Three words: It's. About. Time.
My husband and I got married in the Outer Banks (OBX) in May of 2021. We had not been back to the islands since that magical week. Three years later, we knew it would be a a much welcomed vacation. We planned this throughout the year; buying flights, booking hotels, rescheduling clients, and planning what we'd do. We wanted a mix of tradition and new action, so this blog post will be a bit sentimental but also share new finds & advetures.
I have been to OBX no less than thirty times. My husband has now gone to OBX five times. That's the thing with this area... you will go back. It draws you in just as strong as the oceans undertoe around 4pm. It's strong and dominating. So if you don't need this post now.. trust me, you will.
If you've never read one of my travel blog posts, welcome! I write these because I am passionate about traveling, but I am also passionate specifically about "fit" traveling. This is a little category I made up consisting of seeing the world through movement, eating nutritious real foods, and checking out the coolest wellness spots the location has to offer. Surprisingly, these blog posts get a lot of attention! So the best way to utilize the rest of this content is a) for your enjoyment of reading about adventures b) planning a trip similar/to OBX or c) getting ideas to turn your next vacation into a more active, adventuous trip. I write these posts in a day-by-day view so you can follow along with the story; but also list the major spots at the end of this blog so you can have documented information.
LOGISTICS
Getting There
Getting to OBX is not easy. From Ohio, you have the option to drive the whole way (12ish hours) or take a few flights, rent a car, and drive the rest of the way. The Outer Banks are located off the coast of North Carolina. There is no airport. You can only access the islands by driving across a bridge or a ferry.
We chose (everytime) to fly to Norfolk Virginia and rent a car from there. This is the closest airport, located ninety minutes north of the islands. Flying may take all day from Columbus due to layovers, getting luggage and renting a car. But I'd much rather go this route then navigating the drive through the West Virginia turnpikes and crazy Appalachian Mountains. Just a personal preference... but do your research on what route of transportation is both safe and easiest for you.
Fit Tip: Pack healthy snacks for this trip! My go-to healthy snacks are beef jerky. Beef jerky is normally zero or low in sugar, zero fat, and high in protein. Chomp sticks or Paleo Valley have great flavors without added ingredients.
Accommodations
We stayed at the TownePlace Suites located in Kill Devil Hills. This is a fairly new hotel for the Outer Banks. Many of the lodging options consist of rental homes (of all sizes), old hotels and much smaller motels. The tricky part about renting a house is that many rental companies divide the properities into Saturday through Saturday rental aggremeents. If you're not planning to arrive and return on those days with the seven day stay, you'd be wasting your money. Therefore, my husband and I always stay at this hotel. Prior to meeting my husband, I stayed with my family who owns a timeshare at the Outer Banks Beach Club.
The Towneplace Suites is truly perfect for us. Located on the other side of Virginia Dare Road, we have easy access to the beach with just a crossing of the street and through the private pool/pool bar. This is also an awesome perk; bathrooms right on the beach (and I am not talking that big blue body of water)! The hotel room is a great size including a desk, a kitchenette and a couch. The hotel itself includes an indoor pool, a fitness center and breakfast buffet.
Fit Tip: Pack your workout clothes! This helps make the decision to get up and workout much easier than if you had the excuse of no clothes.
Location Details
The Outer Banks consists of a few islands and different pockets. Here is a quick rundown of what to expect when choosing where to stay (starting from the most North part of the island):
Map found on google :)
Corolla: A bit quieter than Duck, but similar house sizes (big and beautiful) line the beach and soundside. You'll find wild horse tours, beach driving access, Tim-Buck-Too shopping center, galleries, Corolla Lighthouse and golf clubs in this part of the island. I'd say if you are vacationing with multiple families, this would be a great option for easy and enjoyable entertainment and best of all, the beach. I find that Corolla has less dining experiences, but Duck is close by and makes up for the lack there of.
Duck: Duck is what I would consider the "boogie" part of the Outer Banks. Everything is beautiful and well-taken care of. You'll find huge vacation homes for rent, shopping, water sports activities, and awesome dining and bar life. There's a golf course located in Duck along with a few massage places if you're looking to unwind. If you like to be more active, Kitty Hawak Kites offers tons of water and land sports like jet skiing and paddleboarding. Duck also has an array of live music options if you go in the summertime.
Duck on the soundside
Kitty Hawk: A personal favorite simply because I grew up staying here. Kitty Hawk is home to the first flight where Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first plane. I highly recommend checking out the memorial and learning some history. Kitty Hawk has a few older restaurants, ice cream shops and accomodations; but truly keeps the charm of the Outer Banks. The best part about Kitty Hawk is the fact you can drive 15 minutes North to Duck or keep driving south and easily access Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.
