Outer Banks (NC)
One of our favorite places to vacation since 2008! A very popular place for East Coast residents to book a week or two throughout the year. It is only a 5-6 hours drive from Maryland but be prepared for longer rides if you don’t plan and go at the right time. It can be overwhelming at first as you want to figure out where in Outer Banks (OBX) to stay, when and how long you plan to go, what type of rentals, etc. I will share my experiences below and some tips on how I planned our trips.
We would like to go back to OBX this fall as we would like to catch bigger fish this time 🙂
We returned in fall 2022 after 4 years since everything was shut down in April-May 2020 (pandemic) and we had to cancel our reservation. I also heard it was a record high of visitors that summer though!
Since we got down in the area early, we got some groceries at Walmart. Then we stopped by Bodie Island Lighthouse to gather some stamps, I didn’t even know it was their 150th year celebration. We visit the boardwalk to view the lighthouse from a distance. It was still quite windy at the top.
There had just been a hurricane/flooding the week before but they cleared up the road (route 12) down through Avon. We even drove on a new bridge (Jughandle) that wasn’t there before but it loops to the sound side since the road is too close to the shore now.
We still couldn’t check in yet so we stopped by Cape Hatteras Lighthouse/National Seashore for the NP stamps and gifts. The lighthouse was closed for renovation but we had climbed the 257 steps to the top back in ’08 so I got a sticker to pose by the lighthouse. We didn’t go to Ocracoke this trip but I grabbed a stamp as well for my new NP book collection.
I called to let the Hatteras Cabanas staff know that I’m here earlier and they allowed us to check in an hour early. We unpacked and scooped out the beach shore before wetting our lines. It seemed like the hurricane affected the fishing pattern because we didn’t even get any bait fish.
Sun morning revealed a ton of jellyfish all across the sands and needless to say, there were no fish biting in the waters but found a few shells on the walk. We got some bait from local shop but only caught some crabs and whitings at sunset, with full moon at the horizon.
The next morning we decided to go “walking” at Cape Hatteras to the point (where many fisherman drive their trucks/SUV to fish at the shore) but we walked about 3 miles out and found many large shells since it’s not as easy to get to. We tried to take a trail back inland but there were tall grass and muddy ground. We ended up back-tracking to our car we parked by ramp 43, there’s a small parking lot we didn’t know about and seemed an easier route than the ramp 44. We also saw a sea turtle nesting site on the way to the point. At sunset, we went out by our beach and caught a foot-long flounder but too small to eat.
Tues, we picked up bait and tried finishing by the graveyard museum beach access but it was too crowded with horses and people walking by. We fished at sunset again by our house and caught 3 crabs, pufferfish and an octopus. That was a first for us, luckily he let go of the bait and swam away!
Wed, we decided to try fishing by the Cape Hatteras ramp 43 but no one was getting any bites that morning. I was able to order tickets to see Ed Sheeran concert next summer, surprisingly had decent cell service at the beach. At sunset, we had no hits so we decided to wrap it up.
Thur, it rained all day and with fishing being pretty slow all week. We decided to leave early instead of Fri since we had family visiting from out of town. Plus the cabana we stayed at was a little dated and rundown. Next time we will book earlier and check out another cabana rental.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the cabana the previous year, we decided to try another cabana at Hatteras Cabanas. There are 20+ to pick from, some residential (not for rent), pet-friendly, and mostly had an interior update. This one was closer to the street so a “further” walk to the beach. But it was still under 5 minutes. It was only a pain when I needed to run back to use the bathroom and grab food.
We picked several locations on the beach to fish and stayed out for several hours at a time. We met other fishermen and couples that were there to enjoy the quiet beach. I was studying for my Masters, so I had to read my textbooks and work on modules. At nights, we would binge on Netflix shows and movies on TV.
We lost internet service for a few hours one day, so we went to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and looked for a Christmas ornament at the shops (Hatteras Landing). I ended up making my own ornament from a shell we collected and painted on it to hang up on our tree.
We also took a day trip to Ocracoke Island to do some fishing and grab something to drink/eat in Ocracoke Village. But, the fishing was mediocre (nothing we can’t catch back at the cabana) so we decided to catch the next ferry out. Of course, there was still a line to board the ferry, it was not worth the trip next time. I was sad none of the flounders we caught were big enough to keep, so we bought some flounder filet at a local market for dinner that night.
