The Outer Banks is pirate country and the site of the Lost Colony. Thus, there is lots of history and places to visit and a trip to the NC Aquarium at Manteo is always a family favorite. The aquarium tanks hold hundreds of species of fresh and saltwater fish – plus a fan favorite, a pair of frolicking otters. It’s a nice place to visit on a rainy day. The historic town of Manteo is another popular tourist destination. Nancy loves some of the ladies’ specialty shops. I enjoy the ice cream.
Back in Nags Head, we never make a trip to the Outer Banks without a stop at Tanger Outlet Mall. If I need new shoes, we go to the Bass Outlet Shop where the shoes are generally marked from 40% to 50% off regular retail. Over half the shoes in my closet came from that store. Nancy’s, too.
There is also a Corning Outlet Store that has great kitchen supplies and gadgets. At the other end of the strip is a Kitchen Outlet that I dearly love. Every possible cooking gizmo can be found here. In between, there are stores like Talbot’s, Nautica, Wilson’s Leather and others. It’s a fun way to spend a morning.
Another interesting trip is to the Bodie Island Lighthouse near Oregon Inlet. There is a nice nature trail leading back to the sound with both good fishing and crabbing available. Fly fisherman like this spot with good wading and easy casting out to the creek channels for fish like stripers, drum and specks.
Sometimes we just go for a car ride, maybe head south to Hatteras and see the fishing villages and eat a bite beside the ocean. Or, we’ll head up and down the beach roads admiring the cottages. A trip inland to The Cotton Gin is a good choice during inclement weather and a jaunt all the way to Corolla to see the wild horse is another possibility.
Simply walking on the beach beside the foamy ocean waters is at the very top of the list of things to do on the Outer Banks. Half of the battle is just showing up.