I took a short break at the end of our time in Texas to fly to North Carolina for a family reunion with my cousins. We rented a great beach house in Kitty Hawk and enjoyed catching up with each other on this 2nd reunion together. Last year was the first time many of us had seen each other in 20+ years! We all grew up in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia but have since spread out around the state and country in our adult lives.
Kitty Hawk is in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. If you don’t look closely, you may not even be able to see the tiny strip of land than runs vertically along the eastern edge of the state. The Outer Banks include barrier islands off the east coast of North Carolina that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the mainland. I was happy to find that it was bigger in person than it looks on the map!
Big Waves:
Even though I spent my first 10 years of life near the coast of Virginia, it has been a long time since I lived near a beach. It was so much fun enjoying the sand and surf with my cousins. I was surprised by the big waves on the Kitty Hawk beaches. You should use caution when swimming as the current is pretty strong and several times there were warnings of rip tides.
Who doesn’t love the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand—I could fall asleep to that calm and refreshing sound every night! We collected seashells, played in the sand, and cooled off in the surf. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the picturesque sand barrier fences and the waves.
I was able to test out a product from CGear called the Sand-Free backpack. The lightweight backpack is black and has a see-through mesh body and zippered bottom compartment. It is made of high-quality PE/PVC material that is resistant to water, stains, mold, and UV damage. The really cool part is that it’s constructed using a patented technology of specially engineered layers that fit together in a staggered way which allows sand to only go one direction…out.
I will have to admit that I was a little skeptical about being able to take a mesh backpack to the beach and not bring any sand back with me, but it REALLY WORKS! Sand falls out of the mesh and does not stay in the backpack. I even put 3 sand coated water bottles in the bottom compartment and after shaking the backpack a little, the water bottles were free of sand. I was very impressed with this product! CGear also makes sand-free mats and totes as well.
We had a great dinner at the Black Pelican restaurant which overlooks the beach. They handled our large party of 20 people with ease, and we had plenty of room. Henry’s Restaurant was amazing for breakfast: large portions, fast service, and great food. I had never heard of Duck Donuts — it is a local favorite and definitely a place to try if you are in the area. They take vanilla cake donuts and create a multitude of flavor options using icing, toppings, and sauces. I had cookies and cream and smores flavors! We had fun playing Putt Putt at Lost Treasure Golf and did lots of souvenir shopping at the many shops in the area.
Big Dunes:
Jockey’s Ridge is the tallest natural sand dune system in the eastern United States. The park has a small museum with information about sand and how the dunes are formed. It was interesting to read the legend of how neighboring town Nags Head got its name. Hint: it has to do with pirates! (Read the story here). We walked the boardwalk area and then went out onto the dunes where you can watch (or take) hang gliding lessons. From the top of the dunes you can see both the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Albemarle Sound to the west. Walking the dunes was fun but also hard work—the distances are deceiving, and the sand gets very hot.
I was also able to test out Arcopedico’s Town shoe on this trip. Since I was flying to North Carolina and was limited to what fit in my suitcase, I am glad I picked the soft, flexible Town shoe. With all the walking we did, including at the beach and sand dunes, it was great to have a shoe that could breathe. I wore them without socks and my feet stayed cool and dry. They were easy to slip on and had arch support for all day comfort. As a retired teacher who is used to being on her feet all day, I am pretty demanding when it comes to shoes. These lightweight shoes feel like a sneaker but are more stylish and come in a variety of colors (I love red!). I got lots of compliments on these cool shoes during my trip!
Big History:
The Wright Brothers National Monument salutes one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century: the first sustained flight in a heavier-than-air machine on December 17, 1903. The adjacent museum details the childhood of the Wright brothers, how they became interested in flight, and the trials they went through to develop their airplane. An exact replica and even a few pieces of the original plane are in one display hall. Outside, visitors can walk along the original runway where stone markers document the first four flight times and distances. It is interesting that Kitty Hawk was chosen for its dependable winds and relatively sparse population.
Bodie Island Lighthouse on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is one of several in the area that you can go up inside. It has free floating staircases, so only 8 people are allowed in at a time and only one person at a time is allowed on each of the 9 flights of stairs. Once you climb the 200 steps you have a great view of the surrounding area.
Just down the road we visited the town of Manteo on Roanoke Island. It has a quaint shopping district along the water, an aquarium, Elizabethan gardens, and a very large Christmas Store. It is also the home of Fort Raleigh–the very first English colony on North America in 1584. It was the first trial settlement sent by Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh and eventually led to larger colonies like Jamestown and Plymouth. In the late 1500s the military soldiers who initially habited the settlement were sent back to England and a new colony was sent over with regular English citizens, including women and children. Just 2 years later all 200+ members of the colony completely disappeared and were never heard from again. Even today historians still debate the fate of this Lost Colony.
For only spending 5 days in North Carolina, I felt like we saw and did a lot. It was fun seeing the sights and learning about the area with all my cousins. Beach houses are plentiful and are much cheaper than hotels–especially if you have a big group like we did. I would definitely go back to this popular tourist area with a small town feel. Thanks to all my cousins for making the effort to get together and stay connected–so much fun!
Well done Robin loved the article
Thanks for following along, Sherri! Loved our time together:)
Robin this is such a great post! I truly enjoyed our Cousins Family Reunion. It was so fun and nostalgic taking part in all that the Outer Banks has to offer and sharing it with family. I can’t wait until the next one! And I love those shoes too. See again soon!!!
Hey Sandi–thanks for your kind words. The best part of the whole trip was getting to see everyone again! I had never been to the beaches in North Carolina and really enjoyed the Outer Banks area.