We love it and have gone since our kids were toddlers. It is quiet in the OBX- no boardwalks with games etc. We love that. We stay in Duck - we like the Four Seasons development. There is an in-neighborhood trolley, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness room, etc. The town of Duck has daily storytimes, mini plays, etc in an outdoor ampitheater. We bring bikes (with trailers when the kids were younger), it is nice and flat with bike trails.

We do like to have meals in our rental, especially when our kids were younger, because most restaurants do not take reservations there and they get packed.

I grew up going to the Jersey Shore - the ocean is no rougher but it is slightly warmer in the OBX.

It’s super dangerous and ALL the food bad? What?

Anonymous wrote:Any good houses or hotels to suggest? I stay at Pawleys Island in SC every year with family. Is there anything similar?

My daughter is 1.5 years old so she just basically does whatever we do. We don’t need toddler-specific activities for her because she’s at the age where everything is any activity. We’re not really going to do anything besides wade in the water. Kind of rethinking our options if the food is that bad!

It is like SC; I just prefer it because it’s closer. My kid has been going since she was 1 and we’ve always had a great time. The beach is beautiful.

And the food is not that bad. I spend a good amount of time in these smaller beach and lake towns, and it’s completely par for the course.

Duck for sure. There’s a cute downtown to run around in. Also do a day trip to Manteo to see the aquarium.

You’re not going to find excellent food, though. There is decent pizza, American-style food, and bbq. There’s a decent coffee place (Treehouse). The food options have gotten better in the last ten years and are more on par with other small beach towns (Bethany, etc) but still it doesn’t have as much variety as I’d like. Still, that’s not why we go. I grew up going there and am now taking my kids. We all love it.

Any good houses or hotels to suggest? I stay at Pawleys Island in SC every year with family. Is there anything similar?

My daughter is 1.5 years old so she just basically does whatever we do. We don’t need toddler-specific activities for her because she’s at the age where everything is any activity. We’re not really going to do anything besides wade in the water. Kind of rethinking our options if the food is that bad!

Anonymous wrote:Nowhere. It's one of the last places on Earth I'd take a toddler too. The ocean is extremely dangerous there, the rest of it is too boring for children and really meant for middle aged adults.

I disagree. We took our kids when they were toddlers and they had a great time. There’s the North Carolina aquarium and dolphin cruises and just meandering around the shops. We had a house right on the water and spent evenings walking along the beach flying kites and chasing crabs.

Maybe if you’re looking for an active vacation, this isn’t the right place. But if your objective is to unwind and relax for a week, OBX is a solid choice.

Anonymous wrote:We liked staying in Duck or Corolla. Pick a rental with a pool, as that’s where your toddler will do most their water play.

Good luck finding good food. We’ve yet to do so.

Yeah, the best you can get is decent pizza. Fresh fish can be bought for cooking at home. That's the best you'll do.

It's all great for toddlers but the restaurants are bad. It's more a grill-at-the-house kind of place. We used to stay in Duck.

Would you be willing to drive down to Holden Beach?

Nowhere. It's one of the last places on Earth I'd take a toddler too. The ocean is extremely dangerous there, the rest of it is too boring for children and really meant for middle aged adults.

Corolla Light. Shuttle to beach if your house isn’t walking distance. Great playground. Indoor pool if weather isn’t great. Community pool if you can’t find a house with a private pool. Walking distance to great bakery, lighthouse and a couple of decent lunch restaurants.

We liked staying in Duck or Corolla. Pick a rental with a pool, as that’s where your toddler will do most their water play.

Good luck finding good food. We’ve yet to do so.

Nowhere

Duck

Mostly just want to hang out on the beach and go to good restaurants.