Kill Devil Hills: This is where my husband and I stay. I'd say, this area is the ultimate touist destination. You can find all your grocery needs, fitness centers (YMCA and OBX Sports Club), gas stations, starbucks, and pharmacies. You can also enjoy local restaurants, breweries, wine bars, and ice cream shops. The entertainment around this area consists of the beach, multiple putt-putt spots and a movie theater. I'd recommend this area to young families with kids so you can get all the things you need easily.
Nags Head: Similar to KDH in terms of restaurants and putt-putts. Hotels start to slim out as most people enjoy beach side house rentals. Nags Head is home to Jockey's Ridge State Park where massive sand dunes shift with the changing winds. People come here to watch the sunset or get in exercise by climbing up the hills. Nags Head has many beach access options.
Roanoke Island: Roanoke is a seperate island situated between the island of the Outer Banks and the mainland. This means the surrounding water is entirely the sound, making this a quiet and calm vacation spot. Actually, this isn't a huge tourist vacation spot in general. The homes on Roanoke are mostly locals; this makes it fun to walk the streets and people-watch. Roanoke does have a few Inn's and rental condos along the boardwalk that vacationers enjoy staying at. This island is rich in history and houses the Lost Colony Festival Park and play. Fun fact.. we got married at Festival Park!
Rodanthe/Waves/Frisco: If you continue traveling south from Nags Head, you'll hit pockets of houses. This is pretty much all that is here. Beautiful old beach homes fill these small towns. Those who vacation here want rural beach and not much else.
Hatteras: Extrememly far south, Hatteras is known for the largest lighthouse in the United States! You can walk up it and it's worth checking out while in the area. There isn't much else to Hatteras; maybe a fishing shack or two to grab dinner for the night.
Ocracoke: Off the edge of Hatteras is the ferry to get to Ocracoke. Ocracoke is a small island known as Blackbeards home. Blackbeard loved this island and was beheaded off the shore. Many people believe this island is haunted or houses a great tressure of Edward Teach. We love making the long trek here because Ocracoke is small but mighy. Lots of restaurants, cute shops and galleries, opportunities to beach or bike the town, and more. There are motels on this island in case you want to stay!
Ferry to Ocracoke
Do your research and make your decision apporpriately based on the needs of your travel group and type of vacation you're looking for.
Booking
You do want to book your hotel or rental home as far in advance as possible. Over the years, OBX has become a popular destination to travel to especially during busy season. The vacation homes will book up quickly!
Restaurants are a bit different. Actually, most of them do not accept reservations. This means you'll want to head to your resturant at least one hour earlier than you're planning to eat. You may get lucky and be sat sooner; but it's important to put your patient pants on for this detail. Luckily, we went during September which meant restaurants were quieter and we were sat immediately.
ITINERARY
Thursday
We left Thursday afternoon for Outer Banks. We flew from Columbus airport to Norfolk, which was about an hour and a half. From Norfolk, we obtained out bags and rented the car. It's about an hour and a half drive on an old Carolina road.
Since we weren't getting in until 8pm, we wanted to get food immediately. We thought it'd be a perfect night to tackle Dirty Dicks Crab House. Normally, this is a takeout vibe; Dirty Dick's isn't necessarily the nicest or cleanest interior in the world. But it makes Mike and I laugh and the food is always good. I ordered a full order of crab legs and peel and eat shrimp. If you don't normally eat like this... know that this is a messy meal. Old Bay seasoning will cover your fingers and you'll be sharing germs dunking your crab into shared drawn butter. It's a beautiful, delicious sight. But don't leave Dirty Dicks without having the crab legs; their signature (and healthier) dish.
We arrived at Towneplace Suites rather late and we were exhausted! Check in was easy and we headed straight to bed.
Friday
Our first full day! I wanted this to be pretty chill but get enough sun/beach time. We woke up and headed to our favorite island gym, Outer Banks Sports Club. This club is located in Kill Devil hills and has tons of parking for guests and members. Over the years, the drop in fee has increased significantly. We bought a day pass becasue it was actually cheaper to buy 2-3 seperate days than it would be buying the week pass. I did an easy shakeout 3 mile run and full body strength training session. There is nothing better than a great workout the day after traveling. We headed to Fresh Fit Cafe to get a healthy lunch afterwards. I really liked this cafe; it had protein smoothies, build you own salads and yummy appetizers. We were starving so we got a few apps of hummus, guacamole and chopped vegetables.
The rest of the day was spent on the beach. The Towneplace Suites had extra beach chairs behind the front desk they let us borrow, so we headed to the beach to bask in the sun. This particular week in September wasn't hot. There was a crisp in the sun-warmed air. However, the water was warm! Unfortunately, the water was so rough and lifeguards aren't on duty after Labor Day, so many flags warned us "no swimming". To be honest, my fearless soul listened once I got in to my knees and fell over a few times!
