Outer Banks - March, April, or May?
 

DH and I have been talking about revisiting the Outer Banks (for the first time in 40 years) next spring. Both of our daughters have moved to Raleigh, been there for a number of years but never visited OBX. So we're talking about renting a house and having them come visit (separately since they usually exchange pet care).

Ideally, I'm hoping since we're off-season we could rent for about 10 days and include 2 full weekends. But April is problematic because one daughter has a convention April 4-11 and a rental from April 12-20 would include Easter weekend, which might not be considered off-season. We'll have to see.

We would like to avoid mosquito season (and black flies) as much as possible, so I'm guessing March would be better than the last few days of April into early May. We would also like to avoid a prolonged rainy period.

We used to stay in the Kitty Hawk area except for one time when we camped on the beach on Hatteras; Kitty Hawk/Nags Head is undoubtedly so much more developed now that we might prefer to stay farther south or even go north to Corolla or Duck to rent a house.

Our overall plan is to take the ferry from Swan Quarter to Ocracoke for a couple of days, then the ferry to Hatteras and north for the house rental portion, then stay in Manteo for a couple of days before we return home.

Any advice on the most auspicious time to avoid bugs and precipitation would be appreciated. Also comments on temperatures we might expect in March. Or suggestions for rental agencies, towns or areas any of you prefer on Hatteras.

I would do April or early May. I think March could be colder than you would like.

There are lots of rental agencies

for example

outerbeaches.com

sunrealtync.com (the biggest one of all)

you could also try Twitty if you are interested in the Duck/Corolla area

There are many others including Carolinadesigns and Kittydunes and outerbanksvacations and joelambjr

Mosquitoes often depend on how wet the SPRING has been; flies are often dependent upon whether or not you are having a "land breeze"

Basically none of these times are really the so-called "high season" and off-season can be wonderful including March but don't expect balmy breezes.

Good luck with renting for anything less than a week or multiples thereof BUT you should contact the rental agencies directly about that; sometimes it is possible in the off-season periods

Problem is I have is one daughter has MS and trouble with stairs, but I'd rather not do a condo for the whole time. But I have been looking at some realty sites since I first posted and see that I can get a 2-br. condo (with elevator) in Nags Head or Kitty Hawk for a week for about the same price as a hotel for 4 days. So now I'm thinking maybe to do that if I can't get a shorter condo rental, then move to a house somewhere on Hatteras Is. the next week. If we don't want to spend 2 full weeks on Hatteras/Bodie (which I don't think we do), we could just blow off 3 days on the condo rental.

I would go in May when the weather will be much nicer to sit out on the beach. Hot tubs should be open and possibly even the house pool.
I would look into renting a house with an elevator. There are houses that have elevators and off season should be a pretty good price.

I agree - you risk being very cold in March or April.

I vote for May. The ocean temps will be cold, but it would be better for sitting on the beach/deck.

Biting flies depend on which way the winds blow. Mosquitos usually aren't out that early.

I also would look for a condo with an elevator or a small house. Croatan Surf club has an elevator and indoor pool and hot tubs. A week in early May is $1500(plus tax) for a 3 bed 3 bath condo.

Forgot to add that was through Sun Realty.

We're actually not going for the beach. Well, not for swimming. More for wildlife refuges, maybe strolling on the beach barefoot, looking for the wild horses, Elizabethan Gardens, etc. DH and I live in FL, have a pool at home, have good swimming beaches an hour or two away (prefer the gulf to the Atlantic anyway). Not even sure we'd go in the water up there in mid-summer, to tell the truth. Anything under 80 degrees is frigid to us (and 85 is better) after living here for 35 yrs. Even though our daughters, who grew up here, have lived in Raleigh for 20 years and 10 years, I don't know that they have totally abandoned their fondness for warm water. One husband likes long beach walks but I'm not sure he cares that much about swimming or lying in the sand. I really just wanted them to see the area, but it's not a "beach trip" per se.

I have read some posts about how bad the mosquitoes were in early May one year - and they'll be worse places like Pea Island, in the woods, where the trees break the breeze - but also I think it was last year that people were wondering where the mosquitoes were in Aug. Since you can't predict how rainy a spring it will be, I figured I'd just as soon not take chances of being bitten to death at the nat'l seashore, where they don't spray. I still have an old, old memory of getting out of the car along the sound and my legs literally turning black with mosquitoes in seconds.

Polly229, what is your point?

Dukey1
Response to several suggestions to wait till May when it's warmer. We don't need warmer for what we're planning to do. But mosquitoes would be more unpleasant if a wet spring and they were rampant in May.

We have a place in Virginia beach and March is cold and very windy at times. You can't even sit on the beach or walk it without sand pelting you in the face. So, I do think going in May is so much more pleasant. You will have warmer temps, but not hot or humid yet. I don't ever remember having bugs in the springtime in VB. VB is just north of where you are talking about. Swimming would be cold, but I knew you weren't looking to swim if you were talking about march,april or even may really. Ocean temps will be quite chilly.

I do know though if the weather is warmer, it will be a lot more pleasant for being out and about. More things will be open in May as well.

I'm pretty mosquito adverse, but wouldn't have even considered the threat of mosquitoes in the windy OBX during May. But I guess I could be wrong.

But I am pretty sure that unless you get really lucky with the weather, it will be too cold to walk barefoot on the beach in March and much of April.

We went for our first time in late April last year & it was perfect. The weather was warm enough & we had absolutely no bug problems. Spent lots of time at Pea Island, too.

In May the weather could be anything. I went to a wedding on May 15, 2010 in Corolla where it was hotter than hell. About 95 degrees and extremely humid. Everyone was miserable.

Maybe our best bet would be to arrive Easter weekend (19th or 20th) and run into the first few days of May if we wind up having to rent a place for 2 wks. I know nothing is guaranteed as far as weather is concerned. Lived in NC for 12 of the 14 years immediately prior to moving to FL and remember well the weather changes in spring and fall. Also rain for five days straight, which I hope we'll escape.

How exciting that you will be visiting the Outer Banks after almost 40 years! I'm a resident of Nags Head and absolutely love this area. A lot has changed in 40 years, but there are so many great things to do here and still a lot of untouched land along the seashore.

Check out www.OuterBanksBlue.com and www.SandbridgeBlue.com - we have 250 houses in the Outer Banks and 50 houses at Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach. They currently have 39 homes with elevators in the Outer Banks, since that is a concern for your daughter with MS and 12 of those homes are pet-friendly, so the dogs could come along on vacation.

A few great things to know:
* You pay advertised rate + tax, no hidden fees.
* They provide the linens for free and even make the bed for you!
* They have keyless entry, so you don't have to stop by their office on your way in or out.
*The dogs can come along on vacation and stay for FREE at their pet-friendly homes (no additional pet fees!).

The reservation team is amazing at matching the right home with the right guest. Give them a call and let them do the work for you! 877 248 4823 Tell them Erica sent you. :)