Travel - Things to do in the Outer Banks!

After spending a long weekend in the picturesque villages along the Outer Banks, I can't believe it took me this long to visit!  Yes, it is a 10-hour drive from the north side of metro Atlanta, but it is truly worth every minute it takes to get there!  We only went for 4 nights but we should have stayed at least a full week - there was so much more to see!

On our first day, we went to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, which is located on Roanoke Island, in Manteo.  It was about a 15-minute drive from Kill Devil Hills. 

Earthen walls are all that remain of Fort Raleigh

Fort Raleigh is where the Lost Colony was last seen.  If you don't know this story, it is fascinating.  And over 400 years later, it is still America's longest unsolved mystery. 

Schedule your visit to the site so that you can take part in the Ranger talk.  The Ranger has great information about the history of the Fort and shares some of the possible theories of what happened to the Lost Colony.  You can walk out back and see the ruins of the original earthen walls of the fort.  The Visitor's Center has a wonderful exhibit about the history of the area, as well.  We spent about 2 hours there and enjoyed it so much! 

Down by the water, if you're there during the season, you can watch a live performance of The Lost Colony.  This Friday, May 31, they open for their 82nd season!  I hope to go back in the next year or two and see this! Here's the FB page for the play.

While you're on Manteo, visit the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. It's really close to Fort Raleigh.   The prices are affordable, and it's a great aquarium! We really enjoyed the Turtle rescue/hospital area, and the sting ray touch tank!  The jellyfish and sea horses are always my favorites at every aquarium, and this one didn't disappoint!  There are plenty of interactive displays for both little and big kids. 

Outside there is a long pier to walk on, a dinosaur fossil dig, and other cool things to see! A great place to visit for a few hours, for sure!!

I hope you enjoyed these fun things to do! Click the links for pages or websites to get all the information!

Thanks for stopping by!

Travel - Where to eat in the Outer Banks off-season

I've been home from our trip for two weeks now, and my heart still yearns for the beauty of the Outer Banks.  So to help, I'm revisiting our trip here on the blog!

Because we went during the off-season, a lot of places were closed.  But we were able to find some great places while we were there!

My son and I don't eat seafood, but my husband does.  I researched restaurants online before we went so that I could find places that would have food we would all enjoy!

Our first night, we planned to eat at Barefoot Bernie's.  They were PACKED!  So, we went across the street to a little place called Max's Pizza Co.  So glad we decided to try them out!  The owner was so friendly and told us everything is made homemade from scratch.  My husband ordered a calzone, I tried a club panini, and our son had pizza.  It was delicious! And we shared tiramisu for dessert.  Yum!!  Check them out: https://www.maxspizzaobx.com/Home


The next day we were able to visit Barefoot Bernie's. Yay!! It was as good as the reviews I'd read promised!  We started out with a side of crispy onion tanglers. Delish!  For dinner, I had a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich with fries, my son had a chicken sandwich and my husband had the El Chupacabra tacos. The food here was different and tasted fantastic! The menu has lots of fun offerings, sure to please everyone!

Click on pics to see larger image! 

You can find more about Barefoot Bernie's here! (Literally located right across the street from Max's Pizza Co!)  The vibe here was beachy and fun.  We really enjoyed it!

That's all for today!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Travel - The Outer Banks of North Carolina

We just returned home last week from what turned out to be one of my favorite trips ever!

For Spring Break, my husband, son and I drove from NE Georgia to the Outer Banks. It was about a 10 hour drive without stops, almost 13 for us with stops and a longer break for a BBQ lunch with my Aunt in Wilson, NC.

We stayed in Kill Devil Hills, at the Days Inn Mariner.  It's an older motel, but right on the beach, and the two-bedroom suite was wonderful for our family!  Great wifi and free hot breakfast every morning made this a great choice for us.  And those beach sunrises - ahhhh!

Over the next week or so, I'll share some of our favorite places we discovered.  It was an amazing trip and I cannot wait to go back again!!  I'll leave you with one of the best parts of our vacation - seeing the beautiful Inn at Rodanthe house from the movie Nights in Rodanthe.  It's spectacular in person, y'all!

**This trip was not sponsored in any way, I just loved the places I plan to share with y'all!