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The

OK GUIDE

to the Outer Banks

of North Carolina

Updated April 1995

╥Everything╒s Okey-Dokey When You Use This Guide╙

By LAN SLUDER

Equator Travel Publications/Asheville
280 Beaverdam Road
Candler, North Carolina  28715  USA
Fax:  [phone]
E-mail:  74763,2254 on CompuServe
LSluder374 on AOL
Internet:   [e-mail]

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Electronic text-only edition.

Copyright 1995 by Lan Sluder, All Rights Reserved

OK Guides are concise, opinionated, eccentric guides to
unusual destinations.  They focus on facts you can use, not
history.  They RATE sights, hotels, restaurants using a one to
four star (*) scale and express strong opinions about
everything.   The guides assume that the reader is a literate,
bright and experienced traveler who expects ...

Ñ  good, honest service without pretension

Ñ  hospitality from people who like, or at least value,
visitors

Ñ  comfortable surroundings, or, failing that, unusual ones

Ñ  a reasonable price/value relationship.

All ratings are inherently subjective, and you may not agree
with these, but at least you╒ll have a consistent scale on
which to make your own judgments.

The scale:

*        Above average
**       Special in some ways
***      Exceptional in many ways
****     Extraordinary, excellent, worth going out of your way
to experience


WHO WILL LIKE THE OUTER BANKS?

You will like the Outer Banks if you ...

Ñ  Like your oceans big, rough and sometimes dangerous

Ñ  Like National Seashore/National Park areas better than big
cities ... but some areas of the Outer Banks ╤ Kitty Hawk,
Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head, for example ╤ ARE highly
developed with a lot of tacky strip centers, ugly houses and
fast-food joints, so you have to be able to tolerate this, too

Ñ  Like fishing

Ñ  Like surfing and windsurfing

Ñ  Like simple food ╤ blue plate specials, hamburger cookouts
and fried seafood

Ñ  Like walking on deserted stretches of beach

Ñ  Like renting a beach house

You will NOT like the Outer Banks if you ...

Ñ  Were born to shop

Ñ  Prefer gourmet food

Ñ  Prefer big cities with a lot of night life and cultural
activities

Ñ  Like trendy, sophisticated islands and beach resorts

Ñ  Prefer to stay in four- and five-star luxury hotels.

PRACTICAL FACTS ABOUT THE OUTER BANKS

WHAT:  The Outer Banks are a 100-mile chain of narrow barrier
islands along the Atlantic coast of North Carolina.  Ten to 30
miles out to sea, they stretch from Corolla -- pronounced Co-
RAH-la -- in the north to Ocracoke in the south, although
Portsmouth Island south of Ocracoke is also considered part of
the Banks.   Starting from the north and going down, the main
towns are Corolla, Sanderling, Duck, Southern Shores, Kill
Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head,  Rodanthe (pronounced Ro-
DAN-thee), Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras and
Ocracoke.  Some also consider Roanoke Island, to the west of
Nags Head,  and the towns of Manteo and Wanchese, part of the
Banks.

The ocean side has high sand dunes and wild surf rolling in
from the North Atlantic, with sometimes strong prevailing
winds.  The sound side, whether Currituck (pronounced Curry-
tuck), Pamlico, Albemarle or Roanoke sound,  is quieter.  At
some points, the distance across the islands is just a few
hundred feet.

The Banks are ALIVE, not static.  Day by day, year by year,
they are moving, mostly south and west.  Parts of the Banks
move up to 7 feet a year.  One day, they will be gone, and
with them the pitiful records of man╒s weekends.

Beaches along the ocean side are generally light brown sand,
100 to 500 feet or more wide depending the tide, and bounded
on the west by two- and three-story high ╥living╙ sand dunes.
Jockey╒s Ridge, in Nags Head, has the highest live dune in the
Eastern U.S., reaching 140 feet and higher.

The ocean water can be treacherous, with rip tides and
currents that can grab and kill.  Kids should NEVER be left
alone in the water, and even strong swimmers have died in the
Atlantic here.

The Gulf Stream is just 30 miles offshore.  This provides good
fishing.  It also moderates the climate, with temperatures
falling below freezing only a few times a year, and seldom
reaching 90 degrees even in mid-summer (although high humidity
can make summer weather uncomfortable at times.)

Bankers are a mix of long-time locals, weekenders and fair-
weather outlanders.   Some local families date back to 17th
and 18th century migrations from Virginia.   Burrus, Twiford,
Midgett and Dough are common names here.  Their ancestors may
have been pirates or wreck salvagers.  In the warm weather
come the yuppie Arlington dentists and lawyers with $400,000
╥cottages╙ in Duck and in the fall and spring come retired
postal workers with a trailer in Frisco.

WHERE:  The Outer Banks are a lot farther from almost
everywhere than they look to be on the map.  Although they are
in North Carolina, for most North Carolinians the beaches of
southeastern coastal North Carolina and even the beaches of
South Carolina are easier and faster to reach.  For example,
from my home town of Asheville, in the mountains of Western
North Carolina, it is a 10- or 11-hour, almost 500-mile drive,
to Hatteras Island.  From Savannah and Charleston, which look
so close to the Banks, it is almost as far.

