Recreation
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Glazin’ Go Nuts Paint Your Own Pottery
- 2200 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, Milepost 6 Plaza
- Kill Devil Hills
This is the perfect stop for a rainy day or whenever the family is looking for a fun activity. Glazin’ Go Nuts is a paint your own pottery studio. Just pick out your ceramic piece, select your paints, then go wild . . . or nuts. They fire the piece for you, and it will be ready for pick up in a few days. If your vacation ends before then, they can ship it to you.
Island Limousine and Taxi
- Nags Head
- (252) 441-LIMO (5466), (252) 261-3133 (for taxis), (800) 828-5466
Island Limousine provides basic transportation services of all types, including taxi services, limousine rentals for weddings, proms and parties, and airport shuttles to and from all major regional airports. They also offer opportunities for fun! Going to an out-of-town concert or sporting event? Call Island Limo and let them handle the driving. Want to see the Outer Banks lighthouses and attractions with all your friends? Book a shuttle bus and enjoy a custom sight-seeing tour. How about a pub crawl or wine-tasting tour in which someone else handles the driving? Island Limo can handle all these events and more with a fleet of vehicles that includes well-maintained corporate sedans, L Series sedans, SUVs, stretch SUV and Town Car limousines, passenger vans, shuttle buses and charter buses. All tours and events are custom fit to your needs, and their chauffeurs are trained and licensed.
Just for the Beach Rentals
- 1006 South Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-6048, (252) 441-9480, (866) OBX-RENT
- map
Want to plan your own kayak tour? Just for the Beach Rentals has kayaks available for rent, the sit-on-top style, for single, double or triple paddlers. Or, if you want to leave your car behind, you can make like a local and pedal around town on one of their comfortable beach cruisers (bikes are available for all ages). Didn’t realize there would be so many great tennis courts in the area? If you didn’t pack your racket, you can rent one at Just for the Beach. Beach volleyball sets are also available as well as beach chairs and umbrellas. And, if getting in the water is more your thing, they also rent surfboards known as soft-tops, which are ideal for beginning surfers. Surfboard rentals are $20 a day or $50 a week. They also have body and skim boards for rent for $8 a day or $20 a week. Paddleboards are the most recent addition to their offerings. Just for the Beach can deliver everything to you.
Kitty Hawk Kites
- 3933 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 13
- Nags Head
- (877) 359-8447
- map
Kitty Hawk Kites gets you outside and having fun with several exciting fresh air activities throughout the Outer Banks. They offer hang gliding lessons on Jockey’s Ridge, kiteboarding lessons at the new Kitty Hawk Kites Kiteboarding Resort in Rodanthe and kayaking all over the Outer Banks, ranging from Corolla to Pea Island. Their stores offer a variety of kites, equipment, souvenirs, toys, pirate gear and more.
And, for an indoor sport challenge, Kitty Hawk Kites features an indoor rock climbing wall with experienced staff members on hand.
Kitty Hawk Kites and Whalebone Watersports
- 7517 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
- Nags Head
- (252) 441-4112
- map
The Whalebone Watersports location offers dolphin watch tours, kiteboarding, and Jet Ski rentals. In addition, kayak eco-tours and rentals are available, including a moonlight and bioluminescence tour. If you’ve never seen these glowing organisms, you owe yourself this experience!
Moneysworth Beach Equipment and Linen Rentals
- 947 West Kitty Hawk Road
- Kitty Hawk
Rent a kayak for paddling in the ocean or sound. Moneysworth rents single and tandem ocean-style kayaks. Stand-up paddleboards and surfboards are also available. Or, if biking is your pleasure, you won’t have to lug your bicycle all the way to the beach on your vacation when you can rent one from Moneysworth. They have bicycles for adults and children, and they even have baby seats and helmets. They offer free delivery right to your rental home.
Mutiny Bay Adventure Golf
- 6606 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 16
- Nags Head
Play 18 holes on the pirate-themed mini-golf course at Mutiny Bay Adventure Golf…you can’t miss the pirate ship! They also have an arcade, ice cream and beverages, and the entire course is handicapped and baby stroller accessible. Also visit their sister facilities, Full Throttle Speedway next door and Nags Head Raceway a half-mile south.
