first trip to OBX this summer.... need suggestions!!!

my family and a few others would like to vacation in OBX this july or august (hopefully, it%26#39;s not too late to find a rental property)... i%26#39;m hoping you could give me some info on which area would be best to stay.....

we have kids from ages 1-10 who i%26#39;m sure will have fun enjoying the beach (or pool) every day, the guys want to fish and relax, us girls want to lay out and shop, and then i%26#39;m sure we%26#39;ll want to take a break from cooking and go out to eat a few nights. i%26#39;d also like an area to take a run with the strollers or rent bikes, etc. we%26#39;d like to be within walking distance to these places (or a short drive).

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!

first trip to OBX this summer.... need suggestions!!!

hautmama, I would try kittyhawk, killdevil hills, or nags head this area has more to do than the other areas. also everything is a short drive. not much in the walking thing because most places are on route 158, a 4 lane highway. there are several rental places on route 12 around killdevil to rent things.

like bikes strollers or what ever. My family has gone there the last 12 years, lots of good times. Also I would go in July not august ,went there once it was 100 degres plus 80% humidity.....ugh

try and google obx vacation rentals, it will bring up all the property management places to rent a house or condo. I hope this helps!!!

first trip to OBX this summer.... need suggestions!!!

The previous poster was right, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills or Nags Head sound as though they would fit your bill. There are plenty of restaurants in those areas. And the areas are close enough that you can go to all 3 w/o traveling more than 15 miles.

Nags Head has an outlet mall, but there is plenty of shops in the other towns as well.

Fishing can be done either on the beach itself (surf fishing), from piers, or the guys can book a charter or take the head boat out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (a few miles south of south of Nags Head). The website for the marina is oregon-inlet.com

There are plenty of bike rental places %26amp; as far as being about to take a run, or ride the bikes, through all three of these towns there is 3-4 foot shoulder along beach road (NC 12/Virginia Dare Tr.) which many people use to walk, run, or rides bikes on. And it runs parallel to the ocean, w/ usually just one row of houses between you, so you have great views too.

the website outerbanksconnection.com is also a great resource for things to do, they have a message board/forum which is very helpful and the site has links to all of the major Rental Agencies in the area. also to get a feel for the shops or restaurants in the area, you can check out sunnydayguide.com and go to the Outer Banks section.

Happy planning.

Consider the northern beaches of Duck and Corolla too. Once you are there, you don%26#39;t have to venture down towards Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, etc. unless you want to. There are plenty of restaurants, shops and things to do in that area. Depending on where you stay, it is possible to walk to some things and have a very short drive to others. There are places to rent bikes (they will deliver them and pick them up from your house) and many houses have a set of bikes in them.

Some things to do: Curritcuk Lighthouse, Whalehead museum, mini golf, go carts, fishing off the surf.

Some of the rental agencies that have many properties in these areas include: Brindley Beach, Twiddy, Corolla Classics, Elan

We have been vacationing there with our kids (12 and 9) since they were born.

Good luck on your search.

We enjoy the Duck/Corolla area too. It%26#39;s peaceful and natural. One can do the eco/sporty thing kayaking, surf fishing...private lessons for fun if you need them, bicycling, etc. And, as Foredecs said, there%26#39;s places to walk to/bike to/take the little bus to.

The Currituck Lighthouse and the Whalehead Club grounds and the little historic village buildings that are shops around that area...then the busier shops/restaurant areas...something for everyone.

We feel we connect more with a snow cone from the girls at Corolla Light Resort poolside in our hands and a slow amble back to the house and time relaxing on the decks.

We love Corolla Light Resort for it%26#39;s unstructured activities for the kids....lots offered but you don%26#39;t have to do any if you prefer. We love the toddler pool with the fence and the wide decking where adults can actually take turns on the lounges and spread out rather than scrunching around a tiny child pool. And the Sport Center for rainy days.

Go to the NC forum and type in Corolla Light Resort where I - and many others - have had lots of responses.

And any area you choose...as long as you get a good rental company the OBX experience is still wonderful.

We vacation there each the third week in July and rent a home in either Kill Devil Hills or Kitty Hawk. Nags Head would be a good location also. Everything you would want to do is in this area pretty much. Very convenient to shopping and activities.

The temperature will generally be in the 80%26#39;s and the humidity could also be high, but not tolerable. There is always a great breeze from the ocean, so it%26#39;s not that bad, especially if you are on the beach. Plus, if you get a house with a pool, you won%26#39;t even notice!

It might be hard to get a rental with exactly what you want, but check around - you%26#39;ll be able to find something. We always use joelambjr.com. We have rented three different houses with them (we usually stay in the same house each year, if we can) and have had a wonderful experience. The homes have always been nicely decorated, well maintained, very comfortable, and a well stocked kitchen.

thanks for all your helpful advice.... we%26#39;re beginning to narrow down the search -- duck seems to be the peacefulness we%26#39;re looking for or maybe down south somewhere near hatteras. i think the main thing we need to be close to is a fishing pier for the guys (preferably one that%26#39;s not crowded -- is this possible?) and to find a rental home with a private pool that%26#39;s within walking distance to the beach. if we want to venture out to the shops and restaurants we don%26#39;t mind a drive. so, if you know of any areas or homes that would be good, let us know... thanks!!!

In addition to the rental companies above, we%26#39;ve had good experiences with villagerealtyobx.com and resortquest.

I would look into Nags Head, Killdevill hills area you can go to the nags head pier, there is a lot more shops and places to eat than on hatteras Island

Also about 2 years ago we rented a great 5 bedroom house with private pool and elevator in kill devil

it was brand new then it also had a room off the pool area with a pool table, foosbal table and a nice place to watch tv with a wet bar. just google ';down by the sea';

hautmama,

OBX has lots to offer, and I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with where ever you stay. Let us know what you decide!

In addition, to the realty companies, check out vrbo.com (vaction rentals by owners).

Good luck, you will have a great vacation and the kids will love it! I have been going to OBX(Ocracoke during the summer and Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head late winter) with my niece (5), and my cousins (4 and 7), since they were babies, young as 6 mnths old, and sometimes I think they have more fun than the adults.