Only for those folks in the Mid-Atlantic megaplex is it a
quick hop to the Banks, which is the main reason why you╒ll
see more Virginians than North Carolinians on the Outer Banks,
especially the Northern Banks.  Washington/Baltimore is about
300 miles from the Kitty Hawk/Nags Head area.  Philadelphia is
only about 325 miles, via the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel route, and
New York is a little over 400 miles.

WHEN:  Mid-June to late August is high season on the Banks.
This is the worst time to go (*), unless you want to swim
(your kids will likely brave the chilly water even in spring
and fall). Even in summer the ocean is hardly hot.  Water
temps usually get only into the low 70s F. in mid-summer.  The
best time to go is in the spring (****)  or fall (***) when
the crowds are small and the weather is cool and invigorating,
yet usually nice enough for beach activities other than
swimming.   This is also prime fishing time, when the red drum
and big blues run.

The only problem with the Banks in the fall is that this is
the season when you should be enjoying the glorious fall color
in the North Carolina mountains.  Winter (**) is another nice
time on the Banks, although with high winds and high humidity
this is fireplace season.  Many shops, restaurants, motels and
rental houses are closed during the winter season.

Note that weather on the Banks is notoriously unpredictable.
Weather can be beautiful one day and terrible the next.
Seldom will you get more than a few days of "perfect" beach
weather in a row.

In summer, this is hurricane country.  Hurricane Emily in 1993
did severe damage to parts of Hatteras Island.  Winter can
feel bitterly cold with chill factors below zero despite only
an average of 13 days when the air temperature falls below
freezing.  Nor╒easters blow up almost anytime from fall to
spring.  With heavy winds driving spray across the narrow
barrier islands, there are occasional Salt Warnings when
electrical and telephone service, shorting out in the salt-
laden air, are disrupted.

HOW:  Like it or not, the Banks are slaves to the internal
combustion engine.  You have to have a car to get to the banks
or to enjoy them once you╒re there.  A four-wheel drive GMC
pick-up or Jeep Cherokee is the vehicle of choice for some,
preferably with PVC surf rod holders attached to the front
bumper.

There are three main auto routes to the Outer Banks:

Ñ  Highway 158 to Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills, the choice of
those coming from the DC/Northern Virginia/NYC/Jersey/Phillie
megaplex.

Ñ  Highway 64 from Raleigh/Rocky Mount/Manteo to Nags Head and
the Hatteras National Seashore, the choice of those coming in
from most areas in the Southeast.

Ñ  By 2+ hour car ferry *** ($10 per car) from the New
Bern/Cedar Island area or from the Washington/Swan Quarter
area to Ocracoke, and then by another, half-hour ferry from
Ocracoke to Hatteras, the choice of those with extra time or a
romantic spirit.  On a nice day, the ferry to the mainland is
poor man╒s cruise.

Ferry schedules vary by season.  The 30-car Hatteras-Ocracoke
ferry runs each way every half hour to every hour, from early
morning to midnight, depending on the season and the time of
day.  No reservations are needed on this ferry.  The 50-car
Cedar Island ferry runs each way four times a day in winter,
eight times a day in summer.  Reservations are advised for
this ferry in summer.   Call 1-800-BYFERRY for current
schedules, complete fare information, and the number to call
for reservations.

By air, your best bet is to fly into Raleigh, Wilmington or
Norfolk (among others, Delta, USAir, American, Midwest Express
and several commuters service these airports), and rent a car
there.  There are small general aviation airstrips on the
Banks, and spotty commuter service via Southeast Airlines to
Dare County Municipal Airport in Manteo, a charming but tiny
local airport.

WHICH:  Having decided to come to the Outer Banks, the next
decision is which part of the Banks.  The Outer Banks can be
divided into four regions, each distinctive and different from
the others:

Northern Banks:  Once little-developed, Duck, Sanderling and
Corolla have grown explosively, fed by the huge mass of yuppie
humanity in and around Washington, D.C.  There are few year-
round residents in this area, only three inns, and many well-
fed real estate agents.  Second homes here tend to be far
larger and nicer than most first homes, and many sell for more
than $500,000.  You'll even see well-watered and manicured
lawns, rare farther south in the Outer Banks.  Developments
are tasteful, and wildlife areas, such as the 5,000-acre Pine
Island Sanctuary, offset the highly civilized parts.   The
beaches are excellent, but public beach access to them, on
either the sound or Atlantic side,  is limited -- those
renting a house, however, can temporarily be a part of the
community and enjoy the local beaches.  This is a hot
commercial area of the Outer Banks, and new shops and
restaurants open nearly every week.  For most visitors, the
northern tip of the Outer Banks ends at the Ocean Hill sub-
division, but those on foot or in off-road vehicles can go up
the beach.  There are even some four-wheel-drive-only
subdivisions in this area.  Depending on how you view it,
Southern Shores, an older planned community,  is either the
southernmost part of the Northern Banks or the northernmost
part of the Nags Head area.  Many find Southern Shores a
comfortable compromise.

If one could describe the typical visitor to the Northern
Banks, it would be a government-employed lawyer from Northern
Virginia driving a BMW.

Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills/Kitty Hawk:  This is the most-
developed part of the Outer Banks.  Here, you'll find movie
theaters, timeshares, plenty of KFC, McDonald's and other fast
food restaurants, a K-Mart, department stores, scads of
seafood restaurants, down-market condos along with many
expensive beach cottages.  This area has lots of motels,
mostly small beach-style independents but also a Holiday Inn,
Holiday Inn Express, Ramada, various Comfort and Quality Inns,
Hampton Inn and other chains.  On weekends in the summer,
expect some traffic jams on the By-Pass.  This whole area,
with its strip shopping centers and video stores,  will remind
many visitors of the West Coast of Florida.  Like Florida, it
remains popular, and to visitors Nags Head is probably one of
the best-known names in the entire state of North Carolina.
The beaches here are good, and beach access is plentiful.
Visitors will not want to miss the Wright Brothers Memorial
and the high sand dunes of Jockey's Ridge.  Although Nags
Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk have different
personalities, the casual visitor may not see much difference
among them, except perhaps to remark on the tired beach resort
atmosphere of some areas along Beach Road in Kitty Hawk.

If one could describe a typical visitor to the Nags Head area,
it would be a family from Pennsylvania driving a late-model
Chevrolet.

Hatteras Island:  As you leave the main part of Nags Head on
Highway 12 near the intersection of Highway 64 to Manteo,
suddenly the Outer Banks change.  You've entered the real
Banks, the part for nature lovers, anglers, campers, and for
those who like solitary beaches.  You're in the Hatteras
Island National Seashore, officially named a National Seashore
in 1953. Remnants of Nags Head remain in the four-mile strip
of homes on the Atlantic side which were grandfathered in when
the park was established.  Past Bodie Island and Oregon Inlet,
you'll enter the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, a park
within a park.  From here to the end of Hatteras Island at
Hatteras Village, on the Atlantic side you'll enjoy miles of
windswept dunes, which hide the ocean from view on Highway 12.
The quieter waters of Pamlico Sound to the west are visible at
many places.  Several small villages, whose tall weathered
beach cottages loom up in the distance, break the drive south.

First is Rodanthe -- you may notice a Mirlo real estate
development sign first -- and close to it Waves and Salvo.
These towns are oriented to fishing, camping and casual family
life.  There are only a few motels and restaurants, but an
increasing number of beach homes.  Next is Avon, which is
growing rapidly as a second-home center of Hatteras.  Avon has
restaurants, a couple of motels, and even a Food Lion
supermarket, which does a booming business, especially on
Saturdays and Sundays.   About six miles south of Avon is
Buxton, home to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and lots of
surfers and windsurfers.   Buxton has several good motels and
restaurants.   Next, Frisco and then Hatteras Village.
Fishing is serious business in Hatteras, both commercial
fishing by locals and sportfishing for tourists.  Near the end
of Hatteras Village is the free ferry to Ocracoke.  The ferry
waiting area has been expanded, a plus for those summer
weekends when 300 or more cars are backed up here.

If you could describe a typical visitor to Hatteras Island, it
would be a fisherman from another part of North Carolina
driving a four-wheel-drive GMC pickup, with surf rod and
cooler holder attached to the front bumper.

Ocracoke Island:  Accessible only by water, Ocracoke remains
one of the very special places in the entire East Coast, both
for its wonderful stretch of National Seashore beach and for
the village.  Surprisingly, for this out-of-the-way place,
Ocracoke has a number of charming inns and several very good
restaurants.  See the Quik Guide section for a description of
Ocracoke.

If one could describe the typical Ocracoke visitors, it would
be a college professor and spouse from New York, driving a
Volvo.

Portsmouth Island:  Seldom-visited, but also technically Outer
Banks territory, is Portsmouth Island just southwest of
Ocracoke.  It is a part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Once the largest town on the Outer Banks with a population of
600, Portsmouth -- the victim of Atlantic storms which partly
closed access via Ocracoke inlet and changes in the local
Outer Banks economy that took place after the Civil War -- the
island is now uninhabited except for Park rangers.  Access is
only by private boat, most commonly from Ocracoke.


QUIK GUIDE TO WHAT TO SEE AND DO ON THE BANKS

RATED 1 TO 4 STARS * TO ****

The Outer Banks are more of a place to be than to do.  There╒s
a good deal to see, but you can see nearly everything on your
first trip.  The real attraction of the Banks is in enjoying
the seashore and taking a long time to do nothing.

**** THE BEACHES OF THE CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE  This
is one of the largest stretches of unspoiled seashores in the
United States, with more than 70 miles of protected shore,
stretching over Hatteras, Ocracoke and Bodie.  South of the
ugly middle-class housing projects of Nags Head and environs,
you can walk for miles, shelling, seeing the occasional whale,
dolphin or fishing boat, and enjoying the ocean breeze and the
sun.  Surfing and surf fishing are excellent in many areas of
the seashore.

Among the best beaches on the Banks are the many Atlantic
beaches on Hatteras, those in the Pea Island Refuge (where
off-road vehicles are prohibited at all times), Coquina Beach
north of Oregon Inlet,  and the wonderful stretch of National
Seashore on Ocracoke.  Dr. Stephen Letterman, an expert on
U.S. beaches at the University of Maryland and author of
Barrier Islands Handbook,   rates the Ocracoke beaches as
among the top beaches in the East.

