Sand Blast

Six salt and sea locales to the south where you can have a ball at the beach

Text By Buzz McClain and Patricia Kime
Photography by Robert Luk, Natalie Ross and Bryan Regan

Virginia Beach

Text By Patricia Kime / Photography by Robert Luk

Virginia’s largest city is its most popular beach resort, a melange of high-rise hotels and clapboard bungalows mustered on a whopping 28 miles of sand. VAH-beach (one word, two syllables) offers something for everyone. Its three-mile concrete boardwalk, bars and kitschy shops appeal to young singles, but those same attractions, minus the bars, coupled with outdoor activities and museums keep families and retirees coming back. Nearly 3 million visitors flock to Virginia Beach in the summer. The town made this year’s 10 Fittest Cities list by Men’s Fitness, and active vacationers will find plenty to do, like running, fishing and surfing. But beach bums also will find their niche on the 300-yard-wide strand. The only thing missing from the area is absolute tranquility; the city is home to Naval Air Station Oceana, and jets thunder overhead at all hours. If one should buzz the beach, just do like a local: shrug and cite the beach mantra. “It’s the sound of freedom.”

Make Note
Tourists often are amused by the area’s “No Cursing” signs along the strip, but the city actually has made it a misdemeanor to cuss out another person or “use such language under circumstances reasonably calculated to provoke a breach of peace.” Also, children under the age of 18 are subject to a curfew between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they’re with an adult.

Camp on the Beach
False Cape State Park, accessible to campers by foot, bike or boat, offers one of the most pristine coastal environments on the East Coast. Bookended by Back Bay Wildlife Refuge to the north and the North Carolina border to the south, False Cape’s remote acreage abounds with wild horses, deer, migratory birds and feral pigs, descended from farm swine of earlier settlements. The park offers 12 campsites which lie eight miles south of the nearest parking area.

Enjoy Sushi
Virginia Beach’s old-timers might be surprised to learn that its former redneck Riviera offers first-rate sushi at Mizuno Japanese Restaurant. Schooled in Aichi and Tokyo, Japan, chef-owner Wataru Mizuno creates sculpted dishes with flair. Traditional Japanese appetizers like yakisoba and gyoza are prepared flawlessly, but consider bypassing them for the amazing array of sashimi and sushi. 1860 Laskin Road, Suite 120; 757-422-1200; www.mizuno-sushi.com

Surf, Sail or Fish
Head to Rudee Inlet south of the Virginia Beach Pier and hotels for watersports. At Rudee Inlet, adventurers can hire a fishing charter, parasail or rent a Jet Ski. If gondolas are your preferred mode of water transport, they’re here as well. Rudee Inlet also is home to a number of seafood restaurants.

Act Like a Local 
CHICK’S
With valet parking in the front and dock cleats in the rear, Chick’s might sound upscale, but these little luxuries are simply a matter of convenience at this popular oyster bar on Lynnhaven Inlet. Chick’s menu boasts fresh local seafood by the pound and catches from farther-flung regions like Canada and Alaska. Locals like to park themselves at Chick’s for a night out, so get there early—before 5 p.m.—if you don’t want to wait. 2143 Vista Circle; 757-481-5757; www.chicksoysterbar.com

Look Like a Tourist
DOC TAYLOR’S
The word is out about Doc Taylor’s, a breakfast and lunch spot that has become a neighborhood favorite since opening three years ago. Housed in a Sears bungalow that once served as a doctor’s office and home, this cafe serves piles of eggs, hotcakes and buttery grits. The popular Heart Attack offers up three eggs, two slices of bacon, two sausages, hash browns and a pork chop for $10.95. The bar, open in the morning for a bit of hair o’ the dog, offers dirt-cheap Bloody Marys and mimosas. 207 23rd St.; 757-425-1960

How to Eat an Oyster
1 Using a seafood fork, loosen the oyster from its shell.
2 Locate the best sipping rim on the shell, a smooth edge perfect for slurping the mellow mollusks.
3 Lift the shell to your lips and tilt it toward your mouth, slurping the oyster and its juices. Don’t swallow immediately. Allow the oyster to loll in your mouth and savor its consistency, flavor and aroma before finishing.

