Fat Guy's Outer Banks NC Golf Weekend
The Outer Banks isn't among the most popular East Coast spots for golf buddy trips, and in case you've never been there, here's why: First, it's commercially underdeveloped in comparison with say, Myrtle Beach or Atlantic City (although the development has begun to catch up on Route 158 in the past 10 years). Many businesses and restaurants are family owned and have been here for generations. Much of the architecture is vaguely-New-England-esque seaside cedar shingle, along with a couple of the requisite stetches of multi-colored Key West pastels that every beach town seems to have anymore, and some of the old standard grey and tan siding thrown in. So OBX oozes a more rustic, slower-paced Southern vibe, which can be a mark in the plus column, depending on your age and attitude. This strand is more about fishing, laying on the sand, swimming in the ocean, simple fresh seafood, and spending quality time with family and friends back at the beach house than it is about nightlife, chain restaurants, and endless entertainment options.
Second, most of OBX has an air that straddles a line somewhere between upper-end blue collar and upper-middle-class, along with the obligatory jealousy-inducing million-dollar-plus beachfront homes, particularly as you get up into Duck and Corolla. Combine that demographic with the underdevelopment, and you won't find any 5 star restaurants or resorts. So OBX doesn't quite pull off either the Kiawah/Hilton Head/Amelia Island upper crust attitude, or the lowest-common-denominator entertainment-plex, that might attract (or repel) certain crowds.
Third, golf wasn't even an option in the area until the late '60's, so the golf scene is still underdeveloped as well. There are 12 courses in the area, but only about 7 or 8 decent publics within easy driving distance, only 3 or 4 of which I'd consider to be upscale. But two of those are Must Plays, and there's plenty of other decent options to fill in a 3rd or 4th round for a boy's long weekend or a week with the family.
Fourth, it's a somewhat remote spot, with the closest sizeable airport being 90-plus minutes away (Norfolk), so I'd recommend you stretch this one to a 4-7 day itinerary to make the drive in worthwhile.
And finally, there is that pesky hurricane season to worry about, depending on what time of year you're looking to book a week or weekend. The official season runs from June 1 to November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. I can attest that peak season is a serious threat, as our 2009 late August vacation just missed a hurricane on the front end, then was cut a day short when an off-shore tropical storm theatened to turn into another. Believe me, this glorified sandbar is no place to have your family if a water twister is blowing through.
So if all you're looking for is a centalized East Coast location to catch up with some good friends who you only see once a year, and you'd all rather be gathered around a beach cooler, grill, bait bucket, or poker table telling stories than gathered around a stripper pole yelling bad jokes and overpaying for drinks, then OBX is a great spot for your next spring golf buddy trip. Personally I'm more of a Myrtle Beach kinda guy myself, but I can see the value in downshifting to a slower pace for a long weekend or a week down here.
Getting There: First off, OBX is most likely a driving destination, and it's probably a pretty good haul from wherever you are, so you really need to be into the idea of the slower pace of The Banks to make the drive worthwhile (after two visits, I've deemed it 'Not Worth It' for my Myrtle Beach tastes, but my regular golf trip buddy Jeff has been coming here forever and loves it... to each his own). Sure, it's further to get to Myrtle for most in the Northeast/Midwest, but at least you can fly into Myrtle.
Due to limited routes on and off The Banks and a mass influx/exodus on rental check-in Saturdays during the season, following the Fastest Route option on your GPS for a Saturday arrival will get you stuck in brutal Interstate traffic along with the rest of the knuckleheaded schmos with the same routing programmed into their GPS who can't be bothered to think their way through a map anymore. Our high summer trip to OBX from Philly was around 400 miles and should have taken 8 or 9 hours. Throw in the normal summer construction and vacation traffic on I-95, along with the weekend beach rush on I-64 for both Virginia Beach and OBX (along with stopping for our infant son every 2 hours), plus the stop-&-go traffic getting onto the island, and the trip turned into a 12-1/2 hour nightmare. Those in the Northeast should take Routes 1 & 13 down through DE & MD and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel to hit less traffic. There's alot more lights on 13, but it's still better than being in stop-&-go from Williamsburg down into NC. I've heard some OBX regulars drive down Friday night and get an inland motel just outside The Banks, then do the last hour onto the island early Saturday to avoid the afternoon changeover rush. Or ask your realtor about Friday or Sunday check-in options. It could save you a relaxed half-day at the beach.
