Need Beach Advice

[JaroFan]

Hi guys. My husband & I are considering taking a weekend trip to the Outer Banks. Every year we go to Emerald Isle, and are very familiar with the southern beaches. We'd like to go up north, but aren't sure. I've been looking at Roanoak Island, Hatteras & Nags Head. What is the best place that's easy to get to, affordable & is convenient to attractions?

Any advice is welcome! Thanks!

[raleighcanesfan]

Depending on the amount of $$ you want to spend--Duck Island and Corolla are awesome! Mostly all rental houses though--but so quiet and seculed.

[Shell]

Jaro - Check this thread for good advice: http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=489

[JaroFan]

Jaro - Check this thread for good advice: http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=489

Thanks, Shell! I checked it out & it's mostly the southern area. I'm going to look into Nags Head & Duck.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I have never been to the Outer Banks, but I hope you have a great time! :spin:

[JaroFan]

I have never been to the Outer Banks, but I hope you have a great time! :spin:


Thanks! I've only ever been to Emerald Isle and south, but I teach NC History so I figure I should be familar with what I teach! :)

[Jeff O Rocks]

I have never been to the Outer Banks, but I hope you have a great time! :spin:


Thanks! I've only ever been to Emerald Isle and south, but I teach NC History so I figure I should be familar with what I teach! :)

I only go to Myrtle Beach..and I should be ashamed of myself for living my whole life in NC and never seeing the Outer Banks...some of my family members go and they love it....lots of peaceful areas where there is no one else!! Enjoy! ;)

[raleighcanesfan]

JaroFan...

I think we've talked--but you must teach 4th grade. Are you in Wake County? Did you get the new NC text?

[JaroFan]

JaroFan...

I think we've talked--but you must teach 4th grade. Are you in Wake County? Did you get the new NC text?

Yes, we've talked but I teach 8th grade. We did get a new textbook - Clairmont Press. I teach in Cary.

[shill22]

if you go to Ocracoke, Joyce's of Ocroacoke and Anchorage Inn are nice. Harbor View Inn is very very nice. a website is hydecounty.org. or outerbanksexplorer.com Duck and Corolla are pricy and a lot more traffic. Comfort Inn in Buxton(where Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is) is nice too. if you want to get away from traffic and stuff, go farther south! Holly

[Jillsdad]

Having just returned from the Outer Banks a couple of weeks ago I can tell you that B=Nags Head is like a mini Myrtle Beach. Lots of attractions and hotels and also fairly crowded. Hatteras is nice and you have a lot of Mom and Pop joints that are reasonable to stay at. If you stay in Hatteras, there is a place right up the road in Frisco that has the best breakfast biscuits that you will ever eat and they also have awesome pizza in the evening. The name of the place is The Gingerbread House. If you stay in Ocracoke, Blackbeards Lodge is a quaint little place and Howards Pub is a good place to eat. Do not have the crabcake sandwich though, lot of shell in the crabcakes. I hope this helps.


And one other thing, Watch out for Isabel in the Atlantic. Even if the hurricane stays out to sea, the waves wash over Hwy 12 at the outerbanks very easily and they close the road when they do. Then you are stuck. Just something to think about.

[Canesluver]

Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke are like paradise to me and my hubby.

We honeymooned in '86 at Nagshead, and I do agree w/Jillsdad's assesment. Nagshead is becoming more and more crowded as the years have gone by.

Spent our anniversary last year at a great B&B in Kill Devil Hills, but can't remember its name. It's on Coolington Rd., that wraps around the Wright Brothers Monument. It's also down the road from one of the best restaurants we've ever eaten at in the Outer Banks, The Coolington Inn -- very nice, requires a reservation.

We love the lighthouses on Ocracoke and Hatteras, and love the unspoiled drive. It's definitely more romantic out there..... very relaxing environment.

[JaroFan]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to go research all these places!

Another question: Of those of you that have been to Roanoke Island, do you recommend Wanchese or Manteo?

[SouthernCaniac]

I love the Outher Banks! My husband and I lived on Roanoke Island for years in the summertime. We used to perform in The Lost Colony. Roanoke Island has 2 really beautiful B&B's : The Roanoke Island Inn and the Tranquil house Inn. the tranquil house has a 4 star restaurant too, if you like that sort of thing. Both places are downtown on the waterfront. There is a B&B in Wanchese but i havent been in it. Wanchese is a working fishing village...not quite conducive to tourism. If you stay over on the beach, the motels are mostly older and more rustic. there are a few chains. You can rent cottages at this time of the year for 4 night weekends at a lot of the rental agencies. That's your best bet. There is no place on earth like the obx, and this is the best time of year down there. And you gotta go eat at The Lone Cedar cafe on the causeway. Best food going. Hope you have a great time :)

[JaroFan]

Thanks everybody so much for your help! We're going to stay at the Roanoke Island Inn. SC, that sounds so awesome! I am so obsessed with the legend. What part did you play? I am actually having my 8th graders write a play about the Lost Colony to perform to 4th graders this year. It's quite an undertaking!

Thanks again!

[Shell]

I'm not familiar with the Lost Colony.. what is it? :)

[Stormbringer]

I'm not familiar with the Lost Colony.. what is it? :)

The Lost Colony is an outdoor play about the first colony to land on the coast of North Carolina, who somehow mysteriously disappeared...

http://www.thelostcolony.org/

http://www.outerbanks.com/lostcolony/

http://www.coastalguide.com/packet/lostcolony01.htm

[SouthernCaniac]

Hey JaroFan, the Roanoke island inn is where we spent the first night of our honeymoon...We love the OBX so much we got married down there in the elizabethan gardens...with the statue of virginia dare looking over the ceremony. Seemed appropriate. I'm a dancer, so my roles in the show were just native american in the first act and colonist for the rest. My husband played the lead, John Borden. my older brother still performs in the show as Sir Walter Raleigh...He's a wake county schoolteacher, ya might know him! I grew up seeing the show in the summers on vacation, and was mesmerized by it. It carries a special place in my heart. Everyone should see it once. Hope you have a fabulous trip. Pm me anytime :)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Another NC beach question!! We're thinking of going down for a weekend....I think we're thinking of Wrightsville Beach just because it seems the closest and easiest to get to (and The Blockade Runner looks so beautiful with the beach on one side and the harbor on the other!) and we don't want to spend our time off driving down there and back.

Here's the question: I remember that when I was a kid things on the Outer Banks at least used to pretty much close down for the winter. We want to go in December. Does stuff around Wrightsville close in the winter? Will there still be stuff to do? We aren't huge lay-out-in-the-sun people (red-head here) so we mostly like to walk on the beach a bit during the day but mostly at night so we like other stuff to do during the day...like mini-golfs and shopping and we like good seafood! Will we find all that in December in Wrightsville Beach? Is there someplace better that time of year? We need a hotel (don't want to rent a condo so that may rule out some areas) I like daily maid service at the least and room service too if we can find it! ;)

[Jillsdad]

Being a resident of the area, I can tell you that pretty much everything is open in the winter around Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach. There might be some places with reduced hours but most of the places at Wrightsville Beach also cater to the UNCW crowd so they are open. Best thing about the winter is the reduced rates at the hotels and such. The Holiday Inn Sunspree is also a nice place at Wrightsville and there is a brand new Marriott at Carolina Beach. More stuff shuts down at Carolina Beach though. If you do end up at Carolina Beach, go to Britts Doughnuts on the boardwalk. The doughnuts are out of this world.