OBX -- break up the drive or not?

[Anonymous]

We're headed to Corolla at the end of August with our 20-month-old, 10-year-old, and dog. It's our first trip to the Outer Banks, and I'm getting slightly nervous about the drive, what time we should leave DC to hopefully have naptime in the car but still miss the horrible traffic down there, etc. So I'm thinking about leaving a day early and stopping for the night in Williamsburg, which I think will be about the halfway point. On the other hand, I wonder if we shouldn't just suck it up, make the long drive in one day, and be done with it.

Anyone who's made the trip with kids have thoughts/suggestions one way or the other? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Are you coming from the DC area? If so, I wouldn't even consider breaking up the drive. It is only five hours....maybe not even that much. We go once or twice a year with our now five year old and we generally stop in Williamsburg for a late breakfast/early lunch. We leave EARLY, though, to miss any traffic once we get there. We are on the road by seven. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

Ditto. We traveled last year with our 12 month old and dog, and this year with our 2 year old and dog. It's really not a bad drive at all, if you leave early and miss the heaviest traffic. We leave northern virginia at 5:30, stop around 7am for breakfast, and arrive in Kill Devil Hills around 11:30 (after stopping for fresh produce). Personally, I'd much rather find something to do down there while we wait for our house to be ready, then to sit in traffic with a grumpy toddler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ditto. We traveled last year with our 12 month old and dog, and this year with our 2 year old and dog. It's really not a bad drive at all, if you leave early and miss the heaviest traffic. We leave northern virginia at 5:30, stop around 7am for breakfast, and arrive in Kill Devil Hills around 11:30 (after stopping for fresh produce). Personally, I'd much rather find something to do down there while we wait for our house to be ready, then to sit in traffic with a grumpy toddler.

To to PP traveling with dog -- we are considering renting a house for a week next August (2010) and we'll be just us -- DH and me, a 9 yo and a 6 yo, plus our 30 pound dog. Do you have any recommendations re: beach time with the dog? Do you rent oceanfront so you can leave the dog at the house for part of the time to play with kids on the beach? How's Kill Devil Hills re: dogs on the beach?

[Anonymous]

We are planning to break up the drive. We just won't be able to get out early if we do it in one day and we want our younger child to nap in the car so we will leave at her naptime. I think it's great if you are organized to get out early. We are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ditto. We traveled last year with our 12 month old and dog, and this year with our 2 year old and dog. It's really not a bad drive at all, if you leave early and miss the heaviest traffic. We leave northern virginia at 5:30, stop around 7am for breakfast, and arrive in Kill Devil Hills around 11:30 (after stopping for fresh produce). Personally, I'd much rather find something to do down there while we wait for our house to be ready, then to sit in traffic with a grumpy toddler.

To to PP traveling with dog -- we are considering renting a house for a week next August (2010) and we'll be just us -- DH and me, a 9 yo and a 6 yo, plus our 30 pound dog. Do you have any recommendations re: beach time with the dog? Do you rent oceanfront so you can leave the dog at the house for part of the time to play with kids on the beach? How's Kill Devil Hills re: dogs on the beach?

9:56 here: We actually stay in South Nags Head, just pick up our keys in KDH. Each of the areas of OBX have different laws regarding dogs on the beach that range from no dogs at all, to leashed dogs, etc. Nags Head requires dogs to be on a 6 foot leash, although we see many, many dogs off leash there and have never personally seen anyone do anything about it. Granted, all of the dogs we have seen have been very well behaved. We have a Weim, and she is not the type to just hang out under the umbrella like a lot of the other dogs we see there. We usually take her to the beach in the mornings for a long walk but she stays at the house the remainder of the day. We aren't ocean front, but are about a 3 minute walk from the beach. We rent through Sun Realty (although there are tons of realty companies) and their website sunrealtync.com has lots of good info, including info regarding rules for dogs on the beach in each of the areas.

[Anonymous]

We just make a day of it and try to enjoy the drive. We usually stop in Williamsburg for an early lunch. We then stop at one of the larger produce stands for an extended stop (sample the fruit, use the restrooms and stock up).

[Anonymous]

We broke up the drive and it worked well for us. We went to Williamsburg a day early and spent the afternoon at the Jamestown Settlement, which was really great for the kids (ships to climb on, indian games to play, a fort to see with armor to try on, etc.) We headed to OBX the next morning and missed all the traffic over the bridge. Stopped at the Wright Brothers memorial, where there was a kid-friendly ranger program about flight where the kids tried different ways of making paper airplanes to see which flew the farthest. Had lunch, and then headed up to Corolla , and had no traffic worries, plus some enjoyable and educational diversions along the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
9:56 here: We actually stay in South Nags Head, just pick up our keys in KDH. Each of the areas of OBX have different laws regarding dogs on the beach that range from no dogs at all, to leashed dogs, etc. Nags Head requires dogs to be on a 6 foot leash, although we see many, many dogs off leash there and have never personally seen anyone do anything about it. Granted, all of the dogs we have seen have been very well behaved. We have a Weim, and she is not the type to just hang out under the umbrella like a lot of the other dogs we see there. We usually take her to the beach in the mornings for a long walk but she stays at the house the remainder of the day. We aren't ocean front, but are about a 3 minute walk from the beach. We rent through Sun Realty (although there are tons of realty companies) and their website sunrealtync.com has lots of good info, including info regarding rules for dogs on the beach in each of the areas.

Thank you SO MUCH for your valuable post!