
Salt Box Cafe & Dessert
Salt Box Cafe, hidden in the Colington section of Kill Devil Hills has been our take-out option for the last year. This trip we dined in person. The restaurant is small, so reservations fill quickly, but the screened in patio takes walk-ins.
We followed our serene upscale dining experience with a stop at the tourist trap, Sugar Kingdom.









At the Top in Corolla
Corolla is on the northern tip of the drivable OBX. To travel past Corolla, you’ll need a ORV, as Highway 12 turns into a beach road. From the beach entrance across from Corolla lighthouse, I walked south 8 miles to Currituck beach. In between walks, we checked out the bookstore and crafts shop in historic Corolla Village.
It is important to note that this is the point where I added the pink hat to my “Walking OBX” endeavor.









South to Salvo
I attempted to walk a four-mile stretch from Rodanthe to Avon, but was once again thwarted by the mating behavior of some type of OBX avian. This time, Alex and I could wave at each other across the football field size stretch of sanctuary temporarily reserved for bird courtship. This stretch of OBX isn’t inhabited (by humans), but is open to ORVs, so luckily the next entrance with parking for Alex only required backtracking for two miles.





Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Museum
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in Manteo is the archeological site of the “Lost Colony” of English men and women in the late 16th century. The museum tells the story of the purpose of the expedition, and about the early encounters with the Algonquin people who lived on the land where the colonists built their settlement. Finally, studying artifacts recovered and the site and reading the documented history, guests are asked which theory for the disappearance of the colonists is the most realistic.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina was one of the first areas in the South to come under control of Northern troops, and Roanoke Island was settled by people who were formerly enslaved. In front of the visitor center is a marker that commemorates the island as a “Freedmen’s Colony.”












Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo
The Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo were created in 1951 adjacent to the site of Fort Raleigh. The Garden is easy to see in just an hour or two, with both traditional European-style gardens and sections of forest with native plants. The Butterfly House was open and filled with mostly tropical plants, but I didn’t see any residents. Discovery Cottage children’s garden, has a koi pond, fossil dig, and playhouses.









Let me help plan your trip to The Outer Banks (OBX), North Carolina
01
Determine Your OBX Style
Do you like driving on the beach and fishing, shopping for quirky art, or kayaking and beach sports? Each section of OXB has a distinct feel.
Ocracoke offers independent shops and restaurants, a day trip to Portsmouth Island, beach driving, and more.
02
House, Hotel, Camping, or B&B?
OBX has many options, from camping under the starts to renting an oceanfront mansion.
03
Plan Your Excursions In OBX
Visit the North Carolina Aquarium, visit the Elizabethan Gardens, take a day trip to Ocracoke, visit all the lighthouses, and learn about shipwrecks at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. OBX is more than just a beach destination
04
Get Active
OBX offers tons of ways to play by both land and sea. Go on a fishing charter, kayak through the marsh, birdwatch, ride horses on the beach, and take surf lessons! Play mini-golf or climb Jockey’s Ridge to take in sunset.