Lodging
WITH A VIEW
The Sanctuary Resort at Sandbridge offers weekly condominium rentals during the summer. While not a hotel per se—each condominium is privately owned and fully furnished—this getaway doesn’t have maid service or restaurants, but it does offer a prime oceanfront location, swimming pool, hot tub, library, fitness center and game room. Best of all is its proximity to the area’s southernmost beaches, including the city-run Little Island Park and Fishing Pier and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. 3700 Sandpiper Road S. 866-933-4801; www.sanctuaryresortva.com

WITH A BUDGET
The La Quinta Inn and Suites offers numerous amenities for the budget-conscious traveler, such as breakfast, coffee in the rooms and indoor and outdoor heated pools. Rooms range from a double with microwave and mini-fridge to apartments or king-sized suites with free Internet access. All of this and just a block from the beach. Plus, lodgers can take advantage of La Quinta’s trademark breakfast, featuring make-your-own Belgian waffles. 2800 Pacific Ave.; 757-428-2203; www.lq.com

WITH A FAMILY
Most Marriott suite hotels don’t have a door between the main sleeping quarters and the living room’s sleeper sofa, but the SpringHill Suites Virginia Beach Oceanfront is a different kind of Marriott. Keeping the family dynamic in mind, the hotel does have one-bedroom suites with said doors. And for families, you can’t beat the oceanfront location, comfy furnishings and complimentary hot breakfast. 901 Atlantic Ave.; 757-417-3982; www.springhillsuitesvb.com

WITH A BUDDY
The Hilton Virginia Beach is an oceanfront hotel with two fine restaurants and a view from the rooftop Skybar, overlooking an infinity pool and the ocean. Spa services are plenty and the area’s bar scene is within walking distance. 3001 Atlantic Ave.; 757-213-3000; www.hiltonvb.com

Overcast Pastime
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM & MARINE SCIENCE CENTER
As Virginia’s largest city, Virginia Beach is more than just the beach. Top on locals’ lists for rainy-day fun is the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, with 800,000 gallons of marine habitat on display. The aquarium is home to seals, rays, manatees, sharks and jellyfish. This year, it will broaden its exhibits to include reptiles and amphibians at the Restless Planet, an exhibit highlighting the state’s transformation through time. 717 General Booth Blvd.; 757-385-3474; www.virginiaaquarium.com

See Dolphins
And whales, depending on the time of year. Cruise along the shoreline at sunset to see the area’s most playful and ubiquitous marine mammals. Tours depart at roughly 7 p.m. every evening from Memorial Day through Labor Day and last 90 minutes. Winter is whale-watching time and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center offers educational tours during the fin whale and humpback migration season. 717 General Booth Blvd.; 757-385-2695; www.virginiaaquarium.com

Seaside Treats
Forbes Candies may be sold elsewhere in Virginia and North Carolina but it’s a home-grown Virginia Beach business, selling sweet treats in turquoise and white wrappings on Atlantic Avenue since 1939. Forbes’ salt water taffy is a popular souvenir, but its fudge is made for immediate gratification. Can’t choose? Ask for a sample; Forbes employees happily oblige. Three locations on Atlantic Ave.; 757-425-5173; www.forbescandies.com

---

Outer Banks

Boasting shipwreck lore, rustic wine bars and sites for ghost crab spotting, North Carolina’s beaches are a place to explore a multitude of possibilities.

Text by Buzz McClain / Photography by Bryan Regan

Rodanthe
Yes, it’s a real place, and yes, Richard Gere and Diane Lane did film “Nights in Rodanthe” here. In fact, you can stay at the house they did, Serendipity, but don’t expect to see wild horses thundering down the beach. Those were brought in for the movie. Rodanthe is slightly more populated—but far from congested—than other southern Outer Banks villages since it’s the first stop after the long Pea Island stretch of Highway 12. It is possible to park your car on Sunday and not use it again until Saturday.

Act Like a Local
Put on a dirty T-shirt and shorts and take a bucket of bait out on the Hatteras Island Fishing Pier, central to everything in Rodanthe. Ask a fellow angler if the cobia are biting. No license needed for pier fishing.

Where to See the Sunset
Anywhere on the soundside of Rodanthe. Stand on the side of the road and watch the big red-orange orb drop into the big blue sound.