Nags Head Raceway
- 7000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 16
- Nags Head
Touted by many past riders as the ultimate Indy track, Nags Head Raceway is the place to get your speed-demon juices rolling. Choose from two-seater cars and racers. Fun activities also feature bumper cars and an on-site family arcade with video games and ice cream. Also visit their sister facilities, Mutiny Bay Adventure Golf and Full Throttle Speedway a half-mile north.
OBX Cruises
- Manteo Waterfront
Pull together your favorite people and cruise the local waterways aboard a private luxury yacht for an Outer Banks experience you won’t forget. The Cypress Queen can accommodate six passengers. On board the 52-foot yacht Cypress Queen, you can customize your cruise experience to fulfill your exact wishes. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the shaded sky lounge at sunset, lunch on the deck while you view the local scenery, enjoy a full catered dinner in the comfort of the air-conditioned salon at night, or dream up something entirely different. Enjoy a post-cruise dock party on the waterfront when you get back to the dock. Whatever you choose, the cruise is designed by you, for special events or just a simple cruise. On a standard two-hour cruise, your host serves non-alcoholic beverages, but you are welcome to bring your own alcohol and they’ll provide all the mixers, glasses and ice. Lunch, dinner, appetizers and food trays are available from local restaurants at an additional cost. There are up to three departures daily and the cruises last for two hours. The Cypress Queen can accommodate six passengers.
Ocean Atlantic Rentals
- 2001 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
- Kill Devil Hills
Ocean Atlantic Rentals is the ultimate vacation rental store. They rent many of the necessities, like baby cribs, high chairs, strollers, grills, linens, rollaway beds, tables and chairs, wheelchairs, life jackets, etc. Plus they rent the fun stuff, such as surfboards, paddleboards, boogieboards, umbrella and beach chairs, beach carts, coolers, bicycles, Ocean Kayaks and other sports equipment. They also have a vast selection of wedding supplies, such as tents, dance floors and tableware. Delivery and pick-up are available.
Outer Banks Family YMCA
- 3000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
- Nags Head
- (252) 449-8897
- map
This 28,000-square-foot facility offers a 25-meter indoor lap pool, wellness center with state-of-the-art weight and cardio equipment, group exercise (floor, cycle and water) classes, yoga and Pilates, cycling, racquetball, dry saunas, massage therapy, hot tub, a full-court gymnasium available for basketball, soccer and volleyball and an interactive zone with video game-based equipment. Activities include summer camps for kids, wellness programs, swim lessons and youth and adult sports leagues. They have two large outdoor pools with a waterslide and springboard dive board and a great skate park. Free child care is available while you work out! Call for membership fees. Day passes are available for the skate park (see separate write-up for details). Ask about membership access with your rental property or other accommodations.
Outer Banks Family YMCA Skatepark
- 3000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
- Nags Head
The YMCA’s skatepark has a cement bowl, ramps and a street section. The park is open to skateboards, rollerblades, bikes and scooters. Youth 12 and younger must have a parent present to skate. Youth 17 and younger must wear a helmet, knee and elbow pads. Only helmets are required for those 18 and older. There’s a fee for the use of the park, which is discounted for Y members, Nags Head and North Carolina residents. Out-of-state visitors pay $10 a day or $30 a week to use the park. You can also include the skatepark in your vacation on the Outer Banks by staying in a participating Y-Home or Y-Tel (vacation rentals managed by the YMCA) or by purchasing a Weekly Flex Pass.
