From Chincoteague we made our way down south. We had a four hour drive but it seemed like 8. It was much warmer than VA, which is nice but the kids were a bit fed up I think.
We stayed in OBX (Outer banks) for a total of three nights. T booked us a room with points at a Ramada. The second floor was a “dune view” and they were not kidding- our view of the beach was almost entirely blocked by the dune.
I would describe Outer banks a long and relatively narrow strip of land (and some islands), located just off mainland of North Carolina.
On our first day we mainly used the hotel’s pool and beach, but on the second day we drove from Nags Head (where our hotel was located) to Cape Hatteras (Finis Terrae of sorts). All the towns we passed started to blend one into the other: tiny, super clean, with lots of beach vibes. I often wondered how much houses go for there- you are literally on the ocean. The sand dunes, the water, bridges that go for miles, low pine shrubs.
You can drive a car into the beach. I saw many people do it, except everyone had trucks. I did not have a permit so we walked onto a random public access beach instead.
People of North Carolina are lovely (so was Virginia). Everyone is saying hello, super warm. I wonder if that’s part of the “southern hospitality”concept…
On the road. The drivers are not aggressive. Even the most fierce-looking monster-type trucks, clad to the gills with fishing poles, live bait, or construction materials, are chill.
That is not the NJ way! In NY and NJ we drive like assholes, cut people off, flip each other, and overall dominate the road.
Outer bank public beaches are disgustingly clean. I could not fathom that a random ramp we took it was a public access to the beach. I wonder what North Carolinians think when they come to Sandy Hook, NJ…
On our last day, I went out onto the beach to capture a sunrise picture without that dune being in my way. A breathtakingly beautiful goodbye.
After breakfast we piled into the car and drove for about 6 hours to Kennett Square, PA. But that’s a story for another time.
Mom of Children 