What's Open Summer 2020 on the Outer Banks?

Your friends at Village Realty are so excited to welcome guests back! We know you are in need of a great beach vacation and we are working hard on preparing for your arrival. With everything going on this year with the novel coronavirus, you may be wondering, “what can I do during my vacation”? We’ve compiled a list of things to do, places to experience, and our favorite places to eat that will be open for you in 2020. As North Carolina enters the different phases of re-opening after coronavirus lockdowns, some things may be limited, but there is still plenty to enjoy in the beautiful Outer Banks.

Historic Corolla Park

This beautiful 11-acre park is an explorer’s delight! Enjoy the boardwalk as is winds through the maritime forest and willow swamp. There are places to launch a kayak as well. This is another wonderful place to snap some fun vacation photos, especially during the sunset!

Duck Town Park & Soundside Boardwalk

This 39-acre park is the perfect place to explore, let the kids run, and enjoy the outdoors. This park is perfect for a fun picnic, bring your own food or grab take out from one of our local restaurants. There are many places to launch a kayak into the sound, you can fish or crab there as well. You’ll also find the Historic Whalehead Club and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Their beauty offers the perfect backdrop to an already beautiful place. Bring the camera, grab some fun vacation photos while you’re at it! Located along the Currituck Sound, the park is a great place to watch the sunset.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Soak up history during your trip as you explore the grounds of the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Back in December of 1903, the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville achieved the first successful airplane flight at this very location! Under phase 2, the indoor areas are closed, but you are free to enjoy the grounds. Because of this, the cost to get into the memorial is temporarily waived.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park

This park is home to the tallest living sand dune on the Atlantic coast. Do you love to fly kites? This is THE place to do it! Here you can enjoy many trails, views of the sound and the ocean, and there is even a sound side beach access! Unfortunately, the visitor’s center is closed under phase 2 but please don’t let that deter you from exploring the area. You could honestly spend all day here – so pack a picnic. Sunset views from here are gorgeous as well!

The Beaches Are Open

Our beautiful beaches have been waiting for you! They are still here, beautiful as ever, and will be so happy to see you when you return. So grab your sunscreen, pack a cooler, throw on your swimsuit, and enjoy the sound of the waves crashing along the shore all day long. Under Phase 1, the beaches are still open, the state just asks that social distancing guidelines are adhered to (remaining 6 feet from someone outside of your household) and that there are no gatherings of more than 25 people.

Retail Shops Are Open

You’ll be able to find the perfect Outer Banks souvenir during your upcoming Outer Banks vacation. Our amazing local shop owners will be so delighted to see you! From the Timbuck II down to the Outlets Nags Head and everything in between, you’ll have plenty of stores to choose from. My favorite place to spend the day shopping is in Duck, NC. From the Waterfront Shops to the Scarborough Faire Shopping Village, it is a great place to park the car and spend the day walking around, enjoying the shops. Just remember, under Phase 2, retail shops are allowed to have 50% capacity, with appropriate cleaning and social distancing. You may experience some new procedures in the stores, please be patient as our local shops adjust to this new regulation.

Outer Banks Restaurants Are Open

Our fabulous local restaurants are open and are looking forward to seeing you! Under Phase 2 they are able to open with a limited number of customers in indoor and outdoor seating areas. Most local places have adapted to this policy, and will still offer to-go orders, so there will be no shortage of breakfast, lunch, or dinner options during your vacation! Softshell crab season just kicked off here in the Outer Banks and I have personally enjoyed my share so far! Our food is fresh and always delicious here in the Outer Banks. Here are some of our favorite Outer Banks restaurants that are open:

Corolla:

Butcher Block

Mike Diannas Grill Room

Off The Wall Tap House

Duck:

Southern Shores:

Steamers Restaurant & Catering

Kitty Hawk:

Kill Devil Hills:

Henry’s Restaurant

Jolly Roger Restaurant

Kill Devil Grill

Food Dudes Kitchen

Nags Head:

Lucky 12 Tavern

Blue Moon Beach Grill

Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe

Village Pizza

There is one thing that you cannot do under any circumstances while vacationing in the Outer Banks, no matter what. According to the recent Netflix series, Outer Banks, you are able to take a ferry from Kitty Hawk to Chapel Hill. We are sorry to say, that is not possible, no matter the circumstances. The local geography just won’t allow it. (We hope that made you chuckle just a little bit!)

As the state of North Carolina goes through each phase, we will update our blog with more information, so be sure to check back. Here’s to a wonderful Outer Banks summer, we look forward to welcoming you back to the beach! Don’t have your stay booked? Start planning your OBX vacation here.

Outer Banks Blog

OBX Vacay Channel