Hellobee

The Outer Banks is my home away from home. My parents own an oceanfront property in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina and we’ve been visiting the area several times a year for about twenty five years. I’ve spent many summers there, but we also spent holidays and spring breaks there while growing up. It wasn’t uncommon for us to drive down for a long weekend, and it’s something my parents still do today. As we grew older, our activities and sight-seeing mostly came to an end. By the time we were in our early teens, our days were spent lounging on the beach with our CD players and favorite books. We had a been-there-done-that attitude toward the vacation, though there have been a few attractions that will have always had a special place in our hearts. My husband and I have been looking forward to sharing our love for the Outer Banks with our kids, and this year, we took Chloe there for 10 days over Easter.

view from our bottom deck

Chloe’s first time at the beach, August 2012

As kids, our days started out around 7am.  We couldn’t hurry through breakfast fast enough to get down to the beach. Evenings were filled with miniature golf, seeing a movie on a rainy night, or typical touristy things, like visiting Jockey’s Ridge or the Elizabethan Gardens. The Wright Brother’s Memorial was another favorite of ours.  And, of course, we enjoyed climbing the light houses. We have a very relaxed approach toward vacation now and for at least the last fifteen years or so have done whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted.  But, as we all know, life with a baby (and toddler!) is all about structure.  That means that even while we are at the beach, we do our absolute best to adhere to her nap time and bedtime schedule, and plan outings and beach time around that.

S T U F F  T O  D O
Play in the sand, swim in the Atlantic, ride a jet ski

The ocean is cold from late September through May, so when we are there during the off-season we fill our days with many different activities.  My husband loves boogie boarding and fishing, which can safely be done at dusk.  We always grab a flashlight and go for a late night walk on the beach to go ghost crabbing — but be careful, there are lots of crabs!  My brother likes to catch them and scare my sister and me with them. In the early summer you might catch sand dollars and starfish on the shore. And, who doesn’t just love to build sandcastles?  I don’t care how old you are, it’s still fun.  The cool weather doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the sand.

Two summers ago, my family rented jet skis.  It was a little expensive so it’s not something we’d do every year, but it was a special occasion (all 30-some of us were vacationing together!) so jet skiing everyone went!  Last summer, my dad surprised everyone and rented a jet pack.

My brother & cousin on the sound

P L A C E S  T O  E A T

You won’t find any chain restaurants at the beach!  Wait, I think there’s an Applebees…

Because it can be so expensive, and because our house has a full kitchen, we eat most meals in.  But, who wants to cook every single day on vacation?  We’ve come to have a few favorite restaurants over the years and have been sad to see some of them close (does anyone else remember Slammin’ Sammys?!). Goombay’s is one of our favorite places to eat for lunch or an early dinner. I’ve seen this place get so packed and the wait be as long as two hours, so don’t bother going peak dinner hours. Their food is so amazing, though, and I say that as someone who is a picky eater. Red Drum Tap House has amazing food and I have never seen this restaurant have an empty table during dinner. We’ve been going to Mako Mikes since we were kids. Their food is really cool but the atmosphere is even better. Plan on waiting at least 2 hours to be seated for dinner! My brother and his wife swear by Sugarcreek and make sure to go at sunset, and Stripers is a great place for lunch with a view. If steak is your thing, JKs has it all. It’s on the expensive side, so we consider it a special occasion restaurant.

I’m a vegetarian and have always been able to find something to eat at all the restaurants. Unless you go somewhere like Awful Arthurs, you’re bound to find something non-seafood!

Chloe especially loved Mako Mikes.  She called it the fishie restaurant because they have a fish tank, fish murals painted on the walls and fake sharks suspended from the ceiling.  The owner also gave her a shark tooth which is now her prized possession.  She also enjoyed Stripers, but not nearly as much as Mako Mikes!

P L A C E S  T O  E X P L O R E

It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve been there, we always make a point to visit Jockey’s Ridge. It’s especially beautiful at sunset, and I always advise going in the evening when the sand isn’t as hot. Jockey’s Ridge is the tallest sand dune in the Eastern US.  We’re all adults and still love running down the hill. It’s a bit of a hike and I don’t think I could comfortably get to the top of the dune while pregnant, so I was a little sad to be missing Chloe’s first experience with Jockey’s Ridge.

This time of year (early spring) is hit or miss with weather.  We had three great days of weather — sunny and 80s — and then it dropped to the 50s with lots of wind and rain.  Our first full day there, my mom and I took Chloe to the Elizabethan Gardens and to see the Elizabeth II, a replica ship from the 1500s!  Chloe thought it was the coolest thing ever.  Our second day, we visited the Avalon Pier.  Chloe is far braver than I am.  I had a moment of panic when I realized how far out on the ocean we were, and again when I realized you could see the ocean through the planks.  Not for me, no thank you!

We haven’t missed a summer seeing the Lost Colony yet (I’ve seen it more than 25 times!).  The Lost Colony is an outdoor waterfront play about the discovery of Roanoke.  Since it’s on the sound it’s important to bring bug spray. I wouldn’t advise it for small children — there’s a gun fight and the caps popping are pretty loud — but I’m really excited to take Chloe when she’s older (and can sit through a 2 hour show!). The show starts at dusk, when it’s a little cooler at night.  We always dress warmly and bring blankets. There’s a strong breeze along the sound so it definitely feels chilly even though you’re at the beach in the middle of summer!

my sister & me with a cast member of the Lost Colony // 2007

And, I can’t forget the Christmas Shop.  My mom started the tradition when we were kids to stop at the store every time we were at the beach.  We each got to pick out a Christmas ornament for our tree at home which brings back the best memories every year. We took Chloe for the first time two years ago and it was a lot of fun to see what ornaments she’d pick. My sister started her a nutcracker collection and buys her nutcracker ornaments each year.

We haven’t done this in a long, long time, but visiting the Currituck lighthouse is amazing. We climbed all 200+ steps when we were little. My sister was small enough at the time that my mom had to carry her up the winding steps. The Wright Brother’s Museum is also a fun trip. There are supposed to be wild horses that run on the beach a little farther north, in Corolla, but in the 20+ years we’ve been going to the beach I’ve never seen them!

There’s an outlet mall in Nags Head, but the best shopping is at Scarborough Faire in Duck.  I love their waterfront stores and could spend hours in their art galleries.  I’ve bought some of my favorite decorative pieces from their stores, like handmade frames and candles, from Ocean Annie’s Craft Gallery.

ghost crab hunting & night fishing // I was pregnant with Chloe!

Have you ever been to the Outer Banks?  What is your favorite spot there?