“This beach is what church once meant.” – Kevin Pilkington
Nags Head
With a tag line of “This is where vacation begins,” How could we not explore Nags Head? In truth Nags Head really is what people think of when they think of the Outerbanks. One of the more built up, if not the most built up town, it has the largest concentration of shops, especially the honky tonk ones, attractions like mini golf, and arcades, as well as ALL the restaurants. It also has the largest compilation of sand dunes on the East Coast, which makes it perfect for sunset watching.
And for an island that is known as vacationland, yet is very protective of its privacy, it also has the most public beach access points in all of OBX, which makes it the ideal place to take a day trip to visit. It also is know for the thousands of shipwrecks that are located off its shores, and so aptly gave Nags Head its’ name.
Jeanette’s Pier and Beach
I wasn’t a huge fan of Nags Head. It was to built up, and had lost the quaintness that is Duck and Corolla (which I will get to in my next post.) That said, there were some parts that I loved, including the fact it had public beach access, (Even if it was to cold to swim, and the waters were churning from a recent hurricane) and it had a Pier!
Jeanette’s Pier which was originally built in 1939, but partially destroyed from a hurricane, was rebuilt and opened in 2011. Originally used for fishing, the new owners decided to incorporate an aquarium into the middle section of the pier complete with gift shop, concessions and bathrooms. It is such a cool addition, and fun to see fish as we walked feet above the churning ocean.
We walked all the way to the end of the pier, and along the way we passed benches, people fishing, as well as several basins for them to wash anything they caught. It was a windy day, but well worth it to feel the mightiness of the sea, especially at the end of the pier where we really experienced her anger and strength!
Bodie Light
Is there such a thing as to many lighthouses? No friends, I think not! One of my favorite lighthouses, and truly quintessential of the Outerbanks was Bodie (pronounced “body”) Light. This poor light has been THROUGH it friends.
Initially built in 1847, it was abandoned in 1859 years later due to instability and poor construction, but rebuilt farther down the inlet. Yet, only three years later, it was blown up by confederate soldiers. It was FINALLY rebuilt in 1872 and the current lighthouse is what you see today. It stands at a hundred and fifty feet and yes friends you CAN go in it.
We did not, as you have to reserve tickets and they are rather strict about who can go in it. It was also a rather windy day, and the clouds were moving quickly, making the lighthouse look like it was swaying, which was both cool and eery. While we didn’t go up, the lighthouse is located on a gorgeous section of land with boardwalk that goes through the marshes and leads to a look out point, which also offers another gorgeous view of the lighthouse. It was so much fun to Walk around and explore. It was also incredibly peaceful despite the swarms of people. It was one of my favorite places to visit and I definitely recommend you put it on your list if you are in the Outerbanks.
Have you been to Nags Head? Do you prefer a more built up town, or more quiet and quaint?
