While the last wisps of winter still linger in the air in Washington, the signs of spring are readily apparent. The flowers are showing color, the grass is turning green and two seasonal businesses on the east end of town are starting to stir.

Tucked away on the extreme end of East Main Street, just steps from the public boat access on Runyon Creek, Backwater Jack’s and Inner Banks Outfitters seamlessly blend to form the Fun Zone.

The Fun Zone, as the name implies, is a one-stop shop for a day of fun on the Pamlico or about town. A day might begin with a bike ride around town at IBX followed by an afternoon paddle on the Pamlico, culminating in dinner, drinks and live music at Backwater Jack’s.

BACKWATER JACK’S

At Backwater Jacks, 2018 marks Laura Scoble and Kathy Bell’s 13^th season operating in Washington. Since the couple moved from South Florida to Washington and opened the restaurant, the establishment has become a staple of the city’s culinary offerings and nightlife scene.

The vibe at Backwater Jack’s is somewhere between that NBC bar where everybody knows your name and a tiki bar one might find on the beaches of Key West. The people are friendly, and the food and drink offerings are suburb.

While the restaurant has been closed since late last fall, Scoble and Bell have not been idle through the winter. They’ve been painting, cleaning and making improvements in the restaurant to create an even better experience for their guests.

Although the seasonal schedule presents some challenges with staffing and customer base, Scoble says the first few days have been excellent since the restaurant opened March 20.

“We’re always so grateful that when we open up, the customers haven’t forgotten about us,” Scoble said. “They come back, and it’s similar to throwing a party and you don’t know if anybody’s going to come. But as it turns out, on Tuesday when we opened up, we had the restaurant filling up even before we normally open.”

Jack’s hosts an open mic night every Thursday and live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Occasionally, when the weather is nice enough, the sounds of music can even be heard on a Sunday afternoon. The bar kicked off its live music season with the music of Lipbone Redding on Friday night, drawing a large crowd and a packed restaurant.

“We actually hire more live music than anybody in Washington,” Scoble said.

While Scoble and Bell came to the city in 2005, it was not long before a dear friend would follow from South Florida to join them. Liane Harsh, who owns IBX Outfitters next door, set up shop a few years later, and thus, the Fun Zone was born.

“When she was up here to visit early on, I asked her what she would do with that building next door if she could, and she said she would open a bike and kayak shop,” Scoble recalled. “Within six -to-eight months, she was here doing it.”

IBX OUTFITTERS

Visitors to IBX Outfitters, connected to Jack’s by an outdoor music area called “Pebble Beach,” are likely to experience a different kind of bar. Stools belly up to a high counter overlooking the repair shop, creating a good space for conversation. Now in its 11^th season, the shop has just returned to its summer schedule of opening six days a week, Tuesdays through Sundays.

“We affect each other,” Harsh said of Jack’s. “They bring activity down here and people are reminded of what they can do. In the summer, people come down and will spend a day here in the fun zone. They’ll go out in kayaks in the morning and then spend the afternoon hanging out at the tiki bar. You can really just chill for the whole day. It’s just good energy.”

Harsh, who holds a masters degree in sports administration, has been able to combine passions for cycling and watersports to make a thriving business. While she acknowledges that the seasonal nature of her business can present challenges, the spring is special at IBX.

“Every spring, when we roll back in, there’s a new excitement,” Harsh said.

On the cycling end of the business, Harsh says her store handles bike sales, repairs and some rentals. Patrons of the store can also get outfitted with all the gear they need to enjoy either a leisurely bike ride or full-on cycling.

“We offer group rides at different times throughout the week consistently throughout the summer,” Harsh said, alluding to Sunday morning rides and Thursday time trials.

On the water, IBX sells and rents kayaks, paddleboards and accessories, and is equipped to handle any repairs necessary for such items. Some of the most unique of the business’s offering, however, are the paddleboarding experiences Harsh and her staff lead on the water.

From yoga on standup paddleboards, led by Vail Rumley, to wine and cheese excursions to Castle Island, IBX offers an experience unlike any other Washington business.

While it’s still a bit nippy for paddleboarding, IBX is seeing a lot of business from cyclists ready to hit the road for the spring season. With Cycle NC returning to Washington in just a few weeks, Harsh is preparing for a rush.

For more information on businesses in the Fun Zone, visit www.backwaterjacksandtikibar.com and www.innerbanksoutfitters.com, or their pages on Facebook.