**** WRIGHT BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL, KILL DEVIL HILLS
Here you can walk the actual spot where the Orville and Wilbur
first flew their heavier-than-air machine.  The visitor
center, administered by the U.S. Park Service, is small and
not worthy of this grand historical site.  The Park Service
programs are well done, however.   For anyone who thinks that
humans are defined by their dreams, this is a special mecca.
$2 per person or $4 a car.

**** CAPE HATTERAS LIGHTHOUSE, BUXTON   Who doesn╒t like a
lighthouse?  This one is the admiral of all U.S. lighthouses,
208 feet tall, built with 1 1/4 million bricks,  the highest
brick lighthouse in America, painted like a black and white
barber pole.  The lighthouse is getting a new coat of paint in
spring 1995.  Closed for several years due to the encroaching
waves which have eaten the shoreline near the lighthouse, it
is now, again, open to visitors.  From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.,
from May to Labor Day, weather permitting, you can climb the
268 spiraling steps to the top.  Once at the top, the view of
Hatteras island is unmatched, as is the wind.  There is a
visitors center and bookshop in the former caretaker╒s
quarters.  Free.

**** OCRACOKE ISLAND  What a treasure this island is!  Sadly,
the village of Ocracoke been marred just a little by the
construction of several unspeakable monstrosities such as the
now five-story Anchorage Inn, ╥the brick motel╙ as Ocracokers
disdainfully call it,  totally out of scale, and the coming of
too many tee-shirt shops.  Ocracoke islanders ought to be shot
for allowing this kind of development, but then nobody╒s going
to tell those independent people what to do.  This is, after
all, the former residence of the English pirate Eddie Teach,
better known as Blackbeard.  If you patronize this or the two
or three other tasteless horrors which have defaced the
village harbor, shame on you!

Even so,  a walk around the village in the area of the
Ocracoke Lighthouse is an experience out of time.  The ***
lighthouse is the oldest (built in 1823) and smallest (75 feet
high) of the four land lighthouses on the Banks. The fifth
lighthouse, Diamond Shoals, is on a platform in the water.
The lighthouse and grounds aren't open, but you can spend an
hour just gazing at this lovely old structure.

Ocracoke is what an island village SHOULD be like.  Wander the
quiet village streets.  Don╒t miss stopping by the Community
Store, an old-fashioned grocery and general store where both
locals and tourists shop.

Outside the village is a 13-mile stretch of unspoiled
seashore, one of the best beaches in the United States, with
the Ocracoke ponies, or bankers, wild mustangs likely
descendants of abandoned Spanish horses,  in a large fenced
area on the sound side.  Free.

The ferries from Hatteras arrive and depart from on the north
end of Ocracoke island.  Catch Swan Quarter and Cedar Island
ferries in Ocracoke village.

****  FISHING  If you like to fish, the Outer Banks is close
to paradise.  You have a choice of surf, pier or boat fishing.
Surf casting is free on some 100 miles of beaches.  You can
rent a long surf casting rod, if you don╒t have your own gear.
Shrimp, mullet or bloodworms are used for bait, with lures for
trout, bluefish and mackerel.   The best fishing for red drum
(channel bass), mackerel, bluefish and trout is usually
between Labor Day and November, and then again from March to
May.   Pier fishing on one of eight piers, several of which go
out a fifth of a mile into the Atlantic, (around $5 for pier
access) follows roughly the same seasons.  Charter boat
fishing ($500 to $850 a day per boat, for up to six people) is
big for those after marlin and other billfish.  Charters are
available from late March to November.  Larger headboats,
carrying over 100 people, charge around $50 for a half-day
trip.  Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is home to 25 or 30 charter
boats.

Small boat fishing is popular on the sound side, and many
people trailer their boats down.

With a chicken neck, string and net, you can go crabbing on
the piers or elsewhere.

*** CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHTHOUSE AND WHALEHEAD CLUB,  COROLLA  A
delightful red brick lighthouse, this is the other one which
you can climb.  From the top, the yuppization of the Northern
Banks is painfully obvious.  Admission $3.   Don╒t leave after
you visit the lighthouse.  Instead, walk over to the Whalehead
Club grounds, now owned by Currituck County.   The lodge
buildings are in great disrepair and aren╒t open, but the
grounds, and especially the old marina and docks,  are
wonderful.  Plans are to restore the main Club building as a
wildlife museum.

** CHICAMACOMICA LIFESAVING STATION, RODANTHE  Beautiful
wooden Banks buildings at this Lifesaving Station are being
restored and made into a museum honoring the crews who saved
thousands of shipwrecked sailors.  Open Memorial Day to Labor
Day (you can walk around the grounds other times and peek
through the windows.)  Free.

** BODIE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE, NORTH OF OREGON INLET  Shorter
than the Cape Hatteras light, and painted in black and white
bands rather than spirals, with a small visitor center, this
is the least interesting of the four main lighthouses on the
Banks, and you cannot climb it,  but it╒s still worth seeing.
Free.

