The Outer Banks, North Carolina
Road Trip to the Outer Banks. In 2013 we decided our summer family vacation would be a road trip to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Neither my husband or I had been there before so this would be an adventure for all of us. Our son was 9 that summer.
We learned very early in our son’s life that the best way to travel with him was with video entertainment in the car. He has never loved being in the car. Even short distances were not typically pleasant with him. Therefore, we've made sure any car we were going to travel in has a DVD player. He watched videos in the back seat while we enjoyed the scenery during the drive.
First Stop - Daytona Beach
Our first stop was in Daytona Beach. We stayed there for one night. We got there late that evening having driven from Naples that day. Our hotel was right on the beach near the Boardwalk. One thing Daytona is known for (besides the Daytona 500) is the Boardwalk along the beach. We walked down to where the rides and entertainment were and enjoyed what the Boardwalk had to offer.
Myrtle Beach - Day 2
On day 2 we drove to Myrtle Beach, SC. I was looking forward to this stop because I’d always heard that Myrtle Beach was a great place to vacation. The hotel I had booked online (based on the pics and because it was on the beach) was NOT what we had expected.
We had planned to stay in Myrtle Beach for 3 nights but canceled the 3rd night and headed to the Outer Banks a day early. While we were in Myrtle Beach we visited the Wacatee Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium and enjoyed a nice outdoor shopping and restaurant area.
USS North Carolina Battleship
On our way to the Outer Banks, we were passing the USS North Carolina Battleship and decided to stop and check out this tourist stop. I’ve always loved road trips and this is one reason. You never know for certain what you might see that wasn’t part of a plan. Something that you can add to a trip that makes it even more memorable.
We toured the USS North Carolina. It was pretty cool to explore this battleship. Our son was feeling a bit claustrophobic inside the ship, down where the crew quarters were so he and I had to get back to the upper deck and outside where he wasn’t feeling enclosed. My husband, being a boat captain enjoyed thoroughly exploring the ship.
The Outer Banks - North Carolina
We finally made it to the Outer Banks. We stayed in Kill Devil Hills at a quaint hotel called Shutters on the Banks. It is right on the Atlantic Ocean where we enjoyed some time in the water while we were there. As per our usual, we played some miniature golf.
The highlight for me (and my husband, I guess) was when we had lunch at Sam & Omie’s, a local restaurant that was recommended by the hotel. We were sitting there waiting for our food. My husband was facing the door as he always is when he looks at me and gives me a head nod towards the door. I turn and look and low and behold, Captain Wild Bill from Deadliest Catch walked in.
My husband stuck his hand out as he walked by and says (as if he knew Bill), “Bill”, with a nod and shakes his hand. I was sincerely star struck. We’ve been fans of Deadliest Catch for years. I wanted so much to approach him and ask for a picture with our son, but I didn’t want to intrude on his lunch.
Exploring the Outer Banks
After lunch, we went to check out Jeanette’s Pier which is iconic on the beach in the OBX. It was a very touristy pier with a lot of people; some visiting, some fishing off the end of the pier.
We found out that the next day there was a fishing tournament at the Pirate’s Cove Marina where Captain Wild Bill might be. After breakfast, we drove over there to try and catch the fisherman coming in to weigh their fish and hope to see Captain Bill – but, no luck. Oh well, the marina was cool and we had a nice lunch at the restaurant there.
Home Sweet Home
We’d been away from home for a week and were ready to head home. We live on the west coast of Florida so the Outer Banks wasn’t novel to us, but there is something very enchanting about the OBX. I can understand why so many books are written with the Outer Banks as the setting for their stories. I would love to return some day and see some of what we weren’t able to see during that summer vacation.
With Serenity,
