The Annual Anniversary Trip

In keeping with what has become something of a tradition, we headed to the Inn at Corolla Light recently to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Love was certainly in the air at the Outer Banks that weekend. You could sense it from the two weddings that were booked at the Inn. Heck, you could even see it if you happened to walk past the Soundfront room where a couple celebrated their shared affection without the benefit of closed curtains.

Suffice it to say the place lived up to its self-described reputation as "a premiere romance destination."

For all of its seclusion - real and imagined - the town of Corolla and its neighboring Outer Banks locations provide enough variety that our choice of activities has changed by year.

We've celebrated our anniversary dinner at the same location each visit, we always make time in our schedule to observe the postcard perfect sunsets over the Currituck Sound with wine and snacks, and we hit our favorite spots like Outer Banks Coffee Company. However, our schedule accommodates changes as well.

This year we traded the lively tones of the Duck Jazz Festival from last year for the more serene rhythms of the ocean as we relaxed on the beach, reading and watching sand crabs do their work. Sand crabs are more interesting than you might imagine. Either that or we're just easily amused.

Rather than climb the 214 steps of the Currituck Beach Light House we instead hopped in a 4WD vehicle with our tour guide, who was equal parts knowledgeable and likable, for a visit with the Wild Spanish Mustangs of the Northern Outer Banks.

"No vacation to the Outer Banks is complete without attending a service at the Corolla Chapel," according to, well, the people who run the chapel, so we added that to our list of new experiences.

We even made sure to adjust our routine while driving home.

Last year we stopped to play miniature golf at Jurassic Putt; this time we bought a kite - "Captain Barkley" - and took him out on the beach for his inaugural flight. It was among my favorite moments of the weekend. Captain Barkley rocks.

We also made a stop for boiled peanuts - Erica insisted that I try them for the first time - on the way home. 

It was a full, fun weekend away from home with my beautiful wife of three years.