Best Beaches in Outer Banks

For this upcoming summer, instead of heading to the northern part of Michigan for a vacation, I am thinking we could visit our family in North Carolina. My “baby” cousins (who are in their thirties) and are at least seventeen years younger than I, are more like nieces and nephews than cousins. Actually, they are closer in age to my sons.

When my cousins were young teens, their parents (my aunt and uncle) bought into a resort campground in OBX, which is where we were first introduced to the islands. In fact, until they started vacationing there, I had no idea that NC had a string of islands like the Florida Keys (but way less expensive!). I had been to the Keys because my same-age cousin’s dad lived in Big Pine Key, FL, for many years, so we did not have to worry about expensive lodging.

Unfortunately, the OBX islands are very low-lying – just a few feet above sea level, which makes them susceptible to rising sea levels and coastal erosion. I can remember one summer when my two sons and I were visiting our family in OBX, how much water rose over the roads when it was merely raining. There was instant flooding in those North Carolina islands that day!

I was even driving my aunt’s Chevy Suburban, a truck that sits up high, yet we were hydroplaning all over the road! In all my years of driving in our home state of Michigan, I had never experienced that type of hydroplaning, unless I purposely drove into a large puddle. It was scarier than driving on ice and snow in the middle of a Michigan winter! Thankfully, we managed to avoid the plethora of accidents on the roads that day.

Should we opt out of going Up North MI (anything north of Saginaw) for our vacation, we will be embarking on a thirteen-hour road trip from southeast Michigan to the North Carolina coast, vacationing on OBX, where many beautiful beaches are located.

The best beaches, according to the Outer Banks official travel and tourism website, “The Outer Banks is unique in that every beach community along the skinny chain of barrier islands is distinctive, with its own enticing atmosphere and long list of perks. From lifeguard stations in some of the most popular spots in town, to desolate shorelines where visitors won’t see another person for miles, it’s easy to pick a beach destination along the Outer Banks that perfectly suits a family’s vacationing style.

Hatteras Island is also home to one of the most famous beaches on the Outer Banks, The Point, which is literally the spot that is in the middle of the south-facing beaches and east-facing beaches, and which is where the island “turns.” Best accessed via a 4WD vehicle, the Point is renowned for its exceptional fishing, especially in the prime late summer and fall months. Visitors should note that The Point and other 4WD beaches may be seasonally closed by the National Park Service for bird and / or sea turtle nesting,”.

What is the nicest part of the Outer Banks?

Since the nicest part of OBX is wherever our family is, we are instead going to share where we have had some of the most fun on the OBX islands. So far, included but not limited to, are these parts:

Beach time on Newport Beach, Outer Banks, NC
Exploring and sightseeing while looking for wild horses on Shackleford Island, Outer Banks, NC (our favorite, very secluded beach in OBX!)
The North Carolina Aquarium in Atlantic Beach, Outer Banks, NC
Visited the iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, NC
Shopping in Morehead City, Outer Banks, NC
Camping in Emerald Isle, Outer Banks, NC
Seafood dinners in Swansboro, Outer Banks, NC

Fortunately, this year’s road trip won’t be as difficult as it once was when they were little, since my oldest is almost twenty-one and my youngest is almost seventeen. They can help drive at least a third of the trip, both to OBX and then home. But I’m still footing the bill (I guess!) because, well, I’m the mom. Oh well, I suppose I do not have many more summers left to get them to go on vacation with me.

How far is North Carolina from Michigan by car

I have made the Michigan-to-North Carolina drive too many times to count! Door-to-door, from the Greater Detroit area in MI to the Outer Banks in NC, it is 846 miles – about thirteen hours. From my home to where my cousins stay near our favorite beach, traveling by vehicle, the route is:

I-275 south toward Toledo
Keep left on I-75 south toward Toledo
Keep left on I-75 south toward Dayton
In 3.0 mi, take a slight left turn to merge onto I-75 S toward Dayton
In 12 mi, keep left on I-75 S toward Dayton
In 36 mi, take the exit onto US-68 S
In 0.6 mi, keep left onto US-68
In 83 mi, keep right to merge onto SR-315 S
Take exit 101 toward I-270 East
Take exit 52 onto US-23 South toward
Keep left on US-35 E toward Jackson, Athens
In 94 mi, take a slight right turn to merge onto I-64 East toward St.Albans, Charleston
In 18 mi, take a slight right turn to merge onto I-64 E toward Beckley, I-77 South
Keep right on I-77 S toward Bluefield
In 76 mi, take exit 81 to merge onto I-77 South toward Charlotte, NC
In 37 mi, take exit 101 on the left to merge onto I-74 E toward Mount Airy, Winston–Salem
In 33 mi, keep left on NC-74 E
In 13 mi, take exit 53 to merge onto Bypass US-421 toward Greensboro, Winston-Salem.
In 0.4 mi, keep left to merge onto Salem Pkwy South toward Greensboro
In 12 mi, keep right on I-40 E toward Greensboro, Martinsville
In 46 mi, take exit 163 to merge onto I-40 E toward Raleigh
In 43 mi, keep right on I-40 E toward Benson, Wilmington
In 8.2 mi, take exit 309 to merge onto I-42 E
In 18 mi, keep left on Bypass US-70 E toward Goldsboro
In 16 mi, continue onto I-42 E toward Kinston, New Bern
In 28 mi, keep left onto US-70 E
In 3.1 mi, keep right onto W New Bern Rd
In 37 mi, keep left on US-70 E toward Havelock, Morehead City
In 12 mi, keep right
In 7.2 mi, keep right
In 4.9 mi, turn left onto Howard Blvd
Arrive at the location!

In conclusion, the Outer Banks offers unforgettable beaches, family traditions, and coastal charm—making every road trip worth the miles and memories shared.