An Aqua Retreat

Three Bedroom Oceanside Condo, (3rd floor) Located in Kill Devil Hills

Tour the Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park

The Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park is a 69-acre industrial park that was built in 1980 to entice large-scale seafood processing companies to bring their business to Wanchese. Oregon Inlet, the East Coast's most dangerous inlet, shoaled terribly through the 1980s and few of the fishing boats could make it through the inlet, so the large-scale seafood processors never arrived. The industrial park remained mostly vacant until 1994, when smaller area businesses began moving into the park. Today, the area is almost full with various marine-related industries. The industrial park is an educational stop for visitors interested in the world of boatbuilding and sea harvesting. Visitors are welcome to come in and check out the boat docks. For more information, contact the industrial park at (252) 473-5867.

Ride a Personal Watercraft in the Sound

Personal watercraft (jet skis) are a favorite pastime on the Outer Banks. Since the Outer Banks are surrounded by water, there are plenty of areas where you can ride your personal watercraft. There are also several places that rent personal watercraft. Depending on the area, personal watercraft is prohibited within 150 to 900 feet of shore. For more information on your specific area, contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau at (877) OBX-4FUN. You can rent personal watercraft from Kitty Hawk Watersports in Corolla at (252) 453-6900 or Nags Head at (252) 441-2756. Another option is Hatteras Watersports in Salvo at (252) 987-2306. On Ocracoke, personal watercraft can be rented at (252) 928-2600 or (252) 921-0314.

View the Sunrise Over the Atlantic Ocean

How many days of the year do you go to the beach before the sun comes up, sit in your beach chair with a cup of coffee and wait for the sun to rise? Have you ever tried it? While you are on the Outer Banks, make yourself get up early one day and head to the beach. Either watch the news or go on the Internet the night before to find out the exact time of the following day's sunrise - in the summer, it is normally between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m. Grab your chair, your coffee and your camera, set your alarm (it's only one day, you can do it!), and get out there! It will be one of the most beautiful things you will see during your stay on the Outer Banks.

Take an Adventure Tour To See the Corolla Wild Horses

The very northern tip of Corolla is home to about 60 wild horses that freely roam the 15,000 acres between this northern edge of Corolla and the Virginia State Line. No one knows for sure how the horses arrived on the Outer Banks, but many believe they came to the area with early European explorers. Adventure tours are available to see the horses either via suburban or via all terrain vehicles (ATVs). To experience the tour in a suburban, contact Wild Horse Safari at (252) 453-0877 or Bob's Off Road Wild Horse Adventure Tours at (252) 453-8602. If you are the more adventurous type and would rather view the horses from your own ATV, contact Corolla Outback Adventures at (252) 453-4484 or Back Country Outfitters & Guides at (252) 453-0877. However you decide to view the horses, remember they are wild, and you should stay at least 500 feet away, and do not feed or touch them.

Catch a Wave Surfing in the Outer Banks Ocean Waters

Because the Outer Banks is set farther into the ocean with deeper waters than most other coastal regions, the surf of the Outer Banks is said to have the best breaks on the East Coast. The various fishing piers, shipwrecks and sandbars also create unusual wave patters for the thousands of surfers who come to the area each year to ride the Outer Banks waves. As with anything in the ocean, always go with a friend and be aware of water, weather and beach conditions. If you don't know how to surf but would like to learn, various surf shops offering lessons are: the Corolla Surf Shop at (252) 453-WAVE, The Pit Surf Shop in Kill Devil Hills at (252) 480-3128, the Hatteras Island Surf Shop in Waves at (252) 987-2296 or the Ride the Wind Surf Shop in Ocracoke at (252) 928-6311.

Climb the Currituck Beach Lighthouse

While you are in the northern Outer Banks, stop by the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and climb the 214 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Once at the top, you will be able to get a close-up view of the 50,000 candlepower lamp that is visible for 18 nautical miles. Much like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the stairs to the top are narrow and winding, but the unlimited views from the top are an excellent reward. Visitors may climb the lighthouse for a fee of $6, and children less than eight years old climb for free. The lighthouse is open daily from Easter through Thanksgiving.

Visit the Historic British Cemetery

Located in Ocracoke, the British Cemetery is a memorial cemetery for the crew of the British vessel HMS Bedfordshire. On May 11, 1942, a German submarine torpedoed and sank this 170-foot British ship that had four officers and 33 enlisted soldiers on board. All men on board the ship drowned, and a few days later four of the bodies were found on shore by local U.S. Coast Guard officers. Ocracoke residents gave Britain a 12 by 14 foot section of land next to the Island's cemetery and buried the soldiers there. Today, the cemetery is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard of Ocracoke Island and a ceremony is performed at the Cemetery each year on the anniversary of the deaths of the British sailors.

