More From The Crystal Coast!

Stormy weather in Paradise!

This area of the Outer Banks of North Carolina is referred to as The Crystal Coast. Emerald Isle is a quiet strip of Atlantic beach with colorful houses lining the shore, no high-rise in sight. The beach itself is soft sand, no rocks, and not too wide an expanse to the water. To me, it is the perfect beach. It's never crowded, even on the hottest summer day. Here, you can really appreciate the natural environment of the ocean and the shore. I'm mesmerized by the sea, always looking out there for something...and still searching for dolphins in the distance.

Rows of colorful beach houses!

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A beautiful home-away-from-home!!!

We've been enjoying late-night lightning shows with dramatic rumbles of thunder. Unfortunately, the accompanying rain decided to hang on long after the light show ended, and we woke up to a soaking rain that just now (5 pm) stopped. The forecast calls for a lull and then more rain headed here for the remainder of our vacation. We were house-bound most of today (and if you have to be house-bound, this is the house to do it). After a short shopping trip to pick up a few things for Will's apartment in Charleston, Anne, Will, and I stopped at the grocery store to pick up ingredients for tonight's dinner: chicken marsala. I'm very excited to make this favorite dish tonight. I hope it comes out well. We're having baking potatoes (Idaho or sweet) and green beans, so it should be a really good dinner.

Anyway, rain has put a damper on the day, but we've really had an amazing time here. So far we've had two great beach days, and lots of fun at night with dinner in, and craziness afterwards! Ben and I started it last night with a dance-fest that started with one spontaneous song and ended up going into the wee hours with all of us joyfully dancing like fools in the living room! Anne captured it all in video on her phone and I hope no one ever sees it! It did provide lots of laughs today! I told Anne that if I am ever in a bad mood, all I have to do is watch that video and it will make me laugh out loud!

We've had some memorable experiences so far. We were very fortunate, last night, to witness just-hatched baby sea turtles making their way to the ocean for the first time. The original hatching/migration was three days earlier, and last night we noticed a bunch of people gathering on the beach. I went to see what was happening, and a woman told me that she was part of a group that would be excavating the nest, to count shells left behind and see if there were any babies that hadn't made their way out of the nest. There were two (of about 120-180) still needing a little help and direction. They were lifted out of the nest and started down a cleared path toward the ocean. There were probably 100 people on both sides of the barrier quietly cheering these little babies on. It was very exciting, but at the same time, unsettling to think what might happen to these little guys once they entered the water. I was anxious as the first waves pulled them into the sea, and then pushed them back up onto the beach, only to pull them back out and into the deeper water. It's amazing to see the instinctive pull that guided these sea turtles toward their destiny. I went to bed last night worrying about them, hoping they survive to adulthood and make their way back to this beach one day. The odds are not in their favor, but I'm pulling for them!

Waiting for the babies to appear and start their journey...

Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Ocean-bound!

Look who I met on my walk yesterday...

Pretty mosaic of seashells...

I'm going to get outside while the rain holds off, and hope to bring you new photos of our vacation and the recipe for tonight's chicken marsala in my next post.

Have a lovely evening, my family and friends!

Vacation's Last Day

This is the day no one wants to talk about or acknowledge.  The last day of a vacation is so bitter-sweet.  We still have one full day to enjoy all that this vacation has to offer, but we're too aware of the hours left, of the clock ticking to a close on what has been a great week of relaxation, good food, an amazing natural environment, a beautiful house, and the best company. 

There's a hazy sky this morning.  It's very quiet in the house.  John, Jack, and Kristin left early for a trip to see a light house, about an hour away.  Anne and I stayed at the house to begin the work of closing up -- cleaning out the pantry, doing laundry, making sure nothing will be left behind. Tomorrow morning, very early, Patrick drives from here to finish his last semester at Florida State, his car packed with much of what he needs for his new apartment.  Skinner, my loyal cab driver (4 years now?) will be picking me up at 7 a.m. for my 9 a.m. flight.  Everyone else will pack into their cars and head north, back to New Jersey and New York to resume life-as-usual, though Ben starts his new job on Tuesday (congrats Ben!). 