On other days, we traveled out to the other beach accesses between Buxton and Avon areas. The water was a bit rough that one day, the waves kept creeping higher and higher, washing our beach chairs and bag away! We did not catch anything differently on this trip, no red drums this year 🙁
Tips:
- If you have a laptop to use to stream online services, I would recommend bringing a HDMI cable. Just in case the TV did not have one. Most Airbnb rentals have TV with several streaming services available so I rarely used the laptop during our vacations in 2019.
- Bring paper books or electronic devices with reading apps to entertain yourself on the beach or inside.
After trying the Tommy Bahamas beach chairs in Atlantic Beach, we ended up buying our own set as they are lightweight and stores our water/snacks in the back. They sell it every summer at Costco! Since this trip was just us two, we rented a cabana in Hatteras area. The cabana is a stand-alone studio room with kitchen and private bathroom, two-level deck, and parking spots under the cabana. It is affordable for the week, and we recommend getting the travel insurance during those fall months. Unfortunately, just the week before a hurricane hit the area and folks had to evacuate for a few days. We typically encounter passing storms that last a few minutes to hours.
It is a quick walk to the beach, and if you catch fish, there’s a cleaning station and area to rinse the sand off your feet. We also caught our dream fish, a beautiful 22’ red drum midway through the week and other fish species (blue fish for tacos)!
We mainly prepped our meals all week but we did grab sandwiches (grilled cheese and fried fish) at a local restaurant. There isn’t much choices down in this area as it is not as densely populated and commercialized as the northern parts of OBX.
We were lucky to visit Shelly Island that formed early 2017 and then disappeared after the hurricane in 2018. It was a mile-walk in the sand to Cape Point then wade across the water at low tide to see a plethora of untouched shells! I found a few unique seashells on this trip and it was just overall an amazing little island!
Tips:
- Know the tide schedule that week for optimal fishing conditions.
- Ask locals at shops what baits to use and the daily fishing report.
- Be patient when fishing, sometimes you don’t catch anything, move to another spot and fish. The thrill of catching and reeling in the fish is part of the fun!
We helped planned a third family and friends trip to the Nags Head area. The family likes the amenities in the area, shopping, restaurants, etc. We rented a beachfront property (The Sun, from Carolina Designs Realty). It had multi-level decks, pool, hot tub, and private walkway onto the beach! The ocean views and great company was priceless. Even with 12-bedrooms, elevator, pool table inside, and massive dining tables it was a tight squeeze when we ate meals together. It was also not ideal that the house was right next to a public beach access/parking lot so there were a lot of foot traffic and it was impossible to fish on the beach with so many people in the water.
At least we got to visit the Wright Brothers NM using our annual park pass (even though the visitor center was under construction), we walked up to the memorial and took some pictures.
We tried our hands at fishing at Bodie Island area, where I instantly got feasted on by mosquitoes before I could cover up fast enough. It was a lot of swampy water behind the lighthouse so we did not stay there. Next, we went to Oregon Inlet Bridge but with a large crowd and kids, it was not ideal to fish there. We finally ended up at Bebop pier (Manns Harbor) to fish for half a day. Caught some small fish and a massive ray!
Tips:
- Cover up and protect yourself from bug bites, especially in swampy area or sunset time!
- Explore what interests you, you do you! If you want to watch a movie, watch a movie, go shopping, eat out, etc. You don’t always have to do everything together with the family and friends.
- Beachfront would not be our preferred location next time as the kids mostly hang out in the pool, not on the beach!
This year, we decided to explore the Atlantic Beach area (part of the southern Outer Banks chain of barrier islands). Since it was just the two of us, we rented a studio right off the beach (Ocean Sands via Vrbo website). It came with Tommy Bahamas beach chairs you can wear as a backpack and we started to pack lighter with each trip to the beach. With a bucket, fishing bag of gears and typically 3 fishing poles, we were ready to go!
It took us ~7 hours with pit stops for lunch and bathroom break to get there. My initial impression of Atlantic Beach was a mix between Ocean City and OBX, but not as busy or populated. We did pick a later season to visit so prices were cheaper and kids were in school. We prefer this season for fishing any day! This week was when I started to learn how to surf fish and it is hard work to cast. We caught some big blues (fish taco!), lots of pin fish, lizard fish, black drum, whiting, and rays/skates!
