We were four generations that year, ages 8 to 84, including father, daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Our rented house in Duck, was just a short walk to a beautiful sandy beach, not far from the pier. Everyone was enjoying the vacation until a Category-2 Hurricane named Arthur paid the Outer Banks a visit. What an unforgettable week it turned out to be! Hurricane preparations took up a large part of the week, but we made sure to squeeze in a few fun activities. We went to Corolla to see the wild horses on a fun jeep tour; took in the Wright Brothers Museum in Kitty Hawk; visited wonderful little shops and restaurants along the boardwalk; enjoyed what became a daily ritual of walking to Duck Donuts for breakfast every morning; and finally, golfed 18 holes in very gusty winds at The Currituck Club. Then Arthur made landfall. Despite the hurricane, our family fell in love with the Outer Banks and decided to come back again and again!

A few summers later, Carol was chatting in the car with her GrandTwins about vanity license plates. She really wanted to order one with OBX on it. The three of them began to brainstorm, but all suggestions seemed way too obvious, until Kenan shouted out the perfect word that got her attention. Then his twin sister Ashley chimed in with the perfect spelling for it too. Ever the entrepreneur, Carol began to think beyond her license plate. What about starting an online store featuring a logo with this clever word on t-shirts, sweatshirts, towels and more? And because she always dreamed of owning a family business with her children, she brought it to their attention. Kristin and Eric loved the idea. And just like that, they were all in! It has been quite a journey since 2014, with many ups and downs. Sadly Norm, our beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away in September 2019. His absence has been huge but being a lifelong entrepreneur himself, we take comfort in knowing how thrilled he would be to see three generations working together and realizing a dream. So, it’s finally time to share that dream with you. We are so happy to introduce our new family business, OBXellent™. And we really hope you’ll spread the word “that life, at the Outer Banks, is OBXellent™”!