Best Town in Outer Banks, NC?

I'm looking for a timeshare for next April in the the Outer Banks. This will be our first time in this area and we're not sure which town to stay in. It looks like we will be able to choose from Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and possibly Rodanthe. We're looking for a quaint town with a nice beach and a lot of good restaurants. We have a seven-year-old, so we also need to take this into consideration. Any input would be very helpful since we know nothing about these towns!

I suggest you check out the Outer Banks Forum: http://www.obxconnection.com/outer-banks-forum/forum.aspx?FID=1 and maybe post the question there.
I like all the towns and the biggest factor in choosing one for me, would be the timeshare I was staying. Rodanthe is somewhat remote as is Duck to a lesser extent. The rest are in busy areas but have a lot of good restaurants and activities.

In my personal opinion Duck is laid back and quaint. But remember city folks are moving to the Carolinas every day. Rodanthe to me is at the end of the earth(great fishing and very remote).

We were in the OBX last June (week 24), Rodanthe didn't seem awake yet even then so I think it would be dead, dead in April. The other 4 really aren't that far apart. We stayed in Kill Devil Hills but Kitty Hawk was really close.

I would check to see which resorts have outdoor pools that are heated and will for sure be open that time of year. Many resorts don't have indoor pools and even though I think most heat their pools at least part of the day when they are open they certainly aren't open all year round.

In April, some of the restaurants will not be open, and at least some of the outdoor attractions like miniature golf probably won't be open either. Probably no crowds anywhere either. Duck is probably a little more quaint with a lot of small shops, but what will be open - I can't help you with. We own at BIS in Duck, and prefer that area, but in April,anywhere should be laid back. At that time of year, I think I would stay in the middle of the area so that I could go north or south to eat or play ~ Ron

lizfox said:

I'm looking for a timeshare for next April in the the Outer Banks. This will be our first time in this area and we're not sure which town to stay in. It looks like we will be able to choose from Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and possibly Rodanthe. We're looking for a quaint town with a nice beach and a lot of good restaurants. We have a seven-year-old, so we also need to take this into consideration. Any input would be very helpful since we know nothing about these towns!

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We visit there at least once a year and we actually got married there on the beach, so we know the area well. Do not worry about distinguishing between Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nagshead. They basically all run together. Duck and Rodanthe are quite a ways away (Duck to the North and Rodanthe to the South). Since you are going in April I would definitely recommend the Nagshead area. The best restaurants are: Blue Moon, Tale of the Whale and Hurricane Moes, IMHO. There's lots of shopping in the Nagshead area also. Enjoy !

Just got back from a week in San Clemente....quaint, nice beach, relaxing...loved it!

lizfox said:

I'm looking for a timeshare for next April in the the Outer Banks. This will be our first time in this area and we're not sure which town to stay in. It looks like we will be able to choose from Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and possibly Rodanthe. We're looking for a quaint town with a nice beach and a lot of good restaurants. We have a seven-year-old, so we also need to take this into consideration. Any input would be very helpful since we know nothing about these towns!

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I have been going to the Outer Banks all my life, 45+ years. While Duck is more remote, it is by far the most quaint to me. If you stay at BIS Duck, shops, restaurants, markets, bike paths, a spa, the Sound for water sports, are all within walking distance. There are no fancy timeshare accommodations in the Outer Banks. They are all rustic. Duck will be fine for visiting the other towns; Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. Rodanthe is very remote. As was previously stated, it's a great place to go fishing.

The Outer Banks is pushing more and more towards a three-season beach area. The Taste of the Outer Banks is a great annual event held in March. I owned a timeshare for many years in Duck (week 12) at the end of March. Many times the weather was beautiful.

Outer Banks Beach Club is more centrally located in Kill Devil Hills; however, most of the shopping and restaurants will require getting in your car.

I vote for Duck. Enjoy!

All good advice so far. The best way to describe OBX is geographically. If you are coming from Norfolk down 158 to the bridge you have two choices. Go right (South) or left (North). South is a stretch of 16 miles of beach houses, restaurants, shops, etc. It is mobbed during the summer. This is the Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Nags Head stretch. At milepost 16 you can go across to Manteo or head farther south past South Nags Head and across the Oregon Inlet bridge. South of the bridge is Rodanthe. There is really nothing much there at all. You can keep going through Buxton, Avon and down to Cape Hatteras. Cape Hatteras is somewhere around 75 miles farther south.

Going North takes you through Southern Shores to Duck and then to Corolla where the paved road ends. Corolla is about 20 miles from the bridge. I don't consider Duck to be remote in any way. There is a lot going on there and there is a fairly new grocery store (Harris Teeter) on the other side in Corolla. The closest true grocery store the other direction is when you cross the bridge to the barrier islands. At the end of the paved road you can continue north driving on the beach to the Virginia border (where you can't cross), but there are only houses (and maybe some wild horses).

There is way more to do from milepost zero to 16 going south IMO, but you can walk to everything in Duck and they have a fairly new boardwalk along the sound.

A big thank you to everyone who responded to my post! This information was extremely helpful. I think we're going to stay at Barrier Island Station in Duck. This resort sounds like it may be a small notch below Outer Banks Beach Club as far as resorts go, but the town of Duck sounds like a perfect fit for us.

We are in Kill Devil Hills this week. Weather is great (a little cool today), and almost everything is open. We always travel during the "shoulder" seasons to avoid crowds and parentless wild kids. We never have a problem with things being closed.

Rodanthe IS very remote. The others are fairly close. I have stayed in Kitty Hawk, Duck, Nagshead, and Kill Devil Hills. Not much difference. Duck is a good choice. It has more of a small town feel. You will have a good time!

Just to add regarding Duck. Because you are traveling in a non-busy season you can get to other things pretty easily. It still takes driving, but you won't get stuck in ten mile backups.

Must do attractions:
Corolla Lighthouse and surrounding village
Walk along the soundside boardwalk in Duck
Get a dozen donuts at Duck Donuts (made to order)
Eat one meal at Sunset Grill. Food isn't special, but sunset on the sound is.
Wright Brothers Museum and site of first flight in Kitty Hawk
Climb Jockey's Ridge late in the day and maybe see a sunset
Buy a pass to go out on the Nags Head Fishing Pier. Your kids will love seeing the folks try to catch things and it costs a dollar. Good breakfast there too.
If you have an SUV with 4 wheel drive you may want to drive on the beach north of Corolla to see if you can see any wild horses.

You may want to:
Visit Manteo and see the Aquarium and Elizabethan Gardens (awesome, but maybe not so much for the kids).
Drive to Oregon Inlet at 3:30 and watch the charter fishing boats come in and unload their catch. You may see a marlin.
Go all the way to Cape Hatteras. This takes most of a day round trip.

Whichever OB town you choose, make sure you make a stop at Duck Donuts. Their maple glazed donut with chopped bacon is worth the calories.

My favorite is frosted with vanilla icing and topped with coconut. I like plain maple too.

workshy said:

Whichever OB town you choose, make sure you make a stop at Duck Donuts. Their maple glazed donut with chopped bacon is worth the calories.

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If you do go south

If you do go south, make sure you stop by the Orange Blossom Bakery and Café in Buxton... if you get there early, get some Apple Uglies, they're the best and worth getting up early for.

http://www.orangeblossombakery.com/

This is quite of bit of a ride from Duck and you really do need to get there early. We have stopped there on the way to Ocracoke.