Twins Take on the Trip: The Outer Banks, NC

We have been taking an annual Girls Trip to The Outer Banks in North Carolina for many years now!  It's one of our favorite things about summer and we look forward to it every year.  This stretch of islands along the coast of North Carolina offers great beaches and beautiful weather.  Here are our tips if you decide to visit OBX!

Getting There:
The closest airport is Norfolk (ORF) if you plan to fly in.  Depending on where you stay on the Outer Banks, it will be in the 1.5-2 hour drive from the airport.  Since the Outer Banks is right along the coast, there's basically one main way to get there (Highway 158 and the Wright Memorial Bridge).  If you're driving in (especially on Saturday, the traditional check-in day), plan on sitting in traffic for a while.

Stay:
There are tons of great lodging options up and down the Outer Banks.  We are partial to the Kill Devil Hills area, but we have known folks who have loved Duck, Nags Head or even Hatteras Island. We recommend renting a house or condo, rather than a hotel to give you a relaxing, personal experience.  We also like this option because with a kitchen, you are able to cook at home and spare yourself the hassle of going out each day (see below).  Also, according to our mom (and our mom is always right), ALWAYS spring for ocean front not just ocean view.  It's ALWAYS worth it.

Oceanfront is always better!

Visit:
We are pretty laid back vacationers, so we don't spend a lot of time sight-seeing.  Our main activity everyday is laying on the beach (Rent your chairs here) and reading.  If you're into water sports, rent a kayak or paddleboard and head out on the ocean.  You can fish, bike and bird-watch if you're outdoorsy.  If you're into shopping, there are tons of local shops.  One of our favorites is The Christmas Mouse, where you can find thousands of Christmas ornaments in any theme!

This tree was Irish themed!

Eat:
As we hinted above, although there are a ton of restaurants on OBX, but this kind of a case of quantity over quality.  Many of the places offer mediocre vacation food (think burgers, fish and fries) and long wait-times.  For most of our visit, we prefer to cook at home and enjoy more time at the beach, rather than waiting for a table at a restaurant).

That's not to say that there aren't a few place worth visiting.  Our favorite breakfast spot is Stack 'Em High, a family owned pancake house with two locations in Kitty Hawk (3801 N. Croatan Hwy) and Kill Devil Hills (1225 S. Croatan Hwy).  You can't call ahead or put your name in, you just wait in line until your turn arrives.  We love the pancakes, french toast and southern-style biscuit sandwich.

Another favorite restaurant is Tale of the Whale (7575 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head).  Arrive early enough to sit on the deck and enjoy a signature cocktail and live music.  The crab cakes and shrimp and grits are our favorites!

Odds and Ends:

• Many rental properties are rented by the same families year after year during the same weeks.  Because of this, if you're traveling in the summer, you'll want to book in advance!
• We aren't kidding about the traffic on arrival and departure.  Most rental properties feature the same check-in and check-out times, so most folks are coming and going at the same time.  Plan ahead by arriving early and hitting a public beach or shopping if you want to avoid the gridlock.

So there you have it--our tips to have the best Outer Banks trip you can!  Have you been there before?  Let us know if you have any favorite spots in the comments below!