Its no secret that we like the Outer Banks.  What’s not to like?  Impressive vacation homes, sweeping seascapes, and the salty sea air are just a few of our favorite things about the area.  Families have been renting the impressive oceanfront vacation homes for generations, returning year after year for an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Children grow up enjoying the local beaches, and return with their own children when they’re grown to share a little piece of their heaven with them.  Fishermen have told tall tales that resonate throughout the islands for centuries, overshadowed only by the local pirate lore.

We’ve spent a lot of time researching the area, both online and in person, and thought we’d share a few of our favorite things about North Carolina’s Outer Banks.  Take a look at the list, and see if you can resist planning your own getaway!

• Outer Banks Vacation Rentals - Offering everything from oceanfront estates large enough for a family reunion to quiet condos for a romantic getaway, the Outer Banks provides a plethora of lodging options.
• The Beaches - The Outer Banks consists of a string of islands that stretch the length of the Carolinas.  Spend some time exploring the seemingly endless shoreline.  You’re sure to enjoy!
• Fresh Seafood - Oh, the amazing fresh seafood!  Visitors from inland will never see the term “fresh catch” the same.  The Outer Banks region is home to some of the most amazing seafood in the world.  Be sure to try some new things!
• Fishing, Fishing, and more Fishing - Surf casting, pier fishing, and deep sea charter fishing are just a few of the local favorite ways to get the freshest catches available.  Bring your gear, or rent it from one of the many area vendors. You’re sure to spin some tales!
• Golf - Golfers of all ages and abilities can test their skills on one of the many area courses.  The options are endless!
• Wild Horse Tours - See Corolla’s famous Spanish Mustangs in their natural habitat.  A once in a lifetime experience that will leave you in awe.
• Shopping - What’s a vacation without a souvenir to remember it by?  Explore the numerous shops, galleries, and boutiques for the perfect momento to take home with you. 
• Fun For The Whole Family - One of our favorite things about the Outer Banks is how family friendly the islands are.  The variety of tours, activities, and entertainment are endless!  Explore the island on an Eco Tour, teach your children how to cast a line, or grab some buckets and hit the beach in search of treasures.

Do we have you convinced yet?  If not, you’ll just have to see for yourself.  One trip to the Outer Banks, and you’ll never want to leave!

Images Courtesy Swimparallel

Welcome back!

Hatteras NC on the Outer Banks has a long and interesting history. Not much is known about the Native Americans who thrived here before the Europeans, came, but here are the highlights of what has happen there since:

Historians believe Amerigo Vespucci, the man both continents in the Western Hemisphere were named after, anchored in the waters off of Hatteras on his first landfall in 1497. Over the next century, French and Spanish explorers and British settlers followed and in 1663, an English colony was officially established in Carolina. The first plantation on the Outer Banks, which grew cattle and corn,  was set up in 1664 by Sir John Colleton and became its first permanent English settlement.

In the early 1700’s, this isolated area became a pirate stronghold and was home to Blackbeard and his crew until he was captured and beheaded by the British in 1718.

Whaling, fishing and cattle and sheep ranching drove the area’s economy throughout the 18th century and small towns sprang up along the barrier islands. During the Revolutionary War, British warships anchored off of Nags Head and raided the villages, so the islanders formed a militia and successfully protected themselves until the war ended. North Carolina then became one of the 13 original United States.

More than 500 vessels have wrecked in the hazardous currents off Hatteras’ shores. In effort to help ships avoid these perilous coastal waters, known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic,  construction of the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras began in 1794.

The quiet dunes of Hatteras became embroiled in the Civil War in 1861, when the Confederates built forts to guard the inlet. Less than a month later, they fell to Union forces, but the retreating rebels took the lighthouse’s lens with them, effectively shutting down the strategic beacon.

Near the end of the 19th century, vacationing sportsmen and tourists began coming to the island to hunt and fish, but coastal life was generally quiet until the second World War, when more than 100 ships were lost of to German submarines. The area was dubbed Topedo Junction.

