I can’t say enough about the beauty of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I had never heard of the Outer Banks until some of my extended family began vacationing there a couple years ago. And when our friends and I started researching our next vacation, they found it on a website that rated it as one of the top family beaches. And boy were they right!
From Wisconsin, it’s not the easiest location to get to. It took us two plane rides and a two hour drive to get there. But it was well worth the crazy journey. We flew from Minneapolis to Philadelphia to Norfolk, Virginia. Once in Norfolk, we rented a vehicle and made our way south! But that was our only option. They don’t do direct flights to the Outer Banks 🙂
Not familiar with the Outer Banks? It’s a 130 mile stretch of islands right off the coast of North Carolina. Small quaint towns, sand dunes, wild horses, light houses, fishing piers. It’s a little piece of heaven.
If you’re thinking of traveling to the Outer Banks, here’s the low down on where we stayed, where to go and how it played out with the kiddos.
Where to Stay
There are million vacation rentals in the Outer Banks. In fact, chain hotels are not what we found to be common down there. We weren’t looking for one of those anyway. We wanted a condo since we were traveling with another family. Seaside Vacations ended up being the company we worked with for no other reason than we found the best price and condo option with them.
One of the things I loved most about it was that I paid an initial deposit of about $600-700 at the time of booking and then had the option to continue making payments at my convenience up until 30 days before we left. Financially, this made vacation that much easier.
We found an amazing three bedroom condo (Gulf Stream 201) in Kill Devil Hills with pretty much panoramic views for the bargain price of $1600-1700. And we split that our friends that we were traveling with. We went the third week of May and once June 1st hit, the prices were going to skyrocket, so part of the bargain we got was because we timed it just right.
TIP: Don’t get sucked in to renting the beach equipment for an extra $150 for the week. I did, but once there you’ll find there is some basic (nothing fancy) beach chairs, toys and umbrellas to choose from in the condo. It’s not worth the extra money. And if you really need to, you can buy a cheap chair or two down the road at K-Mart. So ask that question when you book a place what they specifically have available.
I was happy with our experience with Seaside and they have tons of rentals to choose from throughout the Outer Banks.
The determining factors for booking was price, the view and a pool. While there are lots of homes to rent directly on the beach, most didn’t have a pool. You had to go with a condo complex if you really wanted a pool and even that didn’t seem to be guaranteed. So when we found a nice one with a pool directly on the beach, we were sold.
Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head or Kittyhawk?
Yes, these are the names of cities found within the Outer Banks. Strange, I know. They are the most centrally located cities with the most options for dining, shopping and activities. Of the four, Duck is the furthest north followed by Kittyhawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. There are more towns both north and south of these, but they were more remote and didn’t offer as many of the conveniences we were looking for traveling with kiddos.
We ended up choosing Kill Devil Hills. For two reasons. One, it was more reasonably priced and two, based on my own research it seemed to be the most central to restaurants, groceries and attractions. But once we arrived, we found Nags Head and KittyHawk to really just be extensions of Kill Devil Hill and within 5 minutes you were in the next town.
Kill Devil Hills was nice because we were dead set in the middle with options for day trips to the south and still close by to exploring nearby Duck, an idyllic little town worth spending time in.
It’s also good to know that the more south you go, the more sand dunes you run into on the beach that separate your condo from the beach. And then there’s the sound side or the ocean side. Give me the ocean side anytime!
What to Do
While there are a million things you can do in the Outer Banks, we just chose a handful. We wanted to also enjoy just laying low at the condo with some beach and pool time. Here are the must-do’s in my mind.
- Head to Duck for some shopping and the sunset
- Drive South to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
- Spend lots of time on the beach
- Wake-up early for a sunrise and try to spot the dolphins
- North Carolina Aquarium
- Roanoake Island and downtown Mateo
Good Eats
While we didn’t plan on it, we actually hardly ate out! We ended up with more groceries than we needed and it was just so convenient to eat at the condo with two toddlers and a baby. But here’s a couple of places were were able to check out.
Duck Donuts: My oh my. I’ve never experienced donuts like this before. There are order forms that you mark with a pencil and then place your order to get your very own custom (and very warm) donut. While the original one is in Duck, we also had a Duck Donuts in Kill Devil Hills. They were nothing short of amazing.
Kill Devil’s Frozen Custard & Beach Fries: Apparently everyone knew about this place because we pulled in, struggled to find a parking spot and then waited in a very long line. So the popularity of it alone will tell you it’s worth it. It’s a fun little joint with a small area inside to order and lots of picnic tables outside to sit down and eat (although many decided to plop down on nearby rocks to enjoy their cone). If you’re in the area, it’s worth a stop for sure.
Black Pelican Oceanfront Restaurant – Us moms snuck away one afternoon just to enjoy a beverage and some appetizers. The eclectic pier decor and views are worth it for the visit alone. But if you’re a buffalo shrimp fan, then you best add this to your itinerary!
Barefoot Bernie’s Bar & Grill – Great family friendly restaurant with yummy food. Tropical feel, casual atmosphere and yummy food. If everyone is craving something different, this is a good spot to go!
Sunset Grille and Raw Bar – If you’re in Duck, it’s a necessity to stick around for a sunset on the sound side and this restaurant gives you the PERFECT spot to enjoy dinner and watch the sun go down. It. was. beautiful. The food was a bit overpriced and nothing extra special, but you’re there for the view. Make sure you sit out on the patio!
Toddlers and Babies in the Outer Banks
There was plenty to do in the Outer Banks with two 2-year olds and an infant. The beach in itself can keep you busy each day you’re there. And they enjoyed some of the road trips we took to the aquarium and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
The downfall?
The Outer Banks is not walking friendly with strollers. It’s not like those vacation spots in Florida where you have a boardwalk and can walk to everything from your condo or hotel. You really need to drive. The year before we vacationed in Clearwater Beach, Florida and didn’t have to drive anywhere except our one outing to the Tampa Zoo. We were a bit spoiled for that vacation. So I think we were just taken back in the Outer Banks in that when we even wanted to go get ice cream, we had to pile everyone in the car. And not just one car, but two because we couldn’t fit two families and our luggage in one rental van.
But the upside, it’s beautiful. It’s relaxing and there’s lots of options for exploring and short day trips. I definitely plan to go back but would choose to go once Jade is older.
So there you go…..the Outer Banks in a nut shell. Happy Travels to You!
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