I booked massages late in the afternoon at Windswept Spa. I had never been to this spot so I was eager to try it out. We booked couples massges for an hour. It was lovely but extremely light; nothing about these massages were deep tissue. Granted, I didn't book a deep tissue nor told her to go deeper. I took the massage as relaxing and enjoyed their craft.
After the massages, we got ready and headed to Mulligans. This is my absolute favorite restaurant on the island. I love this spot bcause you can make Mulligans whatever you want it to be. I've gone here growing up on family vacations, I've gotten drunk on the back tiki bar, and I've sat inside during the cold spring months. Mulligans delivers on food, fun, and pure beach vibes. I ordered the steamed platter including crab legs, oysters and shrimp. We also got extra raw oysters because that's how we roll.
Fit Tip: You can eat really healthy while enjoying local cuisine. Outer Banks is known for their shellfish. Almost every restaurant has crab legs, shrimp and oysters. These are all proteins, with little fat and carbs associated.
Steamed Seafood Platter at Mulligans
We ended the night at Lost Treasure Golf (the best putt-putt in my opinion). Another family tradition was to play a quick 18 holes after dinner and spend time moving together. I loved doing this with my husband as we just acted like (grown up) kids and enjoyed the views and challenge.
**This is a very traditional Outer Banks day. I truly believe that most of our days will look like this when we have kids (minus the massages lol). If this sounds like a fun day to you, know that this is a very kid-friendly trip idea with lots to do.
Saturday
Now that we had a chill fun beach day, time to get busy! I planned for us to make the trek to Ocracoke on Saturday. I partially chose this because I feared going to Ocracoke on Sunday or Monday would prove closed restaurants and less activity. But going on a Saturday in the off season was extremely easy and extremely worth it.
To get to Ocracoke, you must drive to the ferry at the edge of the island. This was a little over 90 minutes so be prepared to be in the car for awhile. This could also be a longer drive if you're exploring in the summer months with more traffic present. We did a quick workout in the hotel gym before heading out.
It was my mistake to not eat before, but due to the time commitment of traveling I completely skipped breakfsat and lunch. Luckily, we got some snacks on the island but don't make this mistake and please eat before you go!
Fit Tip: Pack your beef jerky and fresh fruit for this drive!
We waited for about 30 minutes for the ferry to arrive. Loading our car was easy. Once aboard, you'll sail for about 45 minutes on the ferry to the island. There is nothing but views on this boat; so again, bring any needed snacks.
When you get to Ocracoke, you need to drive on a one road for about twenty minutes before arriving into the town. This drive is super nostalgic. I have fond memories of pulling off the side of the road and swimming in these untouched beaches. Take in this ride... someday, this entire island may be underwater. It is truly that small.
Ocean Overflow on Ocracoke Island
We got to the town and parked our car at the amphitheater. Put this in your apple maps and park here too. You can easily access shops, restaurants, motels and bike rentals from here. We rented our bikes for 15$ each (day rentals) and pedaled through the streets of Ocracoke. Along the way, we stopped in surf shops, went to the lighthouse, snagged some beef jerky and ice cream, and explored all the little neighborhoods the island housed. We stumbeled upon some newer spots; a brewery and wine bar included in this.
Adventures in Ocracoke
We had the earliest dinner at Ocracoke Oyster Company. I wanted to check this spot off our list becasue it was a part of the NC Oyster trail. This trail is a list of oyster restraurants and markets that farm oysters specifically in North Carolina! The food was "okay" but the actual oysters were fabulous.
We returned out bikes, drove back to the ferry and sailed back to the mainland to venture on our 90 minute drive home. It's a trek, but again, so worth it.
Sunday
What was supposed to be our second beach day was a bit of a dud. But we made the best of it. The weather was super overcast and temperature sat in the low 70's, which can feel super cool on an island.
I ran outside along Virginia Dare Road. Take this with a grain of salt; but I do believe this road is very safe to run on. Through middle & high school, I ran along the side of this road and it's one of my favorite routes. It's easy as it runs along many restaurants, hotels and homes. There is traffic but they go slower because many people commute by foot. You'll pass cyclists, other runners and beach go-ers. You can run pretty far and turn around as you please. I ran 1.5 miles toward Kitty Hawk and ran back to Outer Banks Sports Club to lift. Lifting after running outside is sometimes hard; but when I am on vacation I do what feels good and I don't force myself to any point of exhaustion.
We stopped at Nags Head Cafe for breakfast. Another beach shack, but nostalgic because we ate here after our wedding. It honestly isn't that good but sometimes you need to go to things just for the memories. If you want simple bacon, egg and toast kinda meal, you'll be fine. But there is nothing special about this spot.
Our beach day was a bit forced but because the sun was out of sight, I took advantage of great reading time. I actually spent hours reading on the beach. It was incredible. The water was still warm and still rough.
