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I’ve said it a thousand times, Saturdays are my favorite days here on the Outer Banks! I love to watch as the cars line up on the highway waiting to check-in to their "happy place” accommodations for the week. I adore seeing kids getting out of their cars at the Kitty Hawk Starbucks, still in their PJ’s because their parents carried them into the car in the middle of the night so that they could get to the beach extra early. I can remember those exact days when I vacationed here as a child. I can still remember the way that the beach houses smelled and how refreshing the air conditioning was when the front door finally opened.
It doesn’t seem like the next few weeks are going to slow down around here and I’m sure that has something to do with the incredible weather that we have been having. The ocean is a perfect 79 degrees and it has been so hot here over the past ten days! Perfect beach weather! Last weekend we had a rare night out to dinner with our kiddos and opted for one of our Outer Banks Mom Approved spots, Rundown Cafe! We love that we can sit outside and enjoy live music on the deck and that they are so kid friendly. Our server, Jordan, went out of his way to make sure Penny had a drawing tablet from downstairs in the dining room and she was beaming when he brought one up to her.
Of course, the menu on the Hula Deck is to die for! We were super hungry after a day on the beach so we ordered tons of food and decided to share it all which was the perfect choice! I had one of their house-made margaritas which are consistently delicious! There's nothing better than cocktails on the Hula Deck when it's so hot outside!
We’re obsessed with the coconut shrimp and fish bites! The girls chowed down on the shrimp so we opted to order two orders of shrimp and it was a huge hit again! And we seriously can't remember a time that we didn't get the "Crack Dip" because it's always a favorite!
While we were sitting on the deck and listening to music, a huge group of people came up with kids and grandparents as they took a break from their car after a long day of traveling. They had all driven down from Richmond and couldn’t wait to get into their beach house. We got to talking and they had been stopping at Rundown Cafe on their way into Duck for the past 8 years. They loved having this special restaurant to kick-off their vacation! That’s exactly what the Outer Banks is all about, family tradition and locally owned businesses that are consistent and sought-after for years!
Does your family have a special tradition for the first night of vacation here on the Outer Banks? Fall is our favorite time of year and with weather like this, who can blame us? It's not too late to book a long weekend getaway for September! Make sure you add the Rundown Cafe onto your must-do's!