Pea Island Wildlife Refuge
Rodanthe abuts some 6,000 acres of the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge, which is abundant with said wildlife, including 360 species of birds. Sign up for a “Howling Safari,” in which a park ranger will introduce you to local red wolves. Wolves at the beach? Look out, Jaws. On Highway 12 between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe; 252-987-2394

Weaside Treats
HOT TUNA GRUB AND PUB
When you’re tired of snacking out of your cooler on the beach and want a real meal, albeit a humble one, make waves to the Hot Tuna Grub and Pub for a piece of fish that might be cooked by the same person who caught it that morning. 25000 Hwy. 12; 252-987-2266

Kick Up a Dinoflagellate
Go out to the beach at night and kick the sand. This will disturb thousands of dinoflagellates, setting off a chemical reaction that causes to them to glow blue-green. It’s why the beaches here sparkle in the dark.

Photograph a UFO
Drive south on Highway 12; when you get near Frisco, look left. You’ll see it. It’s a 1968 experimental house.

Look Like a Tourist
Wear a Bubba’s BBQ T-shirt. (Unless you work there.)

Where to Climb Up 1,250,000 Bricks
That’s how many Virginia clay units it took to build the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, 30 miles south of Rodanthe in Buxton. It’s open for tours. 252-995-4474; www.nps.gov/caha

Tourist Traps
Be advised that there is a trend in lower Outer Banks restaurants to add a tip to the check no matter how many are in your party, and we’ve never seen a warning printed on any menu. We had pre-dinner cocktails at a nice restaurant—one round—and were hit with a 20-percent tip automatically. The waitress was nice, but she visited us exactly twice. When we protested, we were taken to the manager’s office where we were told it was “policy” and there was nothing he could do about changing our credit charge. And there was nothing we could do about not going back, either. Ask about tipping at table-cloth restaurants.

How to Build a Killer Sandcastle
1 Dig a hole until water percolates up from the bottom (be sure to get far enough away from the waves—and high tide—to preserve your work).
2 Fill your buckets with packed wet sand and either dump them out quickly for fast bucket-shaped towers, or scoop the sand out by hand and mold it.
3 Shape rounded tops into V’s to vary the look. Gently pour water over it all to keep it wet. Keep adding layers and going in different directions.
Dig a moat to protect it. Wear sunblock!

Frisco
Frisco is the last burg before the better-known and more touristy Hatteras and has a decidedly down-home sensibility. The rental houses and the businesses proudly show their age instead of putting a shiny façade on everything (a la Nags Head to the north), and the folks who live and work there are likely to be descendents of locals from previous centuries. It’s also popular for retirees who want the ocean but not the hustle and bustle of one of the larger resort towns.

Make Note
Lock your bikes when you are not using them. The police say it’s usually not the locals who find a handy bike too tempting to ride home but more likely the visitors who occasionally discover they’ve walked too many miles up the beach from where they started and are too tired to walk back.

Seaside Treats
GINGERBREAD HOUSE BAKERY
You would think your favorite craving from a place called Gingerbread House Bakery would be the gingerbread—and, true, the eponymous cookies are worth a visit alone. But the Gingerbread is a pizza place that happens to have a bakery—donuts in the morning, cakes in the afternoon—and the pizza is what keeps you coming back. Try the seafood pizza, with lump crabmeat and scallops. You won’t get it once you get home. 52715 Highway 12, Frisco; 252-995-5204

Ride a Horse on the Beach
Equine Adventures in Buxton takes riders of all ages through the forest and then out on to the beach where they encourage you to canter in the waves. $95 for a two-hour guided trail ride in the surf. Face it, the photograph from this is going to be your Christmas card. 252-995-4897; www.equineadventures.com

Act Like a Local
Surf Fishing
If you’ve never had much luck surf fishing, don’t hesitate to drop a line in the intimidating waves that crash down on Frisco’s oceanside shore. Even kids can pull in a flounder with the right bait; also expect to haul in black drum, croaker and bluefish, which are lurking off the shore. The folks at Frisco Rod & Gun have what you need, and then some. Frisco Rod & Gun, Billy Mitchell Road and Highway 12; 252-995-4361

How to Build a Beach Bonfire
Believe it or not, small bonfires on the beach at Frisco are legal.
1 Bring wood with you from home, get firewood from one of the convenience stores or look for scrap wood near construction sites. * (Don’t use pressure-treated wood or wood with nails.)
2 Sing songs, roast marshmallows, gaze at the stars.
3 Extinguish the fire with water, not sand, before you leave.
*Don’t collect material for your bonfire from the dunes—those are protected areas and can get you in trouble (in fact, stay off the dunes altogether and use the wooden walkways between them).

