If it's your first visit there's lots of info on the OBX Connections forum.

Anonymous wrote:Question on what to do if we arrive to Corolla about 11am to check-in time at 4pm. Lunch usually just takes an hour or less. Head more north to the lighthouse (and be stuck in traffic again)?

We can head to the beach but Where is there public parking to get to the beach since we were told not to park at the house? and there's limited public parking to beach access.
What can we do for 4 hours?

Whalehead has a few parking areas adjacent to beach access.

We go to the OBX every year and we literally do not leave the house (except to go to the grocery store) for the entire week. Its the best.

Anonymous wrote:There's a place where you can rent 4x4 vehicles and take them on a big sand dune near Corolla. Really fun. Also rent wave runners and a party boat on the sound.

Does anyone know the name of a business that offers the 4x4 rentals or wave runners.? Corolla area. Thanks.

We like to stay in Duck because of its proximity to nice restaurants.

There's a place where you can rent 4x4 vehicles and take them on a big sand dune near Corolla. Really fun. Also rent wave runners and a party boat on the sound.

Anonymous wrote:Oh man, why didn't I read all these Outerbanks traffic issues before I book the house. I'm almost regretting this. I can just hear the relatives complaining complaining.
Than, WHY WHY do so many people like the Outerbanks!
We were there at Nags Head the end of August once and it wasn't bad at all. When we drove up to Corolla, we like how peaceful and calmer the water was. Little did I know. Is traffic like the rush hour here in the DC area?
Why!!!

Just relax, enjoy the beach and the natural beauty of the area. Try some fishing. There's enough little diversions in the Corolla area that you don't even have to go into Nags Head. Or just plan one day to go into Nags Head. You really don't have to get into the stress of traffic at all if you don't want to.

Nags Head is also a fun area to stay but you would be dealing with crowds and it's fun but not so peaceful.

Anonymous wrote:So basically avoid arrival between noon-6pm on the summer weekends?

How is the evening arrival to Corolla?
Like arrive at the bridge about 6pm or 7pm, is traffic any lighter by then?

Yes!

There's a movie theater in the shopping center with the Food Lion. You can also park across from the Currituck Club and access the public beach there.

Question on what to do if we arrive to Corolla about 11am to check-in time at 4pm. Lunch usually just takes an hour or less. Head more north to the lighthouse (and be stuck in traffic again)?

We can head to the beach but Where is there public parking to get to the beach since we were told not to park at the house? and there's limited public parking to beach access.
What can we do for 4 hours?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh man, why didn't I read all these Outerbanks traffic issues before I book the house. I'm almost regretting this. I can just hear the relatives complaining complaining.
Than, WHY WHY do so many people like the Outerbanks!
We were there at Nags Head the end of August once and it wasn't bad at all. When we drove up to Corolla, we like how peaceful and calmer the water was. Little did I know. Is traffic like the rush hour here in the DC area?
Why!!!

We always stay in Nags Head when we go to the Outer Banks. Never any problem with traffic once you are around that part of the island. Just thinking about the traffic to the north gives me hives. We've got three elementary aged boys, and they love all of the "other" activities... Jockeys Ridge (we go there in the evenings), mini-golf, go-karts, Manteo, raquetball at the YMCA, laser tag at Gearworks, fishing at Oregon Inlet. Plus there are all kinds of restaurants, candy shops, snow cone places.

People like OBX because it is far enough away from DC to not have to worry about things. Generally speaking, it isn't as crowded as Ocean City, VA Beach, etc.

Corolla is a pain to get to because the speed limit is 25 or 35 the entire way. The upside is there are two grocery stores within 3 miles of each other.

This post made me so happy. We booked our house for July 4 week at OBX. Not my choice of weeks but my kid only gets that one week off all summer for HS football. So it's our only option for a family vacation.

We literally don't get in our car once we arrive at the beach house. Mornings are spent making big breakfasts, drinking coffee and chatting on the deck. Entire day at the beach. Literally 10 hours on the beach every day. We swim, read, play wiffle ball and frisbee, play with our dogs in the ocean. Then make dinner at the house, and evenings are spent sitting around the pool at the house playing board games or card games, drinking wine, chilling out, swimming in the pool. One night we do a bonfire at the beach, roast marshmallows. Last year we watched a sea turtle nesting! (From a big respectful distance but still cool!)

It is honestly total heaven for a solid week.

We might get in the car and go to dinner one or two nights maybe, but that's it.

If this is not your idea of vacation, if your family is looking more for places to go and things to do, I'm not sure outer banks is the place. There's nothing really there. At least for us, that's the entire point....

Anonymous wrote:Oh man, why didn't I read all these Outerbanks traffic issues before I book the house. I'm almost regretting this. I can just hear the relatives complaining complaining.
Than, WHY WHY do so many people like the Outerbanks!
We were there at Nags Head the end of August once and it wasn't bad at all. When we drove up to Corolla, we like how peaceful and calmer the water was. Little did I know. Is traffic like the rush hour here in the DC area?
Why!!!

We always stay in Nags Head when we go to the Outer Banks. Never any problem with traffic once you are around that part of the island. Just thinking about the traffic to the north gives me hives. We've got three elementary aged boys, and they love all of the "other" activities... Jockeys Ridge (we go there in the evenings), mini-golf, go-karts, Manteo, raquetball at the YMCA, laser tag at Gearworks, fishing at Oregon Inlet. Plus there are all kinds of restaurants, candy shops, snow cone places.