to delete your entire camera roll.
  📍Duck Town Park | 9:00 AM–4:30 PM

• 👶 Explore to Learn Playgroup
  For the tiny humans and the grown-ups who desperately need to talk to other grown-ups.
  📍Children & Youth Partnership, Manteo | 10:00–11:30 AM

• 🎶 Live Music: Grace Waters
  Soft tunes, cold drinks, and a front-row seat to your chill era.
  📍Rundown Cafe, Kitty Hawk | 5:00–8:00 PM

• 🎤 Kim Kalman
  Live music and shrimp baskets: name a more iconic duo.
  📍The Froggy Dog, Avon | 5:30–8:30 PM

• 🎸 Bobby Soto
  Acoustic vibes and local spirits. This is your sign to pregame the weekend right.
  📍Buffalo City Distillery, Point Harbor | 6:00–9:00 PM

• 🧠 Trivia Night
  Show off or crash and burn—it’s all about the vibe.
  📍Wanchese Marina | 6:30–8:00 PM

• 🎧 DJ Night
  Manteo nightlife is a thing. Yes, really.
  📍Lost Colony Tavern | 8:00 PM

  🎸 Live Music: Some Guy Named Jim
  Exactly what it says on the tin.
  📍Jolly Roger Restaurant, Kill Devil Hills | 6:00–8:00 PM

• 🎶 Red & Willow
  Folk, fiddle, and a beer list worth the trip.
  📍Old Tom’s, Manteo | 6:30–9:30 PM

• 🎤 Hot Sauce
  Spicy name, spicy set.
  📍Tap Shack, Duck | 7:00 PM

🛶 SATURDAY LOOK-AHEAD

• 🎣 Kid’s Fishing Tourney
  Tiny rods, big dreams.
  📍Rodanthe Pier | 9:00 AM

• 🏄 Surf Camp
  Learn to ride waves—or at least not panic on a board.
  📍Ride The Wind Surf Shop, Ocracoke | 9:00 AM

• 🎪 Tri Villages Memorial Day Market
  Locals, crafts, and at least one person selling sea glass “jewelry.”
  📍Camp Hatteras Resort, Rodanthe | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM

• 💦 H2OBX Opening Day
  The slides are back and they’re still better than your HOA pool.
  📍H2OBX Waterpark | 10:00 AM

• 🎸 17th Annual Fireman’s Ball
  Live music, cold drinks, and fundraising with serious flair.
  📍Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Dept | 4:00 PM

• 🎶 Memorial Day Kickoff: Eric Williams
  Live tunes, marina views, and a vibe that says “yes, summer’s here.”
  📍Safe Harbor Outer Banks, Wanchese | 7:00–11:00 PM

• 🧠 Music Bingo
  It’s like trivia, but cooler and with rhythm.
  📍Lost Colony Tavern, Manteo | 7:00–8:30 PM

• 🍓 Manteo Downtown Market
  Farmers, makers, and the prettiest backdrop in town.
  📍104 Fernando St, Manteo | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM

🛶 SUNDAY PREVIEW

• 🛍️ Memorial Day Sale
  Retail therapy counts as cardio.
  📍Foxy Flamingo Boutique, Nags Head | 12:00 PM

• 🎶 Acoustic Sunday: Phil Watson
  It’s giving unplugged and underrated.
  📍Buffalo City Distillery, Point Harbor | 2:00–5:00 PM

• 🎸 Hazeltones
  Sea breeze, string instruments, and zero stress.
  📍Avalon Pier, Kill Devil Hills | 2:00–5:00 PM

• 🎲 Game Night
  Board games + beer = a surprisingly elite Sunday.
  📍Old Tom’s, Manteo | 5:00 PM

• 🎸 Tom Vinick (TV3)

  Live music with a name that sounds like a news anchor but rocks like a local.
  📍Fish Heads Bar & Grill, Nags Head | 6:00–9:00 PM

• 🎶 Jeremy Russell
  Show up for the tunes, stay for the community vibes.
  📍Old Tom’s, Manteo | 6:30 PM

• 🎱 Pool Tournament
  Because 8-ball is a lifestyle.
  📍Jolly Roger Restaurant, KDH | 6:30 PM

• 🎤 Phil Delpierre
  A little blues, a little beach, a lot of personality.
  📍Tap Shack, Duck | 7:00 PM

• 🎤 Karaoke
  Time to shine—or spectacularly flop in front of strangers.
  📍Jolly Roger Restaurant, KDH | 9:00 PM

📍THE BEAK OF APPROVAL

🌴Tortugas Lie– Where the Vibes Are Beachy and the Sushi’s Shockingly Legit

Equal parts seafood shack, island hangout, and locals’ bar—Tortugas’ Lie is the kind of place where flip-flops are expected and reservations are… nonexistent. The menu hits all the cravings: Caribbean plates, burgers that mean business, and sushi that absolutely did not have to go that hard, but did. Grab a seat on the porch, order a Painkiller, and eavesdrop like a pro. It’s the laid-back OBX experience wrapped in a basket of fries and fresh catch.