Get good coffee
ISLAND PERKS
Island Perks is a bakery that takes its morning java seriously. Get a big warm muffin and a stein of fresh ground free-trade coffee (the proprietors are environmentally aware) and sit on the deck until that caffeine kicks in. 46618 Highway 12; 252-986-1111

See Ghost Crabs
Take a flashlight out onto the beach after dark and shine it toward the waves. Those skittering things all over the place? Ghost crabs. Catch ‘em but be nice; they’re fragile.

Look Like a Tourist
Go into the Lighthouse Sports Bar in Buxton wearing a necktie. Or even a collar, blue or white. This place is the neighborhood pub for the neighbors. Behave yourself. 47170 Highway 12; 252-995-0196

Overcast pastime
Frisco Mini Golf and Go-Carts, and don’t forget the ice cream! 50215 Trent Lake Lane; 252-995-6325

See a Talking Cockatoo
The Double L Bird Ranch and Petting Zoo in Buxton has 130 exotic birds on display, many available for handling. Milepost 61 on Highway 12; 252-996-0412

Hatteras
The town that gives the cape its name differs from the villages even just a few miles north. For one, there’s concentrated shopping and reliable restaurants, albeit on a small scale, and for another the rental houses tend to be just as big but closer together, which means the beach is more crowded. But given the shore is as wide and long as it is, even at the height of the high season you’ll have plenty of room. The pace of life is just a beat faster but still considerably slower than anything north of Manteo.

Overcast Pastimes
THE GRAVEYARD OF THE ATLANTIC MUSEUM
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras Village collects stories and artifacts from some of the 1,000 known shipwrecks off the coast of the Outer Banks. 59200 Museum Drive; 252-986-2995; www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com

Act Like a Local
The motto of Hatteras is “laid-back from way back.” Don’t expect things to move at the Type-A pace from home, particularly by those you expect to hustle at your bidding (i.e., waiters and counter clerks). Slow down. Really. It’s OK. Nothing’s going anywhere soon.

Look Like a Tourist
Get sunburned on your first day. Wear a paper pirate cap. Make a stink about the Food Lion not carrying fois gras. Keep your Bluetooth in your ear, even at the beach. Order hamburger at the seafood restaurant.

Watch the Sunset
Drive your four-wheel drive vehicle onto the beach via one of the public access cut-throughs at Hatteras, and pull up to the waves; sit on the hood and watch the sunset.

Dock for Dinner
Pull up your skiff to Teach’s Lair Marina. Casual pub fair, but you can’t beat the view. 58646 Highway 12; 888-868-2460

Seaside Treats
Open just last year, the SeaWorthy Gallery is worthy of a visit just to see the elegant hand-crafted art on the walls and tables, even if you don’t expect to buy anything. Paintings and sculptures reflecting seaside life—shorebirds, marine life, lighthouses—are depicted in paint, gems and pottery. The galleries are located in spacious rooms and are tastefully mounted, as befitting the work. 58401 Highway 12; 252-986-6510; www.seaworthygallery.com

Breakwater Restaurant
Hatteras is famous for keeping restaurant chains off the island, which means the eateries there can serve overpriced fried seafood to groups of hungry, indiscriminate tourists who are starving from waiting forever in line because they don’t do reservations, ever. At least the Breakwater isn’t pretentious about it, although the prices are somewhat steep for the area. But the dishes are richer and more complex than the fried baskets found nearby—bleu cheese mussels, blue crab ravioli, scallops al Greco—and the view of the water beyond Oden’s Dock is worth a visit alone. Highway 12, Oden’s Dock, Hatteras Village; 252-986-2733

Catch a Ferry
The Hatteras Inlet Ferry departs at the end of Hatteras Island. Keep driving and you can’t miss it (or you’ll end up in the ocean). Ferries carry 30 cars and depart every 20 minutes for the 40-minute crossing to Ocracoke. It’s free. 800-368-8949

