Pat

I am planning a trip to the Outer Banks this Summer. Family includes boys ages 14 and 13, and 2 girls almost 12 along with 5 adults (and if possible a 62lb. Golden Ret.). Any suggestions on where to stay? Upper Shore vs. farther south? Experiences with cottage rental vs. motel? Any help would be appreciated.

Don in VA

Duck and above, or Rodanthe and below. Most everything inbetween is probably the kind of stuff you want a vacation from. With that many folks (and a dog) I'd recommend a cottage. I have had good experience with Sun Realty, although there are other good rental agents. They are probably online, and should be able to send a Summper property catalogue to you. Book soon! Also, Manteo Island has a few moderately-priced B&Bs, and a slower pace yet just a 10 minute drive to the "action" I'm sure the kids will want to sample.

ncgrrl

I vote for farther south so you're closer to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, ferry to Okracoke and the like.
Most NC hotels do not allow pets (except service animals) so a house is the best option for your group.

Book early, and get the trip insurance esp. if your trip is during hurricane season. There are not many ways off the island in case of an evacuation. The insurance is a small price to pay for piece of mind. However, I wouldn't get trip insurance from a vacation rental place (too many loopholes). Ask your car/house insurance agent about trip insurance.

Buxton should have a grocery store so you don't have to drive back up to Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills for everything.

Bring a kite! Kite flying here is fun (always have wind, and no kite-eating trees Charlie Brown has trouble with).

Stop by the Pea Island reserve and look at all the animals.

I highly recommend going to the Wright Brothers Monument. By the way, there is an airport (well, landing strip) next door. If someone is flying in you can try to compare current flight vs. the Wright Brothers.

Bill

By all means get a big cottage rather than a bunch of hotel rooms. Part of the fun is to take turns cooking (kids too!) with only a few restaurant meals. Most of the cottages have a "great room" arrangement with a well-equipped kitchen integrated into the living room.
I would pick the south end - Hatteras Island - for it's uncrowded beauty and better prices than the Duck/Corolla area.
Last summer we stayed in Avon, which is the most developed part of Hatteras (big supermarket, etc) but still very peaceful. Our very nice oceanfront cottage, with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths was around $2400. (There are plenty that are bigger, some with small private swimming pools.) Check out the Hatteras Realty website at http://www.beachsurf.com/hatteras There is a search function that gives you a list of cottages based on your critera (such as number of bedrooms and accepting dogs). There's another big rental company in the area, but I forget the name.

lisa

I went to Okracoke and absolutely loved it and would really like to go back someday. A cute little town, nice harbor, good fishing, great beaches nearby, a nice little lighthouse, some really good restaurants, etc. The only downside is that it is a pain to get to (depending on where you're coming from). We stayed in a small hotel but with kids I think a cottage rental would be better.

GOL

Sun Realty is at www.sunrealtync.com Call and get them to send you their brochure. We rented from them twice and had great success. Stay in a house, not a hotel room, for sure. Also list rentals that allow pets. Watch for rentals on golf course / condo communities; get a stand-alone home; Some private communities offer a pool, which might be great for the kids. Sun's guide is excellent.

Many rentals are reverse floor plan; top floor is kitchen/rec room; middle floor bedrooms; on pylons. Many are new and are loaded. Some have pools; Some within communities that have pools, tennis, golf, etc...; Check out (i.e, ask the rental company) how far you have to walk to a) get to the beach and b) get to a beach with a lifeguard.

As far as where to stay... I don't know how you could go wrong anywhere in the OB. We've stayed in Nags Head and Duck; Nags Head was the busiest area; Duck a little more quiet; We had many ages during our family reunion; Kids always wanted to "do" things, which meant (usually) a trip near the busy areas (Nags Head, for example). Check out a map. Some towns/rentals (such as Avon) are far away from other things, as the sand bar is quite long. As I recall, there were not large grocery store chains, many restaurants or mini-golf (etc..) in some of the towns south of the main (Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills) area - so you may have to drive 10-20 miles to shop, eat, recreate (which makes this ideal for some - but I'm not sure teens would like the isolation - especially if the beach/water isn't "friendly" the days you are going....)

If it still exists, take the dolphin tour. An outfit inside the Ramada (Nags Head/KDH). Departs from the Ramada beach on a cat. You are 3' off the sea; they take you where the dolphins are 'swimming' -

karen

We stay in South Nags Head, because my teenage sons love the fishing piers. Pay for a day pass, buy your bait and rent your tackle right there, and fish all day.

Lori

Karen: Did you catch anything?

I'm always on the lookout for my next vacation spot, and this area sounds great. We were in Nag's Head several years ago, but during the off season and the place was deserted.

S

We LOVE the Outer Banks. I wasn't too impressed with Duck. The beaches are notoriously shallow. We love the isolation of the far northern part of OBX. With teens, you may want to be closer to various rides, etc. I concur with the other posters suggesting a house. Here is a website with all the OBX realtors. Very helpful. With most realty websites, you can pick and choose the options you're interested in. Enjoy! Unfortunately we won't be going there for vacation this year!

http://www.aesir.com/OuterBanks/LodgingList.html

S

Oh yea, I just remembered. Another trip ya'll might enjoy would be to Roanoke Island. This is where the Lost Colony was - remember Virginia Dare, etc. from your 5th grade history? There is a museum, replica of the 16th century sailing ship the Elizabeth II, Elizabethan gardens, AND the outdoor production of "The Lost Colony" ("the oldest and longest running of America's outdoor dramas"). See the following web site and check out the link for area attractions:

http://www.outerbanks.com/lostcolony/

KP

We rented one of those really big house on the north end (north of Duck)of the outer banks with another family. I think it was in a place called Corolla. The cottages (really enormous houses) are on the ocean and in the community where we rented, there was a community pool, tennis court, health club, etc. The wild horse roamed freely around the property. In July, the water was quite warm and swimmable. Some of the house allowed dogs also.