** PEA ISLAND NATIONAL REFUGE  This is bird city.  The
refuge╒s nearly 6,000 acres is dead on the Atlantic fly-way.
Some 30 species of duck and geese have been spotted here,
along with all manner of pelagic and oceanic birds ╤ herons,
gulls, terns, egrets and others.  All together, more than 270
species of birds have been spotted here.  Loggerhead turtles
also nest here in the summer.  There are several nature
trails, including the popular North Pond trail, which is a
one-mile trail on top of a dike between two man-made ponds.
Free.

** JOCKEY╒S RIDGE STATE PARK, NAGS HEAD  This 400-acre park is
home to the tallest active sand dune on the East Coast,
reaching well over 100 feet.   You can climb to the top of the
pair of dunes.  It╒s like a miniature desert.  Kids like to
slide down the steep sand bank.  On days when the wind isn╒t
too strong, hang-gliding lessons are given here. Bring a kite
and fly it on top of the dune.  Park admission free.

** BUXTON WOODS NATURE TRAIL  A 3/4 mile trail through wooded
dunes near the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.  Pleasant picnic
area.

* WILD HORSE SANCTUARY, COROLLA  About 21 remaining feral
horses roam the beaches and tony subdivisions of the Corolla
area.  You will probably not see the horses, as it╒s a big
area and they are, at present at least,  free-ranging.

* SHIP WRECKS  At least 600 ships have wrecked on the wild
shores of the Outer Banks.  (A popular memento of the Banks is
a map to the wrecks of the Outer Banks, $2.50 at tourist shops
everywhere.)  Most of the ships are still here, buried under
the sand.  After a big storm is the best time to find one
newly exposed.  The only wreck you are sure to always see is
that of the Laura A. Barnes, which ran aground on Coquina
Beach in 1921.  The few remaining timbers were moved to the
present site, at the south end of the Coquina Beach parking
lot, about 20 years ago.

NEARBY SITES ON ROANOKE ISLAND.  Some purists do not consider
Manteo and Roanoke Island as truly a part of the Outer Banks,
as, like the smaller Bodie Island, it is bounded on all sides
by the sound, not the Atlantic.

** FORT RALEIGH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE  Replica of a 1585 fort
on what may be the original location of the first English
settlement in North America.  Free.  * ** ╥The Lost Colony╙
drama is staged here during the summer.  Play admission, $10.

** ELIZABETHAN GARDENS, ROANOKE ISLAND   Very attractive
gardens in an historic setting next to Fort Raleigh.
Maintained by the Garden Club of North Carolina in cooperation
with the state.  Many wildflowers and native shrubs and trees.
Particularly beautiful in April and May.  Admission $3.

* NORTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM, ROANOKE ISLAND   A very small
aquarium with saltwater tanks, a shark gallery and a nature
trail. Informative, but don't go out of your way to see it.
$3.

BEST ACCOMMODATIONS

****  RENTAL HOUSES  No question about it ╤ the best way to go
on the Banks is to rent a house.  That╒s really the essence of
an Outer Banks vacation, one that you simply can╒t experience
in a motel.

Rental cottages ╤ even some of the $3,000 a week babies are
called cottages ╤ come in all shapes, sizes and prices.  The
largest selection of houses in around Nags Head and Kitty
Hawk, but the best ones are elsewhere.

Prices vary depending the season, the size of the house, and
its proximity to the water.  Homes are usually described as
ocean front (directly on the ocean, but in most cases with a
dune between the house and the beach), ocean side (on the
Atlantic side of Highway 12 but not directly on the ocean), or
sound front and sound side.  There are also some canal front
cottages, good for those with boats.

In my opinion, ocean front homes are worth the relatively
small premium over the other classes, as the sight, sound and
nearness to the water is what you want when you go to the
beach, right?

You╒ll pay the most for a large home on the ocean from mid-
June to the end of August, roughly the period when kids are
out of school.

RENTAL SEASONS

There are four rental seasons on the Banks:

Off-season:  (December to February, sometimes November and
March, depending on the area and the rental agency).  This is
the lowest rate season.  In fact, many homes are closed up
during this time and are not rented.  A good rental cottage
will generate about 30 weeks of rentals a year, with the other
months vacant, used by the owner, or closed for maintenance.

Fall:  (Late August to late November/early December):  Second-
highest rental rates, but not much more than spring rates

Spring:  (Easter to mid-June)  Second-lowest rental rates, but
close to fall rates

Summer:  (Mid-June to late August)  Highest rental rates

The prime summer rental rates are 40% to 100% higher than the
fall and spring rates.  A house on Hatteras Island that rents
for $650 in the spring might rent for $700 in the fall and
$1300 in the summer.  Rates on Ocracoke show less seasonal
variation.

In most cases, houses are rented fully furnished including all
cookware, dishes, and small appliances.  Renters usually have
to bring their own sheets, pillowcases and towels.  (These
items may be rented for a few dollars a week from the real
estate company.)

Cable TV hook-up is usually provided, but television sets
sometimes are not ╤ you have to bring your own or rent one, a
ridiculous policy considering the amount of money many of
these homes command.  Telephones are usually available but may
be blocked against long-distance calls, so bring a telephone
credit card.