Orientation: The Banks are a series of barrier islands that stretch about 100 miles from Corolla in the north down to Cape Hatteras in the south (or further if you're willing to take a ferry ride). It's less than half a mile wide in most areas, and only a few hundred yards wide in others. Corolla and Duck to the north are the upscale enclaves. The stretch going south through Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head are the older, more middle-class sections, and home to alot of the restaurants, bars, and shopping. Route 158 (aka The Bypass, aka Croatan Hwy) has developed into a strip-mall-and-mini-golf-lined 5 lane road that enters from the mainland north of Kitty Hawk and terminates south of Nags Head. Route 12 (aka Beach Road) runs the length of The Banks, and is usually a more residential stretch close to the ocean dunes. Local directions center around the milemarker posts on these two roads, so pay attention to the roadside markers. South of Nags Head is 25-mile stretch of road down through an untouched National Wildlife Preserve called Pea Island (www.fws.gov/peaisland/), a pure linksland of dunes and wild grasses that will have golfers salivating, envisioning hole after perfect seaside hole. The next towns to the south of Pea Island are Rodanth, Waves, and Salvo, where things get even less developed and more rustic, with some emtpy (but still pricey) lots still available. Then there's another protected stretch on down until you hit a more local's stetch through Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and then the end of the line at Hatteras. Beyond Hatteras is a 40-minute ferry ride to Ocracoke Island.
The Must Play: Nags Head Golf Links (www.nagsheadgolflinks.com) is one of the two Must Plays on OBX. The East Coast version of Spanish Bay on a 80% scale (but without the pine forests) is routed through the same dunes that the Wright Brothers used for their first flight. It has the sandy soil, the scraggly trees, the rolling sand hills, and a steady seaside wind. The views of the sound from the 4 holes hard by the water were incredible. A really thoughtful layout, skillfully contoured and bunkered green complexes, makes you think ahead off the tee.
The caveat here is that it's shoe-horned into a McBeach-house development, so it's only 6,126 yards from the tips, translating into only having one par-4 over 360 yards on the lot. And it's brutally tight, making this a tough target course (71.2 & 138 from the back tees) depite the West Coast links feel. You can't spray it here and score well, so your hybrid is plenty of club off the tee on all but a hole or two. Bring lots of ammo, I lost a dozen here.
Architect Bob Moore made great use of the limited space he had, and did a nice job of visually segregating the course from the surrounding housing the best he could using small dunes, hole angles, scrub brush, sea grasses, water, and even the surrounding streets. But a few of the tees feel like you're practically on someone's back patio, not to mention when you hit a drive 15-20 degress offline or with the wrong spin, it quickly becomes evident just how tight this thing really is. It's also a much tougher course that plays much longer than the yardage when the wind is up. Pace of play can be an issue due to the preponderance of vacation golfers and the tightness of the course causing lengthy ball searches.
I wouldn't call NHGL worth the $120 prime time fees by any stretch (no pun intended) due to the length and proximity of the beach manors, but the water views, conditioning, great green complexes, and overall bayside links feel are easily worth the $80 11:30 AM "twilight" rate I paid in 2009. There's also a window-walled grill room with great views overlooking the 9th hole and the sound. Fat Guy Rating: 8.5
The Monster: Curritick GC, Corolla NC (www.thecurrituckgolfclub.com). This course is a total lunch-eater. 15-20 mph, 1-3 club wind. Currituck sits just off the dunes of the beach and hard against the sound on the other side, so it's pretty open to the ocean winds. I'm guessing the wind was worse than normal when we played, but is usually the big factor here. Club selection is key with the wind to factor in. Why Rees Jones had to take a nasty, constant seaside wind and add hazard after hazard (including 3 consecutive holes on the front with water AND O.B. very much in play on every shot), I'll never know. I lost 2 sleeves plus. Notice I used the word "wind" 5 times in the first 5 sentences. Way underrated at a 128 slope from the Blues. You'll develop typical home owner's envy with all the palatial beach houses surrounding the course. Pace of play was pretty good. The waterside holes down along the sound were very scenic. Good conditions. A great value at the $52 1 PM preseason twilight we paid back in '01. Total hottie working in the pro shop and the beer cart grrl wasn't bad either. Honestly, if the wind is up, I'd reschedule my tee time, this course is that tough. Fat Guy Rating: 8.75
The Rest: Kilmarlic, Duck Woods, and The Pointe are all within a few miles of each other on Route 158, not too far over the bridge on the mainland.
