This week I interviewed my friend from home about Outer Banks, North Carolina. He has been going on vacation there every summer for the past several years and I was wondering just what it was that kept him coming back.
I asked him to recommend the places to go when visiting. The first thing he recommends is going to the beach. Here you can look for sea shells or sea glass while you take a walk along the shore. Don’t forget to stop and look for dolphins, you may be able to see their fines above the water in the distance!
The second thing that he recommends is driving on the 4×4 beach to look for wild horses. You can do this by yourself in your own car, but make sure to only do this if you have four-wheel drive, otherwise you may get stuck! (It happens more than you think.) If you do not have a four-wheel drive car, no need to fret! There are also tours that you can pay for that will take you on the beach in an open top jeep.
On the more historical front, you can visit the Whalehead Club, and get a tour of the old mansion that is still preserved on the island. It is the oldest house on the island, dating back to 1925. It is neat to be able to walk through a mansion that has been preserved for such a long time. Imagine what is must have felt like to live on this desolate peninsula with so much riches and property! The house itself is still luxurious for its time, which is amazing since it’s from nearly a century ago. They offer both self-guided tours or tours given by one of the historical society members who works at the house.
After you are done viewing the Whalehead Club, you can take a five-minute walk to visit the Wildlife Reserve Museum. Here you can learn more history about the Outer Banks and why it was famously known as a fishing and hunting area.
There are still many places to go fishing in this area, in fact, many people put chicken on their fishing lines and cast them in the lake area by the Whalehead club. A lot of people catch crabs here, and end up taking them home and eating them for dinner. If you don’t have your own fishing gear, there are many places to rent gear for the day!
Nearby, there is a little village called Currituck where there are many cute boutiques that you can shop at and good places to eat as well! Make sure that you climb the lighthouse because you will be able to see a view of the Outer Banks from Currituck Sound to the Outer Bank beach! Speaking of the Currituck Sound, you are able to go kayaking on the Sound and watch the sunrise and sunset which is a very relaxing experience. If you don’t have a kayak, you can take a night time tour where they will take you to see the sunrise.