Pools are rare to non-existent on the Outer Banks, except at
motels and at the luxury homes in Duck, Sanderling and
Corolla.

Pets are usually not allowed, or only allowed in the slow
seasons, with a pet deposit.

When calling a rental agent, be sure to inquire about the
condition of the house.  Most are well-maintained and nicely
furnished, but a few are not.  Ask, too, about the exact
location, whether it's on a quiet side street or fronts on
busy Highway 12, proximity to restaurants and shops, what
views you have, or won't have, from the decks, and about the
exact location of the nearest beach access.  Rental agents are
usually very open and willing to share the pluses and minuses
of their rental listings.  It's much better to know in advance
what to expect from a rental rather to be disappointed on
arrival.

Typically, renters have to pay 50% of the rental amount in
advance, with the balance due on arrival or within a few weeks
of arrival.   There is normally a small, refundable damage
deposit (around $100 - $200).  A state and local tax on
rentals adds 9 or 10%, depending on the county.

Rentals are normally from Saturday to Saturday, or Sunday to
Sunday.  This may be negotiable in the off-season.  Weekend or
by-the-day rentals, and extensions by the day,  are usually
available during slower seasons.

EXAMPLES OF RENTALS:

OCRACOKE:  ╥Saunders Cottage╙ (available through Ocracoke
Island Realty).  Described as a spacious house with deck and
two screened porches with views of adjacent marsh and distant
ocean.  Three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, central air/heat, fish
cleaning table, dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer,
telephone, cable hook-up.  For up to six people.

Weekly rates:
Spring:  $600
Summer:  $690
Fall:  $625
Off-Season:  $525

OCRACOKE:  ╥Carolina Winds╙ (available through Ocracoke Island
Realty).  Newly constructed in 1994.  On the sound with views
from three decks.  Has boat dock on a canal with access to
Pamlico Sound.  Three bedrooms, 2 baths.  Central air and
heat, ceiling fans, cable and TV, telephone, microwave,
dishwasher, washer/dryer, bicycles, charcoal grill.  Limit of
8 persons.

Spring:  $600
Summer:  $895
Fall:  $675
Off-Season:  $550

RODANTHE:  ╥Windrush╙ (available through Midgett Realty).
Sound front, five bedroom 3 1/2 bath two story home with two
jacuzzis, central air/heat, ceiling fans, fireplace,
dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer, cable and TV, VCR,
sleeps 10.

Spring:  $985
Summer:  $1525
Fall:  $985

AVON:  ╥Oceans 31╙ (available through Midgett Realty).
Ocean front, four bedrooms on second-story sleeping level
(first level is stilts/parking area), great room with living,
dining and kitchen areas on top level,  2 1/2 baths, two
decks, washer and dryer, microwave, dishwasher, wet bar,
central air/heat, ceiling fan.  Sleeps 12.

Spring:  $695
Summer:  $1350
Fall:  $850

RENTAL AGENCIES

The Outer Banks has more rental agencies than you can shake a
stick at.  All have free brochures with information on and
photographs of their rental listings.   Here are a few:

Sun Realty, P.O. Box 1630, Kill Devils Hills, NC  27948,
specializing in rentals from Corolla to Avon, 800-346-9593, or
919-441-7033

Midgett Realty, P.O. Box 250, Hatteras, NC  27943 (also
offices in Rodanthe and Avon), specializing in properties all
over Hatteras Island, 800-527-2903, or 919-986-2841

Ocracoke Island Realty, Box 238-A, Ocracoke, NC  27980,
specializing in Ocracoke Island rentals, 800-242-5394, or 919-
928-6261

Resort Rental Properties, Inc., 1184 Duck Road, Duck, NC
27949, specializing in the area from Duck to Corolla.  800-
433-8805 or 919-261-1136

Southern Shores Realty, P.O. Box 50, Kitty Hawk, NC  27949,
specializing in the Southern Shores and Duck area, 800-334-
1000, or 919-261-2000

CAMPGROUNDS

The Outer Banks are rich in campgrounds, both private and
those run by the National Park Service.  Hatteras Island is
the main camping area, although there are campgrounds on
Ocracoke.  Rising land values are putting pressure on private
campgrounds, especially in Nags Head and north.

*** National Park Campgrounds are the most desirable.  These
include good facilities on Ocracoke, Frisco, Cape Point (at
Cape Hatteras near Buxton) and Oregon Inlet.  These
campgrounds run around $12 a day, with a two-week maximum
stay.  There are no RV hook-ups at these NPS campgrounds.

The * KOA at Cape Hatteras is the largest private campground
on the Banks.  It is packed with amenities including full RV
hook-ups, swimming pools, jacuzzis, a playground, game room,
camp store, and more.  There are also several private camps in
Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo, and a couple in Ocracoke.

MOTELS AND INNS

For those coming to the Banks for only a short stay, or in a
group of only one or two, here╒s the real inside guide to the
best places to stay:

OCRACOKE

***Boyette House is locally owned, friendly, fairly priced,
extremely well maintained.  The new section which just opened
in April is very attractive, and the suites on the top floor
are stunning.  Highly recommended, even though it is a short
walk from the water and the village.

