How the Outer Banks Turned a California Beach Girl Into an OBX Believer

For beach days, the Outer Banks deserves a spot at the top of the list. California is far from the only place where you can soak up sunshine, book an oceanfront cottage, and spend your time playing by the water.

By Kristi Valentini on Oct. 25, 2021

I’ll own it: I grew up spoiled by the beach. In Southern California, the shoreline was only about 30-ish minutes away from home, depending on the infamous traffic bottlenecks. My childhood is full of memories like searching for seashells with my grandma and enjoying saltwater taffy on Sundays. After I earned my driver’s license, beach bonfires and long afternoons stretched out on the sand with my best friend became the routine. We were very committed to improving our tan lines. Single-digit sunscreen was somehow normal then.

West Coast beach life will always matter to me because it helped shape who I am. But...

After visiting North Carolina’s Outer Banks islands (OBX) for the first time, I can say, with total California-girl confidence, that this East Coast destination has its own kind of magic. Families have come here for generations, often bringing other families along for a laid-back, memorable, everyone-has-fun vacation. It feels different from anything in the golden state. Here’s what makes the Outer Banks stand out and why beach lovers should experience it.

1. There’s room to spread out and play

In Southern California, beaches can fill up fast, and getting a parking spot can feel nearly impossible. Then there’s the search for enough sand to fit your blanket, usually wedged between a family with crying kids and teenagers blasting music. Honestly, people tend to be more cheerful and kinder when they have space.

The OBX offers 100 miles of coastline, with a large share of it preserved as park land. Picture wide-open, natural Atlantic beaches with plenty of room. Coquina Beach, within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, adds conveniences such as lifeguards, flush toilets and showers. Along with the usual beach-day fun, visitors can look for tiny coquina clams, about the size of a fingernail, tucked into the wet sand.

2. The ocean feels warmer

Playing in the Pacific means preparing yourself not just for the surf, but for the cold water too. As a child, that didn’t bother me. Now? Absolutely not. The moment I stepped into the ocean in the OBX, the difference was obvious. It isn’t just a feeling, either. The Old Farmer’s Almanac says the Atlantic Ocean is about 16 degrees warmer on average than the Pacific. In summer, the water here is typically in the ’70s.

3. Water sports come in many forms

The island chain of the Outer Banks sits parallel to the North Carolina coast. Visitors get access to two different playgrounds: the Atlantic Ocean and the sound, a shallow stretch of water between the mainland and the islands that can reach up to 30 miles wide.

For surfing, The Outer Banks is home to the biggest waves on the East Coast. Gear rentals and lessons are available through numerous surf shops. We skipped surfing on this trip, but the kids loved the boogie boards we rented. We also watched part of the Outer Banks Pro, a surfing competition in Nag’s Head. Even better, it happened right on the beach outside our rental at Whalebone Oceanside Cottages.

Over on the sound, options include kayaking, dolphin boat tours, jet skiing, paddle boarding and tubing. During our private tubing outing with Kitty Hawk Kites, Captain Randy zigzagged around the sound and gave my kids exactly the wild ride they wanted. On the dolphin boat tour, we came close to more than 20 to 30 dolphins, including babies, which had every passenger squealing.

4. Land adventures are just as memorable

If putting on a swimsuit isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty to do. Two of our favorite experiences happened away from the water. My kids and me tried hang gliding at Jockey Ridge State Park. We took our first flights from dunes that rise 60 feet high or more, a first for all of us and the kind of memory we’ll keep retelling for years. Other visitors were flying kites or simply climbing and racing down the enormous sand hills.

My family also had a great time crabbing. We bought cord from a fishing shop and chicken legs from the grocery store, tied the drumsticks to the cord, and lowered them into the sound. Blue crabs grabbed the meat almost right away and held on until we pulled them up. We loved catching and releasing them, though larger crabs can be kept for eating if you prefer.

Driving on the beach is another unusual option. Yes, directly on the sand. In summer, this is allowed along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, but an online permit is required. Some people go for the novelty, while others use it to reach a more remote fishing spot or to find a stretch of beach they can have all to themselves.

5. The shoreline feels wild and romantic

Nag’s Head and the communities north of it are designed around vacationers arriving and departing. Along the beaches, you’ll see stilted vacation homes, condo rentals, ice cream and taffy shops, burger spots and seafood markets. The mood changes once you reach the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway (NC Highway 12). We drove the stretch from Nag’s Head to Buxton through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and it felt like finding a hidden treasure that hadn’t yet been fully discovered.

Because this coastline is protected, the view is mostly rolling sand dunes, seagrass and gorgeous empty beach, interrupted only by a few lighthouses. Inland, small villages hold wood-shingled homes weathered silver by years of salt in the air. You’ll find campgrounds and enough conveniences to make a vacation comfortable, but without the extra bustle and polish of the areas farther north.

We paused at Bodie Island Lighthouse for photos of the black-and-white-striped landmark. At Pea Island Wildlife Refuge, we saw turtles in a pond on the sound side and noticed a sunken ship from the 1800s that still sits just offshore. Park rangers at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse taught us that the OBX is essentially a massive sandbar and that sea turtles come back 20 years later to nest where they hatched. The whole day was unforgettable.

6. Vacation homes are everywhere

Vacation home rentals are clearly popular right now, especially for families. Parents can tuck the kids into bed and still enjoy grown-up time in the shared spaces. Having the option to cook meals, including freshly caught seafood, instead of eating out constantly, plus being able to do laundry whenever, can also make a beach week more budget-friendly.

The OBX has tens of thousands of vacation rentals, far more than the number of hotel rooms available. Looking for a house right on the sand? Easy. Want a hot tub, bikes, and an ocean view? Also possible. Choices range from huge houses suited to family reunions to smaller cottages built for a family of four. Most homes are rented through different management agencies rather than appearing on common vacation-rental platforms like AirBNB and VRBO.

It makes sense that travelers come back to the OBX again and again to make new memories. The destination offers something for everyone, whether that means traditional beach fun, quirky adventures or quiet time taking in the scenery. And I’ll admit it: I’m 100% sure my name belongs on the repeat-visitor list too, because I plan to return someday soon.

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About Kristi Valentini

Kristi Valentini is almost always planning another trip or writing about standout destinations she has visited for magazines including Woman’s Day and Good Housekeeping. At Readymade Travel Plans, she shares fresh family vacation, road trip and weekend getaway ideas, along with fun itineraries.