Outer Banks Sporting Events
- 2004 S. Croatan Highway
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 255-6273
Outer Banks Sporting Events is an event-planning nonprofit that organizes the extremely popular Outer Banks Marathon, Outer Banks Triathlon and several other fitness-oriented events. The Outer Banks Marathon Weekend, always held on Veteran’s Day weekend (November 10 and 11 in 2012), offerss a weekend full of events, including the Marathon from Kitty Hawk to Manteo, the Half-Marathon from Nags Head to Manteo, plus an 8K, 5K and Fun Run. The Marathon is a Boston Qualifier. The Outer Banks Triathlon is held in September (September 22 and 23 in 2012) on Roanoke Island and includes Sprint, Olympic and Half distances. The Flying Pirate Half Marathon Weekend in April (April 21 and 22 in 2012) includes the Half Marathon from Kitty Hawk to Nags Head, the First Flight 5K and a new event called Storm the Beach, which combines a 5K distance with obstacles and challenges on the beach. One hundred percent of the proceeds of these events support two Outer Banks nonprofits — Outer Banks Relief Foundation and Dare Education Foundation — and this is why the slogan of Outer Banks Sporting Events is “Run for a Reason.”
Outer Banks Sports Club
- 2423 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 10
- Nags Head
- (252) 441-8361
- map
This gym is filled with all the latest cross-training and weight machines including Nautilus, Hammer Strength, Flex, Star Trac, Life Fitness, free weights and more. Plus, they have an indoor elevated running track and a great aerobics room where you can take step, yoga, pilates, spinning, Zumba and Bosu classes. Personal training, tanning and massage are also available. They are open 7 days a week with daily, weekly, seasonal and family vacation packages available. Check out their smoothie bar too!
Pirate’s Cove Yacht Club & Marina
- 2000 Sailfish Drive, Manteo, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
- (252) 473-3906, (800) 367-4728
- map
Just about every afternoon between 4 and 5 p.m. a dozen or more sport fishing boats return from the Gulf Stream to the Pirate’s Cove Marina to unload their catches of tuna, dolphin, wahoo and other deep-sea fish. If you’re interested in seeing the fish before they’re cleaned, head down to the docks and watch the mates hurl the whopping creatures onto the docks. Kids love this, and the anglers are usually friendly about sharing their experiences of the day.
If you’re more of a hands-on type, you might want to take a fishing trip yourself. Pirate’s Cove offers several options for getting to the fishing grounds. Approximately 18 private charter boats are available to take you offshore fishing, and other boats are available for inshore fishing charters. Makeup charters are available. Call for details.
Shooters at the Beach
- 3723 N. Croatan Highway, Unit H, Ocean Plaza Shopping Center, The Bypass, MP 4.5
- Kitty Hawk
- (252) 480-2395
- map
This gallery/studio features the owner’s fine art prints as well as work from a number of local art photographers. Photography services are also offered here and include beautiful beach and location portraits, commercial photography, art prints and wedding services. See their separate listing in Shopping.
17th Street Surf Shop
- 1007 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-1797
17th Street Surf Shop opened in 1970 and ever since then has offered everything you need for surf, skate and style. Need equipment for surfing, skating, skimboarding or bodyboarding? You’ll find it here.
Ashtanga Yoga Center
- 2910 S. Croatan Highway, Central Square Shopping Center, The Bypass, MP 11
- Nags Head
- (252) 202-0345
Classes are available for students of all levels. There are introductory classes for beginners, intermediate classes, the full primary series and multi-level Mysore classes for those who are looking to establish or who already have developed a self practice. New offerings include Hot Yoga and Mommy & Me classes. Massage treatments are available, and various workshops and retreats on yoga and spirituality. The full schedule can be found on their website. Group and individual private sessions are also available. Students should bring a towel and plenty of water to drink; these classes are invigorating and detoxifying.
Avalon Fishing Pier
- 2111 N. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 6
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7494
Avalon Fishing Pier was built in 1958 and is 696 feet long. They offer day, three-day, weekly and seasonal fishing passes, and you can pay a modest fee for sightseeing. Children’s passes are available to kids 12 and younger. The pier is open from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. in the summer months, and in the spring and fall it opens at 6 a.m. and usually closes by midnight. You can buy bait here and rent tackle, and they even give you advice about what you need to catch what’s biting. The pier also features an arcade/game room and snacks foods can be purchased.
