The Jarvii After a warm summer around Europe, we (really me) were itching to go to the beach. So as a last minute vacation (by OBX standards because I booked the house in June!) I managed to find a super great house in Nags Head via Home Away. We rented a 4 bed home (my parents also came with us) that was about 200 yards from the beach. We were also far from the busy main road that our beach wasn’t too crowded. The house also included a hot tub, which my husband and I used once the entire week we stayed.
We had the kids share a room, which I was very nervous about because they have never shared a bedroom before and my daughter still doesn’t quite sleep well like my son. But it actually worked out really well; one night they wanted to share the same bed! I managed to snag the toddler rail on Craigslist for $5 because I knew the house was not toddler friendly. We didn’t anticipate the beds being so high (I guess we’re so used to European, low platform beds), so we used these bar chairs from the kitchen to act like a toddler rail. My son still sometimes falls out of his bed, so we thought it was necessary.
For the most part, our home included everything we needed: a Keurig, pots and pans, silverware, plates, bowls, internet, TV and basic cable, fridge/freezer with ice machine and filtered water, outside shower, washer and dryer, and a few beach things. We did bring our own beach tent because we weren’t sure what beach things the house had (the description was very vague), and it is always good to have a shady area for young children. We also brought our own beach chairs just because I like my beach chair and the kids have their own smaller chairs. And the kids brought their own sand toys, which I always keep in the trunk of my car anyways because there’s always a sandbox to play in. I also had my kids pack their Trunkis with a few toys and books for the house because I knew the home wasn’t exactly toddler/preschool friendly.
Our mornings were spent on the beach after breakfast. Then we would walk home to have lunch, play for a bit, and take a nap around 1pm. We tried to keep the nap schedule the same for the kids so they wouldn’t be too off. It worked out really well having the house so close to the beach, even though it did take us forever to walk when you have two very small kids who take their time and are easily distracted.
In the afternoons we played mini-golf or walked on the beach to collect shells in their little pails. There are several mini-golf places in OBX, two really close to our house. So I had my son decide which he wanted to do, either pirates or dinosaurs. It was fairly inexpensive to play, and my daughter ended up being free.
One morning we skipped the beach (because the weather forecast was suppose to be cloudy and then didn’t end up being that way) and visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial. It costs $7 per adult, children are free, and if you are a senior citizen you can buy a $10 lifetime pass to enter any NPS (which my mother did). Your entrance fee is also good for an entire week, which is nice since you don’t feel obligated to do everything all in one day (although it isn’t entirely that large).
We lucked out when we got there because the rangers were doing a kid talk about kites! Apparently the Wright brothers were really into kites as children, which inspired them to fly an airplane. They then gave the kids directions on how to make their own kites at home and demonstrated how to create these kites. After the talk they handed out kites that were already made so the kids could fly their own kites. My kids had a blast! The gusts were a bit too much for their small hands that they accidentally let go of the kites a few times. But it was still a lot of fun for them, and now my son wants to fly a kite all the time!
And no trip to OBX would be complete without a dozen fresh donuts from Duck Donuts. If you’ve never had Duck Donuts and you like cake donuts, you need to go here ASAP! You make up your own donut flavors when you order and they drop the dough in the fryer immediately, you pay, they put your desired glazes and toppings, and hand you your delicious treats. They are so fresh and so good, you’ll love them! And now my kids keep singing the Duck Donuts song they made up in the car when we were driving home.
Overall OBX was a great trip for our family! We really lucked out finding a house so close to the beach that was reasonably priced at the last minute. I would advise getting the insurance if you are visiting OBX in August, September, and October as this is hurricane season. We ended up cutting our trip a day short with a hurricane coming in. But having the house as base made it feel more comfortable than a hotel room. And there are so many things to do other than the beach that we were never bored (we never made it to the aquarium). Do OBX with your kids!!!