Manteo, NC

Have you been to the Outer Banks? I grew up in North Carolina so this was a frequent summer destination spot for my family. And when I became an adult I kept going back. I thought I knew all the best spots. But like most OBX snobs I was always focused on the beach side. On this recent trip over a holiday weekend we decided to explore the sound side and were thrilled with the little beach hamlet of Manteo, NC.

We rented a cute little place just a five minute walk from the water that allowed dogs. There were a dozen different places that had great food and drinks just a few minutes walk from where we were. We drank our body weight in La Croix, nibbled our way through all the snacks we brought and even found a local book shop so we could read books about the beach, while being at the beach.

And no trip would be complete without drinks! The restaurants had pretty standard wine and beer lists. There were a number of free wine tastings that we indulged in as we were out and about. I even tried a flight of beer. But the standout was out trip to the Outer Banks Distillery to try Kill Devil Hills Rum! It also happened that a good friend was staying in Rodanthe so she was able to come visit with us.

But by far the best part of our trip was how dog friendly every thing was. We were able to take Grace and Bhaloo with us to eat which was a rare treat. And they enjoyed seeing the lighthouse and meeting the locals as much as we did.

Bhaloo Alexander Dogilton.

Magnolia Grace.

There was a local farmer’s market on Sunday morning and I got very close to some honey bees (who were very kindly behind glass) and tried the local honey.

Having lived in Virginia for the last five years I’ve become accustomed to some pretty spectacular sunsets. But the Outer Banks never fails to impress.