Off-Season at the Outer Banks
Written: Mar 31 '03 (Updated Apr 01 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: secluded beaches, plenty of water and outdoor activities, eclectic lighthouses
Cons: may be too secluded or too crowded (depending on the season), restaurants closed off-season
The Bottom Line: OBX offers tranquility, but fill your vehicle up with gas and have plenty of cash. It can be difficult to find an ATM or gas station.
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| slogrl97's Full Review: Outer Banks, NC |
If you're interested in getting away from city life for a long weekend on a budget, the Outer Banks is an ideal destination. Traveling from the Jacksonville/Wilmington, NC area, we decided to drive to Nags Head and return south from our trip via ferry. Our trip took place at the end of March 2003.
Reserving a ferry ahead of time is a good idea. The NC ferry system provides a toll-free number to reserve your ferry ride from Cedar Island to/from Ocracoke, 1-800-BY-FERRY. For this trip, we reserved our ferry ride from Ocracoke to Cedar Island one day in advance. For our Honda Accord, the 2 hour, 15 min. one-way trip cost $15. The trip from Hatteras to Ocracoke was free of charge and the ferries leave every hour, on the hour.
Arriving in Nags Head, it was apparent to us that we avoided the tourists. Many people warned us that the Outer Banks is infiltrated with tourists during the summer months, but we were fortunate to avoid them at the end of March. We were also fortunate to have wonderful, sunny weather in the 70s. During our whole stay there, we had few clouds.
We stayed at the Travelodge in Kill Devil Hills, NC. We recommend this motel for any budget traveler, since it was clean, close to the Wright's Brothers Memorial and Jockey's Ridge State Park, within walking distance to the beach, and offered complimentary continental breakfast. The retro decor was questionable, but we just needed a clean place to sleep, so the accomodations were fine. Our room included a refrigerator, a microwave, and a balcony overlooking the ocean for $60 per night.
During our two-day stay in the Outer Banks, we were able to visit Jockey's Ridge State Park, Currituck Lighthouse, Fort Raleigh, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Laura Barnes Shipwreck, and the Ocracoke Lighthouse. All of these landmarks were free of charge. We did not stay more than one hour at each location, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the natural beauty of the wind, water, sand, and wildlife that surrounds the Outer Banks.
Jockey's Ridge was awesome and the sandy expanse seemed to go on forever; the largest sand dune on the east coast was impressive. The Currituck Lighthouse was a slight disappointment because it was a 45-minute drive north of Kill Devil Hills and it didn't seem to be very tall. It was lonely among the pine trees. However, we drove through the quaint towns of Duck and Corolla on our way north, which seemed to have plenty of shops.
We recommend visiting Fort Raleigh in Manteo to learn about the Lost Colony. Fort Raleigh offers a museum and educational video, which tells the story of the first European settlers in the Outer Banks.
Driving south, we liked the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Across the street, in Coquina Beach, we were slightly disappointed with the view of the Laura Barnes Shipwreck, mainly because most of it was covered in over 10 feet of sand!
For one night, we camped near the beach on the sound side in Rodanthe. Rodanthe offers many campsites to people who want to experience the outdoors in a sheltered atmosphere. At our campsite, Rodanthe Watersports and Campgrounds, we had hot showers and an incredible view of the sound. The owner informed me that anyone can walk 25 miles into the sound and only encounter water levels chest-high. The sunset in Rodanthe was beautiful also. For two people, we spent $14.75 for our accomodations. Military families get special discounts during the tourist season.
Finally, as we made our way further south, we visited the Hatteras Lighthouse, which is by far the most impressive lighthouse to see. The stripes are bold and it's an incredible feat to move such a tall, brick structure from one location to another location, while keeping the lighthouse intact!
After taking the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke, we came upon Ocracoke Island, a fishing community. The Ocracoke Lighthouse is much smaller in scale compared to Hatteras, but the backdrop of homes, boats, and water, make it a pretty picture.
We were reinvigorated after a calm weekend in the Outer Banks. If you're looking for tranquility, you'll be sure to find it in the OBX too, just be sure to fill your vehicle up with gas and have plenty of cash. Because of its seclusion, it can be difficult to find an ATM machine or gas station.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
slogrl97
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Member: Sheryl C
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
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