Treasures of the Outer Banks John Van Lunen

Barbara Pardue is a local historian and runs a Facebook page called, Northern Outer Banks History. Her blood lines run deep on the Northern Outer Banks and her passion for the history is unmatched. She was first bitten by the history bug by a grandfather who shared numerous stories and this led to her own, personal research. She started the Facebook page to share this knowledge and research with her family.

In this interview, Barbara shares stories of murder, gold bars, brothels, a Revolutionary hero, Blackbeard, the Ash Wednesday Storm, and more. Before we sat down and recorded, Barbara was nice enough to give me a quick tour of the area where she lives in Swan Beach. She showed me where the Currituck Inlet used to be, where the L.R. White Summer Hotel once stood, and where she lives when she’s in town. These places are located on private property so I was privileged to see them in-person.

Funny side note: Before Barbara and I started the recording we were getting to know each other and we found out we both used to live in the same area of Prince George’s County in Maryland. As I was walking out of the restaurant the manager said he heard me talking about Prince George’s County and he told me he was from Bowie, which is also in PG County. I should mention we were the only three people in the restaurant when we showed up. And we’re all from PG County. What are the chances?

Big thanks to Barbara Pardue for sitting down with me. You can find her on Facebook at Northern Outer Banks History.

This is episode #045 and I sat down with local, award-winning DJ, John Harper. John has been an Outer Banks DJ since 1985. His career has evolved over the decades and he currently has a show on the streaming broadcast, Radio Free Outer Banks. He also uses his skills and knowledge for weddings and writing in some of the local publications. In this episode we talk about radio history on the Outer Banks, where the industry is presently, where it’s going, and more. If you want to check out his services you can find him online at www.JohnHarperDJ.com And if you want to listen to his show it’s at 11am on Saturdays at Radio Free Outer Banks on your streaming device. http://www.radiofreeouterbanks.com/

This is episode #044 and I sat down with Greg Smrdel. If you’re out and about on the Outer Banks, you’ve probably experienced either Greg or one of his companies. He’s the owner of Radio Free Outer Banks, a streaming radio station. He’s authored 11 books, which you can purchase at local book stores on the Outer Banks. He operates the Laughing Seagull Comedy Club, which offers pop-up comedy shows at various venues around town. He also organizes Trivia Night at various night spots in the area. And finally, during the summer, he owns and operates Manteo Walking Tours through Downtown Historic Manteo.

This is episode #043 and I had the opportunity to sit down with Jenn Crossman, the owner of OBX Travel Concierge. Jenn helps people on the Outer Banks plan parties, dinners, weddings, and more. Jenn has lived here for over 25 years and has used her experience in the food-service industry to learn the skills helpful in preparing meals, holding wine tastings, and other fun events. Jenn is a force of fun energy and is an asset to anyone looking to have a memorable experience on the Outer Banks. https://obxtravelconcierge.com/

This is episode #042 with Charlie Beasley, the author of a book titled, Vietnam War: Lessons of a Lifetime. Charlie, who also goes by Robbie, was born and raised on the Outer Banks and is still a commercial crabber to this day.

When Charlie grew up here the area was still very rural and undeveloped. He began commercial fishing at 11 years-old and went to school locally until college when he attended East Carolina University.

After college Charlie served as an Airborne Ranger in Vietnam and was part of a 5-man team known as a LRRP, which stands for Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol. These small teams were designed to stealthily enter hostile territory, NOT engage the enemy, and bring back raw intel.

Along with his combat stories of Vietnam you’ll receive plenty of crabbing information and stories of life on the Outer Banks. He's still a commercial crabber, fishing on the water almost every day. He has no immediate plans of retiring.

Welcome, welcome, welcome, this is John Van Lunen and this show is called Treasures of the Outer Banks, the podcast that celebrates the people and places that make this beach special. This show is about community, history, and adventure. And if you love the Outer Banks I think you’ll enjoy this podcast. On this show I talk to locals, historians, authors, business owners, and more. We talk about the people that came before us, the people that are doing great things right now, and finding adventure on the Outer Banks. I’ve had the pleasure to interview dozens of amazing guests. If I can point you to a particular interview that I think you’ll find very interesting, please check out Episode #003 with Wykie Wise. Wykie’s story, growing up here in the 1950’s, is amazing. His memories of classic Outer Banks landmarks; like living in Nags Head Woods, attending the single room school house in Corolla, driving on Jockeys Ridge, and hanging out at the Nags Head casino, are incredible. Wykie was a wealth of information. You can find his story, and others, right here on the Treasures of the Outer Banks podcast. My name is John Van Lunen. Make it a good one.