Places to stay at the Outer Banks

[pema]

My most recents trips have been work related and I stayed at a B & B in Columbia.

This may be too much to ask for, but I'd really to be oceanfront at one of the quieter beaches.

The one time we went when I was younger, we stayed at one of the chain hotels in Nags Head. And I'm hoping to avoid that this time.

What places do y'all like to stay at? What places have you heard good things about?

[tikitodd]

I stayed in Corolla this past Thanksgiving. It's one of the northern beaches of the OBX. It appears to be one of the quieter beaches; no chain motels, just homes for rent. Nice bike path to ride on, many little beach type shops and you are only about 12 miles from the "end of the road" where the pavements meets the beach. Very cool to drive on the beach, at no cost!

Here is a link to a rental company that rents many of the homes in Corolla.

http://www.carolinadesigns.com/

[Tarheel Tail-Gator]

We stayed at the Lighthouse Inn in Buxton several years ago (before they moved the lighthouse). It's definitely quieter down in that section.

If you can get a house, Waves, Salvo, and Rodanthe are small villages surrounded by the National Seashore and the barrier islands are skinny enough that you can get something sound-side (cheaper) and still have a five minute or less walk to the beach.

Also, the high season doesn't usually start until mid-June, so you can get good weather and a better price end of May, first week of June.

[pirate676]

Never been to the Northern beaches but have stayed in Kill Devil Hills and will again go this yr. I thought it was a great combination of not very crowded beach and plenty of things to do. It seemed to me the further south you go Waves/Rodanthe the less people but your certainly further away from some activities. Staying on the beach is more expensive than across the street but should be done at least once. We're staying across the street this yr. Looking forward to Yuenglings from the Brew-Thru.

[pema]

We stayed at the Lighthouse Inn in Buxton several years ago (before they moved the lighthouse). It's definitely quieter down in that section.

If you can get a house, Waves, Salvo, and Rodanthe are small villages surrounded by the National Seashore and the barrier islands are skinny enough that you can get something sound-side (cheaper) and still have a five minute or less walk to the beach.

Also, the high season doesn't usually start until mid-June, so you can get good weather and a better price end of May, first week of June.

yeah, the catch 22 of somewhere that has the unique benefit of undeveloped beaches, is that you along with everyone else, can't stay on the beach. and the undeveloped beaches are what makes the southern beaches special

and the sunset view on sound would be nice

[OceanCityGirl]

We always rent a house in Frisco. It's quiet, close to the lighthouse and grocery stores, easy to get to the ferry to Ocracoke. It is quieter then Nags Head though. A positive to Frisco is that it is reasonably priced for a house and it is difficult to find something far from the water. I would say almost the same thing about Avon, Buxton and Hatteras. Midgettrealty.com is good to deal with.

[Carolinadreamin']

We've gone to the OBX every summer for the past 15 years. We've always gone north to Corolla which we love. The town has resturants, a couple of bars and some shopping but there aren't any hotels. Duck can be pretty crowded. There are some places just past Corolla Light that are very quiet but you can get to the Food Lion in Corolla fairly quickly.
There are mostly houses and a few townhouses. The 4 wheel drive area north of Corolla is very remote but you can drive on the beach.
There is also a hotel (just one) between Duck and Pine Island if you want a hotel.
Try to get a Sunday to Sunday rental and then you're not arriving with the bulk of people. Driving up Route 12 requires a lot of patience on a Saturday in July or August.

I can't tell you about the southern OBX because we haven't been there but we have heard that Rodanthe and Avon are beautiful and not crowded. It's just a long way for us to go from northern VA in a car.

[Hockey Mon]

I also put a vote in for Corolla. My parents have a place there and even in the summer, it feels empty (and if you go there off season it's desolate). You've got the Food Lion and the shops across the street and maybe mini-golf (I think a Brew Thru is there also which always cracks me up) and that's about it. There is a neighborhood behind the Food Lion that has a bunch of moderate size houses and are within walking distance to the beach. It's called Whalehead. We don't go that often because it's a haul from DC just for a weekend and a week at the beach would drive me bananas (I know, not very Buffett-y but I'd rather go to the mountains/skiing than to the beach for a week)

The reality company my folks use is http://www.beachrealtync.com/. If you care, there house is property #7910.

[sunseeker]

The Tranquil House Inn is a BEAUTIFUL place....on the sound in Manteo

Here is a link their website....

http://www.1587.com/

[JollyMon66]

It's hard to find a bad spot in the OBX. Probably the least desirable spot for us is right around the Kitty Hawk bridge....it's very busy and crowded. The charm of the OBX is peace, beautiful beaches, and no hassle about having a cooler of beer on the beach.

I've seen many posts about Corolla - that's nice up there especially if you have a large family group going and want a large house to hold all. The real southern beaches below Oregon Inlet like Frisco and Waves are great but are one hell of along way from the bridge. There's not much to do if you have kids that need none beach entertainment. When you travel from PA with 4 teenagers you're looking to get the hell out of the van after 7 hours so we don't stay that far south.

Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head are nice but pretty commercial.

My number one recomendation is Duck or Southern Shores. Nice rentals at a fairly reasonable price. Close to resturants and non-beach things. There is nice shopping in Duck and great views of the sunset over the sound. If you have older kids like us - rent some bikes or give them the car keys and turn them loose in Duck for the afternoon. Check out the Sunset Grill if you stay in Duck....the view over the sound at sunset is amazing and the tiki bar deck is pretty hot. One suggestion in going to Duck - plan to arrive in town before noon...the traffic on Route 12 is a killer - especially on Saturdays.

[lime rickie]

We rented a house in Duck and had a phabulous time.

In fact, the people in the house next door asked to borrow our MIM CD for their fishing trip. When they brought it back that evening they gave us 10 lbs of fresh tuna which we promptly blackened and grilled. It was a great night.

[JollyMon66]

We love to go to the fish market in Duck for tuna and other seafood. Over the last number of years we've prepared a huge Wednesday seafood feast for whoever is vacationing with us. It's hard to beat the tuna you are buying at 10 am that was still swimming in the Gulf Stream at 4 am.

[JollyMon66]

We're excited - we just booked the house we wanted to stay at in Duck last night. We've been in this same house I think 5 of the last 6 or 7 years.

We'll be in the OBX the week of July 17 should any BNers want to hook up with us for a beverage or two or three....The Sunset Grille in Duck is a great spot to enjoy the Tiki Bar, deck, the beach crowd, and the sunset...oh an a drink as well.

[SaltyLand]

Been to the OBX many times, always more to the South. Avon is my preference, and there are some 2 bedroom condos there that a reasonable if you have 4 or less. Weekly rentals, quiet beaches especially if you get away from the public access areas.

They have a short walk across the dunes to the ocean, and if you have a 4WD, there are ramps to the beach both north and south of town. Avon is kind of in the middle, so you can go north to the Manteos and Kill Devil Hills or South to the lighthouse (real close,) Hatteras Village or take the ferry to Ocracoke.

One thing I have told people in the past is the OBX has something for everyone. Some people love Ocracoke Island, others love Duck or Hatteras Village. If you are unsure, try all of them. Get a place for a couple nights in Ocracoke and stay there. Move north to Hatteras or Buxton (motels) and hang out there a couple days, then go north and try that area a couple days. The next time you will know the area you liked best, and can rent close to it.

Be sure to talk with the locals (in shops, tackle shops, or even gas stations) about places to go and see depending on your interests. I have found the people there proud of their history and willing to share with you some things you don't just hear about otherwise.