Now I know summer is right around the corner. Dr. Beach, Stephen P. Leatherman, has just named his Top 10 List for 2012.
Cape Hatteras, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, claimed the number 10 spot. I was thrilled to hear it. The Outer Banks, or OBX as it's often called, is near and dear to my heart. I can't wait to return at the end of June.
We haven't been all the way out to Cape Hatteras since 2009, when the girls and their father climbed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Cape Hatteras was the first National Seashore. Though I'm not a surfer, there are always tons of people surfing or Boogie boarding when we visit the OBX in July. Their beaches are so pristine. It's why we keep driving down each summer. And unlike many state owned beaches, the majority in the OBX are free. I've never seen a beach with a fee for parking or entrance in the areas we've visited, but that doesn't mean they don't exist somewhere down there.
We take Route 12 over to Hatteras from where we stay in Kill Devil Hills. It's the only way out there. Last summer during Hurricane Irene, residents of Cape Hatteras were cut off when the road washed away in multiple places. You can see photos here.
This is part of why I am a bit anxious to visit the OBX this year. Some of our favorite places sustained damage from Hurricane Irene. Some have reopened. Others were not so lucky. When The Christmas Shop and Island Gallery--a place we visited each summer--closed for a couple of years, it just wasn't the same traveling out to Manteo. Knowing some of the only haunts or places I've seen as we are driving around have closed, leaves me with an aching heart.
My dream is to live in North Carolina--maybe Charlotte or Raleigh--and have a house in the OBX. If you're looking for a great vacation spot, you can't go wrong with the OBX. There is tons to do for children of all ages.
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