A LITTLE BIT OF KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY
In October 2014, my family and I took a week-long vacation together for the first time since I was a teenager. Once we got there, we realized how necessary it was for us to enjoy every minute of this trip together. My momma had a bit of a rough year, and her boss recognized that she needed some time off and surprised her with a trip to North Carolina. He arranged for us to stay in a cute oceanfront condo steps from the beach. We appreciated his kindness, and more importantly, we were so thankful for this time together.
We spent our week waking up extra early to see the sunrise. Wrapped in blankets and wearing our warmest clothes, we sat on the beach - laughing, chatting, and listening to the waves. During the day we buried our toes in the sand with a good book in hand and took turns pouring on the sunscreen. We spent the evenings going out to dinner then relaxing in the hot tub or watching movies. Although this isn't a typical vacation for me, it was nice to spend a week just relaxing.
THINGS TO DO//
VISIT THE WRIGHT BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL - We had a rainy day, so we went to the museum. I enjoyed hearing about the Wright Brothers and the informative and entertaining local history. Plan 2-3 hours to see the indoor museum and outdoor memorial. I'm happy we spent the gloomy day here!
SEE THE WILD HORSES ROAM THE BEACH IN COROLLA - This beach can be accessed with a 4x4. It was pretty cool to drive on the beach and look for wild horses. Although we didn't see any, we had a lovely time driving around and looking for shells on the beach. If you don't have a 4x4, you can rent one or take a guided tour.
CLIMB THE CAPE HATTERAS LIGHTHOUSE - It's the tallest in the country, roughly the height of a 12 story building with 248 spiral steps.
MINI GOLF - Maybe it's just my family, but we HAD to fit in a super competitive game of mini golf. I somehow managed to beat my brother, which was one of the highlights of this trip. HA!
VISIT THE CINEMAS - Because who doesn't love seeing a good movie on a chilly evening.
EATS //
STACK 'EM HIGH PANCAKES - Perfect place if you went a little too hard the night before! Place your order at the counter then sit down for full table service. Everything we had was delicious and filling. I wish we would have had time to visit more than once!
BLUE MOON BEACH GRILL - Great option for dinner and drinks. We were pleasantly surprised by how delicious everything was. I had the crab cake dinner and an IPA.
DUCK DONUTS - Mouth watering freshly made to order donuts. My favorite was the classic cinnamon & sugar. You'll regret not taking some home with you!
BONZER SHACK - This laid-back beach grill was just around the corner from where we were staying. They offer bistro quality southern comfort food and a large yard full of games out back. We enjoyed beers and a couple of competitive bean bag toss games.
SAVING TIME & MONEY //
If your looking to spend as much time as you can on the beach and want to save some money, I'd suggest booking a house with a kitchen instead of a hotel. Beach houses can often sleep two small families, which will help save costs. Having a full kitchen allows you to make family style meals, have BBQ on the grill, and pack a cooler for the beach so you don't have to pack everything up and leave the beach for lunch.
OVERALL THOUGHTS //
The Outer Banks is perfect for a relaxing family beach vacation. It's no surprise that the peak season to travel there is summer where temperatures average in the mid-80's. If you’re looking to disconnect from the busyness of life, catch up on a good book or watch the kids play for hours in the sand, this is a great place to consider.