Tour the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, located in Hatteras Village, was created to preserve the maritime history and shipwrecks of the Outer Banks throughout history. Emphasis in the museum is placed on the periods from 1524 to 1945. The museum has a unique design with an entrance modeled after the timbers of the many shipwrecks that have happened along the treacherous Hatteras coast. For more information, contact the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum at (252) 986-2995.

Take Your Kids To a Local Educational Camp

Because of the various educational opportunities for children on the Outer Banks, several local organizations offer partial-day and full-day camps, most of which last five days. Organizations that have kids' camps are as follows: The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island at (252) 473-3493, The KDH Cooperative Gallery at (252) 441-9888, The Kitty Hawk Sports Kids Kayak Clinic at (252) 441-6800, The Outer Banks Family YMCA at (252) 449-8897, Dare County Parks and Recreation at (252) 473-1101, ext. 313, Dare County Cooperative Extension at (252) 473-1101, ext. 442, Ocean Atlantic Rentals Surf School at (800) 635-9559 and Club Hatteras Kids at (252) 995-4600. These programs will be fun for the kids while they learn about various aspects of the Outer Banks.

Tour the Historic Corolla Village

The original village of Corolla began to grow in 1875 after the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was built. By 1890, the small village had 200 residents, but population declined during and after World War II. Corolla was home to just a few residents until the 1980s, when the development of the Currituck Outer Banks started with a public paved road. Today, visitors can tour Schoolhouse Lane and Corolla Village Lane to get a taste of the original Corolla Village. Visitors can view the Corolla Schoolhouse and other historic homes that have since been restored and turned into local shops. Take a step back in time and visit Historic Corolla Village!

 

Kill Devil Hills Restaurants

The Ship's Wheel Restaurant
2028 S Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Kill Devil Grill
2008 S Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Flying Fish Cafe
2003 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Arby's
1901 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Pizza Hut
1703 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Mama Kwan's Grill & Tiki Bar
1701 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Big Daddy's Water Ice
1700 S Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Peppercorns Restaurant & Lounge
1701 S Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

American Pie Pizza & Homeade Ice Cream
1600 S Virginia Dare Trail
Milepost 9.5
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

McDonald's
1603 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Pigman's Bar-B-Que & Catering
1606 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Miller's Restaurant
1520 S Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Outer Banks Shopping

Wright Place Gourmet Marketing & Catering
2011 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Harris Teeter Supermarkets
2012 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Roanoke Press - Croatan Bookery
2006 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Island X-Per-Tees
2004 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Twisted Fish
1903 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Tickled Pink
1903 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Birthday Suits
2000 S Croatan Highway
The Yellow Barn
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Nags Head Hammocks
1801 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

T-Tops Superstore
1808 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Island Dyes
1800 S Virginia Dare Trail
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

North Carolina ABC Store
2104 S Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959

Ben Franklin Store
2117 S Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959

Outer Banks Attractions

North Carolina Coastal Land Trust
701 W Ocean Acres Drive
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Nags Head Woods Preserve & The Nature Conservancy
701 W Ocean Acres Drive
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Nags Head Fishing Pier
3309 S Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head, NC 27959

Jockey's Ridge State Park
300 W Carolista Drive
Nags Head, NC 27959

Wright Brothers National Memorial
800 Colington Road
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
98 NC Highway 12
Nags Head, NC 27959

Avalon Fishing Pier
2111 N Virginia Dare Trail
Milepost 6
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

The Lost Colony
1409 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954

Roanoke Island Festival Park
1 Festival Park
Manteo, NC 27954

Outer Banks History Center
1 Festival Park
Manteo, NC 27954

North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island
374 Airport Road
Manteo, NC 27954

Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue
Manteo, NC 27954

Outer Banks Activities

Outer Banks Fishing Charters
200 Quail Lane
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Coastal Helicopters, LLC
PO Box 715
Nags Head, NC 27959

Nags Head Bowling & Billiards
201 W Satterfield Landing Drive
Nags Head, NC 27959

Scoot-Hers/Sandy Beach Tours
2300 S Croatan Highway
Suite #102
Nags Head, NC 27959

Outer Banks Gearworks Laser Tag and Fun Center
2406 S Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959

Destination Fun
1217 S Croatan Highway
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Fine Line Charters
105 S Colony Court
Nags Head, NC 27959

Galaxy Golf
2914 S Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head, NC 27959

Outer Banks Centre for Dance
2910 S Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959

Outer Banks Family YMCA
3000 S Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959

Outer Banks Daredevils
100 Veterans Drive
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Centro Familiar Hispano
113 W Villa Dunes Drive
Nags Head, NC 27959