In 1953, the area stretching north from Ocracoke Island to Nags Head was designated as the first National Seashore in the United States. Today, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is one of our most visited National Park areas, drawing nearly 7 million visitors year.

To learn more about Hatteras, visit the Outer Banks History Center or read the Insider’s Guide to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Outer Banks fishing is legendary. The barrier islands stick so far out into the Atlantic that the Gulf Stream is very close to the shore. The sea and the sound mix here, allowing anglers to land both saltwater and freshwater species. You have to be a very unlucky fisher person to go home empty handed on the Outer Banks.

While headboats or private charters can leave you with an experience you’ll long remember, pier fishing is the way to go if you have children or newbies in your group. No sea sickness, no slippery decks, restrooms instead of heads and you can leave when they’ve had enough.

In the area around Nags Head, NC. there are five of these fun family fishing venues, with the 750 foot long Nags Head Fishing Pier being a long time favorite. During the summer months, you can try to catch spanish mackeral, small blues, croaker, cobia, flounder, spot and pompano. Enjoy the entire day and night on the pier for just $10. They’re open 24 hours a day and the night fishing can be both relaxing and productive. There’s a full service bait and tackle shop and a restaurant right on the pier to keep you well-provisioned. You may rent gear if you didn’t bring your own.

Imagine catching a king mackeral or a cobia that’s so big you have to drag it down the pier into the restaurant to have it cooked? Yes, You Hook ‘Em – We Cook ‘Em is the motto of the famous Nags Head Pier Restaurant. That’s right, catch a fish or two and the cooks will transform them into a scrumptious Carolina style meal by frying, broiling, grilling or blackening it – fisherman’s choice – and serving it up with the traditional seacoast sides of cole slaw, french fries and hushpuppies. What a kick for the kids!

Jockey’s Ridge, adjacent to the town of Nag’s Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is the tallest natural sand dune on the East Coast. Continually shifting, it moves an average of 3-6 feet each year and now sits 1500 feet southwest of where it did 25 years ago. The height of its 3 peaks also changes. The tallest was 110 feet in 1974 and shrunk to 87 feet in 1995. To preserve this phenomenon for all of us to enjoy, it became Jockey’s Ridge State Park in 1975.

A big sand dune, you say. Ho-hum. NOT! It’s the equivalent of a mountain at the beach and you can do a lot of things here that typically are done on mountains, like hang gliding and sandboarding, which is very much like snowboarding only in sand, of course.

There are also plenty of opportunities to explore the ecosystem of these golden sand dunes, with self-guided hiking trails and ranger-led bird walks, crabbing expeditions, nature hikes and a daily Sunset on the Ridge program – all free and all sure to be a hit with the kids.

from Bethany L King

Americans have been vacationing at Nags Head North Carolina since the 1830’s and with very good reason – the beach! The barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks, of which Nags Head is a part, have some of the best beaches in the country.

While walking beside the ocean, you get the feeling that the thin strand of sand goes on forever. (It really stretches 100 miles.) There’s the soothing rhythm of breaking waves on one side and tall sand dunes dotted with sea oats on the other.

The beaches are generally uncrowded and, unlike some coastal areas, they are very accessible as well. As an added bonus, this is one of the few shore communities I’ve visited where you can actually enjoy a bonfire on the beach. (You do need a permit, though.) All in all, the Outer Banks promise a classic beach experience and a family vacation that all ages will enjoy.

There aren’t many hotels in the area, but most folks prefer to enjoy a Nags Head vacation rental , anyway. A beach house or cottage will let the family spread out, enjoy all the comforts and feel at quite at home. While many resorts demand week long rentals, it’s also possible to rent a place in Nags Head for a shorter getaway. The southern end of town, aptly called South Nags Head, tends to be quieter and less dense than the northern Kill Devil Hills area, where most of the action can be found.

Check out these Outer Banks webcams to see what’s in store for your vacation in Nags Head.