North Carolina's Outer Banks are pretty renowned for their dunes, their waves, and their long stretches of empty beaches. Especially pre-season. We spent our 15th anniversary driving a scant three hours to go see them for ourselves. Nags Head, Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Buxton, Frisco, Avon, Hatteras and a smidge of Kitty Hawk in my first time to the area. Richard had been here lots of times over the years, but it was my first time seeing them.
I have had Duck donuts before, heard of the Wright Brothers, and knew there were wild horses out there somewhere. This was an incredible first look at the history making names. We saw wild deer, but no ponies, as we didn't get to Carova or Ocracoke on this visit. The ferry times didn't line up for us.
We started in Newport News VA and took a ferry over to the OBX area, which was a surprisingly short journey of less than four hours at even our slow pace. First stop, Duck Donuts. They do not disappoint, cake donuts, fried to order and topped with your choice of flavored icing and toppings. The Hatteras lighthouse is under construction, so we skipped the tour, but then had an incredible lunch and dinner there after a day of mostly moseying and stopping to walk on the empty beaches on a sunny, cool day. Lots of Great Egret sightings, and a delightful serendipity of showing up first for the five PM dinner crowd, ensuring us a table by the window. We recommend the hot blue crab dip and key lime cheesecake. https://hatterassol.com/
If you see "southern rockefeller oysters" get them. OMG yummy lunch included baked oysters with pimento cheese and jalapeno with a fish and chips basket. One of each was shared, and it was plenty. Along with a vinegar coleslaw that was great.
Another piece of serendipity were the incredible cars in for a car show. There are only two, sometimes just one road up and down the islands, so you couldn't miss them if you tried!
More beach time, but rapid removal to car, as it was raining. Side note, the public beach parking areas almost all have nice restrooms, but a few have portapotties. The one bookstore in Buxton was unexpectedly closed, so we hit up the Alien Java coffee house. Mediocore coffee, coffee mate unless you ask for real dairy, no bathrooms and although quirky, not interesting enough to hit up again. Onward to Hotline South! One of a chain of thrift stores, this one is in Frisco, NC. Came away with a couple of keepsakes. It's my budget friendly way to bring souvenirs home. You can always find something local to remind you of your trip in a local thrift store, and frequently be contributing to a charity in the process.
Next stop, the Swell Art Gallery theswellartgallery.com at the motel we stayed in. Swell Motel https://www.swellmotel.com/ took the 1960's concrete block and upgraded it. It smelled clean, the beds and pillows were great, there was a fridge, microwave and Netflix, and it was covered with fun, quirky art. Cheap doesn't mean cheap if you know what I mean:) Check out the mini golf and frozen custard next door, and try the chowder across the street at Diamond Shoals. diamondshoalsrestaurant.com Award winning for a reason.
The gallery was closed by the time we checked in after dinner in Hatteras, so we went back on day two. So glad we did! Fun art, a great clerk, and 20% off old stock, so we walked out with one keeper art sculpture and one gifted hat.
Next was Vintage Vibe, one of many shops in a small antique mall. Nags Head,NC. https://vintagevibeobx.com/. We picked up a couple more keepsakes to remind us of our Fifteenth wedding anniversary. You know you found the right one when your favorite things are the same favorite things. Happy Traveling to you all, and I wish Richard and I many, many more years of Serendipity travels.
Next stop, we found another lighthouse! Bodie Island lighthouse had a nice marsh boardwalk. More Great Egrets, tons of blooming thistle and another stunning black and white striped light house. The bathrooms came in handy, too.
Don't forget to travel in your own backyard:)
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