OBX
Okay, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a fan of the monniker "OBX." People wear it on t-shirts or stick it on their cars like a badge of honor after staying in the famed Outer Banks of North Carolina. But after my recent visit to this tourist trap, I'll have to admit - while I may not possess an affinity for the abbrev., I can honestly now say, "I get it."
My in-laws rented a house on the beach for one week in Kill Devil Hills near the Avalon fishing pier. I was initially bummed there was no private pool (a luxury
we traded for beach front living) but my disappointment was quelled on day one (personally, I'd prefer the pool but the kids love, love, LOVED the beach). I got in some good beach running and almost forgot how much I miss a little pro kadima in the surf. The house was not huge but what the hell do ya really need at the beach? A place to change in and out of your suit, a fridge to keep the drinks cold and somewhere to lay your head. This little house nicely provided all three and then some. Plenty of space for all - we didn't even get on each others' nerves - shocker fer sure.
Favorite stops included Awful Arthurs (great food but don't go at dinnertime unless you expect to wait), Kmart (get what you need without paying jacked up beach prices), Tanger Outlets (not overloaded with stores which made it manageable in an afternoon), Avalon Fishing pier (dirty old arcade inside which provided plenty o' skee ball fun), and best stop, hands down - Outer Banks Brewing Station (where we enjoyed lunch then returned for dinner the next day). Wind powered brewing and a playground for the kids - bonus!
All in all a great trip. A little touristy, but that's to be expected - and not really any different than what I experienced living in Fort Lauderdale (or living around here by our glorious lake in the summer for that matter). While my first loyalty to tropical getaways will always be to Key West - OBX, we can now be friends.
| Permalink | 