**Silver Lake Inn, right in the village,  has rooms in two
buildings.  The original building is getting a bit run down.
But the rooms in the new section are very attractive,
especially the jacuzzi suites on the second and third floors.
Rooms in this building have great views of the water,  and
balconies complete with hammocks.

If you╒re looking for a B&B, **Crews Inn is a good choice.
It╒s owned by Alton Ballance, author of the excellent
Ocracokers.   For a budget motel, I like the **Sand Dollar,
now locally owned and being spiffed up.

Other recommended spots include the **Berkeley Inn, in an old
lodge, and *Harborside Motel, a moderately priced motel well-
located on the water.

The *Island Inn still has atmosphere a-plenty, but the
operators aren╒t doing much to bring the down-at-the-heels
rooms in the old building up to a higher standard.

HATTERAS ISLAND
Most of the best choices are in Buxton.   The locally owned
and operated ***Outer Banks Motel is a fine place.  **Cape
Hatteras Motel,  **Lighthouse View Motel and the **Comfort Inn
are good, too, although the Comfort Inn has some people
problems.  The *Falcon Motel is a clean and pleasant budget
choice.

NAGS HEAD/KILL DEVIL HILLS/KITTY HAWK AREA
****First Colony Inn is THE class place in this area.  In this
historic inn, every room is special, and owner, Camille
Lawrence, is as well. It is not on the beach, however, and
suffers from its location in the semi-urban sprawl.

Other recommended spots:  **Nags Head Inn, large but well run
and very attractive, although prices are a little high;
**Blue Heron Motel, not fancy but a good traditional
independent motel;  **Beach Haven in Kitty Hawk is another one
of these good independents;  *Quality Inn John Yancey,
recently completed renovated;  the *Hampton Inn has the usual
high Hampton quality, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, but
it is NOT directly on the beach;  **Cherokee Inn B&B, with
cypress paneling and attractive rooms, is for B&B fans. Owners
of the *Three Seasons B&B, in a modern house near the Seascape
timeshares and golf course, are wavering as to weather to keep
the house open as a B&B, since they now operate a restaurant
in Duck.

NORTHERN BEACHES
There are few choices here, but those that are here are first
class.   ***Sanderling Inn, while pricey, offers a classy
atmosphere and very nice accommodations for those who want a
casual but luxe resorty place.  The new ***Inn at Corolla
Light is going to be popular, too ╤ the rooms at the back are
literally right on the sound and are stunningly designed, with
kitchens, fireplaces and style.   ***5 Cents Advice, a new B&B
in Duck, isn╒t right on the water, but makes up for it with
bright, attractive rooms, all with private baths.  The owners,
two young women from New York, are helpful, knowledgeable and
friendly.


EATING ON THE OUTER BANKS

Let╒s face it.  The Outer Banks are hardly a gourmet paradise.
The fried seafood can be excellent, but you quickly tire of
that.

As with renting a cottage instead of staying at a motel, the
best way to dine on the Banks is at home.

Go to a good local seafood shop, such as **Buxton Seafood in
Buxton (under the water tower) and buy a dozen, or two, or
three, of live blue crabs  ╤ maybe $10 a dozen.   Steam those
busters with some Old Bay seasoning.  Ummmm!  Crabs start
shedding their shells in early May, so that╒s the time to
start enjoying fried softshell.  Or do shrimp.  Headless
shrimp run $5 to $8 a pound, and the main shrimping season
starts in late March.   Oysters are plentiful in season.
Clams, sea scallops and, of course, flounder, speckled trout,
bluefish, mackerel and other fish are available much of the
year.

When you want to eat out, here are recommendations on
restaurants that offer good food and a fair price.  Remember
that in a resort area staff changes can quickly turn a good
spot into something less.

Note:  Restaurants on Hatteras, Ocracoke and Corolla typically
serve only beer and wine.  "Brown-bagging" is okay in some
restaurants.  Restaurants in Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills,
Kitty Hawk, Duck and Sanderling serve mixed drinks.  In North
Carolina, liquor by the bottle -- but not beer and wine, which
are available in grocery and convenience stores -- is sold
only in state stores, called A.B.C. stores.  There are A.B.C.
stores in several towns on the Outer Banks, including Corolla,
Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Manteo and Buxton.

Hatteras Island:  Locals almost unanimously recommend the
**Quarterdeck in Frisco, but ***Billy╒s without a doubt has
the best seafood on Hatteras Island.  The food is well-
prepared and fresh, the prices reasonable, the servings large,
and the service friendly.  All in all, much better than the
Quarterdeck, and the dockside setting is better, too.
*Soundside, new in 1994,  has a wonderful location, and pretty
good food, but service isn╒t yet up to par.  (It must be
incredibly difficult to run a restaurant on Hatteras, what
with winter closings and trying to hire new cooks and
waitstaff every spring.)  **Tides is well run, with good
service and good, typical seafood, though not as good as
Billy╒s.  The Tides is also a popular breakfast spot.  *Fork
in the Road is new but has potential.   Forget Sea Robin.
Despite its popularity, the Froggy Dog is disappointing,
overpriced and with mediocre food and sloppy staff with an
attitude.  New management may help, but at present Froggy Dog
is better for a beer and some late night music than for
dinner.   *Nino╒s Pizza is far from exceptional, but okay for
the kids.   For the kids, the *Cool Wave Ice Cream Shoppe in
Buxton has good shaved ice.  **Island Bites Deli and Bakery
has very good bakery items.  For crabs, shrimp and such to
prepare at home, our favorite remains **Buxton Seafood, near
the water tower.  *Down Under in Rodanthe has some of the best
shrimp we tasted on the Outer Banks.

