For several years now, we’re gone to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the spring and the fall. This year due to a combination of schedules and uncertainty about what portion of the beaches would be open, we make the trip with just Betty and Keith.

Wednesday was devoted primarily to finishing the packing and hitting the road. We got rolling about 11:15!

First stop was the Aunt Sarah’s at Exit 104. Our first surprise was that Aunt Sarah’s was closed! Looks like some renovation and refurb are in progress so we went to the Waffle House instead.

Waffle House originally became a favorite of mine due to a very fluffy omelet. Alas, over the years they seem to be less and less fluffy until recently. Has corporate become aware or is it the luck of the draw? Whichever it is, my omelet was very fluffy and tasty and most welcome.

Next stop was the Border Station at the state line between Virginia and North Carolina. We pulled into the Hampton Inn at Corolla around 6:00.

Dinner was at some place new for us, the Paper Canoe in Duck. Food was good but some of the details just didn’t seem to click. They had no sweet tea, the bread was not warm but was hard. The entrees were good. Keith had the Backyard Shrimp, similar to Patio Cassoulet with shrimp instead of chicken. Betty had the scallops. They were huge and included a sauce with a vegetable side garnish. They were good, they were not the usual fare but seemed to lack something. Paper Canoe would be an okay choice for a repeat visit but not something we would seek out.

At Hampton Inn, our room has been upgraded to a “partial view” at no additional charge. Partial view means we face down the beach and not directly toward the ocean but the view is good.