As I write this, I see three pelicans skimming the surface of a wave, searching for breakfast.  I don't know what it is about Pelicans, but I just love them.  I love their graceful coasting on air, with hardly a flapping of their wings over quite a distance.  There is a timelessness to them, with their pre-historic appearance.  They are large birds to fly with such ease, seemingly care-free as they cruise along the rooftops of the houses lining the beach.  I'll miss them.

Last night's final "big" dinner was great, and Patrick summed it up when he said "This was the best dinner yet."  We had grilled vegetables (red, green, and yellow peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash), marinated and grilled chicken breast, grilled garlic shrimp, and rice with sweet-and-sour sauce.  For dessert, we had two pies, still warm from the oven -- apple and blueberry -- with vanilla ice cream.  It was a magnificent meal.  I'm not sure what we'll be having for dinner tonight, most likely a mish-mash of all the leftovers of meals we've enjoyed throughout the week, or something equally simple.  We're talking about one last happy hour on the beach.  It's so beautiful later in the day.  We just want to make this final day linger...

Here's a collage of yesterday's photos, followed by a recipe for Garlic Shrimp:

Friday's photos - click to enlarge!

GARLIC SHRIMP

(Soak wooden skewers in water while shrimp is marinating)

2 - 3 lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 whole garlic cloves, peeled (these are blanched and then skewered between the shrimp - I didn't do this - we didn't want that much garlic last night)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dry)
4 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (like Frank's Red Hot) or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Lay shrimp in large, glass baking dish.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over shrimp.
Let shrimp marinate for 45 minutes.

Skewer shrimp (4-5 to a skewer, through tail and upper part, making a "C").
Grill for 6-8 minutes at the most, just until they're done.  Be careful not to overcook.

Late Afternoon on the Beach

Yesterday was dark and cloudy all day.  It was cool, with a strong breeze, on the beach.  Most of our crew stayed down by the water for a good part of the afternoon, but then we felt raindrops and could see the dark sheet of rain out over the ocean.  It looked like it was coming our way, but the sky above was still dotted with blue among the clouds.  I held out hope that it might blow over, so when everyone packed up and headed back to the house, I stayed on with my chair and my book.  The storm seemed to be moving across the ocean and not inland, so I became engrossed in the next chapter (of The Help) and looked up to see a bright sky and a magnificent rainbow over to the east. 

I stayed there until after 6 p.m., enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun, listening to the sounds of the ocean, and watching a young family nearby playing in the sand.  It made me think of my kids, of my grandsons Henry and Peter, and how much they'd enjoy this, too.  I miss those little guys and we talk on the phone every day.  The other day I told Henry (3 years old) that I had a surprise for him, a seashell, and he wasn't impressed apparently!  He said he wanted a car!  (He loves to play with my EI seashells from previous vacations).  Katie held the phone to Pete's ear (almost 10 mo.) and I talked to him, and he giggled.  I don't know why, but little kids sound even cuter over the phone!  So sweet...

Today we're off to visit a light house.  It's my first excursion out, other than to buy groceries, which has been absolutely fine with me, because, why leave paradise?!!!!  Still, we're going to head out.  Not everyone has been as close-to-beach house as me -- my brother-in-law John went for a 45 mile (yes!) bike ride yesterday.  We were all impressed if not worried about him!  I don't think it was his intention starting out to go that far, but he did.  When he got back, a swim in the ocean was just what he needed.  Isn't it just what anyone needs, really?!  I know it works wonders for me!

For dinner last night, we cooked out - hamburgers, hot dogs, andouille sausage.  Earlier in the day, I made a seashell macaroni salad with tuna and egg.  There were baked beans, fresh tomatoes, sliced watermelon - all simple but very good stuff.  Tonight we're having grilled garlic shrimp skewers, jasmine rice, and (special request) my favorite sweet and sour sauce.  We'll probably roast some veggies to go along with it.  It will be our last big dinner since we're all leaving Sunday, so we'll keep it simple tomorrow night.