On the north end of this beach, we tried fishing at Fort Macon State Park and on the south end, we drove by to check out Emerald Isle and peeked at the Point (an OSV license is required). We checked out a really cool but super long (1,000 ft) pier (Oceanana) that had a bar at the end and an area where fishermen can catch deep fish, e.g. King Mackerel, using a pin rig setup. We saw a few people catch some red drums, one of our dream catches!
We also got to visit the last and fifth lighthouse (Cape Lookout, 163′) of Outer Banks, located on Cape Lookout National Seashore. It took us 35 minutes to get from Atlantic Beach to Harkers Island. Then, we took a ~30 min speedboat ride from Harkers Island to the lighthouse. Climbing season was over for the lighthouse so we just marveled from the outside. We only stayed an hour on the Cape Lookout National Seashore before returning to the mainland since a storm was coming in. The beaches were isolated and untouched. I don’t remember if I shell hunted but I might have.
We ate out a lot more during this trip as we wanted to check out the local restaurants: Sea Monkey Restaurant (Monkey Bar & Grill), Dank Burrito, Michaelangelo’s Pizza, Oceanana Pier House Restaurant, Amos Mosquito’s Restaurant, Shark Shack, and Ruddy Duck Tavern.
I really enjoyed the monkey bar on our first night (as I have a love for monkeys and the whole place was covered in monkey decor) and the Shark Shack was a yummy carry out meal. The other restaurants (Amos Mosquito and Ruddy Duck) were too crowded and pricey for our liking. You know fried food always taste good, regardless of how it is served, so we opt for smaller local businesses.
Tips:
- Get the Yelp app to look up reviews of local restaurants to check out.
- Review the local recommendations your rental property has to offer or reach out to the rental personnel.
- Be prepared if a rain storm passes by, we usually pack a beach umbrella but it’s not safe when there’s lightning!
- Budget your meals for the week: cook what you catch, buy salad mix bags, make sandwiches, and hydrate with gallons of water.
We booked a smaller place down by the Avon area with a family and their kids. This house was one of our smaller rentals (South Exposure < linked directly to the property on the Sun Realty site) had a small saltwater pool (first time in one – it was definitely salty!). It was also walking distances from the beach so typically they call these houses “oceanside”, which is a road or two behind ocean front properties. You do not need to cross the main Croatan Highway to get to the beach side, so that’s a plus.
We decided to book a party boat for a full day (offshore gulf stream fishing) with the Miss Hatteras boat. But they did not have enough people on one of the days we showed up so we booked for another day that showed promise. Since we drove all the way down to Hatteras that morning, we decided to check out the Ocracoke island via the Hatteras-Ocracoke free ferry ride (40-min, one way) where you can drive your car onboard and enjoy the water/breeze. This is one of the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway.
Ocracoke island is only 16 miles long and accessible by boat/ferry. Most folks would stay on the island for the entire vacation, but we were just visiting so wanted to see what it was about! There are many miles of beach (13 to be exact) and access points for OSV (over sand vehicles) to drive onto the beach along the way to the Ocracoke Village. The village is located at the southern end of the island with little shops and restaurants to visit. We made it a point to visit the 4th lighthouse (Ocracoke, only 75′ tall) of 5 total. Click here to learn more about visiting the lighthouse! We didn’t prepare for this trip so we headed back onto the ferry to go back to Avon.
Our first fishing boat trip and we took Dramamine to prevent any ill effects of being out in the Atlantic Ocean, but it made us very drowsy. I had to get used to the fishing rod that would drop the bait all the way down the bottom of the ocean. It was obvious when something was interested as you can feel the nibble but hooking them right was another skill set I had not mastered yet. We did catch some baby sharks (which we let go) and one keeper trigger fish. A beautiful fish, with tough skin – we grilled it on the BBQ for dinner.
After our eventful trip on Miss Hatteras, we decided to try the half-day inshore fishing trip on the Cap N Clam boat by the same company. It was a smaller boat and since it was inshore fishing, no seasickness! We were also catching smaller fish (pin fish, croakers, spot, etc), which wasn’t as fun as offshore fishing. At least we experienced both during this trip.
