Suggestions for OBX

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

with all that has been going on here at Casa Lawren lately this exchange has crept up on me...

We leave for Kill Devil Hills, NC a week from Saturday!

Carolinian did share a few restaurant suggestions and I know I'm taking a trip to see Lifeguard Beach at Ocrachoke as it is the number 1 beach in the US this year.

Any other must dos?

We will be staying at Golden Strand. I'm pretty sure it was pcgirl who was there recently. Our unit is not as great as hers. We are one back from the beach on the north side of the complex and should have a decent view though.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Definitely the Lost Colony outdoor drama in Manteo.

Jockeys Ridge state park

The Wright Brothers national historic site

The Lost Colony national historic site

The Festival Park museum and ship replica in Manteo

climb one of the lighthouses on Hatteras or in Corolla

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Nice, relaxing place to be

We're at Outer Banks Beach Club now. I haven't been to OBX since 1999 and I've never been here in the summer. I am amazed at how non-commercialized it is here and that goes from Carolla to Ocracoke, a pretty good stretch. The beach is clean and until yesterday the ocean was warm for this time of year at 72 degrees. It's been very windy here for the last 36 hours and the temps have dipped into the low 60's.

We had done most of what Carolinian suggested in our previous trips here during week 52. This time we took the ferry to Ocracoke, that's a full day's journey there and back. We went to the Aquarium. They have a couple of 7 foot Sand Tiger Sharks there, I could watch them swim around for hours.

We ate at Port-o-Call and Miller's, they were both good. There is a coupon in one of the free visitors guides for Miller's, 15 percent off entrees, I think.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

How long did the drive actually take you from NJ? and did you take the chesapeake bridge?

Total Time:8 hours 56 minutes

Total Distance:522.4 miles

Seems a little excessive for the mileage....and a good place to stop for lunch a long the way?

We're at Outer Banks Beach Club now. I haven't been to OBX since 1999 and I've never been here in the summer. I am amazed at how non-commercialized it is here and that goes from Carolla to Ocracoke, a pretty good stretch. The beach is clean and until yesterday the ocean was warm for this time of year at 72 degrees.

Sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

I still haven't called to see if I can buy wi-fi in the area...

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

We left at 8 am and got here just after 3 pm. We started at exit 4 on the NJ turnpike. Google maps had it at 7.5 hours so we beat their estimate. We did take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, it's 12 bucks these days.

Our lunch stop was terrible, a place called Zero's subs, it's a chain, avoid it at all costs.

There are two free netzero numbers in the area, that's what I've been using. OBBC has wireless in the clubhouse for future reference. There is at least one coffee joint offering free wifi on NC12/Virginia Dare, the same road your resort is on.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Try to visit each of the light houses. I think there are 8 or 11. They are some what spread out and some are close together. Some are on this long road that will take you right to the end.

[NJmom Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close NJmom]

If you are looking for a place to have dinner try Mama Kwan's Home » MamaKwans.com We ate there on the last night of our trip last year and we wished we'd gone earlier in the week so we could eat there again. It doesn't look like much from the outside but it was excellent. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back to the OB.

By the way, we left NJ(Chatham) at about 7AM and didn't arrive until after 5PM. It was a Saturday and traffic was quite bad once we got close. We returned on a Thursday and it was much shorter. (maybe 2 hours) We took the ferry on the way home and it was a nice break but probably didn't save any time. We went over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge both ways.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Try to visit each of the light houses. I think there are 8 or 11. They are some what spread out and some are close together. Some are on this long road that will take you right to the end.

There are four original lighthouses on the OBX proper:

Currituck Lighthouse at Corolla, which can be climbed

Bodie Island Lighthouse, south of Nags Head, which has an interesting museum in the keepers quarters but cannot be climbed

Hatteras Lighthouse on Hatteras Island, which can be climbed

Ocracoke Lighthouse, the oldest and smallest which cannot be climbed and has no museum

There is also a reproduction of a wooden marsh lighthouse at Manteo.

[mschatz Member Find all posts View Profile Close mschatz]

Jimmy's Buffet

My family loved Jimmy's Seafood Buffet in Kill Devil Hills. I'm not exactly sure why. We were in the Outer Banks last August, and they still talk about this place.

I thought the crab legs were great, but the place is packed and a bit dumpy. It wasn't cheap, but if you like crab legs, you can do well there.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

It's been awhile since I've been there but I always loved to eat at Sam & Omie's . It's been there since Moby Dick was a minnow . I heard it might have changed hands. Great locals place on the corner of Whalebone Junction. I also like having a beer and eating at Awful Arthurs. Fun. Is the Weeping Radish still open in Manteo? If so, and you like German food that would be a place to eat on the way to the Lost Colony. A must see. Carolinian listed most of the attractions. You could learn to Hang Glide at the high dunes or just go fly a kite. shaggy

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

The Radish lives

Is the Weeping Radish still open in Manteo? If so, and you like German food that would be a place to eat on the way to the Lost Colony.

Had lunch at the Weeping Radish this week. Good food, good service.

[Anne1125 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Anne1125]

Philsfan, I hope you do a review when you get back. We're hoping to go in summer 2009. Did you get oceanfront?

Thanks, Anne

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

As to attractions, if you get down on Hatteras Island, I would also check out the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station.

Although it is probably more than a day trip from any timeshare other than Hatteras High, the ghost town of Portsmouth on Portsmouth Island is also interesting. Originally settled in colonial times, it was finally abandoned in the 1950s and now belongs to the US Park Service, from whom you can rent some of houses by the week. Descendants of families that used to live there have a reunion in the town once a year. You can get a boat over from Ocracoke village. There has been a scheduled boat service from time to time, and always charter trips availible. They will leave you at the Portsmouth dock and set a time to return and pick you up.

Sam N' Ommies has always been one of my favorite restaurants, and for fine dining the best is probably Windmill Point in Nags Head.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

Are the ferry rides to each island still free?

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Are the ferry rides to each island still free?

The Ocracoke Inlet ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island is still free.

The cross-sound ferries from Ocracoke to Cedar Island (Crystal Coast) and Ocracoke to Swanquarter (US 264) have always charged a fee, and often in the summer you should have a reservation to be certain of getting onboard.