On Ocracoke, the ***Back Porch and ***Cafe Atlantic are still
far and away the first choices.  **Howard╒s Pub is excellent
for lunch or a light dinner, and *Pony Island is the local
favorite for breakfast.  The Pelican is now closed, and the
former operators have opened a nice new place, **Creekside
Cafe.  **Capt. Ben╒s is okay, especially for prime rib, and
the Island Inn restaurant at least has atmosphere, if not
consistently good food.  *Jolly Roger (no kin to the place of
the same name in Nags Head) is good for a snack on the water.

In the Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills/Kitty Hawk area,
***Collington Cafe is excellent and well priced, with
reservations sometimes hard to get in the summer.  The
restaurant at the **Tranquil Inn in Manteo is excellent but
expensive (for the Banks), with an a la carte menu.   For
traditional fried and broiled seafood, among the best are
**R.V.╒s, **Keeper╒s Galley, **Black Pelican and **Owen╒s.
Owen╒s, the classic place, continues to get mostly good
comments from locals, although some think it has slipped a bit
and prices have edged up too high.  Other places offering good
food at fair prices include *Darrell╒s in Manteo, *Thai Room,
*Osprey Inn, *Doug Saul╒s Barbeque in Manteo, and *Petrozza╒s
Deli.

For more-sophisticated food on the Banks, head to Duck.
***Blue Point Cafe and ***Elizabeth╒s are the in spots, with a
new place, Swan Cove, set to open in June (by the Herron╒s
folks) with high local expectations.  **Duck News Cafe, across
from Sanderling Inn and run by the people who used to run
Jolly Roger in Nags Head, is becoming popular.  **Nicoletti╒s
in Corolla offers good Italian.  Finely Ron's has closed,
replaced with the *Boatyard Grille, near *Steamer's in the
expanding TimBuck II shopping complex.


WHAT TO BRING
To enjoy the Banks to the utmost, here╒s a list of items to
pack that you might otherwise overlook:

Cotton sweater ╤ even in the summer, you may need it

Casual clothes and comfortable shoes ╤ no need for fancy gear
here, and the salt air does a number on fine leather

Kite (well-constructed, with heavy string, for the Banks winds
are strong) or buy one at Kitty Hawk Kites or elsewhere

Folding beach chair ╤ rental cottages seldom have beach
furniture

Tight-fitting hat ╤ you╒ll need a hat, but it needs to fit
well to stay on your head in strong winds

Mosquito repellent  ╤ as long as the winds blow, you╒ll have
little problem with mozzies, but in protected areas, nature
walks,  or almost anywhere when the winds subside, the big,
black beasts sometimes come out in force, especially in the
summer

Plenty of good mysteries and other books

Firewood, if you╒re coming anytime but the summer and if your
rental cottage has a fireplace ╤ firewood on the Banks is very
dear


FOR MORE INFORMATION

The most-complete guide to the Outer Banks is ***The Insiders╒
Guide to the Outer Banks now by Jayne DePanfilis and Nancy
McWilliams (the authors keep changing but the basic
information stays the same), Insider Guides, 15th edition,
1994, $12.95.  It is highly useful for general information,
but the hotel and restaurant recommendations are almost
uniformly positive and have little discrimination -- one can
only wonder if some of the puffy reviews may not be ad-driven.

Two other useful books for Outer Banks travelers are:

***North Carolina Beaches, A Guide to Coastal Access, by Glenn
Morris, The University of North Carolina Press, 1993, $16.95.
Provides terrific information on beaches and beach access all
along the North Carolina coast.

***Touring the Backroads of North Carolina's Upper Coast, by
Daniel W. Barefoot, John F. Blair Publishing, 1995, $15.95.
Part of a series on backroads in the region by a Winston-
Salem, N.C., publisher.

For brochures and other information, contact:

Ñ  Dare County Tourist Bureau, P.O. Box 399, Manteo, N.C.
27954, Tel. [phone], or 919-473-2138

Ñ  Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1757, Kill Devil
Hills  27948, Tel. [phone]

Ñ  Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Rt. 1, Box 675, Manteo, NC
27954, Tel. [phone]

@@@ Lan Sluder is an Outer Banks fan and a travel writer doing
a new Frommer╒s Guide to the Carolinas and Georgia.  His
travel articles have appeared in many publications around the
world, including the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Bangkok
Post, The Tico Times, Caribbean Travel and Life, Newsday and
the Miami Herald.  He is editor and publisher of Belize First,
a quarterly magazine on travel and life on the Caribbean Coast
of Central America.  Sluder also is a co-author of
SmartTravel, a book on planning travel by computer, published
in 1995 by Ziff-Davis. @@@