Here are some photos from yesterday.  I'll be taking more pics today and will post those tomorrow.  Have a great day, everyone!

Thursday on EI, NC - click to enlarge!

Beach Day

Yesterday was a beach day, and a good one.  We had a relaxing start, and soon we were all ready for a slow, easy day at the beach.  After his bike ride, John went down and set up the cabana/tent.   We made sandwiches, packed a cooler and took the short walkway to the beach where we settled in for the afternoon.  The water was great, not too cold and not too warm, either.  Perfect for bouncing around in the waves.  After the beach we came back and hung out in the pool.  After showers,  Anne and I headed out to the shrimp stand to buy 3 lbs. of large shrimp for our (now annual) shrimp scampi dinner.  It was sooooo delicious.  I made a lot for the nine of us, especially four nephews between 18 and 26 who can eat!  Romaine salad and garlic bread rounded out our meal.  It's so simple to make, and I can't think of anything with more flavor -- butter, lemon, garlic, white wine -- or more satisfying after a day at the beach!

Here's a look at our day in photos, ending with a collage of the spectacular sunset.  Tonight we're serving marinated London Broil, corn on the cob, and ratatouille. I'll share that with you tomorrow!

All set up...

Frisbee

Hot tubbin' it

Chilling in the pool

Jack and Patrick

Kids doing the dishes!

Sunset over Emerald Isle

Aaaaaahhhhh....vacation!

Here I am, morning 1 of a week-long vacation to Emerald Isle, NC.  After 3 flights and a cab ride to get here, I arrived around 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon.  Nephews Patrick and Will were minutes behind me, and their parents, brother Jack, and Jack's fiance Kristin pulled up just behind them.  I had so much fun discovering yet another beautiful house here in E.I.  This is a repeat visit for the Bishop family but my first time to "Seaside Retreat." This was the first house they ever rented seven years ago, along with my sister Patsy and her family, and Anne has tried since to rent it again and only succeeded six years later.  These houses are first-come, first-served with the occupant that week having priority over any other requests.  So, in the years between they've rented different houses each August, each one unique and beautiful, but perhaps none so special as this house.  Rather than go on and on about every little detail that I LOVE about this house, I'll share it with photos (what would I do without my little Canon camera - it's served me very, very well!).  Here are a few to start.  I have to pace myself!  More photos tomorrow, and more about beach house eating.  Anne and I went to the grocery store, and 2 over-loaded carts later we have the beginnings of some wonderful dinners in the making, including our annual shrimp scampi, london broil, ratatouille.  I say "beginnings" because we will buy the shrimp and other seafood fresh off the boat!!!!

So stay tuned as I share this beautiful week with you ~ and a shout out to my friends and family, and particulary C.O.D., L.D., and W.B. in Admissions at Skidmore College!

OK, I will...

Patrick, me, and Will

A pool with a view!

Livng area

Dining area

So beautiful!

Way cool kitchen...

Signing off - I'll keep you posted.  Off to the beach! 

Sigh....

It's Saturday night and we're all ready (physically, not emotionally) to leave the beach house tomorrow morning.  We had a dinner of especially good left-overs (scampi, grilled chicken) and salad.  Anne and I emptied out the refrigerator and cabinets of all that we can't leave behind.  The last load is in the dishwasher.  Beach towels are in the dryer.  It won't take much for any of us to pull our things together tomorrow and be on our way.  We had our last beach day today, a few hours under a cloudy but friendly sky.  The waves were strong and quick, and I was tossed but landed on my feet.  I didn't stay too long in the waves.  There was quality time to enjoy under the canopy.  We could see the rain coming in from the sea, a sheet of gray transparency approaching from a distance, and it arrived too soon, sending most beach-goers packing, and quickly.   It was a good beach week -- we were able to spend a good amount of time there every day -- and the rain was polite enough to wait until we had all had a good time.