We tried our hands at surf fishing on the beach access points (where no properties are located so there’s not as many wandering people on the beach). We caught some skates, baby shark and little fish. At one point, our line broke as we were fighting something, we think it was a shark!
We discovered these local donuts so whenever we visit OBX, we now have to get a box of Duck Donuts, originated in Duck and has now expanded to several states wide. It is best enjoyed fresh out of the store! It is a must-try!
Tips:
- Prices do go up on rental properties with pool, hot tubs and other amenities. Figure out what amenities you want to help narrow down your house search.
- If you get seasick, prepare to take non-drowsy medications (e.g. Dramamine, Bonnie) or prescribed patch (e.g. Scopolamine) before stepping foot on the boat.
- Book online or call to book your spot on party boats. Account for cash tips to give the crew mates after you dock.
- Know the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry schedule and plan for a full day as waiting in line to board the ferry can get quite lengthy.
We decided to plan our first family trip to the Duck area. We went with a sound side house rental (Surf and Sound < this links you directly to the house page) from Carolina Designs realty. It was a gorgeous house with a private pool, dock to the sound side and kayak rentals that were delivered on the first day of our stay!
We took the family to Captain George’s buffet for lunch one day, visited the Oregon Inlet Marina (where the boats were docked and left for sea – as seen on Deadliest Catch: Outer Banks and many seasons of Wicked Tuna reality TV series), kayaked on the sound side and attempted some night fishing as well.
This was my first time kayaking and it was a lot more work than it looked!! First, you also have to carry the kayak down the long dock to the water. I definitely needed to have some strong core and upper body strength to paddle through the water. Again, this was right before a storm so the wind was blowing hard. We tried to catch fish via kayak but there were a lot of seaweed in the area so we kept getting snagged. The fish were teasing us by jumping out of the water right by our kayaks!
We also tried to fish from the dock but had no luck as the seaweed were still preventing us from catching any fish. When we drove south, we saw some folks fishing on the old bridge next to the Oregon Inlet Bridge but it’s distracting with the cars whizzing by on the bridge (see below).
Our first night fishing was after the storm passed, so the moon was full and the water was super warm. We caught so many fish (mainly croackers) that night, we cooked them up the next day for lunch! We also had to head lamps and flashlights to make our way around the beach. We saw many ghost crabs peek out of holes and scurry across the sand when we got close. It was a fun time!
During the day when we went to the beach, we discovered sand fleas, they are funny looking creatures that bury themselves in the sand. You can use them as bait when you are fishing but sometimes they just fly off the hook when you cast too hard. I never tried one but I’ve seen many videos of folks cooking them up! EEK!
Overall, we learned to co-habitat with family members for the week and everyone had a great time. Sometimes, I just wanted to be by myself and watch tv/read a book, so it was nice to have a room to retreat to. We knew we would be back again soon!
Tips:
- Watch the weather for the week you booked, be prepared to move around your plans. Thunderstorms are relatively short during the summer time, but you should still plan accordingly.
- Buy travel insurance if you are booking a place during hurricane season (June 1-Nov 30), typically worse in Oct-Nov.
- Be understanding when multiple families stay in a house as you would have to respect their personal belongings, habits, preferences, etc.
- Book early and make sure all parties are available when planning a vacation during peak season (mid June to late Aug), since that’s concurrent with school summer break.
We didn’t return until 4 years since our last rental as we were busy with school and we traveled elsewhere during the summers. This was not our rental, but since our friends enjoyed OBX so much, they also started to rent houses in other locations. This house can be seen from the main Croatan Highway (located in Nags Head area), but the driveway wasn’t directly off the road. It was part of the Ocean Watch community, so there was a public pool across the street, but the house itself had a hot tub in the back.
We did a lot in the 3 days we spent there: going to the beach (once for a sunrise), shucking fresh oysters and frying up Chilean sea bass (my favorite fish at Austin Fish Company) from local markets, visiting Jeanette’s Pier, watching the sunset at Jockey’s Ridge State Park (sand dunes) and playing laser tag at Destination Fun. For more information, click the links below to plan your trip!
