The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is inviting the public to consider taking a road trip to the OBX this year, as generations of families have been doing to unwind and chase simple adventures on the fringe of the North Carolina coast. “Where else can you play in the same sand and water where pirates raided wooden ships, a devil of a drink was put on the map and the Wright Brothers made history?” suggests Lee Nettles, Executive Director. “It’ll take a little driving to get here, thankfully, but a short trip across a long bridge instantly rewards road trippers with a choice of three islands. Roanoke Island, Hatteras Island and the Northern Beaches each have their own personality, like siblings, but they’re all Outer Banks. Depending on how you like to vacation, one area will appeal to you most to book your accommodations, and we’re here to help you figure out what would work best for you.”
For example, on the Northern Beaches, visitors are vacationing hard in the towns of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores and Duck jumping off giant sand mountains, enjoying windmill-brewed beverages and eating wild caught seafood delicious enough to make you dance. “Our timeless towns make the perfect vacation headquarters for families who want to taste a little bit of everything that the Outer Banks has to offer, with easy drives to explore Roanoke Island and Hatteras Island for the day,” explains Nettles. Nags Head was one of the first places in North Carolina where folks started building and visiting oceanfront cottages at the edge of the continent. The town’s name was born out of a now centuries old legend of local pirates who’d get ships to crash on the beach using a lantern strung about an old nag’s neck. Then they’d pick the cargo for goodies. Kill Devil Hills gets its moniker from a mountainous sand dune where some shipwreck salvagers centuries ago hid a cargo of rum that was strong enough to defeat the devil.
Today, you don’t have to work so hard to properly equip your vacation. The OBX has plenty of fun places to shop and restaurants you can’t find anywhere else in the world. We also believe inspiration and exercise can pair well together. With a stroll to the top of Wright Brothers National Memorial, enjoy a bird’s eye view of the island to appreciate Orville and Wilbur’s work to get people flying. Kitty Hawk gets a share of the First Flight credit, since it was the biggest community on the beach in those days. Did you know Duck gets its name from the plentiful waterfowl and a place in the history of feather forward fashion? Southern Shores has homes as beautiful as the ring to its name.
“The Outer Banks has its own reputation for helping start the modern vacation rental home movement and provides the best experience in the country for families needing anything from a cute little cottage to a luxury home fit for destination weddings and reunions.” Die-hard fans know the Northern Beaches also have popular brand hotels, historic motels on the National Register, cool condo resorts and even a little camping. The beach towns allow you to stay in the middle of the OBX and quickly get to both indoor and outdoor fun such as fishing, surfing, paddling and even hang gliding down soft sand dunes.
For a deeper dive into all the OBX offers as a destination (pun intended, we have spearfishing and wreck diving) take your first steps toward that legendary beach vacation with a visit to OuterBanks.org