📍3016 S Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head

Bonus: The happy hour is strong, the crowd is real, and if you ask nicely, they might pretend not to judge your third round of conch fritters.

🚨 CRIME + SAFETY CORNER

Where the boats go missing, the weed gets sniffed out, and the checkpoints are absolutely watching.

• 🛥️ Catch and Release: Boat Thief Edition
  A 70-year-old Virginia man thought no one would notice if he towed a whole boat out of Rodanthe. Spoiler: they noticed. Deputies tracked it down, arrested him, and charged him with felony larceny and possession of stolen property. $5,000 unsecured bond = someone’s not getting invited back to OBX anytime soon.

• 🐾 K-9’s Got a Nose for Drama
  In Buxton, a Sheriff’s K-9 did what they do best—sniffed out illegal goodies during a vehicle check. A search led to felony-level cannabis possession and paraphernalia charges for a 26-year-old local. Reminder: weed laws aren’t beachy in NC, and dogs here take their jobs very seriously.

• 🛑 Click It or Ticket, Y’all
  Holiday weekend = checkpoints are out. If you’re cruising without a seatbelt, driving tipsy, or treating traffic laws like optional beach reads, expect a quick stop and a costly souvenir. Buckle up, slow down, and maybe double-check that your tag isn’t expired.

⛱️ VACAY OR STAY

🏡 FOR SALE: WRIGHT WOODS SECLUSION WITH SERIOUS STYLE
Tucked at the end of a cul-de-sac in Kill Devil Hills and backed by the Wright Brothers National Park, this 3-bed, 2.5-bath custom home is giving private retreat meets artsy beach escape. Vaulted ceilings, radiant heated floors, a screened porch, fenced yard, and a deck-connected art studio? Yes please.

📍509 Telegraph Court, Kill Devil Hills | $725,000 | MLS #129​406

Bonus: There's a lion fountain. We’re not saying it roars, but it definitely makes an entrance.

🌊 VACAY: QUACK IF YOU LOVE BIG GROUP BEACH TRIPS
Big crew? No problem. Haas’ Quacker in Duck Landing packs 8 bedrooms, a private pool, hot tub, game room, and enough parking for five cars and a questionable golf cart. Just 597 feet to the beach and pet-friendly, so even your dog’s living large.

📍Duck, NC | Haas’ Quacker

Bonus: Bluetooth speakers by the pool, because vibes matter.

🕵️‍♀️ HEARD AROUND THE DUNES

• 🍹 A Corolla bartender claims someone asked if “painkillers are covered by insurance” after seeing the cocktail menu. (If only.)

• 📦 Someone in Avon listed a cooler full of unopened seltzers on Facebook Marketplace with the caption: “Left by in-laws. Free to good home.” OBX hospitality is unmatched.

🔗 QUICK LINKS

• ⛴️Ferry Schedule – You can’t teleport to the Outer Banks (yet), so here’s how to float your way here the old-fashioned way.

• 🐾OBX SPCA Pet of the Week (more like every 10 days): Jet, a super cute pup, is ready to jet outta there and go home with you!

• 🌊Live Surf Cams – For “checking the surf,” but really just spying on beach traffic and seeing who already claimed your favorite spot.

• 💬Submit a Tip or Event – Got a hot lead, weird sighting, or something the seagulls should be squawking about? Slide it our way.

🧂FINAL PEEP FROM THE PERCH

If you're reading this, you've officially survived the calm before the tourist storm. Memorial Day weekend is here, and so are the extra beach chairs, parking lot standoffs, and sunscreen-slathered chaos. Be kind to the locals, tip your bartenders, and maybe don’t try to parallel park on the bypass. We’ll be watching—from a shady spot with snacks.

Forward this to someone who thinks “light traffic” is still a thing in May.

Sign up. Stay salty. Be nosy.