By Invitation only

Oceanfront Vacation Cottage

 58883 South Beach Drive ~ Hatteras, NC  27943

A Restful and Memorable Vacation

at Seven Cousins Cottage

After having lived on the island for a year while building the Cottage, and vacationing at Seven Cousins Cottage for years, we have begun to shed the distractions and complications, focusing on rest and relaxation at the beach.  We would like to share with your family our experience and observations.

 

A little organization prior to departure from home will let you hit the beach sooner.  Remember “divide and conquer”?   Divide the small but necessary responsibilities of a smooth vacation among the family members.

 

There needs to a Captain – think of Seven Cousins as a ship, with one person responsible for the safety and security of family and Cottage. There are small but important things like making sure the doors are closed at night, and truly important things like making sure there is always an adult responsible for kids in or near the water.

 

Select a Chef, not to cook all the meals, but to organize contributing chefs, plan menus, appoint kitchen clean up crew (kids love the kitchen and billiard room floor vacs and will quickly volunteer to sweep the floor), and answer questions about the kitchen and stove.

 

Select one or two purchasing agents, to organize purchases of staple food and household items.  We recommend purchasing as many staple items and drinks at home as possible and bringing them with you.  The local Food Lion can be very busy, and you don’t want to be debating too many purchases in the aisle.  Do that before you leave home.  We recommend that you purchase seafood fresh daily at either Risky Business Seafood or Harbor House Seafood (both just 5 minutes away). For an extra $1 a pound, they will steam your shrimp for you, mild, medium, or spicy.  They also have crab cakes that are excellent and quick and easy to fix.

 

Select a “fun guy”.  Someone to help others with activities and sightseeing (limit sightseeing to two or three morning or afternoon events, because you are at the best sight of all – the beach!) and setting up and returning the beach gear.  The lighthouse is on most peoples’ list, and is worth a visit even if you don’t intend to climb.  If you are climbing, go early to avoid long lines and heat.  Be sure to have sun protection.  You may want to take the free ferry to Ocracoke.  Watch the lines (across the street) for the best time to go.  You need your car there, as it is a 30 minute drive to the village when you leave the ferry.

 

Early risers can start the day with coffee on the deck or at poolside to enjoy the cool sea breezes and beautiful beach views.  Beach gear could be set up as you enjoy a morning walk. Lunch can be poolside or upstairs.  Afterward, we grownups take a “reading rest,” since kids don’t like the “n” word.  Then it’s back to the beach for lounging, swimming, and perhaps surf fishing (basic gear is in the garage and bait can be purchased at any of the marinas).

 

Around 4:00,  a delegation can visit the docks and seafood markets to check out  the daily catch and pick up steamed shrimp or clams for happy hour, and perhaps seafood for dinner.  As you gather on the deck for snacks and beverages, serve chips out of the bag!  If it is breezy, you'll find out why.  Some may save calories by remaining in the spa at this time.

 

As prepare and enjoy dinner, keep an eye open for the sunset. If it’s a great one, dash up to the shipwatch to view it, taking care to turn off the stove.  Or, look toward the beach to see the dunes and sky turn golden while shadows appear. We call this the “back” sunset.  For the kids and young adults, it may be time to start an evening Monopoly game at the Shipwatch game table, or billiard tournament downstairs, both of which can endure to week's end with heightened tension.

 

Another fun thing to do is to walk on the beach at night with flash lights brought from home.  Our Cousins have a great time catching the ghost crabs that scurry around.  (Please release them to catch another night.) However, on a starry night, you can’t beat a family gathering in the spa.

 

We don’t intend to meddle in your family vacation, but it’s such a short time, we want our experience to help you enjoy your vacation at Seven Cousins Cottage.  Please notice that we did not mention shopping for T-shirts, going to the water park, etc.  We did not even mention the pool!  And, across the street is Kitty Hawk Kites, where our cousins tend to spend all their money.

 

Leave rested and refreshed, and be sure to come back to Seven Cousins Cottage.