Jeanette’s Pier: There is a small fee to walk on and if you plan on fishing, there is a fishing fee as well. It is a gorgeous pier and well kept. Definitely worth a visit! There are other fishing piers all along the Outer Banks but none other as grand as this one.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park: You can park across the street by the shops and cross the busy road (signals and all). Then make your way up the sand dunes (legs beware, it is already tough walking in sand but even harder going uphill)! We checked the sunset time so we could see the sun set across the sand dunes as we made it to the top. That night was our goodbye till next time.
Tips:
- Sometimes it’s nice not to be responsible for the logistics of planning and just show up as guests!
- Explore the local markets and shops when you need to escape the heat.
- Engage in some physical activities, such as, fishing, laser tag, mini golf, walks on the beach, etc.
A unique feature at OBX are the Brew-Thru establishment. You drive your car through like you’re getting a car wash, but instead, someone grabs alcohol for you while you remain in your car! It will save you money if you bring some alcohol down to start, such as, Costco liquor stores (Note: not all Costco stores have one, even if that state sells alcohol in grocery stores)
We would visit the beach for half a day (driving there can be a pain as you need to park in designated areas if your house has parking passes or find a public parking lot with beach access) but typically we hung out at the pool/house the rest of the week. We did play tennis once as the house was part of the community that allowed renters to use the courts. On the last night, we did go out for dinner at Fishbones: Raw Bar & Restaurant and enjoyed the karaoake night. We did not venture out as much as the previous year.
Tips:
- Most rental properties charge extra fee for linen/towel services, or it may be included. Read the list of amenities carefully and plan accordingly.
- Plan meals by rotating who would prepare lunch or dinners on most days.
- Pack lightly as most rentals have washer and dryer.
- Always wear sun protection and hydrate when you are outside.
We have heard from folks vacationing in Outer Banks but we never ventured that far for a beach trip. We typically go to Ocean City, MD but that is at least 3-hr drive! So, we decided to check this place out after we figured out a week. Then, the next step is to select the preferred location and right house (within your budget) for us took the longest time.
We decided to stay in Southern Shores area right by the entrance of Outer Banks and near all of the grocery stores. We stayed at Happy Hour (https://www.southernshores.com/) and booked directly from the realty website. The drive was a grueling 8 hours as we started around 8a on a Saturday for check in after 4p. Back in 2000s, rental company will provide us with two sets of house keys. Lately, with the move to electronic keypads and rental properties with Airbnb, it is easier to check in and not worry about losing the keys!
The house was right off the main 1-lane road north to Corolla, so the traffic was terrible during check in and out times. We learned not to book a house off the main road in the future. None of us owes a pool so we rented a house with one, but we were also walking distances to the beach. One day, we drove south to explore the rest of Outer Banks. We got to visit 3 of 5 lighthouses during this trip and drove briefly onto Corolla beach. It has been noted that horses roam the beaches up there, but we didn’t want to get stuck in the sand (back then we had a CR-V). The majority of our time was spent in the pool/house: watching tv, playing with board games/puzzles, and hanging out with friends.
1. Bodie Island Lighthouse (156′) – located in south Nags Head. Read more about climbing it!
2. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (193′) – located in Buxton. It is a national seashore but no fee required to visit the area. Although there was a fee to visit the top of the lighthouse, which was quite scary and windy. Read more about climbing it!
3. Currituck Beach Lighthouse (162′) – located in Corolla. We saw it from afar as it was our last day and we were enjoying the sunset.
Our friends did some night fishing (caught some ghost crabs) but we were not into fishing on the beach back then. Mainly we brought down food and prepped meals at the house. There are plenty of restaurants and shops in the area, but on our last night, we did try a seafood restaurant, Dirty Dick’s Crab House. In my opinion, it was overpriced, crowded and not so great.
The check-out process was easy and the drive home was not as lengthy. We knew we would be back, but stay at another location!
Tips:
- Start looking at least 6 months before your vacation dates. Book as soon you find the right house!
- Either leave earlier in the morning or book a Sun-Sun rental to avoid traffic into or out of Outer Banks.
- Try your luck fishing or buy seafood at markets to cook at the house.
- Pack most of your essentials from home and food items you may not be able to find at the Walmart Supercenter.
- Consider the number of parking spots for the house and carpool if possible.