The beach has always been my family’s go-to vacation and we have visited many different places in search of our favorite destination. For the past few years, we have traveled to the Outer Banks and have stayed in different towns each time, including Buxton, Rodanthe, and Hatteras. Although they are all within an hour of each other, my experiences at each have all been unique, and I would like to share them with you!
My favorites of the OBX towns are:
- Hatteras – Hatteras was definitely my favorite. It had the largest beach and a cute town nearby with coffee shops and small shops. The house we rented also had a pool table and hot tub, so we were never bored on rainy days or at night.
- Rodanthe – If it weren’t for the larger crowd on the beach, Rodanthe may have been my top choice. Here, I camped at Camp Hatteras RV Campground (ironic, since it’s not in Hatteras). Camping at the beach definitely wouldn’t be my preference, but it was a really good experience for one trip. One of my favorite parts was having a golf cart rental to drive around with my friends and dog.
- Nagshead – While I have never actually stayed here, I’ve visited it every trip. Nagshead is one of the more popular areas for tourists as it has dozens of restaurants, many stores, and multiple attractions. Personally, I like the relaxation of the Outer Banks and would rather stay inn one of the other towns with fewer people, but enjoy visiting Nagshead for a day.
Part of the reason that I like OBX so much is because of the unique things you can do there, especially on the beach, such as:
- Boating – Boating in the ocean is definitely a unique experience
Image by the author that everyone should try. Seeing the beauty of the ocean while actually on the water is nothing like being on the shore. The best time to go is in the early evening to watch the sunset on the water.
- Seashell Searching – One specialty of the Outer Banks that tourist beaches don’t have are MILLIONS of seashells. A tradition in my family is to search for beautiful seashells and collect bucketfuls throughout the week. On my last trip, my best friend even found a perfect conch shell, just like from Moana.
- Driving on the beach – Unlike many other beaches on the East Coast, at the Outer Banks you can get permits to drive your vehicle on the beach. My family takes our Jeep to remote parts of the beach where there is nothing in sight, but sand, sky, and ocean.
While we all imagine our beach vacations as a sunny paradise, sometimes Mother Nature gets in the way. On rainy or cold days, I usually take a trip to Nagshead to do things like:
- Professor Hacker’s Lost Treasure Golf, Kill Devil Hills –
Image by the author No matter your age, mini golf will always be a go-to pastime. Almost every beach town has a few, and I find myself at one almost every vacation. Professor Hacker’s Lost Treasure Golf takes you through the story of a treasure hunter finding gold.
- Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 – My sister and I have always loved watching movies, so why not at the beach too? This theater is actually extremely nice with large, comfy seats.
The Outer Banks has offered some of my favorite beach memories and I definitely recommend that everyone travels there at least once!
(If you check out my previous blog post, you can read about my favorite shops and adventures from the Outer Banks.)