The Outer Banks

The Outer Banks (OBX), skinny, sandy islands that thread their way along North Carolina's coast from Virginia Beach to Cape Lookout, wake up from their winter snooze as the weather warms and vacation-minded travelers head to places like Nag's Head, Corolla, Duck and Kitty Hawk to unwind, sink their toes into deep sand and pursue their favorite activities.

Tee up on six extraordinary golf courses such as The Currituck Club in Corolla, a solid Rees Jones layout running along the coast with high sand dunes and wetlands. Think your way around the Kilmarlic Golf Club in Powell's Point, a Tom Steele design playing through maritime forests and around 15 coastal ponds and in Kitty Hawk, Sea Scape Golf Links features challenging elevation changes with stunning ocean views.

For golf along the sea, play Nags Head Golf Links winding through dunes and grasses. Other good choices include The Carolina Club in Grandy known for its buttressed par-3 island green and Pointe Golf Club fine track evoking Scotland. And with water on more than half the holes, enjoy the well groomed Duck Woods Country Club in Southern Shores by Ellis Maples.

Off-course, there are many things to discover. Known as the "billfish capital of the world," the Outer Banks is a huge fishing destination offering anglers deep sea, pier and surf fishing. Whale-watching tours are also popular and now for the first time ever, you can climb the black and white-striped Bodie Island Lighthouse near Nags Head.

Interested in history and aviation? Then be sure to visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk where Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic flight in 1903. And to experience some of the soaring thrills yourself, go hang gliding over the sand dunes at Jockey's Ridge State Park.

Many who come here rent one of the condos or large homes planted on stilts into the sand. You can also book the Kilmarlic Cottage on the grounds of the Kilmarlic Golf Club, perfect for two foursomes. And there are some excellent hotels like the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk rolling out some of the best sea views in the area and the iconic 95-room recently renovated Sanderling Resort in Duck almost completely surrounded by water.

The Outer Banks is gaining traction as more and more restaurants offer dishes prepared with locally sourced seafood and produce. The "Fresh Catch of the Day" appears on many menus and several food and wine festivals are held throughout the year including the "Duck & Wine Festival" in April, "Hatteras Day at the Docks" in September and the "Outer Banks Seafood Festival" in October.

Off-season, traffic on Rt. 12, the main highway running from north-to-south is no big deal. In the summer, you just need to kick back and allow more time to get places. The Outer Banks is after all, a major tourism magnet. And why not? The Outer Banks has incredible beaches, a golf course for every day of the week and all kinds of things to do. And did we mention great food?