Roxy’s Birthday Dinner at Elizabeth’s Café and Winery in Duck, North Carolina

While things have been hectic here in the Roxiticus Valley, New Jersey, since we drove home from our long weekend in Duck, North Carolina, I wanted to give you some of the highlights of our trip. I'll start by saying that Rex, London, Maddie and I enjoyed all of our three very different dinners in the Outer Banks. On Thursday night, we went to the Blue Point. We went a bit more casual on Friday night with four dozen steamed clams for my Jedi clam-eaters at the Sunset Grille, another two dozen steamed "middlenecks" for me, and five different appetizers for Rex and me to share. Finally, in honor of my birthday, we planned and enjoyed the most elegant evening of our trip at Elizabeth's Café and Winery.

On Friday morning, when we were at the Scarborough Faire for sticky buns at Tullio's Bakery, we picked up a sample menu from Elizabeth's, so we had the perfect birthday dinner for four planned out by the time we arrived for our 6:30pm seating. Since I started my back-to-school fitness program a little over a month ago, I have not only lost weight but have experienced the incredible shrinking appetite. I've also found in the past year or two that I enjoy little tapas-style tastings of many dishes, so we called ahead to assure that I could nibble on a couple of perfect appetizers while Rex went all out (and shared with me) the Six Course Wine Dinner ($125/person including wine, $90/person without wine).



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The First Leg of Our Journey: The Cottage on Paw Paw Creek at the Mansion House in Snow Hill, Maryland

Since the Cottage on Paw Paw Creek at the Mansion House in Snow Hill, Maryland, does its best to shelter us from the distractions of modern technology, we don't have cable TV today, much less wireless Internet access. I couldn't even sneak onto a neighbor's wireless network to post this missive… the neighbors are probably just enjoying the natural beauty of our surroundings instead of roaming the blogosphere. London and Maddie are stretched out on the rug in the homey living room, coloring in a coloring book and rearranging the pictures to make their own stories.

If you decide to follow our footsteps and embark on a trip to Duck, North Carolina from New Jersey or another northern starting point, our family can highly recommend a stopover at the Mansion House in Snow Hill, Maryland. George, the owner of Mansion House, had encouraged us to take more time to enjoy the nearby Sea Side DelMarVa area, but we don't have enough time during this brief school break…maybe on another long weekend in the future.

As you can see from the photos (okay, so you can't see the photos, I haven't posted them yet), we have a beautiful view of Paw-Paw Creek from the porch of our cottage. The cottage has two bedrooms, more than enough space for our family of four. London and Maddie shared a room with twin beds and explored the cottage after I read their bedtime stories and conked out early on our queen-sized bed after the four-and-a-half-hour drive. The girls were excited to share their very own half bath.

George provided us with a copy of Chesapeake Life magazine as a guide to the many things to do in the area. We're headed out this morning to look for wild horses in Assateague and Chincoteague before we make our way south to Duck, NC. If we had more time, there are a number of things that Rex and the girls and I would enjoy:

• Just this weekend, we're missing the 11^th Annual Endless Summer Cruisin' celebration in Ocean City, Maryland: more than 1,500 muscle cars, classics, and hot rods cruise into town for a car lover's extravaganza. Thursday, October 9^th through Sunday, October 12^th from 9am to 5pm (ends Sunday at 3pm). Inlet Parking Lot, Ocean City, Maryland. Phone: (410) 798-6304.
  
• Ocean City celebrates my birthday weekend with an Oktoberfest at the Ocean City Convention Center on Friday, October 10^th (11:30am-6pm), Saturday, October 11^th (11am – 11:30pm), and Sunday, October 12^th (11am – 4pm). Eat, drink, and be merry with schnitzels, wurst, and barrels of bier. Three full days of continuous entertainment include Jolly Joe and the Bavarians, the Pennsylvania Villagers, the Enzian Volkstanzgruppe Dancers, and more. Phone: (800) 626-2326.
  
• I won't tell London and Maddie that we're missing the 3^rd Annual North American Sea Glass Festival at the University of Delaware as we head down to Duck, NC this weekend. This event draws collectors, artisans, authors, and beachcombers from around the world. Saturday, October 11^th features sea glass shard identification experts, and on Sunday, the "Shard of the Year" contest awards $1,000 to the most beautiful and rare piece of glass presented for judging. Virden Conference Center, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware. Saturday, October 11^th and Sunday, October 12^th from 10am to 5pm. Phone: (410) 778-4999.
  