Barrier Island Fitness Center
- 1 Cypress Knee Trail, MP 1
- Kitty Hawk
- (252) 261-0100
Barrier Island Fitness Center is a first-class facility in a tranquil setting in the woods of Kitty Hawk. They offer day and week-long passes. Enjoy the indoor pool and relax in the hot tub or sauna post-workout. The fitness room has free weights and cardio equipment. They offer aerobics classes. Tanning and massage services are available for a fee.
Beach Driving
A favorite local activity is cruising the beach when the season allows. In Nags Head, you can take to the sand with your wheels October 1 through April 30. But first you have to get a permit at the town hall. Call (252) 441-5508 for fees.
The suggested speed limit is 15 miles per hour. Enter only at designated ramps. Keep an eye peeled for beachgoers, especially kids and pets who tend to stray! Bear in mind that the wind and water can make a ruckus and impair your hearing and that of pedestrians. Folks also get groggy sunbathing.
Think normal road rules: Pass on the left, keep to the right and yield the right of way to pedestrians. Vehicles and drivers must be street legal — this includes wearing seat belts. If you are in the back of a truck, remain seated in the bed only. Jeep passengers have to remain seated as well. Open alcohol containers are not allowed.
Prepare your tires for the adventure by letting out the appropriate amount of air (and making sure you add it back when you leave the beach!). Pull out of the access way and deflate your tires leaving 20 pounds of pressure. While on the beach keep to the firm, wet section below the high tide line following in already-made tracks. Watch out for shelly, red sand and depressions with standing water. Always stay clear of dunes, and keep a look out for prohibited areas such as nesting sites. Remember to drive behind those folks who are surf fishing!
Biking & Skating
- Nags Head
Bicyclists and skaters are a common site trekking along the town’s multiuse path, which runs along the Beach Road from Eighth Street (KDH/NH line) to MP 21 (Old Oregon Inlet Road in South Nags Head). The path is for walking, jogging, bicycling and skating. The town designates this path as a tow-away, no parking zone for non-motorized activity only. Visitors can bring their own bikes and skates or rent them while here along with necessary safety helmets. State law requires that helmets be worn by those younger than 16 (including passengers) while riding on public roads or right-of-ways. It’s important to keep on the designated path and not navigate on the Beach Road or the Bypass. Those roads are just too busy, and in the case of the Beach Road, too narrow to be safe — especially for children. There are plenty of side roads to navigate, but watch out for sightseers, blowing sand that can affect your vision and sandy patches that can cause you to skid. Ride on the right side of the road in single file only. Cross at stoplights, and don’t forget your hand signals. One rider per bike is a good rule of thumb. Night riding is not recommended, but if it’s necessary, use a front-lighted white lamp and rear red reflector. The Town of Nags Head requests that folks using in-line skates, roller-skates or skate boards confine their use to the multiuse path only.
Biking & Skating
- Throughout Kitty Hawk
- Kitty Hawk
- No phone
Kitty Hawk is an excellent town for biking. Along the Woods Road and Kitty Hawk Road you’ll find the Pruitt Multi-Use Trail, a paved path that is separate from the roadway and is ideal for biking, walking or rollerblading. To extend your ride into neighboring Kill Devil Hills, turn off of Kitty Hawk Road onto Moore Shore Road to connect to Bay Drive, a quiet road that follows the sound through a mostly residential neighborhood. Visitors can bring their own bikes or rent them while here along with necessary safety helmets. The state law requires that helmets be worn by those younger than 16 (including passengers) while riding on public roads or right-of-ways.
Birding
- Locations throughout Nags Head
- Nags Head
- No phone
Outer Banks is often referred to as a birder’s paradise. Within the town of Nags Head there are good areas for birding, such as Nags Head Woods and Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Both sites have information available on the types of birds you’re likely to see. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, an excellent spot for birding, is a short drive away.
Wings over Water is an annual festival, held in November, that is devoted to the natural side of the Outer Banks. It’s a fun and educational event, with nature-oriented field trips, seminars and kayak excursions. You can call (252) 216-WING for more information.
Blackbeard’s Golf
- 6714 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 16
- Nags Head
- (252) 441-4541
At Blackbeard’s Golf you can play 18 holes of mini-golf across streams and by the waterfall. The course is located right behind the Dairy Queen.
