i am planning a trip to the Outer Banks in July and was looking for an area that was laid back and relaxing, not too touristy. We'll have our 3 kids along with us. i was thinking the Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head area. is this a goo/bad idea? thanks much for any info.

hermione,

July at the Outer Banks is MAJOR tourist season, especially the Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head area.

You should probably head down toward Hatteras and that area. Getting reservations at this late date could be dicey.

This reply will bring your topic back to the top. Hopefully you will receive more responses.

Curious

Hermione:
There is nowhere along the Atlantic coast that is laid-back, relaxing and not too touristy, north of Hilton Head, in July. And if you can find accomodation, it'll be expensive.

I'd suggest Florida, somewhere between Jacksonville and Daytona, for July.

I'm not sure what you definition of "touristy" is. The Outerbanks is nothing like the big built-up resort areas like Ocean City MD, Virgina Beach etc. Yes, Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Duck are all crowded in the summer but it's still easy to chill out with the family. I think the previous reply telling you to check out the Hatteras area is good advise. As for being too late in the season to find something, I'll bet you can find what you need somewhere on the web.

bookhall, while I agree with you, expand your boundaries to everywhere north of Daytona Beach on the Atlantic will be packed in July. Last time I was in Ponte Vedre in July, it was very busy.

hermione, every beach is busy in July. Might I add, you WILL BE a tourist. If you want empty beaches, go in September.

Forgot to add, have you thought of one of the Miami Beaches in July? Weather isn't much different in North Carolina than it is in Miami in July. December through April is South Florida's peak season.

Depending on how you define "Outer Banks," it could include all the barrier islands all the way down to the SC border. Kill Devil/Nags Head is far and away the most touristy part of all of the OBX, and in a variable way, everything south of that gets less touristy as you go along. From Duck up to Corolla, it gets more upscale but also newer -- once upon a time Whalehead and Corolla would have fit your bill, but now it's developed so much that some people prefer the southern end of Nags Head which is, at least, close to the beginning of the National Seashore, and older in flavor. Would you consider Ocracoke Island, way way south of it all, beyond Hatteras? It's so laid back that some people complain about there being nothing to do. Biggest drawback for you is that none of the properties are beachfront (by zoning), so you have to drive or bike to the beach. But there's lots of beach covering 80% of the island with lots of accesses, and you can have a long expanse pretty much to yourselves. May not be a lifeguard, though.

WOW glad to know the crowds are gone in Sept, planning a lighthouse tour with mom then.

I am going there this sat. and have been going since I was a child the 1st time was 21 years ago. Yikes!
Anyway we have always had a laid back and relaxing time. Even in the tourist season its still pretty quiet. We are staying in Corolla for the first time but ususally stayed in a condo in Kitty Hawk or Nags Head. We like to have a pool to swim and didnt have enough people for a big house like we do now.
I live on the NJ shore and OB is nothing like the chaos that goes on at home. Its much quieter and there are mostly families so its really mellow. I dont think you wil be dissapointed even in Kill Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, or Nags Head.

Our family drove to Cape Hatteras last July and wished we were going back this year!! Stayed at the Lighthouse View which was a great family resort with pool, the ocean and walking distance to the lighthouse! Awesome beach too! Good Luck & Enjoy!

Our family has vacationed at the Outer Banks a few times. We have stayed in Corolla, according to my 10 year old daughter it's a pretty good place to vacation. We have always rented a house oceanside. While it is busy in the summer, it is not overwhelming. You can always find a spot on the beach, the homes are rented to families only, no groups of college students. We went shopping at Timbuktu, played miniature golf, and had a night of go-cart racing. Have fun and don't forget your boogie board!

We were extremely disappointed in our most recent trip to the Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head area. It's been way overdeveloped with McMansions and the usual garbage retail that sprouts up along the Atlantic Coast like weeds. You'll want to head down to Ocracoke to achieve laid-back status, especially if you're returning to the area for the first time in awhile.

Or, wait a few years until the next hurricane season washes away all the garbage along the coast.

I agree with you Brooklyn Bomber. It's gross. WalMarts and fast food chains cheek to jowl. The McMansions are the worst. Can it get any tackier and fake? Honestly, it is so hard to find anyplace to go in America with any character.

I go on a fishing trip to OBX with my husband and his family every winter. We usually stay either at Avon or Hatteras, both of which are in the southern part of the Outer Banks. There is absolutely NOTHING to do there except fish, walk out on the pier, admire the wares at some of the small locally-owned shops, take long walks on the beach, spend a day or two visiting the lovely Ocrakoke Island, having a bite to eat at restaurants where Mom and Dad are in the back cooking the fish caught that morning, and engaging in lots of resting and relaxing. I can't imagine that it gets to much more exciting than that even at the height of the summer. If this sounds like a good time to you(I look forward to this trip all year) then do yourself a favor and stay at the Outer Banks!