Light House – Walk Into the Future

Duck tree

“Never lose your sense of wander”.

(TheWanderlust.com)

Southern Shores is a small town located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I heard of the Outer Banks but did not know it was comprised of several small coastal towns.

My introduction to Southern Shores came about because one of my best friends visited the area last summer and shared how nice it was there. Decided to explore the area as part of my ongoing quest to Walk into the Future.

Southern Shores is a quick and easy drive from the Virginia Beach and Norfolk area. Made my way over to explore the area and take in a few sights.

Discovered a nice Air Bed and Breakfast (AirBNB) for my visit that was centrally located to the main areas. It was a short walk or drive to Duck, North Carolina which I had never heard of prior to my trip. Turns out one of my work friends has a family vacation home in Duck and she was excited to learn I was heading there. She also gave me suggestions on places to visit and eat while in the area.

Aqua Restaurant & Spa was recommended as a great spot for food, music, and views of the bay. Aqua lived up to the hype and more. The service and food were great and the sunset bouncing off the water was a great way to end a day.

https://aquaobx.com/

Tullio’s Bakery was the recommended breakfast spot. They have pastries, donuts and breakfast sandwiches made to order. Grabbed a bacon and egg croissant and coffee before heading over to the beach for the day. The sandwich was a very simple selection, but the fresh croissant really made it stand out. Wish I had grabbed a second one before I hit the beach. 😊

https://www.tulliosbakery.com/

The Outer Banks beach scene is a lot different than the beaches in Florida. The main attraction for the beach goers is the ability to drive on the beaches. There are ‘air down’ stations where people lower the air pressure in their tires so they can get better traction on the beach. I had never heard of this process for driving on the beach. It appears less air in the tires allows vehicles to not get stuck and spin out while driving on the beach. I just assumed a 4-wheel drive vehicle would be fine in the sand, but big truck drivers dropped air pressure too.

Got a chance to sit on the main beach in Duck and caught a nap while enjoying the weather and watching people drive by. There are wild horses on the Outer Banks but did not get a chance to see them wandering around. Spent about 30 minutes searching but decided to just relax and enjoy the sound of the North Carolina waves.

Turns out the North Carolina waves sound like my regular Florida waves. Went over to the pedestrian side of the beach so I could walk without worrying about cars driving by. Decided to walk and enjoy the sun and relax.

Ventured to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse to explore more while in Duck. There was a lot of activity at the lighthouse with tourists looking for adventure. Took one turn around the area and then headed back to the AirBNB to rest up.

Discovered the HULU show Only Murders in the Building while back in the AirBNB. Binged watched multiple episodes and really got into the characters and plot of the show. Highly recommend checking this show out on HULU if you have not watched it. Got a free trial on HULU so I could watch the final episodes when I returned home. Looking forward to Season #2 in September—love clever shows!

https://www.outerbanks.com/currituck-beach-lighthouse.html

Duck light house

Happy I made the trek to Southern Shores to explore a new area during my Walk into the Future. Don’t know if I will make it back there but it was a great adventure and I’m happy I made time to get there. Always looking for new places to visit and the adventures that come with travel.

No regrets, ever! 😊 😊 😊

Where are you planning to visit this year?

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”.

(Pinterest.com)

1000 North

“The smell of the ocean never gets old”.

(Pinterest)

I am always searching for new adventures and ways to leverage my Walk into the Future journey.

Most of my Florida exploits are centered around me heading north to familiar locations: Jasper, Jacksonville, Orlando, Melbourne, and Tallahassee. I have never been a huge south Florida fan, so it never crosses my mind to explore locations down there except when outlet malls are involved. I love outlet malls! 😊

Decided to get out of my travel comfort zone and venture south to explore Jupiter, Florida last weekend. I always heard great things about Jupiter but never made a true effort to visit the area to see what it truly had to offer. The reports about this area are all true; the city of Jupiter and the beaches are well worth a trip down there.

Google maps identified Jupiter was only a 58-minute drive down I-95 from Fort Pierce, so it is extremely close to me so no real excuses for never going there. Got up early on Saturday morning with the intent of driving down and enjoying a day of dining, sightseeing, and walking on the beach. Mission accomplished on all phases of my plan.

1000 North

A good friend in south Florida recommended the 1000 North restaurant as a place to get some great food, people watch and catch nice water views. I never heard about this place, but it turns out to be a very popular spot in Jupiter. It has a diverse ownership group that includes Michael Jordan and several other well-known professional athletes. Did not know this fact until I got there and saw the setup. Nothing over the top but they only have complimentary valet parking—a nice feature but not something I am used to.

There are multiple dining areas to include a members only private dining room. I stayed downstairs with the regular folks and got a seat outside with a great view of the marina. The atmosphere was fantastic and got an opportunity to people watch. There were several large groups outside and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and the great location.

The menu provided an eclectic selection, but I decided to get the grilled chicken club with sweet potato fries. Never had a fried egg on a club sandwich but it was a very good addition to the sandwich. I would get this again on a return trip to 1000 North.

https://1000north.com/

Left 1000 North with the intent to explore the famed Jupiter beaches. Made a quick 5-minute drive east from the restaurant and I was at the beach. It was cool by Florida weather standards, but the beach was crowded with folks. Got a chance to walk the beach for a bit and get some great pictures to document my exploration for the day. I did not bring my beach chair or towel, so my walk was the activity for the day. I will make my way back to Jupiter beach so I can enjoy a full day at the beach and relax.

Outlets

My trip to Jupiter put me about 20 minutes away from the Palm Beach Outlet mall. I could not miss an opportunity for outlet shopping so made my way south. I did not need anything but that’s not the point—there are always good deals at the outlets, so it is never a wasted trip.

Hit the Nike store first looking for new running gear. The Nike store is extremely small, so the selection was limited I did not pick up anything during this visit. Visited the Columbia store and added to my t-shirt collection here. Walked around a bit more and visited a few more shops before calling it a day and heading back to Fort Pierce.

Nice little day trip for me to add to my Walk into the Future journal. I look forward to heading back down soon for a longer beach adventure.

What areas will you explore this summer?

Irie!

“In Florida we salt margaritas, not sidewalks”.

(Thewanderlustwithin.com)

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Tag: Light House

Southern Shores, North Carolina (Repost)

1000 North Jupiter, Florida

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