Trailering Magazine's
associate publisher Beth McCann makes an annual trip to The Outer Banks
with her family. Here, she tells why it's a special place.
Summer vacations are over and the weather is starting to change. Oh
sure, depending on where you live, there may still be a day or two,
here or there, for you to hitch up the boat and go out, but they will
be few. It is at this point every year that I start to think about next
summer and all the vacation possibilities. It seems the winter weather
is much easier to handle when you have a sunny vacation to look forward
to. I thought I would share one of my favorite vacation spots with you.
The Outer Banks, North Carolina has been the backdrop to some of my
family's best summer vacation memories.
Corolla, NC is at the very northern end of Highway 12, the main road
connecting all the towns of the Outer Banks. At most points during the
trip north on 12 you can see water. Currituk Sound off to the left and
the Atlantic Ocean to the right. There are beach house communities all
along the route (many built on stilts as a time-tested way to survive
high water during hurricane season) all trying to seek the best possible
view. We pass through Kitty Hawk, Pine Island, Duck and Sanderling before
reaching Corolla on this 20-mile expanse of Highway 12. Each town has
an ambiance of its own; Kitty Hawk has the beach, tourist attractions
and nightlife to interest the active crowd. Sanderling is naturally
quiet and has all the amenities and privacy most posh resorts offer.
Duck and Corolla offer more of an everyday family atmosphere coupled
with great beaches. Many beach houses are rented by the week in Corolla.
You have a choice of being on the Sound or on the Ocean side of Hwy
12 and from there you can choose the house size and the distance from
the water and the price you want to pay. Most of the houses offer all
amenities of home such as kitchen appliances, TV's, VCR's, games, books,
baby equipment, outside showers and more. There are a number of Real
Estate companies that specialize in summer rentals. Each offer printed
catalogs with descriptions and photos of the houses including their
exact location and the amenities each has to offer (for the fisherman
with high hopes of catching dinner you can even choose a home equipped
with a fish cleaning table). Most companies offer their catalogs online.
I suggest you rent early, by February availability is limited. For those
more in touch with nature than I am, a number of camping facilities
are located throughout the Outer Banks. Campgrounds offering treed sites
on the edge of ocean dunes to full service grounds with camping cottages
are available. If hotel accommodations are more your style most of the
major chains have facilities on the Outer Banks. No matter what your
definition of "roughing it" is, there is a spot for you.
With accommodations out of the way you can plan activities that interest
you. Planning early so that you can make reservations such as tee times
and fishing charters can prevent disappointment on vacation. Tee off
at one or more luxurious North Carolina golf courses, fly a kite from
the North Carolina dunes, enjoy water sports or just relax and hunt
for shells while enjoying the crisp Atlantic ocean waters on the beach.
There is something for everyone on the Outer Banks.
Boating
Whether your trailered boat is used for fishing, pulling a water toy
with a child attached or if it's a PWC, there is a place perfect to
enjoy your sport. The sounds are shallow and calm, great for smaller
boats including many car-topped kayaks. Larger trailerboats, especially
those with adventurous captains can head out into the Atlantic, well
not too far out!
The Outer Banks is famous for its lucrative fishing grounds. Fishing
piers are great for the inexperienced angler (and I speak from personal
experience). Your bait and tackle can be simple and with all the people
around it is always entertaining. Don't have your own equipment, no
problem, most of the bait shops rent rods and reels. If fishing from
the pier doesn't hit the spot you can go offshore for real excitement.
The Outer Banks' proximity to the Continental shelf edge and the Gulf
Stream is what makes offshore fishing so good. Offshore charters are
available throughout the Outer Banks. Usually there is room for six
passengers along with the Captain and mate. All of the equipment is
included in the price and is waiting on the boat for you when you arrive.
You do not need to bring any previous offshore experience with you but
don't forget sunscreen and something for motion sickness. Call early
for best reservations. Want just a little less excitement, there are
many boat ramps scattered along the Outer banks. Fish from your own
boat or rent one. There are over 900 square miles of inshore waters
available for fishing. There is access to the Currituck, Croatan, Roanoke
and Pamlico sounds and while ramps are also available at both Hatteras
and Oregon inlets, where the fishing is most lucrative, be prepared
for strong currents and changing shoals.
The steady breeze on the Outer Banks coastline makes it an excellent
playground for things that fly. Experience the thrill of hang gliding
from the dunes or parasailing above the sound. Try your hand at windsurfing
or wave surfing, conditions are perfect for both. There are many shops
dotted along the Outer Banks where you can rent or buy surfing equipment;
lessons are also available if this is your first time. And don't pass
up the opportunity to simply fly a kite, it's amazing but I swear the
higher the kite soars in the sky the younger you feel.
Sightseeing, shopping and eating are always at the top of any vacation
list and the Outer Banks is no exception. The area is jam packed with
history. From the spot where the Wright brothers first got off the ground,
where today stands a museum and gift shop, to the grounds of the Lost
Colony to some of the nations most beautiful light houses. If you have
a four-wheel drive, take a drive just north of Corolla and you will
experience the true meaning of "born free". At the bitter northern end
of Hwy 12 you will pass through a gate to enter on to the beach. This
area is home to more than 30 wild Spanish mustang horses, descendants
of horses that survived shipwrecks as early as 1523. It is a magnificent
sight to see the horses running free through the dunes and along the
beach with their manes bouncing with the wind. If you do not have a
four-wheel drive vehicle, you can rent one locally. There are also wild
horse tours available.
Whether you are a serious shopper or just want to pass the time on a
rainy day, there are many unique gift and specialty shops to browse.
It's a great place to start your holiday shopping early! For visitors
with more immediate needs, the Outer Banks is famous for their seafood
buffets. I don't think that you can drive five miles on any stretch
of Highway 12 without finding a restaurant offering a seafood buffet,
you can't miss them and if you crave good seafood you shouldn't. There
are too many selections to name, fried, broiled, blackened and baked
fish of all types alongside steamed, fried, hot and cold shell fish,
chef specialties and much, much more. It is a seafood lover's fantasy.