Dinner reservations were made in Roanoke so we decided to "do" this island tonight. It's about a 20 minute drive from our hotel. We explored our wedding venue at Festival Park and walked the streets of Roanoke. Being on a Sunday and off-season, all the stores were closed. Traditionally, this isalnd is super earie. Almost every time I go, it's overcast and feels "haunted". Even on our wedding! Walking through the quiet streets was peaceful.... but creepy. Dinner was at Blue Water Grill which is located at Pirates Cove. This is a super nice rental/condo property with docks full of yahts. This was my first time eating here and I imagined it being fancy, but it wasn't quite like that on th off-season. Our food was outstanding. Our wings were huge and my caesar salmon salad was excellent. I left feeling very full and satisfied.
Adventures in Roanoke: food from Blue Water Grill, walking to our wedding venue, stoppig in Lost Colony Brewery
Monday
Our last full day in the Outer Banks. This was also the only day I planned to drink alcohol. Since January 1st, I've been drinking only once a week. For me, this is a huge accomplishment because I have been in many social situations where I really did not want to drink. This challenge has helped me actually decipher what days are #worthit versus forced. Of course I'd drink any time in the Outer Banks and be perfectly happy, but my body has completely changed since cutting back on alcohol. I can't tolerate the hangovers, I feel awful, my workouts suffer, my sleep is comprimised and it sends my bloodsugar for a roller coaster the next day. It's hard and very much #notworthit. So this challenge has been awesome for me.
Monday morning we headed to Roanoke Island Fitness Lab; a crossfit gym on Roanoke Island. I signed us up for a functional training class. In my mind, this meant less cross-fit and more F45-like. Well, this class was neither and luckily one of the trainers gave Mike and I the WOD to do on our own. We basically did a crossfit workout with a little more strength involved. It was still fun for Mike and I to workout together.
We got ready and headed to Duck before Duck Donuts closed for the day. Mike got a donut at the origninal location and we headed to Red Sky for lunch. I had never been to Red Sky Cafe. Their menu had a "healthy bites" section that included dishes with proteins, vegtables, and whole grains. I got a salad with chicken. The salad was kinda small, but still delicious.
After lunch, we headed to Kitty Hawk Kites located in downtown Duck. We were able to walk there from the cafe. Kitty Hawk Kites is more than a kite shop; they coordinate adventures via sky, land and ocean. This afternoon, we had booked a shared trip to Sanctuary Vinyards via boat. The pontoon boat was about a 20 minute ride on the soundside. We docked and took a truck to the vinyards. The wine tasting was fabulous. We got a tour of the vinyard and sampled many wines. They taught us about the wine making process, the bottling, and the creative side of naming and creating the labels. I would absolutely do this again! If you book a public tour, it was 109$ per person. You can rent out the entire boat for a heafty price, which would be worth it if you had a huge group of people.
Views from the Sanctuary Vinyards Boat Adventure
After the boat ride, we walked along the streets of Duck. Most of the stores and shops were closed due to it being a Monday and off-season. Duck is traditionally very lively. There are great restaurants here, so I highly suggest first timers spend an evening or two out and about.
We headed back towards our hotel with no plan for dinner. Since it was an awkward 5pm time, we decided to get a glass of wine at Trio. This is a cute wine shop that has hundreds of wine bottles and tons of charcuterie ingredients. They have a full menu and full bar too. We got a charcuterie board and a glass of wine just to take an hour before finding a dinner spot. We decided Millers Waterfront would be perfect as a last night spot to watch the sunset. Miller's is about a 15 minute drive from Trio, so we headed that way. Dinner was on the back patio and we caught the sunset. It was so special!
Trio Wine Bar
Tuesday
Before starting our trek home, we went to a hot yoga class at Outer Banks Hot Yoga. This class was everything we needed after a day of drinks and food. We were very sweaty and tired afterwards; perfect for a travel day full of sitting. We grabbed lunch at PokeBox, showered and headed home!
The Outer Banks sunset
NOTABLE HEALTH-FOCUSED SPOTS
Fitness
Healthy Restaurants
Poke Box
Active Adventures
Swimming at the beach
Running Virginia Dare Road
Biking through Ocracoke Island
Relax and Rejuvenate
Aqua Spa (didn't go this year, but have been before)
Kitty Hawk Kites - Boat Rental / Wine Tasting
NOTABLE OBX FAVORITES
Restaurants
The Pier House Restaurant (didn't go this year)
Things to do
Putt-Putt
Climb one (or all five) lighthouses
Wild Horse Tours
Shopping at Tim-Buck-Too Shops
Swim in the ocean
Fishing on the Nags Head Pier
I hope that this helps you in your Outer Banks planning process! This getaway was super special for Mike and I. Being able to escape reality for a little bit is so good for the soul; so I try to have my body feel just as good with movement, healthy food, and lots of rest. Outer Banks never disappoints!
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