Last Minute Trip Planning - OBX - Are we crazy!
 

Ok, this is totally against my trip planning motto - I'm usually planning everything way in advance - but this one is a last minute-one. My niece and husband had a deal that if she got straight A's all year she could go anywhere she wanted to go in the US - she picked Savannah and the OBX. So, here we are in mid-June and she's finally just decided - and it looks like it's going to be June 29th that we will head out. We are going to drive to Savannah and arrive late Sunday night - and the first few days of the trip are fine - and I'm not stressing over those. But, then comes OBX. People are telling me horror stories about the traffic - and the wait times. I've found quite a few hotels with vacancies - so I'm guessing tourist season isn't what it normally is given the economy - so I don't think we'll have an issue finding a place to stay - it's just where to stay I don't know. She will want to go to the beach every day - and we'll be there from July 1 (Wed) and leave to come home July 4th (Saturday). We'll plan to arrive early in the am on Wed - and we'll leave early on Saturday as well. We want to be someplace where there aren't as many people (so not so touristy) - and were thinking south by Hattaras - but don't want to be completely out of everything and have to drive (and wait in traffic). So - my question - are we better off staying up North (Nags, Kitty Hawk) and just dealing with the people to be with more of the attractions and not having to be so far away and dealing with so much travel than being so far away and having less people (I'm assuming less people further south which is a big assumption...)

Appreciate anyone's input - I've never been to OBX - and really never even considered going until about 2 days ago!

I'd like to keep hotel nightly rates to around $200/night and that doesn't seem like that's an issue around this area.

Not sure where your starting point is but it is quite a haul from Savannah to OBX. I am guessing you are leaving on the 27th ? not the 29th ? In addition, if I were going to OBX I would likely opt for a (weekly) rental in lieu of a hotel. In addition, you are likely picking one of the absolute busiest weekends of the year, w/what I would consider insufficient time to really see much. After all the driving, you'll only have 2 full days (in OBX). I would either opt for OBX OR Savannah & any of the nearby islands (such as Amelia or Jekyll). Savannah to Morehead City (the southern entry to OBX) is about 400 miles.

We are driving down from OH to Savannah on Sunday straight through - and spending a few days there. We were then going to go up to Myrtle Beach for a day - then to OBX. Since we are going back north - we are going that way anyway.... but now that mention the other two islands around Savannah - I'm going to look into that - maybe that will be more relaxing.... Thanks for your input!

Being from Ohio, that is a sizeable drive & could be very long if you are from the northern portion of the state. By all means consider the other, closer islands or, since you are going to MB, consider these - www.ncbrunswick.com. I won't go out to OBX for less than a week & I reside in NC. It may well be best to save that for another trip. Where from in Ohio ?

Lots of people go to the OBX for less than a week but I would agree with the above poster's advice in this instance since you'll already be in shooting range of some excellent beaches.

But to answer your questions, the really horrendous traffic is typically limited to weekend days in the summer with the huge change over for weekly home rentals. It's much worse approaching from north of the OBX than the south. You would be arriving on a Wed and leaving early on a Sat. Your only issue would be leaving very early Sat.

Also as you already know, you're going to be travelling over the 4th of July holiday. You're going to see lots of extra people on the road where ever you go.

Forgot to add:

The OBX isn't really about "attractions" so much as it is about the beach. But anywhere in the middle or northern beaches will put you in relative proximity to golf, shopping and restaurants. The southern beaches are more isolated. Especially Hatteras. The northern beaches take the brunt of the weekend turnover traffic b/c you have to travel 20 odd miles south on a two lane road in order to leave the island.

For hotels, I'd look at the Hilton Garden Inn at the southern end of Southern Shores.

I would stick to Tybee Island or Hilton Head Island. The Outerbanks are beautiful but a long, long drive from Savannah and a grueling drive at that.

Hard interstate driving then conjested two lane roads.

I would pick either the North Carolina beaches or Georgia.

Also, going over July 4th will intensify everything times ten.

Also, the hotels on both beaches will probably have minimum night requirements over the holiday week.

Good luck!

FWIW, Savannah to Myrtle Beach is four hours or so and Myrtle Beach to the Outerbanks is around 8 hours.

Ok, thanks so much for the advice. We are going to nix the idea of the OBX and do that some other time when we can go there for a longer time (and not the busiest time of the season!). We are looking at Amelia Island instead - and I think we may plan an extra day around Savannah. Thanks again!