Make Note
The old Weather Bureau Station of Hatteras Village is now a welcome center. Yes, you can pick up pamphlets about whale watching there, but the building was restored to its 1901 condition and is interesting to view as an architectural artifact. 57190 Kohler Road; 252-986-2203

How to Rent a Bike
Hatteras Island is flatter than Northern Virginia, lots flatter. Riding a bike is practically effortless, and the roads are painted to accommodate biking lanes.
1 Ocean Atlantic Rentals in nearby Avon rents bikes for the week—about $40—but call before visiting because sometimes it seems the folks who work there are surfing.
2 Test ride a couple of the bikes. Ignore the rust and wobbly fenders; you’re not trying to win a beauty contest.
3 Select an easy-pedaling cruiser (the kind you can sit up on the saddle and steer instead of be hunched over like on a racing bike) and get fitted for a helmet.
4 Arrange to have the bikes delivered to your rental house—it’s free for orders over $95. Or pedal back to the house, if you dare. (Highway 12 a mile north of the Food Lion in Avon; 800-635-9559; www.oceanatlanticrentals.com.)

Ocracoke
This island is 16 miles of accessible beach maintained by the National Park Service, but you are more likely to stay active than put your feet up, at least for very long. You arrive from the tail end of the Hatteras island chain either by private boat, small plane or, more likely, via the free ferry that brings you and your car across the Hatteras Inlet. If you are in an SUV you can park in the sand along Highway 12 and step onto a beach; you can park in a public lot for the short walk to the shore; or you can ride your bike off the ferry and then 16 miles into town (not as bad as it sounds). But why settle in the sand when there is so much else to do and see? This is, after all, why you made the trip.

Buy a Funky T-shirt
For 20 years it was Island Ragpicker, but we’re guessing Mermaid’s Folly sounds better. They continue to be purveyors of “Sea-Spirited Clothing and Tees,” much of it one-of-a-kind. 259 Irvin Garrish Highway; 252-928-RAGS; www.mermaidsfolly.com

Overcast Pastime
Go over and back on the free Hatteras Ferry. It’s always less than a 15-minute wait in your car to drive onto the next boat; it’s a 40-minute ride across the sound as you stand on the deck watching sea gulls and waving to the other ferry. When you get to the other side, turn around…

Make Note
The mosquitoes are thick. They’re hungry. They’re aggressive. And they don’t wait for dusk to feed—they’ll even come out for breakfast. Squirt on your bug spray before leaving the house; it’s a good idea to keep your spray in your beach bag or bike basket and reapplying frequently. These winged villains will even bite through your socks!

Seaside Treats
CANDYLAND
Candyland is a tiny shack by the sea, but expect to spend a good while pondering the tempting wares that are arrayed in dazzling fashion. The place is so violently bright with bulk and packaged candies you need to keep your sunglasses on inside. This is the place every year the kids remind you of, as you hesitate on exactly how much homemade fudge to get. Come on, it’s summer vacation. Eat it outside on the deck. 201 British Cemetery Road; 252-928-4387

A Legacy
It usually starts with a haphazard mention that turns into an inevitable ongoing. Such was the case for some tourists who’ve become OBX summer locals.

It began as a long-weekend beer bash to Myrtle Beach among close friends at the close of their time as students at the University of Virginia. Someone booked a cheap crash pad, rays were caught, cards were played, and they agreed to do it again next year. Twenty-five years later, those same former students bring their families and partners for week-long summer vacations at the Outer Banks. Six families make up the crew, traveling from Arlington, Great Falls, Richmond, Detroit, Huntersville, N.C., and even Manchester, England.

Not an unheard of event with many clans, the Outer Banks has a host of vacationers who venture to the same spots each year, growing in number as time passes by. Accommodations to fit the broods are plenty, with homes built to house the double digits.

Get a Decent Glass of Wine
Sit on the screened porch of the Back Porch Restaurant and order something light—a summery pinot, a brisk rosé—from the new wine bar. 110 Back Road, 252-928-6401

Look Like a Tourist
Feed the seagulls. One morsel of bread and you’ll have a flock of these cawing scavengers dive bombing you—and everyone within 100 yards—for hours.

