Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a classic summer bucket list destination you must experience at least once. After this trip, we will most likely be back every year. We told the kids this year that instead of having a birthday party, they could pick any spot, and we would take a camping trip. As they get older, I would much rather spend money on an experience than a party that lasts a couple of hours. Maci loved the show Outer Banks on Netflix, so she chose the OBX as her birthday trip.
The outer banks had the perfect combination of fun and exciting things to do and see, but they were also perfect for relaxing on the beach all day. We spent a week down here and checked everything off almost everything on our list that we wanted to do. I wanted to ride horses on the beach, but Maci refused!
The outer banks are a string of barrier islands located just off the east coast of North Carolina and divide between the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. It’s known for its wide sandy beaches, fresh seafood, shipwrecks, wild horses, and incredible lighthouses. The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is the tallest in the United States. Due to the many storms that hit here and shift inlets, there are roughly 3000 shipwrecks along the coastline, nicknamed “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The most recent shipwreck was in 2020!
I was worried that coming here over a holiday weekend would be super crowded, but I never felt like anywhere we went was overcrowded or too busy. And thankfully, the weather wasn’t too hot; It was hotter back In New Jersey than it was here. There are plenty of places to stay, from boutique hotels and inns to beach homes and condos. Beach home rentals are the most popular; most of the houses down here all have for rent signs on them and are pretty affordable. We chose to camp at the Camp Hatteras Campground, the only campground in the OBX with spots on the sound and the ocean. This is probably one of the cleanest campgrounds we have stayed out of. They have particular check-in and checkout times and can not accommodate early check-ins. As soon as a camper leaves, they are instantly at that spot, cleaning it up and preparing it for the next family; employees are constantly driving around picking up any loose garbage. While some of their sites might be a little tight to get into ( if you’re on a bend), they are spaced out pretty well. They have an outdoor pool and indoor one, mini golf, arcade room, tennis courts, dog park, and they offer plenty of activities for kids and adults.
Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head are the most popular towns on the Island. Rodanthe is known for being a quiet, low-key town with not many restaurants or shops. Our phones got little to no reception most days; sort was nice to be forced to unplug. The beach wasn’t crowded at all, which was a huge plus. We were about 15 minutes from Nags Head and Avon, which is a bit more touristy.
There are so many restaurants in Outer Banks, and eating out is one of the best things. We realized that the crazier the name, the more people will go to it. Who wouldn’t want to get a shirt from Biscuits & Porn? They have been named one of the best resultants in the OBX, and while we only went to get tee shirts and cookies, their food looked delicious. Dirty Dicks, I feel like, is just someplace you have to go when you’re down here; while the food wasn’t as good, the cocktails were. My favorite restaurant was the Blue Moon in Nags head, no funny name, but they had fried green tomatoes with blackened shrimp that I could have eaten every single day.
Jeff’s goal on this trip was to hit every surf shop he could, and I don’t think we missed one. He now has an entire new wardrobe for summer and swears that surf shops have the best clothes. I do not entirely disagree.
The Bodie lighthouse is a must-see when you visit. This beautiful brick lighthouse is one go the very few remaining lighthouses left in the US that becomes lit at night. You have to buy tickets to go inside the lighthouse, and they get released at 7 am that morning; they sell out really fast, so make sure you have an account set up. They only allow six people at a time to climb the lighthouse. It’s 214 steps to the top on a staircase that is freestanding. When you reach the landing, you have to tell the next person they can start on that staircase. I would not recommend wearing flip-flops because it gets pretty hot there. The views are incredible and worth the hassle of making sure we get tickets and climb it on a hot day.
We spent a couple of days at Pea Island National wildlife refuge, hoping to see a sea turtle or sharks, but the only thing we saw was the largest Jellyfish I have ever seen. This tiny stretch of Island where Nights in Rodanthe was filmed was one of the quietest beaches we visited. Pea Island has something for everyone. There’s a visitor center, beach access, three ponds, and walking trails perfect for seeing all the wildlife. The staff in the visitor center are excellent at directing you to each spot if there is something specific you want to see. They told us about the giant Jellyfish we found and how those are just a snack for the sea turtles. Maybe next year we will see one.
With so many places we will want to see down in the Outer Banks, this might be a yearly trip for us!
