North Carolina's Outer Banks: Fun for the Whole Family - Part 1

The Beaches

Whether it is observing how the vibrant colors of a sunset reflect on wet and dry beach sand or learning how conchs bury themselves in wet sand, or some other fascinating tidbit of information, I always learn and experience something new about nature when I visit the coast. North Carolina's Outer Banks are no exception to this rule. I could spend months doing nothing but riding the waves of the Atlantic into shore and walking the windswept beaches here.

In addition to being centrally located the towns of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills are also ideal for family vacationing because there are a variety of accommodations to choose from. Whether your preference is a beachfront hotel, a soundside motel, a beach house, or a bed and breakfast you will have many options to choose from in these three towns. Most of the beachfront motels and town owned public access beaches employ lifeguards. While there are wonderful natural beaches that have not been developed (and hopefully never will be) at Cape Hatteras National Seashore further South of this area (and I highly recommend spending time there at some point during a vacation to the Outer Banks also) you must keep in mind that lifeguards are usually not available at these more rustic locations so for families with children the hotel/motel beaches and town operated public access beaches usually provide more peace of mind as they are more heavily monitored and patrolled (and as a parent myself I know this makes a huge difference).

All the beaches of the Outer Banks are nice and clean and although they are popular vacation spots they are generally not overcrowded. Keep in mind that these barrier islands are made entirely out of sand which has a tendency to shift over time especially during stormy weather. For this reason, some of the beaches may be fairly narrow (a hotel or house that 20 years ago was located hundreds of yards away from the surf might now be only 30 or 40 yards away from the water at high tide). It is a good idea before making reservations to call and ask how close accommodations are to the water (if having access to a wide expansive sandy beach is important to you) and whether lifeguards are regularly on duty.

History of the Region

First In Flight

The Outer Banks are probably most famous for being the birthplace of

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