At the end of July we picked up our kids from their sleep-away camp in New Hampshire, and literally two days later we packed up and embarked on an 8.5 car drive down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

We first ‘discovered’ Outer Banks last year when, due to COVID, the only trips we could take were within driving distance. We went to Corolla with my sister and her family (you can read all about our adventures, restaurants and places to visit here) and loved it so much that we decided to go back there this summer. And not only did we go back, but we ended up renting the same house as we did last year!

The week we spent in the Outer Banks was relaxing and laid back: we slept in and took afternoon naps, spent a lot of time on the beach and by the pool, went boating and took surfing lessons, went to Jockey Ridge and Wrights Brothers Monument, ate delish donuts and alligator bites. But the best part of the trip was spending time with my sister and her family!

Check out all the fun things we did and if you are interested in learning about a few new restaurants we ‘discovered’ this year scrolled down for the list.

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Restaurants

This year we went back to a lot of the same restaurants as we did last year – so you can read all about them here. We did try a few new places that are worth mentioning:

La Dolce Vida – really great Italian – we loved everything about this place: the decor, service, food! They don’t take reservations in the summer but you can call them the day of and they put your name on the list and give you an hour window when a table is available. We did that and it worked out great!

Metropolis – this is the only place where I could make a reservation for all 9 of us (getting a dinner reservation in Corolla in the height of summer is not easy!). This is a tapas restaurant with a pretty creative menu (we loved everything we got) but pretty tiny portions. Not sure if I would go back there but it’s definitely worth one visit.

Dirty Dick’s Crab House – my husband said that he would not be eating in an establishment with such name but I am glad that we were able to change his mind! We stopped by there for lunch on the way back from Jockey Ridge and Wrights Brothers Monument and despite it being a very touristy place it was awesome! It runs like clockwork – service was good and the food was delish!

Sun Dogs Raw Bar and Grill – I think this is the only place in all of Corolla that’s open past 9 PM – and I am NOT kidding! One night we left older girls in charge of my 5 year old niece and the four of us headed out for dinner. Imagine our disappointment where we could not even get our name on the list for dinner at 4 places we tried! Fortunately we came across this place – the food was fine and they have live music! So if you find yourself out in Corolla any time past 9 PM and in need for a place for food/drink – check them out!