Act Like a Local
DEEPWATER THEATER
You don’t usually go to beach resorts to see concerts, but when a homegrown acoustic band such as Molasses Creek strikes up the fiddle, you’re compelled to sit a spell. Dress in your shorts and flip-flops for Deepwater Theater; no one cares. The summer music season boasts performances on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and shows end in time to catch the last ferry to Hatteras. School House Road (you’ll find it) 252-928-3411; www.deepwatertheater.com

Hug a Lighthouse
Get up close and personal with the solid white Ocracoke lighthouse. It’s a lot less intimidating than the 198-foot Cape Hatteras Lighthouse up the road, America’s tallest. Located at the end of Highway 12. Can’t miss it. www.lighthousefriends.com

Dress Like a Pirate
Teach’s Hole houses a Blackbeard exhibit on the premises, and you can buy hats, eye patches and swords. West End Road and Highway12; 252-928-1718; www.teachshole.com

How to Find Seashells
1 Get out to the beach after high tide or a storm. That’s when the best shells are tossed up.
2 Scan the shore from as far into the water you can see up to the tide line. There won’t be much in the dry sand.
3 Look for intact shells, but broken ones can be distinctive too. Make sure nothing’s still alive in the shell; if so, put it back from where you got it.
4 Rinse your shells well before packing them in your luggage. They can stink!

Lodging

Rodanthe
With a View:
Serendipity is the house that was Diane Lane’s inn for guest Richard Gere in “Nights in Rodanthe.” A massive wooden maze of five bedrooms, living areas and kitchen, this is the northernmost house on the ocean side at Rodanthe. The view of the ocean is unobstructed all the way to France. But it’ll cost you: $3,785 a week during high season. See Midgett Realty; 252-987-2350; www.midgettrealty.com

With a budget:
Drive your RV into Watersports and Campground on the Pamlico Sound side of Rodanthe, a short drive to Nags Head to the north and Hatteras to the south. Cheap? $19.05 for one, $4.79 after that, and electric hookup is $4.79. 24170 Highway 12; 252-987-1431; www.watersportsandcampground.com

With a buddy:
Sea Sound Motel. Elegant it’s not. Functional it is. Get an efficiency for the week. Put food and drink in the fridge. Get some bait. Get happy, because the ocean is calling. And there’s a pool, just in case. $553-$693 per week. 24224 Sea Sound Road; 252-987-2224

With the family:
Moonstruck on the sound, a short stroll over the dunes to Mirlo Beach. Water view from just about every window. Three bedrooms and den, five TVs for rainy days. Highchair, booster seat and pack ‘n’ play already there. Not bad for $1,495 a week during high season. Did we mention it was clean? 23064 Cross of Honor Way 800-HATTERAS; www.hatterasrealty.com

Frisco
With a View:
For up to $1,995 per week, Flight Watch is called that because not only can you sit on the upper-level deck and gaze at the ocean, but it’s also near the National Park Service airfield (not often used, but small planes are something to look at). 54109 Marlin Drive; 800-HATTERAS; www.hatterasrealty.com

With a Budget:
How many can you crowd into a three-bedroom duplex cottage? For $725 a week? If you promise not to stay in your rooms very much, the Buxton Beach Motel duplex is your answer. Full kitchen, screen porch, no telephone (it’s your vacation), linens, etc. Walk to the beach. Sweetie and Boo Boo, the outdoor cats who live on the grounds, are free. Old Lighthouse Road and Ocean Drive on Highway 12; 252-995-5972; www.buxtonbeachmotel.com

With a Family:
This house rocks. It can hold up to 13 kids and 11 adults with room to spare. The pool stays busy, but the ocean is a short walk over the ramp between dunes. Put your stuff out in the morning on the beach, pick it up after the bonfire. Eight bedrooms, seven full baths and a half, enormous kitchen (two dishwashers), enough sunlight to cure the worst vitamin D deficiency. Rainy day? Thirteen cable TVs. Hot tub. Bikes and helmets come with the house. $5,145 at high season. 54078 Tides Edge Court; 800-HATTERAS; www.hatterasrealty.com

With a Buddy:
Pull your kayak up to your door on the sound’s sand (about $150 a week), or stay in a one or two room cabin (about $350) at the Frisco Woods Campground. 800-948-3942; www.outer-banks.com/friscowoods