Karen

For Lori: We have been there several times. Sometimes they have caught fish, sometimes not. One year the mackeral were running, and we had several delicious dinners. Last year, my husband and the boys went out to the Gulf Stream on a charter boat which they got at Oregon Inlet, just south of Nags Head. They caught mahi mahi and mackeral, as well as a couple of sailfish, which they released. That was very expensive compared to the piers, though. Notice I keep saying "they." I'm a beach person--give me a beach chair and a good novel, and I'm a happy person. The boys like to have activities, however, and we have found South Nags Head to be a good place for both of us. It's certainly not crowded compared to the Jersey or Delmarva beaches.

Pat

Thanks so far for all the great input. I have been searching every realtor web-site available. So far have found a lot of big houses with pools in Corolla area. My only concern, as I think someone mentioned, is the distance from the "action". Unfortunately the kids are too old for us to plop them in the sand with a bucket and shovel (ahh- the good (and cheap) old days!) Is there anything else to do besides sun and sand in Corolla e.g. mini-golf or whatever?
Also is the Lost Colony show suitable for kids. Will they enjoy it or find it boring?
Thanks!

GOL

We had similar question on "what and where is the action for kids". Ask the rental agent what's around..They helped us very much (we were used to Long Beach Island in NJ as a comparison). They sent us a flashy map of the area that listed all area attractions (different from the rental listing map).

S

Yes, "The Lost Colony" should be suitable for children. This past summer we spent the night in Manteo, but arrived too late to eat supper and make the production. Maybe next time. Took VERY SKEPTICAL husband and daughters (6 & 10) to the museum and sailing ship on Roanoke Island, arriving at opening. Basically we had it to ourselves. They walked out telling me what a GREAT idea it was to stop! (They were filming a promotional video & my oldest made it in a coupla clips.)

We have always enjoyed renting oceanfront homes with a private pool. A crowd your size would probably appreciate the diversity also. We've also taken our own volleyball net and left it up the whole week. (Coordinate with the beach patrol for courtesy.) This attracts others who like to borrow it or join us. With the young teens, it might prove to be a convenient draw to others. Bring a boom box for them & let the teens set up just far enough away from you so they can enjoy their own music. We also take our patio umbrella for a respite from the sun. Suggestions for the kids: bikes, kites, roller blades, skooters, etc. Have fun!

S

Urrghh! Forgot to finish answering your question. Corolla is a great place! But for the kids it's a bit removed from the mini-golf, etc. There is a shopping center not too far with various shops & a theater. THey'll enjoy that. Plan on a trip down to Nag's Head later during the week for those amusements - NOT ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY!!!!

In the shopping center is a Food Lion, convenient and has a good selection. You can count on a high turnover of product during the summer months, i.e., it is PACKED on Saturdays and Sundays when people arrive. There is another Food Lion down on the main drag in Nag's Head. If you have the room when you arrive, stop there.

Fair warning, the roads in and out of the northern parts of OBX are bumper to bumper on the weekends. But the week is well worth it. In Corolla, you will likely see the horses. Remember they are WILD and it's illegal to feed them, pet them, etc.

GOL

Also, some rentals are Sat - Sat and others are Sun - Sun.

Question for S, How much was the oceanfront w/ pool? Who did you rent from?

Jen

Hi Pat! You are going to love OBX! My family (including our dog) heads down there every year. My suggestions would be to definitely rent a home for the week. We usually go with www.bandbonthebeach.com or www.kittydunes.com for the north of Kitty Hawk beach rentals and www.hatterasrealty.com or www.outerbeaches.com for the southern beaches. Great companies to work with. However, you may want to look at a home in Southern Shores which is very close to Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills (where all the kid action is), but not right in the middle of all the summer congestion. A realty to try there would be southern shores realty (www.southernshores.com - I think). There's a big difference in the northern and southern beaches. A lot more activity in the Kitty Hawk area rather than far north and south. Also, many of the areas (Avon, Buxton, etc) serve only beer and wine in the restaurants if any liquor at all. Hatteras, while the dining is limited does permit brown bagging. Hatteras is cool because of the proximity to the lighthouse and the ferry trip to Ocracoke is great. If you stay near Duck - make sure to make a dinner reservation at The Blue Point - it's fantastic - also have a fabulous restaurant in Kill Devil Hills called Ocean Boulevard - not to be missed. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

S

GOL, rental prices vary considerably based on accomodations. Priorities for our group were oceanfront, private pool, hot tub, and private bathroom for each bedroom (children slept in the room with the parents). With those priorities, you can count on paying a minimum of $1000/week per bedroom.

I think the key factors in the cost of a house in OBX are (in no particular order) 1) location (oceanfront, vs oceanside, vs soundside, vs soundfront); 2) private pool; 3) number of bathrooms. What you have to determine are the priorities for your crowd.

GOL

S,
We see many that are "high" - but that is all relative. I was asking the *exact* price since you have experience - not just from a brochure.

Although we see some oceanfronts from $2500 - 10+K per week, it doesn't seem that much if it is split among a few families.

How was the property? Water? View?