Family vacation OBX

[MisterB]

Family looking to go to Outer Banks Carolinas for spring break... any advice on good places to lodge as do imagine the kids want to be oceanside...wondering what the temps are like in mid April? must see or do excursions??

TIA..

Ed

[stevej37]

Have you considered Myrtle Beach? Fun place for the kids...lots of stuff to do.

[MisterB]

We have already been there .... and have t-shirts ....

Ed

[tabascobobcat]

I have never been to the outer banks, but my buddy who has said that Hilton Head is worth the couple of extra drive hours.

[austin552]

Here ya go! Have fun.

http://www.outerbanks.org/

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by MisterB
Family looking to go to Outer Banks Carolinas for spring break... any advice on good places to lodge as do imagine the kids want to be oceanside...wondering what the temps are like in mid April? must see or do excursions??

TIA..

Ed

Check with Procon on this board. He just rented a house there Thanksgiving week.

[MisterB]

I have also been to HH ......

[tabascobobcat]

Charleston too ?? If not...a ton of history and fun for both you and the kids. The food is good too.

[Hugh R]

Take a tour of one of the National Parks, the coastal dynamics of how a Barrier Island exists is fascinating. On the beach, you might see a tree stump in the beach and wonder how it got there. In reality, that used to be the back or landward side of the island. Pretty cool stuff, I took a number of coastal engineering courses in college and worked on a couple of the outer banks islands doing research.

[Rondinone]

Hatteras Island is the most family oriented with restaurants and hotels. You can go to Kitty Hawk also. Plus no ferry to get there. The southern half is a reserve, with miles of undeveloped beach.

Okracoke is desolate, must take a ferry, but great if you want to get away.

If you've got cash to burn consider Bald Head Island, the most southern OBX island. It's privately owned by the nature conservancy but there are lots of houses and condos to rent. Golf, 1 restaurant, pristine beaches because you can only arrive by private ferry. NO CARS, only golf carts, so the place is dead quiet. Every house we rented had at least a few golf carts to drive around. This is where they filmed 'weekend at bernies'. We used to go quite a bit and it's really spectacular.

[chuckw951]

Originally posted by MisterB
Family looking to go to Outer Banks Carolinas for spring break... any advice on good places to lodge as do imagine the kids want to be oceanside...wondering what the temps are like in mid April? must see or do excursions??

TIA..

Ed

You might be disappointed with the weather in mid-April. Our family owned a time share condo in Nags Head. One of the weeks was the last week in May. The weather was hit or miss in late May and the water was definitely chilly. So keep in mind you might not have sunny beach weather. With that said there is plenty to see and do on the outer banks. There is more civilization that is open year round in the Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills/Nags Head area.

Since you'll be in the off season there should be plenty of inexpensive houses for rent. We've had good luck with Sun Realty There are also a number of hotel/motels if you want to go that route.

For places south of Oregon Inlet try Surforsound realty http://www.surforsound.com/cart/view.html. Hatteras Island is quiet during the summer so it must be very quiet in the off season. Only 1 full sized grocery store in Avon.

Do you have a 4X4 truck or SUV? One of the great things about the Outer Banks is that you can drive on the beach. We usually go in late August/early September. Great sunsets that time of year.

[wludavid]

I've done an April spring break there once, and a couple of Easter weekends at my friend's house in Hatteras. The weather is great - temps are typically in the 70s during the day but the water is COLD, so don't expect to swim unless you own a wet suit. Most of the tourist traps aren't open yet, but a lot of the really good restaurants are open year-round.

[pokey]

My mom owns these...
http://www.nickelsinthesand.com/

[89911]

I've been to every beach along the East Coast and each has its rewards. Without sounding like a travel agent I'll give you a quick rundown of what I think:

Outer Bank, upper portion: What was once isolated and quiet has become very commercial. It is no different then any other beach town.

Lower Outer Banks. More and more isolated and quiet as you get to Hatteras and Okcracoke(sp?0) Little to do other then beach and dining out. Peak weather for both would be late May until July.

Myrtle Beach. Fantastic beaches and tons of things for young teenagers. I, personally don't like the over commercialized parts of the Grand Strand, but there are places North and South that are quieter. Peak weather May to July.

Bald Head Island. Stayed here for a week a few years ago.

Pluses: Serenity, no cars, very quiet. If your ideal thing to do is play cards with your family at night, this is the place.

Minuses: Very expensive. You must take a boat to the island (No cars). This means that when you arrive, you must unload you vacation filled car on to a boat, take the boat over, unload the boat onto a shuttle and then unload it again at you rental. All in the 85degree humidity. If you property is stuck with golf cart that is slow, you will have people jogging faster then you. Not a bad place, just not my ideal spot. On top of it all, the beach had severe erosion problems last time there.

Charleston: I've been here 4 times over the last 6 years. It has everything to offer, shopping, isolation, great beaches, good restaurants, Civil and American revolution history, great architecture, and great weather. The best time is from May to July. This is my favorite to date.

The best weather for most of these points is May to July. Any earlier and you may hit a cold spell. If swimming isn't in your plans, it might not matter. Going late into July and August is also fine, but you will be dealing with some oppresive humidity and the real threat of hurricane eviction.

[MisterB]

thanks for alll the info ....... Ed

[indigowhale]

Rent a house in Duck (OBX) with all the ammenities. Should be under 1,000 for the week this time of year. Prices vary, here are some pics. If you like the noise, stay in Nags Head, more stuff for the kids there, it is about 10 miles south of Duck.
Beach in Duck

Sun Realty Duck rental, "Crab Castle" or something like that

Duck sunset on bay side


Manteo

Duck sunset

Oregon Inlet

[austin552]

The Lost Colony and gardens in Manteo is worth the scenic drive south of Nags Head.

[wludavid]

Originally posted by austin552
The Lost Colony and gardens in Manteo is worth the scenic drive south of Nags Head.

And while you're in Manteo, go to the Weeping Radish Brewery for decent German food and excellent beer.

[Rondinone]

Originally posted by wludavid
And while you're in Manteo, go to the Weeping Radish Brewery for decent German food and excellent beer.

We honeymooned in Manteo. Loved it.

This thread is making me want to book another trip!

[Flatbutt1]

I second Duck. I stayed there bayside and it was really very nice. And not far to go for non beach kid stuff IIRC.