Outer Banks, North Carolina
 

We might consider going to the Outer Banks this summer. We will be traveling from Colorado so the likely airport will be Norfolk. We may possibly bring grand kids. Any suggestions on an area to stay. I've heard Nags Head is nice. Probably with social distancing we would possibly try and find a beach that would be less crowded. Thanks,

Moved to US Forum and re-tagged for NC.

I would not plan for any travel far from home before October. What happened to your plans for Texas and Alaska? If you have the funds, try going from home on a road trip or rent an RV to visit some lesser known but beautiful state and National Parks. Some states now are trying to discourage tourism from far away places. I have a geocaching event planned on October 10 that may or may not happen. After September 20, I will have to decide to hold the event or delay until 2021.
As for the Outer Banks, the first named tropical storm of 2020 in the Atlantic hit the Outer Banks pretty hard last week. The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1. Medical services are not great on the Outer Banks IMO and the hospitals are not very large.
My DW and I went on our honeymoon to the Outer Banks 44 years ago and we went back once since then. I don't expect to go back ever again.
Visit the new "Road Trip" subforum for new ideas.

Norfolk would be the airport you'd fly into. I wouldn't plan a trip like that this year b/c of the pandemic so I agree with tomfuller's first statement. After that tom's post is under informed, overly opinionated, or just plain wrong.

Yes, I am opinionated about many things. My Facebook friend who lives in South Carolina had 12" of rain between Monday 6AM and Wednesday 6PM. His basement is flooded. After he gets that cleaned up, he is heading for Idaho to start his 2020 fire lookout job.
If you do go to the OBX, be sure to take the grand kids to Kitty hawk to see the spot where the Wright brothers flew.

Thank you for moving it to US forum

Oh boy, can't believe you knew about Texas and Alaska, both were canceled.

It's hard to know what to do in these days but within a month we may have a better idea, particularly about NC. WE are just reopening now in a phase and not completely open yet.
UNC-Chapel Hill is going to open on August 3 and finish exams by Thanksgiving and not open up until after January. I put this in because it "may" be that the virus will be less active in mid to late summer and allow travel WITH ALL THE PRECAUSTIONS we are doing now could happen.
I don't know the Outer Banks but I think it could be pretty crowded. We have a place at Litchfield by the Sea in SC in a gated ommunity that even in high season, the beach is not crowded. We could social distance on July 4th. So maybe I am suggesting you find a rental in a gated community that will assure more distance. Maybe people who know OBX know of such. There are other places on the coast that may be easier to get to with similar things to recommend.
Tom's mention of hurricane DOES have one glimmer of use--take out hurricane insurance wherever you decide to rent, but most reputable leasing agents will stress that to you up front.
We have a week at our place the week of Labor Day and are looking forward to it. We have one coming up the first of June (we share with friends) and will not be going. We WERE there in March when the lockdowns began and the restaurants were closing. Could hardly believe it was happening to our favorite restaurants.

And yes, we have had about 6 inches of rain in 7 days in Charlotte with more on the way. I have no idea what that has to do with travel to the OBX. Weather happens!! We have been at the beach when it rained every day--and had 3 children under 8. Now that is hazard duty!!

I don't know the Outer Banks but I think it could be pretty crowded. We have a place at Litchfield by the Sea in SC in a gated ommunity that even in high season, the beach is not crowded. We could social distance on July 4th. So maybe I am suggesting you find a rental in a gated community that will assure more distance. Maybe people who know OBX know of such. There are other places on the coast that may be easier to get to with similar things to recommend.

Gated communities are not a predominant feature of the Outer Banks. Ditto with the boardwalk/promenade highly commercial entertainment thing in near by Myrtle Beach. I join a group of college friends at LBTS for a week every year in July or August. It's very very pretty there. The population density of LBTS is greater than most OBX communities I can think of. OBX oceanfront is comprised largely of single family homes, small condominiums and a scattering (< 12) chain hotels. Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head are likely to be the busiest with the northern and southern most communities being less so. The beaches are hardly empty during the high season but they are not shoulder to shoulder like the Jersey Shore or Delaware beaches.

It's hard to know what to do in these days but within a month we may have a better idea, particularly about NC. WE are just reopening now in a phase and not completely open yet.

I agree. The Outer Banks literally closed entry to outsiders for eight weeks at the start of the pandemic. It has only just opened to visitors in the last few days in anticipation of Memorial Day weekend. It remains to be seen how that plays out during the high season. Personally I wouldn't schedule myself or my grandkids (if I had them ) to fly from Denver to a sandbar off the coast of North Carolina this year.

The OBX has a full service community hospital with an excellent reputation that serves the year round community of approx 35,000. It partners with two larger regional area hospitals.

Hurricane season runs from June through November with the most activity in August & September. Tropical storms and nor'easters occur frequently on the east cost. No one bats an eye for the most part except for those who have their vacation rental week rained out. If the OP travels in July they should, of course, get trip insurance. It's cheap enough and you'll almost certainly not have to use it b/c of hurricanes. Be aware, however, that in the event of another physical lock out due to covid you may be asked to go first through your insurance company with a claim (that will likely be denied) before getting a refund from the owner or property manager. And if you choose not to come b/c of a spike in covid virus infections but the area is still open to visitors., your insurance claim will almost certainly be denied.

For tomfuller, you have visited the OBX twice in 44 years. You are not really qualified here to answer the inquiry.

Thanks OBX girl. The insurance thing is important to read because pandemics was an exclusionary clause even before we are in one--they are already in many policies.
And boy, do I agree with this ----Personally I wouldn't schedule myself or my grandkids (if I had them ) to fly from Denver to a sandbar off the coast of North Carolina this year.

What is LBTS?

Litchfield by the Sea that I mentioned in my post. It is a seaside development at Pawley's Island SC.

It's really lovely there, beautiful landscaping, great amenities, and a gorgeous stretch of beach. I'm more of a beach-beach fan than a resort-beach person but I totally get the draw of LBTS. Two of my college friends have an interval or fractional partnership in one of the beachside condos with 12 other owners. I think NC has only recently allowed this kind of partnership. Pretty sure it's a no-go in Virginia.

No, we have had ours for 25 years at LBTS. It's a great way to own beach property and it has apprciated in value rather well, IF we wanted to sell. We have 4 weeks a year--there are 8 owners and some have multiple weeks. Ours is first floor ocean front so it is like haveing a house on the ocean--across the dunes of course.
There are shares for sale all the time in many of the buildings. It wold be a real leap to jump in with a group if you don't know anyone in it. OUrs is very well run by a couple of people as are many that I know of in Charlotte. This is NOT a time share like the boiler room stuff that goes on. Can't think why Virginia wouldn't allow this--maybe that "time share" thing is what you mean.
And I've done and loved your "beach beach" thing for many years also with our family renting mainly at Ocean Isle BEFORE the causeway and when there were maybe 2 or 3 rows of houses!!

To the OP--how old are your grandkids and are they also from the Denver area? I have a reason to ask.