Outer Banks, north carolina
beautiful beaches + adventure sports + fam = magic
The Outer Banks are consistently named one of the best beach destinations
The Outer Banks, North Carolina is one of the best beach family destinations out there! With its stunning miles of coastline and plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy, it’s no wonder why visitors flock here. It also plays host to some of the best Airbnbs and VRBOs for you to stay at. Whether that be a funky geodesic dome (ours was in Condé Naste’s top beach rentals) or an exquisite oceanfront octagon, you’ll have your pick from any number of cool cozy spaces offering great amenities – perfect for a romantic vacation or a family getaway.
If you’re feeling even more adventurous, explore the Cape Hatterass National Seashore and fish, surf, or kitesurf right off its beautiful beaches. This is guaranteed to be one of the best family-friendly vacations you’ll ever experience.
Sunny Side Up (The Egg)
Tons of fun details make this secluded, freshly renovated 1971 geodesic dome a true vacation paradise, while the amenities (fully equipped kitchen, laundry, A/C, and high-speed internet) will make you feel right at home!
Enjoy your coffee from the private wraparound deck, with the sounds of the sea and the breeze through the marsh grasses, or take a ten minute stroll across the dune to catch the sunrise over the Atlantic.
The Coolest Geodesic dome is:
Tons of fun details make this secluded, freshly renovated 1971 geodesic dome a true vacation paradise, while the amenities (fully equipped kitchen, laundry, A/C, and high-speed internet) will make you feel right at home!
Enjoy your coffee from the private wraparound deck, with the sounds of the sea and the breeze through the marsh grasses, or take a ten minute stroll across the dune to catch the sunrise over the Atlantic.
The space boasts an open floor plan that feels much roomier than its 1100 square feet. Two queen bedrooms downstairs and two semi-private sleeping areas upstairs in the loft – one with a queen bed and one with a twin bed – comfortably sleep seven.
The house comes equipped with all the modern conveniences: the best internet money can buy on the OBX (good for streaming and video conferencing), a brand new Smart TV pre-loaded with Netflix (anything else can be streamed from your phone or laptop), a bluetooth speaker, Nest smart thermostat, and electronic key access for easy self check-in.
The huge, locally-made live-edge table is perfect for meals and games, the vintage peacock chair is conveniently located in a nook with the bookshelf, and the whole gang can cozy up on the large wrap-around sectional for movie night.
There are two full bathrooms (one on each floor), a custom built, eat-in kitchen, and a wrap-around deck overlooking protected marshland where you can enjoy the sounds of birds in the morning and tree frogs at night.
The yard is very private and beautifully landscaped with coastal flowers and trees. Downstairs, wide-plank decking connects the laundry room, lockable storage for your beach gear, a covered clothesline to dry your beach towels, and a fish-cleaning table for the catch of the day.
You’ll feel at home in the fully-stocked kitchen. A wide array of kitchen tools, pots, and pans are complemented by a toaster oven, microwave, coffee maker, coffee grinder, electric kettle, and SodaStream (be sure to bring a CO2 cartridge in case the last one is out). We try to maintain a decent supply of basics (olive oil, coffee filters, spices, salt & pepper), but Waves Deli around the corner has an impressive array of groceries if you’re in need of something particular.
Looking for things to do? During the day, your options are endless… relax on the beach, enjoy local shops, grab sandwiches and beverages at the gourmet deli/grocery, or take advantage of one of the top five kitesurfing locations in the world… all within short walking distance of your home base. In the evening, enjoy the stars from the deck or drinks and live music at Waterman’s… or both!
Ever stayed in an octagon-shaped house?
The ground floor has a storage room containing some basic beach supplies available for guest use, including (but not limited to) beach chairs, a Shibumi, some sandcastle toys, and a cooler). Please note that accessing this storage room requires the use of a short staircase.
The first floor includes a laundry room, two bathrooms with showers, one bedroom with four bunk beds, one bedroom with a queen bed and access to the hammock deck, and a third bedroom with a king bed.
The second floor is an open layout with living, dining, and kitchen area. There is also a bedroom with a queen bed and a bathroom with a shower.
The third floor contains the crow’s nest which has a small desk, a rocking chair, and an expandable futon that can accommodate two guests as a bed. Please note that the crow’s nest is only accessible via a spiral staircase, and is not completely private, having some visibility from the second floor. From the crow’s nest, you can see both the sound to the west and the beach to the east, including the wreck of the Old Richmond, which came ashore in 1862 when its boiler failed in a storm.
Guests will have access to the entire house with the exception of the garage, an interior storage closet used by our hardworking cleaners, and the outdoor elevator. Due to a tragic 2021 accident involving guest use of residential elevators, both the elevator manufacturers and the governing bodies of the OBX have asked that all residential elevators be disabled for guest use. We apologize for this inconvenience, but our commitment to guest safety requires that we act in accordance.
Please also note that the internal spiral staircase may be difficult for children and adults with limited mobility to access. As an alternative, both the first and second floors can be accessed by the outdoor (standard) stairs, but please note that the crow’s nest on the top level is only accessible via the spiral staircase.
The beautiful beach has amazing waves for surfing and swimming but also an incredibly strong current. Familiarize yourselves with safety protocols and rip currents please
