Tern On

Seven Bedroom Oceanside House, Located in Corolla

View the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse

The newest (and smallest) lighthouse on the Outer Banks is the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse on Roanoke Island. This reconstructed lighthouse was opened in 2004 by the Town of Manteo, the North Carolina Maritime Museum and Roanoke Island Festival Park. The structure looks more like a lightkeeper's house than a lighthouse, and is located at the end of the pier on the Manteo Waterfront. The original 1857 screwpile lighthouse of the Croatan Sound was also a cottage built over the water and served as both a beacon and a residence. For more information, contact (252) 475-1500.

Send Outer Banks Postcards To Your Friends and Family

Are you the lucky one among your friends and family who got to take a trip to the Outer Banks this year? Take an hour of your precious vacation time and send postcard notes to your loved ones from the Outer Banks. There are beautiful postcards sold at almost any local gift shop or grocery store and they are very affordable. Let them know you are thinking about them and that you wish they could be visiting the Outer Banks with you. If they can see a postcard of how beautiful it is, maybe you can persuade them to come along with you on your next trip to the Outer Banks!

Ride the Free Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry

Ocracoke Island is the southernmost island of the Outer Banks and can only be reached by ferry (or boat.) The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) runs a free ferry from Hatteras Village to Ocracoke Island. The ferry ride is approximately 40 minutes long and departs from the southern tip of Hatteras Village and arrives at the northern tip of Ocracoke Island. Once the ferry docks, it is about 15 miles to the quaint village of Ocracoke. Ferries run daily between 5:00 a.m. and midnight. In the peak season, departures from each location (Hatteras and Ocracoke) are every 30 minutes; in the off season departures are every hour. In the peak season, ferry lines tend to get long, so you will want to plan ahead. Reservations are not available for the Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry. For more information, you may contact the NCDOT at (800) BY-FERRY.

Visit the Fishing Village of Wanchese

Located on the south end of Roanoke Island (across Highway 64 from Manteo), the quaint fishing village of Wanchese awaits your arrival! Take an hour out of your busy vacation day to swing into the village, head to the docks and watch fishing boats come in with their catch of the day. You can also watch fresh fish and seafood as it is packed and shipped around the world.

Tour the Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park

The Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park is a 69-acre industrial park that was built in 1980 to entice large-scale seafood processing companies to bring their business to Wanchese. Oregon Inlet, the East Coast's most dangerous inlet, shoaled terribly through the 1980s and few of the fishing boats could make it through the inlet, so the large-scale seafood processors never arrived. The industrial park remained mostly vacant until 1994, when smaller area businesses began moving into the park. Today, the area is almost full with various marine-related industries. The industrial park is an educational stop for visitors interested in the world of boatbuilding and sea harvesting. Visitors are welcome to come in and check out the boat docks. For more information, contact the industrial park at (252) 473-5867.

Buy a Hermit Crab and Take Your New Pet Home

As you may know, hermit crabs are very popular pets. Similar to letting a child have a goldfish or a hamster, hermit crabs are also low maintenance pets. They need a small living area (a goldfish bowl or empty fish aquarium) with sand and some water. They like to eat cornmeal. At first, the hermit crab is a bit like a turtle and is afraid to come out of his shell. But, after he gets used to you and his surroundings, he will come out to say hello and be very active. When your hermit crab gets large enough and runs out of room in their current shell, he will leave that shell and move to a larger one. While you are visiting the Outer Banks, you can look on the beach for some larger empty shells for your new pet to grow into and put them in his house with him. Many of the local Reef and Wings stores sell hermit crabs and houses at reasonable prices.

Sleep with the Windows Open and Hear the Ocean Breeze

When you are at home and have a window open, what kind of noises do you hear? Honking car horns? Emergency vehicle sirens? People talking on the street? While you are at the Outer Banks, try sleeping with the windows open. Chances are on most nights, if you are within a mile of the ocean, you will be able to hear the sound of the ocean. You can hear sounds similar to relaxation CDs that are sold in stores just by opening your window. Try it - you will love it!

Go Swimming in the Ocean

A favorite pastime on the Outer Banks is going swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Many people like to feel the wet sand between their toes, dive into the waves or even ride boogie boards on the waves as they go onshore. If you aren't a strong swimmer and aren't familiar with tides, don't go out too far because the ocean can be very dangerous. If you have children, make them wear life jackets and keep your eyes on them. Some of the Outer Banks beaches are protected by lifeguards, but many of them are not. Also watch for sea creatures like stingrays, jellyfish and sharks. Use caution and stay safe!