Washington Golf Monthly says Kilmarlic GC (www.kilmarlicgolfclub.com) in Harbinger brings something a little different to the table, avoiding the imitation links cliche' with pure OBX elements like water and wetlands constantly in play. Each hole is sculpted into the landscape, with flash-up white sand bunkers (or water/wetlands) defining most landing areas. The clover-leaf-island-greened 11th is tough to find even with a short iron in your hand, its difficulty dependent upon the mood of the hole-changer. Compact but hardly shoehorned-in, Kilmarlic is a 7200-yard monster on a 90% scale, greens and fairways included. 3-wood is probably a good idea most of the day, but it's tough to leave your cajones in the cart on the four or so tempting risk/reward 4's and 5's. Don't let the yardage fool ya, Kilmarlic has a tendency to hit you like a hangover. If your score is shockingly high, do like the locals do, and head out in search of a good shot of Scotch.
Per T&L Golf, "Unlike its three neighbors, the Outer Banks' oldest course, Duck Woods Country Club, just north of the bridge in Kitty Hawk, isn't a links at all. And while the mature trees around Ellis Maples's traditional parkland layout offer reprieve from the wind, there's no respite from problem solving; thanks to a network of canals running through the landscape, water enters the equation on fourteen holes. 'If you can get around without losing a ball,' head pro David Donovan says, 'you've done something.' " Fat Guy Tip: Duck Woods just built a big new club house, so their prime time greens fees are over $100 (for a parkland course at the beach?!). For the money, play Nags Head GL on their 11:30 AM twilight rate instead. Save this one for your 6th trip down here, or playing with that buddy who hates links golf.
I also played the Carolina Club (www.thecarolinaclub.com) a little further out 158 in Gandy in '01. Flat and windy, with a few interesting holes. Overall, decent but not outstanding. Numbers 9 & 18 are tough, pure target holes with water and wind as main features. On some of the tees you stand up and go, "Where's this thing go?", so I'd recommend buying a yardage card. Worth a round, but not worth the greens fees we paid (conditions were questionable), and not quite worth the drive out from Nags Head. I'd try Carolina Club's sister course The Pointe (www.thepointegolfclub.com) first, very similar from what I read, with a great bar & grill, and about 15 minutes closer to OBX.
For OBX golf packages, check out OBX Golf Travel (www.obxgolftravel.com).
Where To Stay: OBX is a great spot for large group vacations, particularly during the fringes of the season, when you can get twice as much house (with amenities like hottubs and pools) for similar prices as your basic high-season off-beach townhouse on the MD or Jersey shore, and there are plenty of houses available wth 5-12 bedrooms here. There's a long list of local realtors to Google. We've had some luck getting good deals through Surf Or Sound Realty (www.surforsound.com). There are also some classic old school motels along Beach Road (I read an online recommendation for a place called the Blue Dolphin). If you're just a twosome on a trip that's more about golf than the beach, consider staying at the Kilmarlic Club Cottage. The Cottage includes a bedroom suite, large adjoining living area and fully equipped kitchen.
Best Bar Nearby: Nightlife has a somewhat scaled-down definition down here. Kelly's (Nags Head, www.kellysrestaurant.com) hosts bikini contests every Monday night during summer and has live bands most nights, with a solid tavern menu in addition to having an upscale dining room. For boy's trips, there's also the obligatory Hooter's location in town (Kitty Hawk). Their wings suck, but you're there for the Hooters. For upscale martinis, head for Metropolis Martini & Tapas Bar (www.metropolisobx.com, Corolla). For cocktails in a more casual but still trendy spot, try Lucky 12 Tavern (www.lucky12tavern.com, Beach Rd, Nags Head) with a tastefully kitschy retro-modernist atmosphere. The only Gentlemen's Club in the area is Mermaids (Hwy 158 just over the bridge, only open Wed-Sat), locals said the talent is local and can be scary. The bartender at Goombay's recommended Port-O'-Call (Beach Rd, Kill Devil Hills) to see hotter tourist girls dancing on the bar and doing similar things for free. Plus we saw a chick take her shirt off during the Saturday night deck party at Quagmire's (Beach Rd.).
