Fall Beach Run on the Outer Banks

S

sheldon

Well-known member
There's been some chatter about doing a fall run on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and since 1) I've been quietly looking into the matter and 2) we haven't gotten a thread started on it so far, this is it!  The tentative plan is "sometime in October" and the location is "between Virginia and South Carolina."  Right now I'm working on locating a place to stay and trying to figure out what portions of the beaches will be open for driving, but if anyone's got any interest, suggestions, ideas, thoughts or plans, let me know!  Nothing is very solid right now, but I can say that I'm planning on a couple of days of good food, good beer and good wheeling/relaxing out on the sand. 

Updates will be posted as the plan comes together...  8)
 
Corolla would be a lot of fun and not crowded that time of year , plus you have to have 4wd just to get there . No fees involved to go up there, and the houses are reasonable .
 
G Beasley said:
Corolla would be a lot of fun and not crowded that time of year , plus you have to have 4wd just to get there . No fees involved to go up there, and the houses are reasonable .
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That's at the top of the list right now, actually.  😀
 
Sundowner date=1399430408 said:
That's at the top of the list right now, actually.   😀
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Theres a few restaurants before you leave the pavement , a grocery store , a nice museum at the Whalehead club , Currituck Lighthouse , and of course the wild horses . Did I mention there's a lot of beach and sandy roads to drive on ?
 
jscusmcvet date=1399459281 said:
October is open for us right now and we are interested.  Would prefer camping if at all possible.

John
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There isnt any camping available in Corolla , but there is a nice place down at Oregon Inlet .
 
G Beasley said:
Theres a few restaurants before you leave the pavement , a grocery store , a nice museum at the Whalehead club , Currituck Lighthouse , and of course the wild horses . Did I mention there's a lot of beach and sandy roads to drive on ?
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Lots of sandy roads and beach is the goal.  I'll have my large-format camera rebuilt by then, so I plan on using it quite a bit. 😉

jscusmcvet said:
October is open for us right now and we are interested.  Would prefer camping if at all possible.

John
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October is a GREAT time for camping out there; I haven't figured out if it'll be a camping or inside-staying trip, but there's always the possibility that we could do both depending on location.  If we get a lot of people there may have to be groups at two locations, so we could possibly have a camping group and a different one for all of us pansies that like to sleep in beds.  😀

badmonkey said:
Watching this one.......... 😀
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I think it'll be a good time; several people have expressed interest here and there, so hopefully we'll have a good group.  I already know that the food is going to be well worth eating; the last time I stayed on the beach for a couple of days I cooked fifty pounds of fresh shrimp and barbequed a grouper. 🙂

G Beasley said:
There isnt any camping available in Corolla , but there is a nice place down at Oregon Inlet .
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And the striper fishing from the bridge at Oregon is pretty good; white/chartreuse Gotcha's + 8-lb. tackle = a very fun night.  😀
 
ShaunSweeney said:
You know I'm in. If there is anything you need help with to plan this let me know.
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I will most certainly do that!  Tonight, I'm going to look around and see what sort of lodging options there are in the Corolla area, and I'm also going to investigate some camping choices.  Wherever we end up staying, it'll have to be grill-friendly. 8)
 
Sundowner date=1399502435 said:
I will most certainly do that!  Tonight, I'm going to look around and see what sort of lodging options there are in the Corolla area, and I'm also going to investigate some camping choices.  Wherever we end up staying, it'll have to be grill-friendly. 8)
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The houses in Corolla are mostly larger more expensive options . Carova has some smaller homes and its cheaper because it is off the pavement. Seriously you dont need to search this just call me and I will answer your questions . I have access to a couple of cheaper houses in KDH that would allow you to drive North and come back to civilization each day . Theres also beach driving in KDH after Labor Day .
 
ShaunSweeney said:
Give that man a call.
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Beezey and I talked on the phone about it this evening, briefly.  Carova is a cool place to go; I haven't been there in years but last time I went it was basically sand streets and houses scattered here and there.  I'm sure it's more built-up, now, but that's to be expected; it might be a good candidate if people are looking to get away from it all for a bit.  😉
 
G Beasley said:
October is a great time to be on the Outer Banks , no traffic , not many tourists , and the water is still warm .
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That's why Carova would be good...however, it's going to depend on lodgings.  It'd be nice to have a camping option, or a decently affordable place to stay.
 
Sundowner date=1399549308 said:
That's why Carova would be good...however, it's going to depend on lodgings.  It'd be nice to have a camping option, or a decently affordable place to stay.
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No camping in Carova , the closest campground would be on Colington Island or Churchs Island . Oregon Inlet Campground is nice , and not too far off the beaten path . It would be my choice if I was camping.
 
G Beasley date=1399592398 said:
No camping in Carova , the closest campground would be on Colington Island or Churchs Island . Oregon Inlet Campground is nice , and not too far off the beaten path . It would be my choice if I was camping.
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ShaunSweeney date=1399607098 said:
I won't complain if we have a roof over our heads.
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Personally, I can go either way.  Roofs are nice, but I like a good campground as well.  Oregon Inlet is cheap - $20 per night - but it also closes in mid-October; it does, however, offer group camping and it's close to Kitty Hawk and Nag's head...so that's a solid possibility.  I think that if we decide to camp we'll probably go there.  Carova is looking very strong for a roof-over-the-head option; the lodgings will be more expensive, but the beach driving also looks to be more accessible.  Also, as long as we're south of Carova there are hotel options.  I suppose that the question, now, is what we feel like affording; I'm all about being cheap and enjoying life, but I do have an admitted weakness for heated showers...  😀

Edit: There's also one other possibility: Portsmouth Island.  I'm still looking into what's available/required, so it's not at the top of the list...but thus far it looks like a LOT of fun for those that want to be away from...well, everything.
 

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