Outer Banks Vacation tips

[LoganBuck]

My wife and kids want to go on Vacation to the Outer Banks. How do you do this on any sort of budget? Because of her being a teacher we are limited to mid June and July to even attempt to schedule this and it appears to be very pricy. Any tips on this?

[SunDeck]

I used to go to Avon, Hatteras, Duck, Rodanthe every year. We prefer the south end, but I'm not sure how it compares price-wise to the north end. Best deal is to find another family to share a big house...or unfortunately for you, to hit that week just prior to Summer. Now that we have kids, we know what it's like to pay the premium rental prices.
You could consider the sound side, rather than ocean side. If you are at the south end where the island is narrower the sound is gorgeous. You can rent kayaks, wind surf and the sunsets are extraordinary.
There are also a few areas with more than one row of condos. Going second row is usually a good deal cheaper than ocean front. And remember- the sunsets are best facing the sound, so they might have that advantage.

Also, it's a long freaking way. It was six hours for us from Raleigh to Hatteras, so if you're in the midwest, think about your midway point (I recommend Asheville).

Since we've moved back to the center of the country, we prefer the South Carolina coast, Pawley's Island. It's about 13 hours from here in Bloomington.

[cumberlandreds]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

My wife and kids want to go on Vacation to the Outer Banks. How do you do this on any sort of budget? Because of her being a teacher we are limited to mid June and July to even attempt to schedule this and it appears to be very pricy. Any tips on this?

Go during spring break in April. Its most cheaper. My wife is a substitute teacher and we just got back last week. If we had waited another week the prices would have doubled. You could look around for a cottage to rent. Some people will have them a little cheaper than the regular places to stay. Sorry that's about all I know for in season since we don't go down there at that time.

[oneupper]

My sister and her family (4) used go every year. We (4) joined them several times. They'd rent a big house and we'd fit like 10-12 people. Those houses go for like $5-$7k/week in the summer, but between 3 families its not that dear.
Beware, hurricane season starts seriously in July.

[Sweetstop]

Originally Posted by SunDeck

I used to go to Avon, Hatteras, Duck, Rodanthe every year. We prefer the south end, but I'm not sure how it compares price-wise to the north end. Best deal is to find another family to share a big house...or unfortunately for you, to hit that week just prior to Summer. Now that we have kids, we know what it's like to pay the premium rental prices.
You could consider the sound side, rather than ocean side. If you are at the south end where the island is narrower the sound is gorgeous. You can rent kayaks, wind surf and the sunsets are extraordinary.
There are also a few areas with more than one row of condos. Going second row is usually a good deal cheaper than ocean front. And remember- the sunsets are best facing the sound, so they might have that advantage


Since we've moved back to the center of the country, we prefer the South Carolina coast, Pawley's Island. It's about 13 hours from here in Bloomington.

we liked ocracoke, too..pirates and all.

back in the day, we took the children to pawley's island for month of june one summer, couple of weeks another..nice spot.

[improbus]

Be sure to drive into the Outer Banks at a strange hour. If you come at peak hours you will sit in massive traffic. Try to get their really early and find stuff to do for the first few hours before you can check in. It is really frustrating to drive for 10 hours and then sit and sit and sit.

When I went two years ago, a woman was walking alongside our car. It took us an hour and a half to catch her walking.

[RichRed]

Originally Posted by Sweetstop

we liked ocracoke, too..pirates and all.

back in the day, we took the children to pawley's island for month of june one summer, couple of weeks another..nice spot.

Wife and I honeymooned in (on?) Ocracoke and loved it. 'Course, that was in October so it was pretty quiet, which is the way I like it.

[LoganBuck]

Originally Posted by improbus

Be sure to drive into the Outer Banks at a strange hour. If you come at peak hours you will sit in massive traffic. Try to get their really early and find stuff to do for the first few hours before you can check in. It is really frustrating to drive for 10 hours and then sit and sit and sit.

When I went two years ago, a woman was walking alongside our car. It took us an hour and a half to catch her walking.

Define odd time? I assume you mean between 6pm and 8am.

Thanks guys any and all tips help. Any tips on who to contact for lodging?

[will5979]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

Define odd time? I assume you mean between 6pm and 8am.

Thanks guys any and all tips help. Any tips on who to contact for lodging?

homeaway.com

[SunDeck]

Originally Posted by Sweetstop

we liked ocracoke, too..pirates and all.

back in the day, we took the children to pawley's island for month of june one summer, couple of weeks another..nice spot.

My parents had a condo at one of the golf clubs, so the kids also got to spend a month there every summer. They just sold the place, getting too old for golf and none of us wanting to take the place off their hands. Pawleys became like an old ball glove for us.

Ocracoke is one of my favorite places on earth. The people, the relaxed atmosphere, a friend who lives in Key West said it's pretty similar, except that it's a lot harder to live at Ocracoke unless you're loaded.

[SunDeck]

Originally Posted by improbus

Be sure to drive into the Outer Banks at a strange hour. If you come at peak hours you will sit in massive traffic. Try to get their really early and find stuff to do for the first few hours before you can check in. It is really frustrating to drive for 10 hours and then sit and sit and sit.

When I went two years ago, a woman was walking alongside our car. It took us an hour and a half to catch her walking.

+100

[SunDeck]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

Define odd time? I assume you mean between 6pm and 8am.

Thanks guys any and all tips help. Any tips on who to contact for lodging?

Midgett Realty. We used them for several years all over the south end.

[improbus]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

Define odd time? I assume you mean between 6pm and 8am.

Thanks guys any and all tips help. Any tips on who to contact for lodging?

Basically, whatever time you are eligible to check in would be a bad time to be on the road. So, either stay south of the bridge (closer to Kittyhawk) or get there early in the morning if possible. The same theory applies to Myrtle Beach too.

[cumberlandreds]

Originally Posted by Sweetstop

we liked ocracoke, too..pirates and all.

back in the day, we took the children to pawley's island for month of june one summer, couple of weeks another..nice spot.

We stayed on Ocracoke once and really liked it. It was much cheaper too. But the place we stayed converted over to condo's that were not for rent. It's just a longer drive down there plus a nice ferry ride that is free. Beaches are great! You have a long stretch of it, usually, to yourself. Plus they are really beautiful. We have taken to Pirate ship tour around the island. It's on a sailboat, schnooner(?) and you sail around the areas that Blackbeard once haunted. The man that owns the ship has done this for years and is at Ocracoke during the tourist season only. He said he sails back to Florida in October.

[LoganBuck]

Ok, I have scheduled a week, what are the does and don't once there? My kids and I want to do some fishing, do you need a freshwater and a saltwater license? Anyone ever tried crabbing? Places to eat? Places to buy food and alcohol?

We are staying near Manteo. Found a place that was exactly what I wanted, even if it was a little bit further from the other stuff.