OT..Headed to the outerbanks

[JillandFamily]

Staying in Carolla in June. Does anyone have any budget minded tips? Anything that is a must do? TIA

 

[Priorityonecb]

Our whole family absolutely loved Jockey Ridge!! We took a picnic lunch, then played on the dunes, watched the hang gliders, people watched the brave souls willing to sled/run down the dunes, hike to see the views. We took a kite and a frisbee and could have stayed all day! We wished we had another day to spend there! Completely free!

 

[lucas43068]

yes, jockeys ridge is wonderful, just be warned, theres a bit of a walk to the dunes from the parking lot, and theres a lot of running that will wear lil ones out, you might have to carry them back. heh..
check out happy hours and the coupon books, we ate fairly cheap all week
theres a lil restaurant on beach road, behind longboards at (i think) mile post 6. they have a great happy hour speacial, .10 shrimp and .25 wings.
drive down to hatteres, the light house and museum is really cool, check out the video on how they moved it and all that jazz.
other than that, dont avoid the water just because of jellies(the lil clear ones, im not talking about man o wars or anything), there will probably be a lot (there have been every time ive been to OBX) they dont really hurt, just make you kinda itchy

 

[JillandFamily]

thanks! great ideas

 

[shelwoj]

The best adult beverage in the banks is at Mama Kwans and it's the Mocha Jumbie. Food is really good and they treat kids like little kings and queens!

Budget friendly, seriously, the beach is free. We rent a house right on the beach at milepost 12 the first full week of June and just RELAX! Oh and the kids love ghost crab hunting at night. Loads of fun and free.

We've also geocached while there. Another free activity if you have a gps. If you're wondering what it is just go to geocaching dot com. We have geocached on all our vacations, including our cruises.

Most important, have fun and relax.

(We just sent in our first payment for 2011 trip!)

 

[dmslush]

Visit the lighthouses, go see the wild horses, go the wright brothers memorial, visit the elizabethan gardens. There is a ton of cheap/free stuff to see and do out there!

 

[WeDisney4]

Just wanted to share I just bought this beach cabana
http://http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/Texsport-Caribe-Cabana/4117579/product.html
maybe helpful for your trip.

Also we took our DDs ages 7 &9 to see the Lost Colony & they Loved it!!

 

[WeDisney4]

Sorry I see my link isn't working ~ it's the Texsport Caribe Cabana
for 39.99. We did have an email for 10% off & $1 shipping so the total was 36.99.

For that price we're giving to DDs as a Christmas gift ~ i think they'll love just setting it up in the backyard to read or play & using it at the beach will be a bonus!

 

[gillenkl]

Visit the lighthouses, aquarium, the wright brothers memorial. We love eating at Big Al's!

 

[debbiemomto4]

We rented a house with 16 people in all in Ocean Sands. We actually cooked every meal except 1 at the house. We also got pizza one day. Make sure you go to Food Lion instead of Harris Teeter. We really enjoyed the beach, the house, the pool and the hot tub. Kids went crabbing (for fun) , long soccer games on the beach. We also went to the shops one day and to the lighthouse. Bring games and a puzzle (plenty were provided at the house.)
Have fun!

 

[JillandFamily]

thanks everyone!

 

[shortbun]

Wright Bros museum. We finally went to Jockey Ridge and the kids and dads were not impressed. They thought it was dirty. I did not climb the dune so I was content waiting and reading my book. I think this kind of vacation takes care of itself unless there is bad weather. We drive the southern route through Greensboro/Raleigh and Manteo. Much less traffic on the inbound. For years we went through Raleigh and Chesapeake with everyone else. turned our friends on to the new route this year. They loved it!

I like this website www.obxconnection.com

Take white vinegar for jelly fish stings-do not rinse with tap water/use salt water and sand then vinegar. Also, cider vinegar for mild sunburns if you don't mind smelling like a salad it really takes away a moderate burn by soaking a wash rag and letting it sit on the burn. My 20yo neice foolishly went out w/8spf this year and loved the vinegar cure-all but the smell, lol!

 

[zima-cheryl]

Check the national parks website - the last 2 summers they have done a free day each month. I would expect they will do the same again this coming summer. Wright Bros. isn't expensive, but free is still a better price.

 

[lucas43068]

Wright Bros museum. We finally went to Jockey Ridge and the kids and dads were not impressed. They thought it was dirty. I did not climb the dune so I was content waiting and reading my book.

of course its dirty!! its a huge pile of sand!!!

 

[3mickeymom]

We visited the aquarium in Manteo and also hit the children's theater there for a play one rainy afternoon. They were both great. As far as tips for your trip -

if you go to the lighthouse or the ferry to Ocracoke, leave very early. We waited over two hours for the ferry and then just turned around and went home. So we missed out on that,unfortunately. The lighthouse was beautiful and crowded. We wished we had gotten there earlier to avoid some of the congestion.

Buy fruit and vegetables on the way in, as once we got there the only option was the supermarket and we prefer farmstand freshness.

The ocean there can get very ROUGH and where we stayed the lifeguards patroled on a quad and were not readily available should you need one. I am from New Jersey and we have life guards posted everywhere and I appreciate the peace of mind that my beach fees pay for. Make sure everyone with you knows how to handle a rip current as well as other ocean safety precautions.

Most of all relax and enjoy your vacation.