You could easily spend a week or a month or a lifetime in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but if you’re driving from Florida to Maine, don’t drive inland—enjoy the Outer Banks! Here is a two day itinerary, from South to North with one night in Buxton.
Advance Planning:
- Book a night in Morehead City, NC. This is the last town with decent lodging before the ferry landing (a one hour drive). The Hampton Inn is good quality and right on the water.
- Book ferry reservations on the morning Cedar Island to Ocracoke Ferry http://www.ncdot.org/ferry/
- Make hotel/motel reservations in Buxton—not a lot to choose from and they fill fast in the summer
- Pack your beach towels and bathing suits!
Day 1: Ferry to Ocracoke, Ferry to Buxton
The drive from Morehead City to the Cedar Island Ferry landing is about 1 hour without traffic. Get to the ferry landing at the time requested or you could lose your spot! The ferry ride itself is about 2 ¼ hours. There are a couple of seats with tables indoors, but these fill immediately. So bring books or games that don’t need much space or spend your time on deck looking for fishing boats.
Ocracoke is a tiny, compact town. Pick up an Ocracoke Island brochure at any North Carolina visitor center (including the one on the island). Stop by the Ocracoke lighthouse. There is only parking for a few cars, so if it’s busy you’ll need to wait. If your kids like pirate stories, they abound in this area. Look for pirate references throughout the islands.
For coffee or cinnamon buns definitely stop by the Ocracoke Coffee Co. Excellent coffee, tasty snacks and comfy indoor and outdoor seating— what more could a coffee shop offer? Pick up sandwiches for a beach picnic at the Sweet Tooth and Fig Tree Bakery or Back Porch Lunchbox.
From Ocracoke drive north to the Ferry to Hatteras, stopping along the way for a picnic and a swim. There are several places to access the beach along route 12, so take a break and enjoy the isolated beaches—few people, lots of sand and surf! There is also the Pony Pens along the drive where you can stop to see descendents of the horses that once roamed the island. The ferry to Hatteras does not require a reservation. It is first come, first serve.
Once in Hatteras you can rent kayaks, head to the beaches or climb the lighthouse. The lighthouse lines can be long. If you go first thing in the morning (tomorrow) you are likely to have less of a wait. If your family enjoys maritime history stop by the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum right by the ferry landing. This very small museum has exhibits on the treacherous waterways along the Outer Banks, shipwrecks and piracy. It also had an exhibit on German subs in World War 2 and the use of air power to sink battleships.
Day 2: Enjoy the National Seashore, Kitty Hawk, Drive North
Start your day early with a visit to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. You can climb the 248 stairs to the top for an excellent view. Stop by the visitor’s center where you can view the binders on moving the light house. Kids and adults will be fascinated by the rail and hydraulic system put in place to move the lighthouse further inland (to protect it from the eroding beach) in 1999.
From the lighthouse continue north on route 12. Again there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy the beaches. For a short walk stop at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. You can and should borrow binoculars from the visitor center there. The bird life is most abundant in the spring and fall migrations and during the cooler morning and evening hours, but you are sure to see egrets even in the middle of the day.
An alternative, or additional, walk takes you to the top of the highest dune east of the Mississippi River in Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The ever shifting sand dunes are great for kite flying, dune jumping and taking in the view. There is also a hang gliding school which offers 3 hour lessons in beginning gliding as well as more advanced lessons.
Just a bit further north on Route 12 is the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Small children will enjoy the Jr. Ranger Program and ALL will enjoy the outstanding talk the rangers give on the first flight. Both the indoor talk which is given frequently and the twice daily outdoor program are thoroughly worth attending.
If you have time for one final stop before leaving the Outer Banks, stop at the visitor center in Kitty Hawk to see the Monument to a Century of Flight. See if your kids can find when Amelia Earhart flew, or the moon landing, or when the U.S. post office established air mail service.
Quite a bit to enjoy in just two days—your family will certainly want to return for a longer visit!
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