By Cheri Sicard
In the video below we join Tara and Chad of Changing Lanes as we travel vicariously along with them as they explore a trip on many RVers’ bucket lists, RVing the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
If you are not familiar with them, North Carolina’s Outer Banks are a string of barrier islands that begin at the Virginia border and continue south for 120 miles to Ocracoke Island.
The couple set up their temporary residence at Camp Hatteras in Rodanthe, NC, a beautiful RV park with lots of amenities. However, be sure to stock up before visiting as the nearest grocery store is about 25 minutes away. The team does a complete review of the park in a separate video, but this one focuses on things to see and do in the area.
They began with a gorgeous hike through the Buxton Woods, where more than 360 species of birds have been recorded. As early May temperatures mostly stayed in the 60s, the weather cooperated beautifully.
Next, they went for lunch at Diamond Shoals restaurant, reputed to have the best clam chowder in the area. It did not disappoint.
The next stop was the tiny town of Duck, where they strolled the nearly mile-long Duck Boardwalk that travels over the water and connects to shops and restaurants. Lunch in Duck consisted of at the NC Coast Bar and Grille. The food looked spectacular, especially the scallops. After some shopping, they headed back to camp for some relaxing beach time and to enjoy the show-stopping Outer Banks sunset.
The next day they decided to explore Corolla, NC, about 90 minutes away from camp. Wild horses are the main attraction that brings visitors to this area. Descendants of the colonial Spanish mustangs brought to the area by explorers nearly 500 years ago, the Outer Banks wild horses of today run free along the beach.
With the proper parking permit, visitors are allowed to drive onto the beach itself, so our hosts picked up some sandwiches for a beachfront picnic on the way. Note that the parking pass comes with a hefty $50 price tag. This is for parking on the beach. Apparently, if you don’t plan to stop and park but merely drive through, no permit is needed. If you do plan to go, watch the video for more tips, especially those on airing down your tires so you don’t get stuck in the sand. If you don’t want to drive yourself, you can opt for a guided tour.
Before they signed off on the tour of RVing the Outer Banks, the couple made one more stop at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and nearby Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed when they arrived, but they could still admire the classic brick lighthouse from the exterior.
There was so much to see and do there, Tara and Chad made several other videos about it including a hang gliding experience and a review of their RV park, so be sure to check out their channel.
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