Hatteras
With a View:
Just follow the beacon to the Villas of Hatteras Landing, a condo village situated at the marinas and overlooking the Hatteras Inlet Ferry, the ferries that take you to Ocracoke. For $1,113 a week in high season, ocean and sound views are available, which means you can take your pick of sunrises or sunsets. 58822 Marina Way; 252-986-1110; www.villasofhatteras.com

With a Budget:
You can’t beat this: Centrally located, highly rated and less than $200 a night during the season even for suites (less than $100 before May), the Hatteras Marlin Motel even has a pool. 57753 Highway 12; 866-986-2141; www.hatterasmarlin.com

With a Family:
If Pilot House can’t accommodate you, you’ll need two houses. This one comes with seven bedrooms, four baths, game room, wet bar, hot tub and a quick walk to the beach, all for $4,995 a week at peak season. 57017 Lighthouse Road; 800-428-8372; www.hatterasrealty.com

With a Buddy:
If you can get over staying in a pink “doll house” condo, or even a yellow or baby blue one, you’ll love the Hatteras Sands Camping Resort. In addition to other camping amenities, the grounds has these tiny two-story cabins with three beds, kitchen gear (but no kitchen) and a bathroom. Cute, and efficient. $670 for a week during the season. 57316 Eagle Pass Road; 888-987-2225; www.hatterassands.com

Ocracoke
With a View:
The front rooms of the Castle on Silver Lake Bed and Breakfast face the picturesque and extraordinarily quaint Ocracoke harbor. But despite all the sailing action, it’s remarkably quiet and relaxing. Choose from a bed and breakfast room or a villa. Prices range from $973 to $1,953 per week. 155 Silver Lake Road; 800-471-8848; www.thecastlebb.com

With a Budget:
Think about how many hurricanes this one-story brick building has survived since 1966—the Bluff Shoal Motel was built to last. From $65 a night. 306 Irvin Garrish Highway; 252-928-4301; www.ocracokeisland.com/bluff_shoal_motel

With a Family:
The rental house Outside Over There, $1,960 a week from June 20 to Aug. 8, less other times. Three bedrooms and three baths, sleeps eight but can accommodate more, has every electronic thing you need, including deck access from just about every room. 37 Ikey Dees Road; 252-928-6261; www.ocracokeislandrealty.com

With a Buddy:
Come on, you know you want to go home and tell everyone you guys stayed at Blackbeard’s Lodge. There’s a game room, foosball tables, grand piano, video arcade and board games, and bicycles are available for rental on the premises. Be sure to get a picture of yourself with the Blackbeard statue in the lobby. Argh! From $95 a night, not a lot of booty considering the location. 111 Back Road; 252-928-3421; www.blackbeardslodge.com

---

Chincoteague

Text by Patricia Kime / Photography by Natalie Ross

Best known as the setting for Marguerite Henry’s children’s classic “Misty of Chincoteague,” this modest fishing village and burgeoning resort of 4,400 lies sandwiched with the salt marshes between Virginia’s Eastern Shore and Assateague Island National Seashore, a pristine 37-mile barrier island. Chincoteague, named for its original Native American inhabitants, was settled in 1671 by the English and developed as a farming and fishing community specializing in oysters and clams. Reachable only by boat until 1922, the town has slowly grown into its flip-flops. Chincoteague has a historical Main Street of well-preserved Victorians that stand alongside a vintage movie theater, ice cream shops, bric-a-brac stores, bungalows and motels. Those who need a Starbucks or gourmet grocer at the beach or expect to find ocean waves at their doorstep are best served elsewhere: Chincoteague is small-town America and the beautiful, albeit crowded, sand beach is a 15-minute drive.

Overcast Pastime
Main Street beckons, with its art deco Roxy theater, antique shops and galleries. The Roxy was the first building on Virginia’s Eastern Shore to have central air conditioning, and it shows first-run movies all year long (4074 Main St.; 757-336-6301). Another foul-weather friend is the NASA Visitors Center at Wallops Island, which shows documentaries and features exhibits on rocketry as well as astronaut gear. Lucky visitors may catch a launch during their stay at Chincoteague; check the local paper for scheduled events. Visitors Center, VA 175, five miles from Chincoteague; 757-824-2298

Get a Great View
The trip up the 142-foot Assateague Island Lighthouse is 198 steps. The beacon was built in 1867 to warn ships of dangerous shoals offshore. It is still operational and open to the public from Friday through Sunday, Easter through Thanksgiving.

