If you've ever considered the Outer Banks as a travel destination I'm hopeful that this post will be the encouragement you need to not delay and start planning! Today I'm sharing how I spent Memorial Day weekend in Buxton and Hatteras in OBX!
This was my first trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Growing up we always did Myrtle Beach and I'm here to tell you, this has it beat, hands down. I've always heard great things about OBX but had never had an opportunity to experience it for myself. When a spontaneous getaway for Memorial Day weekend came up, I jumped at the chance!
When people say "Outer Banks" they can be referring to so many different little towns, and from top to bottom it's about 200 miles. We spent most of our time in Buxton (where we actually stayed) and Hatteras. The beaches are beautiful and uncrowded and the water is a pretty blue/green that's clear when the waves come in around your feet. When you're driving through the Outer Banks at any given point the beach could be right next to your car and in some towns you can actually drive on the beach. It's a unique destination and I can't wait to get back!
Given that we were only there for the weekend, there were plenty of things that we didn't have time for on this trip - but that just means plenty to look forward to next time. For example, riding the ferry over to Ocracoke, getting Duck Donuts, getting a Henna tattoo, and eating at The Mad Crabber.
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FRIDAY NIGHT
The weather was absolutely perfect while we were there. Not too hot and humid (except when we left on Monday) and we never had any rain. Our first night we had dinner in Hatteras right on the water at Hatteras Sol Waterside Grill. We did a trip advisor search and this place came back with awesome reviews and it did NOT disappoint. The vibe is everything you want in a beach town restaurant. While we waited for a table we had a drink on the back deck and listened to live music and watched the gorgeous sunset.
Walking up to the restaurant you walk past all these beautiful shiny boats docked in the marina. It's like a Nicholas Sparks novel.
This was the unbelievable sunset on the back porch of the restaurant. Breathtaking! Just imagine a guy playing Jimmy Buffett on his guitar while you sip a fruity drink.
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SATURDAY MORNING
Saturday morning we went to Diamond Shoals for breakfast - which was conveniently right next to the inn where we were staying. They do a jumbo blueberry pancake that was SO good! They also have this great shell stand outside that makes for a perfect photo spot!
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SATURDAY AFTERNOON
After breakfast we made a run to Food Lion (one of very few "chain" businesses in OBX) for drinks, snacks and ice. We spent the rest of the day on the beach soaking in every bit of salt water and sunshine we possibly could.
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SATURDAY NIGHT
After our day at the beach we did another search for dinner locations and decided to try Cafe Pamlico which is located at The Inn on Pamlico Sound. This is another gorgeous, picturesque location and the food was incredible! The photo above was snapped right outside our hotel before we headed to dinner.
We decided to sit outside and enjoy the sunset. This was the view from the outside deck as the sun went down.
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SUNDAY MORNING
While we were at dinner on Saturday our waitress told us that the cafe had a great breakfast so Sunday morning we headed back to Pamlico Inn and indulged in a breakfast sandwich and French toast. We were also able to get some photos down on the dock. The first photo shows Pamlico Inn (the yellow building) in the background. After breakfast we drove back to Hatteras for some beach house sightseeing and shopping at Farmer's Daughter. This is a cute shop located near the Ocracoke ferry.
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SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING
We spent the rest of the day on the beach and decided on a super casual dinner at a local sandwich shop, Bros Sandwich Shack, that had great ratings. I recommend the chicken Philly sandwich and sweet potato waffle fries! Later that night we went for ice cream at Cool Wave which I definitely recommend. Everyone has their own unique ice cream order but the homemade waffle cone with birthday cake and peanut butter cup were out of this world!
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MONDAY MORNING/AFTERNOON
We left Monday afternoon but got in a great breakfast and a little bit of shopping before we left. We ate breakfast at Orange Blossom Bakery and Cafe - a local hole-in-the-wall that's known for their giant pastries, Apply Uglies. I have never had anything like this in my life and with the first bite I understood why there's a line out the door when they open at 6 am.
After breakfast we did a little bit of driving around and shopping (I decided I needed a wave ring and another ankle chain), and then headed home.
It was such an incredible weekend, I was so sad to see it end. The people who live in the Outer Banks are some of the nicest locals I've ever met. They wanted to talk and know about you and just made you feel so welcome. On the next visit there are some local shops I want to visit and I definitely want to take the ferry over to Ocracoke. If you can't tell, I'm ready to get back! You can check out more photos and videos in my OBX highlight that I saved on instagram!
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It was such an incredible weekend, I was so sad to see it end. The people who live in the Outer Banks are some of the nicest locals I've ever met. They wanted to talk and know about you and just made you feel so welcome. On the next visit there are some local shops I want to visit and I definitely want to take the ferry over to Ocracoke. If you can't tell, I'm ready to get back! You can check out more photos and videos in my OBX highlight that I saved on instagram!
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I need to go to OBX.
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