After the beach, Anne, Kristin, and I stopped at a local shopping center.  I wanted to find a little something for Henry, and an even littler something for his October-arriving baby brother.  Last year I found Henry little Crocs that he wore until they were just too small.  This year, I found a navy blue zip-up hoodie with "Emerald Isle" embroidered on the front.  New baby gets a onesie with a lobster on the front that says "got butter?".  Cute.

Anne and Will are playing checkers right now, and she just triple-jumped him.  There was whooping and holloring that could be heard a mile away!  Now they're back into the game, contemplating the next move, and the move after that.  I can feel the tension!  Checkers is a wonderful game, and we always play it at the beach house.  I seem to never play it anywhere else. 

To wrap up this wonderful week, here are some pictures that will provide me happy memories for a long time to come.

Beach House Entry

John Peeling Shrimp

Seashells Against a Dune Fence

Nightstand Books

Patrick and Frisbee

Will being Creative

Midnight Golf Cart Ride (who knew we had no headlights?!)

Bishop Boys Stargazing

(They saw a bunch of shooting stars!)

Row of Beach Houses

So long, Captain's Quarters!  Good-bye Emerald Isle. 

Thanks for a GREAT vacation.

You will be missed!

Photos:  by me

Lovin' It Here!

It's Friday already. Hard to believe.  I fly home Sunday, so that "end-of-vacation-is-near" awareness is all-too present. My nephew Patrick leaves the beach house today, continuing on to Florida State University where he starts classes on Monday. I'll miss him. We had quite the checkers match last night. He's the reigning king of checkers, but I gave him a run for his money! In the end, my last three options for moves were all fatal, so he won, but it was a good battle!

The storms of the previous night gave way to a hazy day, so yesterday afternoon we decided to go to the beach. Rather than pack a picnic and take the canopy, we took only our chairs and towels this time. The water had cooled considerably, the waves were bigger, and the lack of bright sunshine made for a different beach experience, but equally enjoyable. We still used sun block as if the sun were blazing. My dad always used to say that a hazy day was worse for a sun burn, for whatever reason. The beach was busy, with a lot of people in the water. Every few minutes, a flock (is it a flock?) of pelicans flew overhead.  Patrick and Will played frisbee and we all jumped in and out of the water, read, sat, relaxed, and took it all in (see picture below).

Patrick and Frisbee

The Boys Bishop - My Handsome Nephews!

L-R: Jack, Patrick, Will, Ben

For Patrick's fare well, we had an incredible dinner last night: slow-cooked baby-back ribs, barbequed chicken, corn on the cob, and potato salad. We had been marinating the chicken for a couple of days in an Italian/Balsamic dressing which flavored it beautifully. I can't remember ever having had ribs. I never order them out, and I never make them, so they were a treat for me. John had used a dry rub, seared them on the grill, and then slow baked them in the oven. When we got back from the beach, I made a chunky potato salad with little red potatoes and lots of celery. The kids loved it. It was my favorite dinner so far. The best part about dinner here at the beach house is eight of us sitting around the table, enjoying a meal together, and lingering for a long while after dinner.

It's about time to say good-bye to Patrick.  I'm going to miss his affectionate and sharp sense of humor.  He's a lot of fun to have around.  Fortunately, his three brothers are all equally good company, and I will enjoy every second with them until we all leave on Sunday.  Checkers, anyone?

Beach House, Day 1

OK, let me just say I love it here.  This is my fifth or sixth trip to Emerald Isle, NC, with my sister Anne's family.  This house is GORGEOUS.  Like most of the homes in this part of Emerald Isle, the living area is up on the top floor allowing for the best ocean views.   Bedrooms are one floor below, and a rec room is on the bottom floor.  Porches abound.  This house is decorated in a very nautical theme, with a little bit of 50s kitcsh in the kitchen! 

  Anne and John drove the entire distance and arrived just minutes before me.  Once we went grocery shopping (3 carts-full) and settled in, we decided to hit the beach for a late afternoon swim and happy hour.  The ocean water temperature was just right, still cool but not too warm, and the breeze off the ocean provided a refreshing cooler -- that and beverages on ice.  Anne's boys played football on the beach and it was so good to just sit, relax, and enjoy each others' company.