Explore Coastal Architecture
Abandoned Coast Guard Station 150 stands a mile and a half away from the beach road at Assateague’s southern tip. The clapboard and red-roofed headquarters, boathouse and lookout tower date to 1922, and although they aren’t open to the public, their grounds offer abundant opportunities to explore. 757-336-6577; www.nps.gov/asis

Find Unique Gifts
The new causeway bridge, now under construction, spared Lotts Arts & Things, a treasure trove of hand-crafted jewelry, decoys and vibrant prints. Proprietor Claire Lott and artist husband Hal have toiled to showcase a collection of eye-catching glass, unique sculpture and colorful baubles. Open weekends and by “just calling!” as the sign on the door says—and Claire means it. She’ll open up if she’s home. 4281 Main St.; 757-336-5773

See the Ponies
Bike the one-lane Wildlife Drive at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge early for the best chance of spotting the world-famous wild ponies, which are descended from 17th-century domesticated horses that ended up on Assateague when their owners used the island as a natural corral. Wildlife Drive is a 3.25-mile paved road through forest and marsh that is open to motor vehicle traffic only after 3 p.m. Other wildlife spotted on the trail include bald eagles, osprey and sika deer.

Seaside Treats
Both locals and tourists pack themselves into Muller’s, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor housed in an 1875 Victorian built by a former undertaker. Muller’s is a family-run operation specializing in sundaes, draft root beer and warm Belgian waffles topped with ice cream. Muller’s, 4034 Main St., next to the firehouse; 757-336-5894

Look Like a Tourist
Locals don’t shell out $100 each to view the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim from a private homeowner’s dock. Instead, plan early: Book a nearby house the year before, bring your hip waders or water shoes and foray into the muck at daybreak for a view or, best yet, catch them on the swim back on Friday.

Make Note
Chincoteague vacationers should consider leaving Fido at home, as dogs are not allowed on Assateague Island or in the wildlife refuge. Many rental properties and most hotels do not accommodate dogs, and renters who arrive with one can be kicked out of their lodgings. The closest pet boarding facilities are an hour’s drive away.

Act Like a Local
MR. BALDY’S
Like its predecessor, The Island Family Restaurant, Mr. Baldy’s isn’t much to look at, but this lively diner frequented by locals boasts the island’s most popular breakfast, as well as decent crab cakes, oysters, clams and soft-shell crabs. Hoboken, N.J., transplant and owner Rob Zoller also dishes up tasty pasta and steak. 3441 Ridge Road; 757-336-1198; www.mrbaldysrestaurant.com

Lodging
With a View
Want to catch a glimpse of the fishing fleet or sunsets on the bay? The Waterside Motor Inn obliges with balconies and access to the hotel’s marina and private fishing pier—a hot commodity in a town where one’s pier is closely guarded. 761 S. Main St.; 877-870-3434; www.watersidemotorinn.com

With a Budget
Chincoteague travelers may enjoy the Lighthouse Inn, one of the island’s few pet-friendly hotels. This bargain motel offers smoke-free rooms, a breakfast buffet and free wi-fi; not bad at roughly $100 a night in season. 4218 Main St.; 888-336-6777; www.mylighthouseinn.com

With a Family
Flock to the Best Western Hotel Chincoteague Island, the nearest hotel to the beach and Assateague Lighthouse. The entire family can rent bikes from across the street and leave the car parked all week if they want. Breakfast included with the room. 7105 Maddox Blvd.; 757-336-6557

With a Buddy
For romance or relaxation, the front porch of Miss Molly’s Bed and Breakfast calls visitors with its restful wicker. But it’s the home’s rear deck, with marvelous view of the fishing fleet on Chincoteague Bay, that’s the real draw. Top room choices include the Bay Room with country furnishings and views and the Marguerite Henry room, where the famous author penned “Misty of Chincoteague” in 1946. 4141 Main St.; 800-221-5620; www.missmollys-inn.com

 

(July 2009)