I am frequently asked about my Outer Banks vacations. I thought I would put together a Q&A and answer some of those questions in a post!
How do the Outer Banks differ from let’s say Ocean City MD & NJ or the Delaware beaches?
For one, it is not as commercialized. Obviously, people live there year round so, there will be stores, restaurants and the like. However, there is no boardwalk. There isn’t flashy lights along ‘the strip’ that sort of thing. There are not many hotels and there sure aren’t many motels. Now, I realize some of the Delaware beaches are getting on the beach houses train, but it is just a different vibe down in the Outer Banks. You can go there, relax and get some peace and quiet. It truly is a get away, if you want it to be.
How far is it?
Well that depends on where you live. Here in PA, it will take you about 6 hours. However, we stop and eat breakfast and it could take us 8 hours. Also, you need to figure in traffic. We had a Sunday to Sunday rental this year and our travel time was very pleasant. The traffic was not near as heavy as it is on Saturdays.
What area do you like to stay in? I see so many different town/village options.
We have stayed in Corolla, Corolla Light Resort, Duck and Kitty Hawk. We have family and friends who have stayed in Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Nags Head, Rodanthe, Salvo and Waves. I personally love Duck. It’s a quaint area, but has a lot of things to do and you can walk to shops. Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head are a little more commercialized but have nice neighborhoods throughout. Rodanthe, Avon, Salvo and Waves are the more quiet, old style, classic beach village towns. Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras are similar but a bit more busy than Rodanthe, Avon, Salvo and Waves. If you want very quaint, not be connected to mainland. If you want to ditch your vehicle (although you can still drive around by car) for golf carts, bikes or walking as your main transportation then Ocracoke is for you!
When is the best time to go?
The best months to visit are September and October. However, try to go before the end of October. We went around Halloween time and it was very windy and chilly. You can still walk on the beach and do activities but it just was a different weather than we are use to. We started the week in shorts and ended in coat and jeans. September is a great time if you don’t have kids in school. We typically go right after my brother gets out of college classes and our son is done with school- around June 9. It is always over our anniversary- June 10th. This seems to be before a lot of people start taking their vacations and it is before the rental rates start climbing.
How can you stay there on a budget?
Well for starters, think about going in with other family members or friends on a beach home. There are many rental companies you can go through. Individual families own the homes and use rental companies to manage them and some rent them individually. When we stay in Kitty Hawk, my mom goes through woman who is local to us. You can search Brindley Beach, Twiddy, Sun Realty, Village Realty, Carolina Designs for starters. You can also search Air B&B and VRBO! There are hotels available at certain parts of the Outer Banks but not as many as there are in the Northern beaches. You can also camp at certain areas on the beach. Cape Hatteras has a KOA and an RV resort and campground. There is also the OBX campground in Kill Devil Hills. There are a few in Rodanthe and Waves, which is down on the Southern end of the Outer Banks. Doing a quick Google search will yield a bunch of options. When you rent a beach house, the kitchen typically comes fully equipped, so you can cook all your meals in the comfort of your beach house. We usually make a lasagna or casserole a week ahead and freeze it. We take coolers of some food and also pantry items and then buy the rest at a Food Lion. You can save money that way.
What are some family friendly restaurants if we do want to have a meal out at some point during the week?
Miller’s Waterfront at MP16 (Milepost for those who aren’t familiar with how businesses are ‘landmarked’ in the Outer Banks) by the Manteo Causeway in Nags Head is a nice place and is family friendly.
Black Pelican oceanfront in Kitty Hawk is a nice place that is family friendly and laid back.
Blue Moon Beach Grill– awesome crab cakes, according to friends of ours.
If you venture over to Manteo (inland but along the Sound) Lost Colony Brewery and Cafe is a good place. My husband liked their beer selection.
Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar is a popular place. Mako’s Beach Grille and Bar is very family friendly. Sunset Grille in Duck is Sound front and has a Caribbean and New Orlean’s inspired food. Cosmo’s Pizzeria in Corolla is delicious and ranked as the best pizza in Corolla. Max’s Pizza Company is also good if you are in the Kitty Hawk area.
Coastal Cravings in Duck has a great variety and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
It is my first time vacationing in the Outer Banks, what should we do?
There is SO much to do in the Outer Banks that my family and I have gone six times (but really feels like 20) and we haven’t seen it all! But for starters, definitely check out Jockey’s Ridge State Park. We literally have gone every trip. It never gets old because it is the largest natural sand dune on the East Coast and the winds and storms are constantly changing it’s landscape! You can climb the sand mountains, fly a kite, hang glide (for a few and reservation), sand board, and just explore the many attributes of the park.
Check out any of the five lighthouses on the Outer Banks. The most popular ones are Cape Hatteras and Currituck lighthouses. You can venture down to Ocracoke via ferry and see the Ocracoke lighthouse. We did that this year, check out the blog post here. There is also Bodie Island, Roanoke Marshes in Manteo.
Have you heard of the Lost Colony? No? Ok, here’s a brief explanation. In 1587, English colonists settled on Roanoke Island. Between the time that the governor of the colony sailed back to England to get more supplies and returned, the colonists vanished! This included his daughter and his infant granddaughter! They only found the word ‘Croatoan’ carved into a post or a tree. No other trace of the settlement! Check out the Lost Colony museum and then catch The ‘Lost Colony’ show. It has been running since the 1930s and is a great production! Intrigued? Read more and buy tickets go here.
Why not check out the site where the first flight was made? Walk along the original flight line at The Wright Brothers Memorial and visit the museum The memorial is located in Kill Devil Hills.
Go see the Wild Horses– the surviving descendants of the Spanish Mustangs that swam ashore from shipwrecks and call the Outer Banks home. Drive up to the 4×4 beach above Corolla and drive on the beach looking for the wild horses. We have seen them on the beach and on my Senior trip we actually had two under our beach house! You can also take a jeep tour from one of several tour companies.
If it rains and you need something to do, check out the North Carolina Aquarium!
Are you into sea glass hunting? I always have been but, my brother and his girlfriend got into it this trip. You can find some all over the Outer Banks but the prime spots are Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Pea Island, Bodie Island and Ocracoke.
Any good date night restaurants?
We went to Miller’s Waterfront restaurant (listed above) before we went to the Lost Colony show. We want to try the Paper Canoe sometime ($$) and I hear Colington Cafe is good too! Really, any restaurant in the Outer Banks that I mentioned, among others would be a good for a date night. The restaurants I just mentioned might be a bit more intimate, however a bit pricey.
How is the fishing?
It is great fishing, however, it just depends on the time of the year, what you are fishing for and what is running. If you are staying up in the Northern beaches, my dad likes to stop at Bob’s Bait and Tackle in Duck. You can rent equipment and they are very helpful! FYI- you will need a North Carolina fishing license and can be purchased at Walmart or at a local bait and tackle shop.
There you have it! My first Q&A on the blog! I hope you gleaned some good information and are ready to plan your first Outer Banks vacation. If you are an Outer Banks veteran, maybe you learned something new to check out! If you are planning your first Outer Banks vacation, let me know! Also, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask me!
Have a great week,