Beach Bars: Travel Chanel rated the waterfront atmosphere at Fishbones Sunset Grille & Raw Bar (www.fishbonessunsetgrille.com) as the area's best, with palm-laden outdoor dining, live entertainment, 3 tiki bars, and jet ski & boat rentals-- although word of mouth I've heard gives consistent warnings of bad service, crowds, and mediocre food. Hit the lull between the post-lunch boozers and happy hour, and stay away from the menu. The Pit (www.pitsurf.com) is a combination surf shop and good-eats spot, although they don't serve booze. For good sandwiches, try Goombay's (www.goombays.com, Beach Rd, Kill Devil Hills). Beach atmosphere, friendly bartenders, really spicy jerk chicken, and don't miss the cool seascape on the dining room ceiling. Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill (Hwy 158, Kill Devil Hills, www.mamakwans.com) looks to be a decent nighspot with good fish tacos and chowder, but it's not really tiki-fied by the 1960's-Trader-Vic's definition. Barefoot Bernie's Tropical Grill & Bar (Hwy 158, Kitty Hawk, www.barefootbernies.com) is a little modernist to be a real surf bar, but it's also OBX's Pittsburgh Steeler bar, which makes it OK in Fat Guy's book.
Sports Bars: Slammin' Sammy's in Nags Head.
Dive Bars: The Green Dolphin over the bridge in Manteo.
Microbrews: The building that houses the Outer Banks Brewing Station (Hwy 158, www.obbrewing.com) was designed as a modern interpretation of a historical Outer Banks Lifesaving Station, and the entire pub is powered by windmills. They recently added a full outdoor area complete with a pirate ship to entertain the little ones.
Beer For The Beach House: You've seen the t-shirts, so hit the world famous Brew Thru, with multiple OBX locations.
Check local rag The Coast for what's hot tonight.
Where To Grub:
Seafood: The locals seem semi-Hell-bent on bragging up Outer Banks crab. so soft shell crabs and crab cakes are local specialties. Thai Room in Kill Devil Hills does surprisingly good sautee'd soft shells, along with the area's best Asian food. Not surprisingly, the list of the best crab cakes on OBX nearly mirrors the list of the best upscale restaurants: Clara Owens at Owens' Restaurant (www.owensrestaurant.com, Nags Head) has been making crab cakes from the same recipe for 60-plus years (and a AAA Three Diamond Award winner for 35 of those), so you know she's gotta be doing something right. Or try the crab cakes at The Blue Point in Duck (www.thebluepoint.com) for sophisticated atmosphere among lightwood and red booths, The Oceanfront Grille at Corolla Light (www.oceanfrontgrille.com) for upscale family dining from a wide-ranging menu, Ocean Boulevard (www.ocean-boulevard.com, Kitty Hawk) for ocean views, innovative dishes, a rustic open kitchen, and an extensive wine list, or Flying Fish Cafe (www.flyingfishcafeobx.com, Kill Devil Hills), a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner. For better value crab cakes, I read good things about the crabby patties (sorry, my kids' Sponge Bob obsession rears it's ugly head) at Goombay's (www.goombays.com, Beach Rd, Kill Devil Hills), Froggy Dog (Rodanthe), and Mama Kwan's (Kill Devil Hills).
For good overall seafood fare: In Kitty Hawk, The Black Pelican (Beach Rd., Kill Devil Hills, www.blackpelican.com), located in the former Kitty Hawk lifesaving station, was also once a Western Union office where the Wright brothers sent the telegram to their father confirming their 1st flight. The Pelican serves up good wood-oven pizzas (order the Black Pelican pie topped with shrimp and andouie sausage), along with good fresh seafood (try the perfect light grilled seasoning of the mahi mahi), although there's not a big selection of fried preparations. My buddy Jeff recommends their clam bucket, a steamed shellfish/corn/new potatoes combo served in a bucket. Don't miss the "artsy" pictures in the restrooms. If you're down at Oregon Inlet, OBX regulars Jeff & Brenda highly recommend Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe (www.lonecedarcafe.com, on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway). Tortugas' Lie (www.tortugaslie.com, Beach Rd, Nags Head) has a good raw bar, good bar food, an interesting seafood selection, and is a favorite of Jimmy Buffet's. Get there early to snag a table, as the dining area is fairly small. Steak & seafood joint Mako Mike's (www.makomikesobx.com, Kill Devil Hills) was pricey and somewhat disappointing. The "house-specialty" prime rib I ordered was ultra-fatty and not outstanding. Miller's (www.millersseafood.com) has two locations and has won many "Best Of OBX" awards, although I read mixed reviews on the food on OBX blogs. If you decide to brave it, eat at the Waterfront location (www.millerswaterfront.com) for better views. For that hidden gem of a seafood joint, hit local's fave Esthridge's. Awful Arthur's (www.awfularthursobx.com) is a popular regional seafood chain specializing in oysters (another Jimmy Buffet fave), and their Kill Devil Hills location has an ocean view lounge. Dirty Dick's might be a fun choice if you have older teenagers along (their slogan: "I got crabs at Dirty Dick's"). Expect typical fried seafood and plenty of t-shirts for sale.