• See the hottest new racing and cruising boats from U.S. and foreign builders at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. City Dock and Harbor, Annapolis, MD. Friday, October 10^th and Saturday, October 11^th from 10am – 7pm, Monday, October 13^th from 10am – 5pm. Phone: (410) 268-8828.
  
• Summer's not over with the Jazz/Blues Music Series in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware! Dane Tilghman returns with his jazz/blues music series and more of his ever-popular Americana series at the Philip Morton Gallery. Opening reception Friday, October 10^th from 5 to 8pm. Runs October 10^th – 24^th. Phone: (302) 727-0905.
  
• In Easton, Maryland, the 11^th Annual Arts Marketplace runs from Friday, October 10^th through Sunday, October 12^th: the Eastern Shore's largest juried craft festival features original works, including sculpture, ceramics, enamel, jewelry, fiber art, fine glass and woodwork. Academy Art Museum, Easton, Maryland. Phone: (410) 822-2787.
  
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland: We just missed their Small Craft Festival on October 4^th, but the museum offers "Build a Boat" on weekends, year-round – learn hands-on boat building skills under the guidance of a Museum shipwright.
  
• Carla Massoni Gallery in Chestertown, Maryland, currently (through October 25^th) featuring "Stewardship," an exhibit of artist Greg Mort's newest works, inspired by one of the defining challenges of our time: the diminishing supply of fresh, clean water. Through his watercolor images, Greg Mort hopes to incite a call to environmental action among artists. Phone: (410) 778-7330.
  
• First Friday Gallery Walks in Downtown Easton, MD: Stroll the brick-paved walks and browse an abundance of art galleries, antique and specialty shops, and award-winning restaurants, all nestled among vintage Federal-style buildings. First Friday of every month from 5 to 9pm. Phone: (410) 820-8222.
  

That's just a sampling of what we'll be missing as we head down to Duck, North Carolina….but the autumn season is beautiful here and I'd highly recommend a long weekend… it feels like you can kick back and relax for a few days at the Mansion House and venture out for as much or as little activity as you wish.

Thanks for reading!

Roxy

P.S. -- The DelMarVa Peninsula was such a lovely setting and seemed to have so many activities to enjoy that I was inspired to start a new blog from the road. Introducing Roxy's Best Of... the DelMarVa Peninsula. Hope you'll drop in and check it out.

Don't Miss the Point...the Blue Point in Duck, North Carolina, That Is...

Rex, London, Maddie and I just finished an amazing dinner at the Blue Point in Duck, North Carolina. I am too exhausted from driving all day to write all about it and to upload my photos of the beautiful food, but trust me that it is terrific and that I will tell all within the next week.

So far our trip is off to a great start and I look forward to telling you all about it. Tomorrow, we’re hoping to just kick back, relax, and check out the beach at the Sanderling Resort & Spa.

More Than 36 Hours in Duck, North Carolina

A few years back (July 2005), Rex read a travel article by Cindy Price in The New York Times about “36 Hours In…Duck, North Carolina.” Ever since, he’s been hoping to take London, Maddie, and me away for a long weekend, and this year, we’ve found the time. In preparation for our trip, I've been posting the things we plan to do — including restaurants and kid stuff — over on Roxy's Best Of... Duck, North Carolina. We're going to be in the Outer Banks for several days, so we needed to plan for lots more than 36 hours in Duck, NC, and we did so with the help of our southern colleague and friend, Brent.

As directed by the 36 hours article, we made plans to stay at the Sanderling Resort & Spa, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Sound. We've also made the recommended dinner reservations at the Blue Point Bar & Grill as well as a special birthday dinner at Elizabeth's Cafe and Winery. My Jedi clam eaters, London and Maddie, are ready for Jimmy Buffett Karaoke at the Sunset Grille and Raw Bar... they'll be practicing the lyrics for Margaritaville during the 8 or 9 hour drive from New Jersey.

We're planning to check out the Wright Brothers National Memorial and have barbecue ribs for lunch at High Cotton BBQ in Kitty Hawk.