What to do on the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks (maybe my favorite place on earth) is a 200-mile strip on the coast of North Carolina. It’s lined with beach towns and is classic surf-city! It’s really a peninsula, but a lot of people refer to it as an “island”.

My family has been going for as longggg as I can remember, and my parents were going way way before that. My dad has stories of hitchhiking his way there, taking the bus through the night, and several where he’s piled a bunch of buddies in the bed of his truck and they camped out on the beach. When he and my mom started dating they would go together and with groups, and now they’ve gotten my brothers and I hooked. We all love it and feel so at home there!

If you’re not familiar with it’s natural charm, it CAN seem a little… empty. That’s really because it’s whole point is the beach. It’s a rental-home beach, meaning people rent homes for week(s) at a time, and there aren’t a lot of options like hotels, condos, etc like you’d get vacationing somewhere like Ocean City or Virginia Beach. A lot of the rental homes are literally on the sand, just steps away from the ocean.

If laying on the beach 8A-6P everyday isn’t your thing, this might not be the town for you! But there ARE some things here and there that you can do on a rainy day, or if you’re too sunburnt to stay in the sun all day…again.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Oh my gosh I wish I could find photos of my brothers as little boys when my parents used to take them to Jockey’s Ridge! It’s known for beautiful sunsets and hang gliding, Jockey’s Ridge is literally a huge mountain of sand to climb up and slide down! That may sound silly but it’s so much fun! Pro tip- don’t go on a sweltering hot day.

Watersports Rentals

My personal favorite, Watersport rentals- including jet skiing! A secret about me is how much I love love love jet skiing. My dad started taking us in Duck (a town in the OBX) when I was little and I look forward to it every year. We go on the bayside so there aren’t crazy waves, but on windy days it can still be pretty choppy which makes it a little more exciting!

Jannette’s Pier

We love going to Jannette’s Pier on a rainy afternoon. It has beautiful sunsets from the end of the pier, a sweet little aquarium (great for kids!), and is perfect if you like to fish. It also has a sweet little pier restaurant filled with local charm and if I remember correctly their french fries are toooo dieeee for (but it’s been forever since I had one!)

Timbuck II Shopping

Probably where we spend our most time, if i’m being honest! This is where you can get in your pre/post-dinner shopping and pickup those fun coastal-charm home decor accents. It also has some of our favorite restaurants like Mike Dianas and Fish Bones Restaurant.

Lighthouses

A coastal staple, and especially a staple on the OBX, the lighthouses! There are several down the coast, but my favorites are the Bodie Island Lighthouse (near Kitty Hawk), and the Currituck Beach lighthouse (northern, in Corolla). They’re great spots for family photos too!