BBQ: The Carolinas are one of the 4 major areas for barbeque in the region that invented it, and Carolina barbeque is well-represented on the Outer Banks. But I gotta admit, I'm not a huge fan of the Eastern Carolina vinegar-based sauces. I think they're something of an acquired taste, although it's not a bad change of pace if you eat barbeque as often as I do. I sampled two of the more popular local 'que joints, Bubba's (www.bubbasbbque.com) and Pigman's (www.pigman.com). Pigman's had by far the superior quality meat on their pork sandwich, while their sauce was suitably vinegary and blended with some other non-descript spices, but the meat was too smoky for my tastes (Liquid-Smoke-overdose-kinda-smoky). Pigman's ribs were a better choice. The meat on Bubba's chopped pork sandwich was fatty, dry, and cold, although I preferred their sweet-ish, more traditional tomato-based sauce over Pigman's. Other choices include Sooey's (a more light-hearted approach, with 3 area locations, www.sooeysbbq.com), Jockey's Ribs (a small upscale seaside rib place that also serves steak and seafood, Nags Head), or High Cotton BBQ (unintentionally kitschy Carolina country decor, www.highcottonbbq.com). On your trip into or out of town, hit Currituck BBQ out on the mainland in Coinjock (look for the neon pig; good brisket, a nice selection of sauces, pray for sweet potato casserole as a side, and don't forget the banana pudding).
Breakfast: Breakfast takes on a larger role in your day on golf/beach vacations. Try Kill Devil Grill, an old silver diner dropped on the sand next to the oceanside dunes, or OBX institution Sam and Omie's (www.samandomies.net, Nags Head). Hit Grits Grill for the Southern specialty and great diner food among a pseudo-'50's decor, and Stack 'Em High (Kitty Hawk & Kill Devil Hills locations) for perfect pancakes and all things breakfast. Further south, eat at Atlantic Coast Cafe (www.atlanticcoastcafe.com) in Waves, NC. My mom said they make the best muffin she's ever had, along with good crabcake sandwiches, salads, and lunches. In Buxton, hit the Orange Blossom Bakery (www.orangeblossombakery.com) for their crispy glazed apple fritters. We drove 25 minutes one-way for these fritters twice during our stay here.
Steak: JK's (www.jkfoods.com, Kill Devil Hills) was consistently mentioned as having the best steak on the beach in foodie blogs I read, with their own secret dry rub. Prime Only (www.primeonlyobx.com, Nags Head) also has excellent steaks, but the menu is ala carte and pricey.
Burgers: There seemed to be an abnormally high number of OBX joints that claimed to have the best burgers on the Outer Banks. My buddy Jeff likes Dune Burger. Mulligan's and Dairy Mart seemed to get the most mentions on OBX blogs I've seen. Kill Devil Burger, Art's, and Spanky's also got nods from locals.
Wings: The bartender at the Links Grille at Nags Head Golf Links tried to brag up their wings to me, and I almost bought it since they actually listed "Louisiana hot sauce" on the menu, which seemed like a semi-authentic detail for a place this far south. Then they came out breaded. I'm not sure it's possible to get truly good wings this far below the Mason Dixon line. Per my buddy Jeff, the best wings on OBX aren't true buffalo style, but are tasty nonetheless; hit Kill Devil Grill for delicious tangy BBQ wings done on the grill. Stone Oven Pizza in Duck advertises the best wings on the beach, for whatever that's worth.
Pizza: I only ate pizza once from a little place in Waves, and my whole family got food poisoning from it. There's no boardwalk here, so pizza doesn't appear to be a local specialty, but you can't go wrong with the wood-oven pies at the Black Pelican. I also read good things about Lisa's Pizza in Rodanthe, Upper Crust in Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head, Cosmo's in Southern Shores, The Tomato Patch in Corolla, Dare Devils, Slice in Kill Devil Hills, and Lucky 12 Tavern in Nags Head serves up New York style thin crust pie til 2AM.
