Overpriced and Bland :(
Written: Aug 16 '05 (Updated Oct 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The Ocean's right there.
Cons: Expensive, touristy, Expensive, not much to do there, Expensive,
The Bottom Line: It's hot, expensive, and I'm sorry to say it, rather boring. If you are looking for a beach vacation with the family, look elsewhere.
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| livysmom27's Full Review: Outer Banks, NC |
Our family visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina, more specifically, Nag's Head, Kittyhawk, Duck and Kill Devil Hills in July 2003, for my brother-in-law's wedding.
I had been looking very much forward to visiting North Carolina, and experiencing some real-deal Southern culture, food and history. The Outer Banks, as it turns out, is definitely not the place to go if the "Deep South" experience is what you seek.
We stayed in Nag's Head for 8 days, in a rented vacation home. I guess that the price of our rental house ($1500/week) had my hopes up as far as how nice/posh the house and the town itself would be. Here begins my disenchantment with the Outer Banks.
The good and the bad of my stay in the Outer Banks-
History-
The Good- Kittyhawk, North Carolina, is where the Wright Brothers made that first historic flight. There is a museum there dedicated to the story, which several of my family member's visited, and enjoyed a great deal.
The Bad- Not a lot of other southern history, to my disappointment. Although I knew that The Outer Banks was "the beach" I still expected to see more Southern style there than I did. I was really looking forward to seeing some great, uniquely Southern architecture, etc. The Outer Banks are totally devoid of such treats.
Atmosphere-
The Good- You don't have to worry about sticking out as a tourist there, because everyone is a tourist there.
The Bad- Nag's Head, Kill Devil Hills and the rest are essentially resort towns, filled primarily with touristy-type businesses (water sports equipment rentals, horseback rides, Olde-Tyme Photo Shoppes, etc) and lots of very plain, very expensive beach houses. I doubt that anyone who works in Nag's Head could actually afford to live there.
The Weather-
The Good- It only rained once while we were there. Torturous humidity was good for my sinuses.
The Bad- The oppressive humidity was unlike any other I had ever experienced in my life. Walking out the front door of our house felt like opening the dishwasher midway through the cycle. My glasses fogged up immediately. It was worse than New Orleans, and I never imagined, outside of a jungle setting, that that was even possible. Every night at around supper time, a hot fog would crawl across the town, starting at the beach. It was as close to an outdoor sauna as I ever hope to experience.
The Food-
The Good- There was a Krispy Kreme near our house. There were a few (rather expensive) seafood restaurants.
The Bad- No Southern food - and I was lookin'!
The Shopping-
The Good- If you need a swimsuit, boogie board or some salt water taffy, you have a million options.
The Bad- Because it is really a resort/tourist area, there really isn't much else to be had, and what is available, as you might expect in such a setting, is rather expensive.
Family Friendly?-
The Good- My husband and I traveled with our two daughters, ages 3 1/2 years & 3 months, and were relieved to find that there was a local rental business that offered hard to pack items, such as infant swings, strollers, portable cribs and more for rent at reasonable prices. Not having to pack all of my daughters' bulky, necessary contraptions - Priceless.
The Bad- Not a lot of activities for the family with young children. The beach is an option, but the heat and extremely coarse, wind-driven sand made this a challenge to enjoy with little ones.
My overall experience with the Outer Banks was, in a word, mixed. Though the Atlantic Ocean and the wedding I attended (on the beach ) were absolutely beautiful, the super-humid weather, high prices and lack of “stuff to do” took their toll on my Outer Banks experience. I would not recommend the Outer Banks as a destination for those with small children, or for those seeking a true “Southern Experience”.
So, perhaps my dashed expectations of what the Outer Banks would be is the largest part of my problem with the area. The Outer Banks were, in my experience, essentially just another beach resort (and a rather bland one, at that) filled with gigantic summer homes and overpriced vacation rentals, with next to nothing separating it from any other such resort/beach-front, tourist-driven community. If you are simply looking for a vacation at the beach, there are surely more affordable, exciting, unique options than the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I would not recommend the Outer Banks as a vacation destination.
My other travel related reviews-
See what you're missin' in Mississippi! - Review of "Off the Beaten Path - Mississippi"
Oh what a time it was... - Review of The Mayflower Park Hotel, Seattle, Washington
Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Never
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Epinions.com ID:
livysmom27
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Member: MJ
Location: Washington State
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
I'm a happily married stay at home mother of two beautiful girls.
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