gabbeec

girlfriend trip that will give us a couple of days on the outer banks. I understand that the view is beautiful and unique. We will actually be driving down the coast from NJ to NC and from other posts the Outer Banks sounds like a good place to visit. I'm looking for suggestions on a specific location/town to pick and a good place to stay. We are looking for something laid back. We're not going to be playing tennis, golf or anything like that. Walking the beach, chilling in a good restaurant is more our style. Thanks for your help. If anyone has better thoughts than the Outer Banks going down the coast I'm open to hearing about it.

Thomas6

We stayed at the Sanderling Inn near Duck last November and enjoyed it. Much of the lodging available on OBX are cottage and condo rentals - we wanted something for less than a week and we wanted to be in the north end of the Outer Banks. There are several good restaurants nearby - I would recommend the Blue Point in Duck. The Sanderling is on the beach and has a spa associated with it - I had a few treatments there and they were pretty good.

cd

gabbeec, We love the Outer Banks but when we go we must be as close to the water as possible. Water views from our room are a must and being able to open our door and walk to the water's edge is also a must. For that reason, we have stayed at the older mom and pop motels that were built closer to the water than the newer hotels. The Owen's motel in Nags head has some oceanview rooms. (2nd floor, the first floor's view has a sand dune in front of it) It is older and not updated but clean and the location is great. The Cavalier motel is also very close to the water and has some good reviews. I think we will stay here the next time we go to the OB http://cavaliermotel.net/ The prices at these motels are very good for the Outer Banks.

No matter where you stay, take a day to drive to Ocracoke. You will take a free ferry from Hatteres over to Ocracoke and the views are relaxing and peaceful. If you're hungary, stop at Howard's Pub on the right hand side just as you get off the ferry. We ate on the porch. They have many college flags on the ceiling of the porch and as we sat down I could not believe my DH was sitting directly under his college flag!

cd

Oh crap....I meant hungry!

cfc

Corolla ("C'rawla") and Duck are the sorts of laid-back towns/areas you have in mind - and Sanderling, though pricey, is a very nice place, too, also on the northern end of things. Check a map and see which places in those areas you can book.

As you get into Kitty Hawk/Nags Head, things get much more congested, and although you may find some mom/pop places to stay, you'll have trouble feeling secluded on the beaches.

Ocracoke is WAAY the other end of the OBX, and it's a great but longish drive (+ferry) down and back.

gabbeec

Thanks for the suggestions. I will check into all this. I appreciate the help.

gabbeec

I checked into the Cavalier and only rents for a week during July. It looked like a possibility but we will only be there for perhaps three nights. Thank you for the suggestion though. I also looked at the Sanderling. Does it have ocean view rooms?

Thomas6

We did not opt for an oceanview room at the Sanderling, so I don't know what those look like. There are high sand dunes on the ocean side of the buildings so you should ask for a room on the top floor of the North Inn. I believe they call them limited-ocean view. Their website has an example - http://www.thesanderling.com/guestrooms_north.aspx. There are porches in the main inn with a similar ocean view, and it is a short walk to the beach.

LN

I used to go to Nags Head all the time and stayed around milepost 16. haven't been in a couple years tho.

My memory recalls Surfside Inn - clean - on the beach - might be what you're looking for
Surfside Inn
MP 16, Oceanfront, Nags Head (252) 441-2105, (800) 552-7873