Upscale Dining: The Pearl (www.thepearlobx.com, tucked away in the Sea Ranch Hotel in Kill Devil Hills) has great oceanfront views, alfresco dining, and serves fresh local seafood with a French twist. Try Ocean Boulevard in Kitty Hawk, while The Left Bank (@ The Sanderling Resort) in Duck is the only 4-star restuarant on OBX and serves French-American. Or hit Flying Fish Cafe and Colington Cafe in Kill Devil Hills, and OBX stalwart Owens' in Nags Head.
And Now For Something Completely Different: If you're in Manteo, check out German microbrewery The Weeping Radish. The wait staff dresses in full Octoberfest costume. But don't expect any St. Pauli Girls, and don't be surprised when they call you "Y'all". Try the sausage sampler entree'.
Check local guide Sunny Day (www.sunnyday.com), local restaurant guides, or local rag The Coast for dining coupons.
Surf Shops: Whalebone has the coolest logo (skull and cross-bones) if you're in the market for a t-shirt, while others like Secret Spot, Cavalier, and Rodanthe are more like the local's shop I've always loved. Jimmy Buffet loves Real Surf in Hatteras. Local chain Wings has the tourist beach gear market cornered with massive stores and multiple area locations.
Blackbeard Lore (Day Trip): One of Blackbeard's favorite spots to set anchor was a back bay on Ocracoke Island. Take about a 75-90 minute scenic drive down towards Hatteras and get on the 40-minute ferry ride over to this quaint little island. Blackbeard was beheaded here in 1718 during a battle with the Royal Navy. His ghost is said to still inhabit the island, as does his buried treasure, which has never been found. One of Blackbeard's aliases was Edward Teach, and here you can visit Teach's Hole (www.teachshole.com), a small Blackbeard exhibit with a pirate store that your kids (and kids at heart) will love. Then take a short hike through Springer's Point Natural Preserve off Loop Road to his favorite anchoring spot, where Blackbeard is said to have hosted the largest-ever pirate gathering of other famous pirates and crews, swilling rum beneath the live oaks, butchering hogs, and barbequeing on the beach. The pirate party ultimately led to Blackbeard's demise, as word of the gathering reached the governor of Virginia, who dispatched two Royal Navy schooners to Ocracoke. Those ballsy (or drunk) enough for a nighttime walk down this trail may get a visit from Blackbeard's ghost.
Ocracoke Island is 15 miles long and has 750 year-round residents, along with a host of quaint B&B's for tourists. Stretch your visit to the island to an overnighter with a stay at Blackbeard's Lodge (www.blackbeardslodge.com), or hit Jimmy Buffet's favorite Okracoke digs, Little Duck Cottage. For nightlife, try Howard's Pub (www.howardspub.com) for their wide selection of draft and bottled beer. They claim to serve one of OBX's best burgers, although I read mixed reviews on their food online. They also proudly claim to be one of the very few spots on the Outer Banks that have truly been open 365 days a year since they opened back around 2000. They have their own 120-megawatt generator, so they're not afraid to hunker down and have a good hurricane party when a Category 2 blows through. Sounds like the kind of place where a modern-day Hemmingway might be a fixture. For good food on Ocracoke, eat at (on?) The Back Porch (yet another Buffet fave).
Further Distractions: If you're here with the kids, do the obligatory trip to the Wright Brothers Memorial and Museum. It's only $4 for adults, $3 for kids, and only takes about an hour to 90 minutes even if you're milking it. If you're here with Da Boys, get in touch with your inner Orville and Wilbur with hang gliding lessons off the tall dunes at Jockey's Ridge National Park. If you're leaving your golf widow behind while you hit the links, she can do outlet shopping at the Tanger Outlets in Nags Head (www.tangeroutlet.com/nagshead). On rainy days, take a tour of one of the lighthouses still in operation here... they're located north of Corolla, Bodie Island, and at Cape Hatteras. Hatteras once held the title of the East Coast's best surfing, but a local surf pro says, "When it's cranked up and good, it's really good... but then you'll go through 2 solid months of completely unsurfable crap."
See Also: T&L Golf's Outer Banks Golf Weekend