Dinner last night was burgers and dogs on the grill, with baked beans and a Caprisi salad.  After dinner, I was so tired after three flights and one cab ride to get here, and then all the fun, I went to bed and everyone else stayed up to play Apples to Apples, a card game that had them laughing until midnight (I hear) but I was so knocked out I didn't hear them. 

Cute Kitchen

There's no schedule or agenda this morning.  Patrick and Ben got up early to play golf.  Jack and Kristin are swimming in the pool after an 8-mile run (she's preparing for a half-marathon).  Will is still sleeping (11:10 a.m!).  John made a breakfast of eggs, Canadian Bacon, and toast.  I'm blogging away, looking forward to a day of nothing-in-particular.  There's a sign above the window overlooking the beach that says "Another Day in Paradise."  Ain't that the truth!

The Beach House and Shrimp Scampi

For a number of years, my sister Anne and her husband John have rented beach houses in Emerald Isle, N.C. Each year they rent a different home in the same neighborhood, since there are many and each one is more spectacular than the previous year's rental. The homes have names like Sunny Bunz, No Regrets, Wind-N-Sea, and Flip Flop Inn. Painted in all shades of Caribbean pastel (with color-coordinated golf carts!) these homes are three stories high with the main living area and kitchen on the top floor. The living area spills out onto spacious outdoor decks allowing for panoramic views of the ocean. Typically, bedrooms are below, on the second floor, and rec rooms on the ground floor. There's a service elevator to help haul the many bags of groceries up to the the kitchen. Most homes have their own in-ground pool, providing a refreshing and relaxing post-beach experience! I've been so fortunate to be invited to join their family three times, and my main activity while there, other than playing in the ocean with the kids (like I'm one of them!) and loving the beach, is preparing meals for everyone to enjoy. Our sister Patsy joined us last year and, among other things, she cooked up her specialty and our nephews' favorite, chicken parmesan. Lunches were simpler. Each day we'd pack a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks for the beach and go stake out our spot, close enough to the boarded walkway so that we didn't have to lug anything too far! Early each day we decided what it was we would make for dinner, and after our late afternoon swim in the pool we'd go shopping for ingredients, including fresh seafood.

An abundance of fresh seafood is available at stands along the highway, or sometimes right off the shrimp boats just returning to shore. The first year I was there I made shrimp scampi, remembering in my head the recipe from my friend Liz who cooked it for us at one of our Girls' Night In evenings. Winging it, the dish was a huge success (many thumbs up from Anne's family) and Anne said, "It smells like a restaurant in here!" Music to my ears.

Here's my interpretation of Liz's recipe for shrimp scampi. It's a rare indulgence, so go ahead and enjoy the butter and olive oil and eat more conservatively the next day. It's worth it!

Liz's Shrimp Scampi

1 lb. linguini or pasta of choice
1 4 oz. bar of butter
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (can be from a jar)
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup white wine (something you'd drink)
1 - 1.5 lbs. fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 cup grated parmesan cheese - the good stuff
1 lemon, sliced

Bring large pot of water with a little bit of salt to boil and add linguini. Cook according to package directions, but remove from heat and drain while it's still al dente.

While the pasta water is coming to a boil, over very low heat in large skillet, melt butter in olive oil. Watch it so it doesn't brown. Let garlic sit in this over the lowest heat until just before the pasta is finished. Five minutes before the pasta is done, take 1/2 cup of the pasta water and add to butter mixture. Add lemon juice and white wine, and to thicken, add 1 tbsp. flour mixed with about 1/4 cup cold water and stir slowly into butter mixture. Increase heat to medium low and bring just to a very light boil. Add shrimp and cook only until it turns pink and is just done. Turn off heat.

In large bowl, mix drained pasta with butter/shrimp mixture, and toss with half the parmesan cheese. Platter the shrimp scampi and sprinkle the rest of the parmesan cheese on top. Arrange lemon slices around the shrimp scampi.

Provide extra napkins. You'll need them.

Photo Credit: Artwork from website for Spinnaker's Reach Realty, Emerald Isle, NC