Take an Adventure Tour To See the Corolla Wild Horses

The very northern tip of Corolla is home to about 60 wild horses that freely roam the 15,000 acres between this northern edge of Corolla and the Virginia State Line. No one knows for sure how the horses arrived on the Outer Banks, but many believe they came to the area with early European explorers. Adventure tours are available to see the horses either via suburban or via all terrain vehicles (ATVs). To experience the tour in a suburban, contact Wild Horse Safari at (252) 453-0877 or Bob's Off Road Wild Horse Adventure Tours at (252) 453-8602. If you are the more adventurous type and would rather view the horses from your own ATV, contact Corolla Outback Adventures at (252) 453-4484 or Back Country Outfitters & Guides at (252) 453-0877. However you decide to view the horses, remember they are wild, and you should stay at least 500 feet away, and do not feed or touch them.

Have a Great Dinner at Windmill Point Restaurant

If you want a great meal and an elegant atmosphere, Windmill Point Restaurant is the place for you! Located on the south side of Nags Head at Milepost 16.5 on US Highway 158, Windmill Point offers great views of the sound at sunset. If you are a history buff, you will love the various memorabilia from the 1950s ocean liner SS United States and the upstairs lounge that is modeled after the one on the ship. For a dining experience to remember, visit Windmill Point Restaurant! For reservations, call (252) 441-1535.

 

Corolla Restaurants

The Pizza Guy
501 Old Stoney Road
Corolla, NC 27927

GiGi's Italian Restaurant
520 Old Stoney Road
Corolla, NC 27927

Metropolis Martini & Tapas Restaurant
520 Old Stoney Road
Corolla, NC 27927

Pine Island Diner
345 Audubon Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Bunkers Grill & Bar
620 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Pizzazz Pizza Company
603 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Maui Wowi
603 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Zero's Subs
603 Currituck Club Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Route 12 Steak & Seafood
786 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

The Fudgery
790 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

Giant Slice Pizza
785 Sunset Boulevard
TimBuck II Shopping Center
Corolla, NC 27927

North Banks Restaurant & Raw Bar
785 Sunset Boulevard
TimBuck II Shopping Center
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Shopping

Old Stoney's Beer & Wine Store
501 Old Stoney Road
Corolla, NC 27927

North Carolina ABC Store
500 Hunt Club Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Blue Water Seafood Market
508 Hunt Club Drive
Ocean Club Centre
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Bait & Tackle
601 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Shops of Currituck Club
Corolla, NC 27927

Harris Teeter Supermarkets
601 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Surf Shop
603 Currituck Clubhouse Drive, Suite G
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Surf Shop
602 Ocean Trail
Monterey Plaza
Corolla, NC 27927

Sound Feet Shoes
718 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

Brew Thru Beverage Store
790 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

The Fudgery
790 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

Nags Head Hammocks
790 Ocean Trail
Timbuck II Shopping Center
Corolla, NC 27927

DogNutz
790 Ocean Trail
TimBuck II Shopping Village
Corolla, NC 27927

Outer Banks Attractions

Station Bay Marina & Seafood Market
1566 Duck Road
Duck, NC 27949

Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
1160 Village Lane
Corolla, NC 27927

The Whalehead Club at Currituck Heritage Park
1100 Club Road
Corolla, NC 27927

Currituck Beach Lighthouse & Gift Shop
1101 Corolla Village Road
Corolla, NC 27927

The Corolla Wild Horse Museum at The Historic Corolla Schoolhouse
1126 Schoolhouse Lane
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Activities

The Currituck Golf Club
620 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Raceway
790 Ocean Trail
Timbuck II Shopping Center
Corolla, NC 27927

Kitty Hawk Sports
790 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

Kitty Hawk Kites
785 Sunset Boulevard
TimBuck II Shopping Center
Corolla, NC 27927

Dance Heads
799 Sunset Boulevard
Corolla, NC 27927

The Golf Links
798 Sunset Boulevard
TimBuck II Shopping Village
Corolla, NC 27927

Miss Kitty's Old Time Photo
794 Sunset Boulevard
Tim Buck II Shopping Center
Corolla, NC 27927

R/C Theatres of the Outer Banks
815 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927

Kitty Hawk Kites
817 Ocean Trail
Monterey Plaza
Corolla, NC 27927

Carolina Outdoors
817 Ocean Trail
Monterey Plaza
Corolla, NC 27927

Bob's Wild Horse Tours
1066 Ocean Trail
Inn at Corolla Light
Corolla, NC 27927

Corolla Jeep Rentals & Tours
1070 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927