Listening to comments from children posted on Beach Realty’s “For the Kids” page makes me realize why I fell in love with the Outer Banks. I will share several that I recently received. These make you realize that the best things in life are FREE! On the Outer Banks, there are many FREE things to do to create memories that last a lifetime.
“I like to go ghost crab hunting at night!” Nicholas from New York
“Walking at night looking for crabs” Kailynn from Virginia
“Throw bread to the seagulls and have them all around us!” Keara from Virginia
“Build sandcastles, find seashells, go in the ocean, play with friends and family” Trinity from Pennsylvania
“Swim in the ocean, play in the sand, and play with my friends and family!!! :) Skylar from Pennsylvania
“Burying my sister's body (except her head) in the sand.” Stephie from Pennsylvania
“Watching Jellyfish!” Alexander (state unknown)
“Flying a kite” Gwendalyn from Florida
“Go boogie boarding with my family.” Emily from Virginia
“Boogie boarding, playing in the waves, tanning, reading a book, looking for dolphins, and taking pictures” Lauren from Virginia
Our beaches are free! You don’t have to buy a ticket to go the beach. Things to do at the beach are endless. As mentioned by the kids: watch wildlife in the ocean including fish, jellyfish, dolphins, pelicans, shorebirds and an occasional whale. Crabs, in the wash near the shore, hurry to hide in the sand after each wave. Build sandcastles. Don’t forget a special container for the shells and sea glass you will find along the shore. Sea glass is beautiful and may be found in many colors. Some folks have a “special talent” for finding sea glass, maybe you are one of those.
At night on the beach, crabs are fascinating to watch as they scurry around. The moon and stars are beautiful from the shore as the water glistens in the moonlight.
You may want to contact Nest-Network for Endangered Sea Turtles and volunteer to watch hatching sea turtles to assure that they are undisturbed. You may be lucky enough to watch them hatch and crawl to the ocean. www.nestonline.org
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a huge ridge of sand dunes that constantly move and change shape due to the blowing wind. They are a great place to climb and roll down. You can fly a kite! When you reach the top of the dunes and look east at the ocean and west at the sound, it is an awesome sight. I always feel like a pirate when I do that and wonder at how many might have stood on that ridge. Nags Head got its name from the Pirates who used to hang lanterns around a “Nag’s Head”, a nag being a horse. The lantern would appear to be a lighthouse and cause ships to be misled and wreck along the shore. If you visit the ridge in the early morning, you can see deer, fox and bird prints in the sand. Great fun! All of this if free. You can visit the Jockey’s Ridge Museum and participate in organized program such as the Sunset Viewing at no charge. Bring a picnic basket as there are picnic tables available. There is a wonderful sound side beach behind Jockey’s Ridge that is great for little kids who want to wade but are perhaps intimidated by the ocean. www.jockeysridgestatepark.com
Nags Head Woods has 5 miles of walking trails where you can observe nature. You must at least treat yourself to a car drive through the largest Maritime Forest on the East coast. It is hard to believe you are on the Outer Banks when you visit the forest. If you are a bird watcher, this is the place to go. There are guided tours that have a fee, but you may explore on your own with a map. www.nature.org
Travel across the causeway to Manteo and visit Marshes Light which is a lighthouse with a Fresnel lens. This is a restored lighthouse that looks like a small house and was originally located in the sound. Near this site, is the Maritime Museum, where you can watch boats being built or restored. You can also see the Elizabeth II, a ship like the Mayflower, across Shallowbag Bay. This ship was built in the Maritime Museum. The lighthouse and the Maritime Museum are free to the public, fun to visit, and very educational. The park in this area has a playground, picnic tables, and park grills. www.obxmaritime.org
http://www.outerbanks.org/attractions/historical_sites/roanoke_marshes_lighthouse.asp www.townofmanteo.com
Cross over Shallowbag Bay on the little bridge and visit Festival Park. This is where the Elizabeth II ship is located. There is a fee to visit the ship and Museum but ask about free events as they have many during the summer months. There are many free concerts and plays in the summer, many for children. You can also walk on the dock all around the park and view the marsh and wildlife. Kids love to search for shark’s teeth in the fossil pit that is located by the entrance to Festival Park. There is no charge for this activity. http://roanokeisland.com
If you are in Corolla, enjoy the NC Wildlife Museum, no admission fee and many free programs to sign up for. In Corolla Village you can visit the Wild Horse Museum which has children’s programs and teaches about Wild Mustangs that live here as descendants of shipwrecks. The museum is located in a historic one room schoolhouse. The Currituck Lighthouse is located in Corolla Village with a minimal fee to climb. Across from the lighthouse through the woods and into the sound is an estuarine walkway with great views of plants and animals.
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Education_Workshops/Outer_Banks_Center.htm
http://www.visitncne.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=123:attractions-in-north-carolina&id=148:Corolla-Wild-Horse-Museum-in-the-Corolla-School-House&Itemid=27
If you are a nature lover and history buff, the Outer Banks is the place to soak it up. Explore! Enjoy all these FREE family activities for memories that will last a lifetime.
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