nls

Hello, I am wondering where this forum would recommend for us to stay in the Outerbanks. It is our 1st time there, I am bringing my mom who cannot go up and down stairs and would like to be either on the beach in a smaller private home or in a condo/hotel with easy access to the beach and beach views. I also have a 5 year old. Someone recommended Corolla please help.

Ackislander

Most of the beach houses I have seen are multi-story monstrosities designed to pack in as many family and friends as possible.

I hope you find someplace that fits your needs because it might fit ours as well!

Do you have to have a 4 wheel drive to get to Corolla?

Cassandra

You'll most likely end up renting through a realtor, and they are very well versed in which cottages (that's a misnomer often) are accessible. It's not so much the town, although Corolla's nice -- I might look at Duck, too -- as it is knowing the properties.

We have stayed in at least 2 places where everything was at ground level (older properties), although some areas have more and more places on stilts (as they should be, given the climate). Of course ground level may mean limited ocean view.

The other thought is to check the few actual motels on the OBX for ones that have elevators.

Re: Corolla -- no, you don't need ATV/4-wheel drive in most areas; you don't drive on the beach and there are roads and driveways. It's more north of Corolla that you might need 4WD..

emd

You do not need a 4 wheel drive to go to Corolla. The road ends a few miles beyond Corolla. (Maybe you are thinking of Corova, as you need a 4 wheel drive to get there.)

How much do you have to spend, when are you going, and are you staying a week? Is it 3 people total?

There are condos on the oceanfront in Nags Head and some other areas, and the small bldgs have elevators. But need answers to those ?s in order to recommend.

With the 5 yr old, I think you'd want a pool. Check out some place like

emd

oops, hit the button too soon

like Heron Cove in Nags Head. Three small oceanfront condo bldgs. w/elevators and oceanfront pool. They only rent by the week in summer.

http://tinyurl.com/24ekya

Dukey

Nls,

you might get even better answers, or at least more, if you posted somewhere like www.obxconnection.com.

If you do that you'll get a wealth of information

krisf

We enjoy Corolla - quiet, but with plenty of shopping and dining close by, plus Corolla lighthouse, miniature golf, movies. Duck is also a nice town.
We have always gone with a large group, so the house we rent sounds like it may be too big for you (7 bedrooms/sleeps at least 18 comfortably). It does, however, have two bedrooms on the ground floor that are accessible for a wheelchair from the driveway through the pool area. I would also highly recommend a house/condo with a pool or a hotel (we've stayed at the Hampton Inn, Corolla which is nice) with your five your old - have entertained many children that way on vacation!
I agree with Cassandra that you would likely rent through a realtor. We have used Carolina Designs and have been very happy. There are several others as well; if you end up renting a beach house, you should consider where the realtor's office is located relative to the rental property (key pick up/drop off). Carolina Designs shows map locations of each property as well as floor plan, which is very helpful; I'm sure others do as well. Prices and home amenities are also noted.
Good luck and happy planning!

ncgrrl

My brother, sil, and her mother with mobility problems stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn around Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills and enjoyed the trip. It's oceanfront and has a pool. Pretty new hotel so it meets ADA requirements. I haven't been to this hotel.

emd

I don't think you are going to find an ocaeanfront house in Corolla that is small enough for you and that won't have lots of stairs for Mom. Maybe not in Duck either.

The Sanderling is a possibility, but it is pricey.

One thing w/an older or less mobile Mom is she might want to do something besides the beach and pool. Closer to Nags Head there is shopping at the outlets (not a huge oulet mall, a nice manageable size) and the Outer Banks Mall (good bookstore there). And you can drive down to visit Hatteras and Bodie lighthouses from nags head. And the 5 yr old would like to climb Jockey's Ridge and watch the kites and hang gliders there, the huge sand dune that's a natl. park. And there's the Wright Bros. Memorial and museum in Kitty Hawk close by. More to do off the beach in that area than in Corolla and Duck.

nohomers

All private houses in OBX (that I've seen) that are oceanfront or semi-ocean front are on stilts.

Also, usually sand dunes are between beach and houses requiring you to up and down stairs to access the beach. Best bet may be with a hotel but inquire if beach access requires use of stairs to climb over the dunes.

wliwl

I don't know how much you want to spend, but some of the houses in OBX (Duck and Corolla) have elevators. They tend to be larger properties.

I like Elan for a rental company, and on their search page they allow you to search for houses with an elevator.
http://www.elanvacations.com/index.asp

Barrier Island Station is in a nice location in Duck, but the property gets decidedly mixed reviews on Tripadvisor.com these days.(To me it seems like they just built it - but it has been there quite awhile.)
http://www.bistation.com/

Port Trinitie has some condos in a nice location. Check for handicap accessibility.
http://www.port-trinitie.org/PT-Page04.htm

Also,Georgetown Sands and Colony by the Sea are two condo projects in good locations. Resortquest.com rents some of those. (Search for 2 bedrooms.)

I think you can find a place - but it might just take a little perseverance and flexible dates. I strongly prefer Duck to almost all the other areas in OBX. It combines a not-too-crowded feeling without being so far out on the island. (But then we've been going to the Outer Banks for over 30 years - long before Corolla was built, and I still remember how nice it used to be before it was all so built up.)

wliwl

I want to mention that since condos are privately owned the owners are probably able to rent them through whatever management company they want. So, if you want a condo rather than a house (a more limited selection in Duck and points north) then you should probably just go to a bunch of rental sites and try to figure out what they have.

Also, boy an oceanfront property is really the way to go if you can swing it.

wliwl

I'm sorry - one more thing.

I noticed that you mentioned "beach views." Just so you know, the dunes can be quite high along the outer banks, and so even from an oceanfront property may not be able to see the beach - especially if you are on a first floor.

emd

That is why I recommended HEron Cove. Elevator, and if you stay on the 2nd or 3rd floor you get a great view of the beach and water, over the dunes and oceanfront pool. Village realty rents almost all of those units, they are modern and clean and nice, 2-3 bedrooms, and the realty office is right behind the house on hwy 12, about 2 min. away

emd

Here is a list of beach access areas (areas where the public can get access to the beach) that have wood walkways for handicapped persons to get on the beach, as it sounds like Mom might need that to avoid the stairs. And below that list is a list of beach access points that have beach wheelchairs available (rental places like Ocean Atlantic also rent those) in case she might need that.

http://www.outer-banks.com/visitor-info/safety.asp


Intertestingly, Duck has 3 wood walkways. It seems to be the most handcapped-friendly in that way. So maybe try to get a rental very close to one of those wood walkways.

wliwl, do you know if any of the places you mentioned in Duck are close to any of the wood walkways in the above link?

I'd avoid Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk beaches- the sand is eroded a lot in those areas and beach is not good.

emd

nls, are you checking back here on your post?

nls

YES!!!! THIS information is unbelievable. Thank you all for your great advice. Believe it or not we just celebrated Mom's 80th birthday so I was with her for 5 days. I am going to look into each one of these now and as far as the 5 year old- I have limitations with him as well. So I do not need a pool as he is on immunosuppressants and public pools are dangerous. I am looking for low key beauty, maybe a glimpse of these wild horses if possible, the kite flying sounds great, and Duck, so far sounds better than Carolla. I saw something called Carolla Light cottages or something like that and was going to look into it, but with all your recommendations, it will be the last thing I check out. THANK YOU ALL, and I am sorry I did not post sooner.