Attractions + area information

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Drive north to Duck for a day of shopping or to attend music & movie festivals on the town lawn. There's a lovely waterside boardwalk that runs along the backside of many shops & restaurants. It's a bustling village town that is highly trafficked during the Summer. It is quieter in the off-season. Keep driving north to Corolla (about a 30 minute drive in the off season and a bit longer in the Summer). Once in Corolla, visit the Historic Corolla Village for shopping and food, or take the "Legends, Lore & Ghosts" tour through the Historic Whalehead Club.  No trip to Corolla would be complete without seeing the world-known Spanish Mustang horses which run wild on the beaches. Book a tour through a reputable organization such as the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

Drive to south Nags Head and visit Bodie Island Lighthouse. Cross the new Oregon Inlet bridge to experience the raw & unfiltered beauty of the Outer Banks or to go birding along the stretch of beach known as Pea Island.  Further south you can visit Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and if you're feeling energetic climb the 200+ steps to the top for one insane view! South of here you can hop on a ferry to visit Ocracoke Island for the day. (Make sure to grab an Apple Ugly from the Orange Blossom Bakery in Buxton before getting on the ferry!)  The down south beaches are some of our personal favorites and definitely worth a day trip. Pack a cooler and plan to stay all day! 

With so much to do, we understand it can become overwhelming to plan your stay. Don't fret!! You will have plenty of fun and enjoy your vacation, even if you never leave Kill Devil Hills or Kitty Hawk. There are ample choices when it comes to restaurants or cuisine, shopping or nature. We've left our best suggestions & recommendations in the apartment for you. We've included casual and fine dining restaurants, places that offer take-out or delivery, and our favorite pizza joints. Not to mention, Mom's Sweet Shop is located right downstairs and we offer the most delicious healthy smoothies, acai bowls or sweet treats you could want. Looking for an exciting day of fun? Check out the Adventures & Recreation section below!

For a great day trip if you've gotten a little too much sun, head over to explore Roanoke Island. The quaint downtown of Manteo provides many good restaurants, local shopping establishments. and art museums. Manteo is also the home of Outer Banks Distilling where you can tour the facility and sample some of their locally distilled Kill Devil Rum. Downtown is a great place to stroll along the waterfront boardwalk . From here you can walk to Roanoke Island Festival Park and take a tour of a 16th Century sailing ship. Elizabethan Gardens is a beautiful park for nature, plant & flower lovers, located on the north end of Manteo. (During December enjoy the gardens in the evening during their "Festival of Lights"!) For the absolute freshest & best tasting seafood on the island, head over to Oneal's Seafood Harvest in Wanchese where they feed you what has just been pulled off the boat!

There are so many things to do outdoors on the Outer Banks, we'll try not to overwhelm you. If you can't make a decision, just do what the locals do and go to the beach! (It's just a block away!) Surf lessons are a great way to meet some locals and lose your fear of the ocean. Kayak & SUP tours abound, with sunset & twilight tours, ocean, sound & swamp tours all being options. For the even more adventurous try out the obstacle & zipline course at First Flight Adventure Park. Or for the extreme enthusiast, hit up Skydive OBX or take Hang Gliding lessons at Jockey's Ridge. As with all our favorite places and best suggestions, we've left recommendations in our Guide Book for you. 

There is no shortage of bars on the Outer Banks (just don't drive drunk, there's also no shortage of DUI's!) The Outer Banks Brewing Station, Secret Islands, & the Sway Bar at Art's Place, all feature nightly music and are heavily populated with the 20 to 30-something crowd in Summer months. Jolly Roger's, on the beach road a few blocks south of us, is where you can do some Karaoke (but also grab a great breakfast!). Ocean Boulevard or Trio in Kitty Hawk are slightly more chill options which offer good food, drinks & nightly music. Enjoy lovely outdoor areas along the water with a glass of wine in hand at Roadside, Blue Point or The Village Tavern in Duck. Fish Heads and Lucky 12 Tavern in Nags Head are very popular with locals and visitors alike. No matter where you end up, make sure to grab an Uber or call Lady Jane for your ride home. You don't want your first trip to Manteo to be in the back of a squad car!