The Outer Banks , a 200-mile (320 km) string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, has some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. In prices drop dramatically so I rented a three bedroom condo in a development called Corolla Light which for $1600 a week was reasonable considering it included a $200 fee for Roo and offered use of a sports center and other resort amenities. Next time though I want a view.

From the moment we arrived though it was a different Corolla than the one I’ve stayed in before. There was a big contingency of people from southern Virginia and NC, none who wore masks and many who openly said they were unvaccinated. We went out for sushi at the Okinawa Sushi Bar & Grill and saw that the waiters and kitchen help also wore no masks. After a grueling seven hour drive to get there from Maryland we sat down and ate what turned out to be excellent sushi and said we would test the efficacy of our vaccines. My Covid test post visit was negative.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is wild and wonderful with a popular lighthouse you can climb to the top of to get expansive views of the sea and beach. Like a college football game tailgate, we drove on to the beach, and wandered for a couple of miles, with our only companions seagulls, sandpipers and a crane that must have got lost hunting for a marsh. Afterwards we watched two little girls fed Duck Donuts by their grandmother who doled out different flavors like candy. Tummy aches to follow. On the way back to Corolla made a brief stop at my absolute favorite restaurant in the area, Duck Duck Burgers where you can get a burger that rivals the West Coast’s In-N-Out burger in made-to-order yumminess.

In mid-week with a storm moving in that night, we drove my ancient Subaru Forester to the end of the island and drove on the beach. The anger of the waves was just beginning and two nervous drivers in black mega sports utility vehicles were skirting the shore so slowly that I roared past them in a 4-wheel drive bliss. Driving on sand can be a bit nerve wracking the first time, but once you get used to it and get to know how well your car handles the dips and waves in the sand, it’s a blast. A ways out people get out of their cars and hang out, waiting for the wild horses who hide behind the dunes. I’ve never seen one but there are tours that will take you out and to justify their pricing must find them.

Pre-storm the sunsets over weren’t much to write home about, especially the popular strip near Corolla Park overlooking Corolla Bay. Sun beamed out from behind dark clouds but never emerged and then faded into the grey like a date that seems promising and then devolves into “What am I doing her?” But after the storm cleared a couple of days later my dog Roo dragged me down a path and we discovered a trail along the bay near our condo that had benches, quiet and a dock with just a handful of people on it. Before and after pictures are below.

Due in part to the mask free hordes and also the $100 price tag from that first night, we decided to cook in the well stocked kitchen. The roach traps in most rooms were disconcerting but at least we didn’t see any.

After it stormed for a full day Roo and I went down to the beach and I let her run free because there were no people, which wasn’t allowed in Corolla which has a leash law for the beach. The wind was a bit fierce but again there was that wildness of being a lone survivor of some sort of shipwreck. I live just outside of Washington, DC and to me quiet is peace. All I want to hear is waves pounding against the shore.

Try VRBO for Corolla Light condos. You’re worth it.