r/obx

The carpet in my vacation rental is the original carpet - it's almost 40 years old. It actually looks pretty good, but it is getting pretty rough in the high traffic areas, so I'm going to replace it.

The thing is, I'm not sure if I should replace it with carpet or go with vinyl plank flooring. I've actually never had carpet and I thought it would be a nightmare in a beach house, but it's the opposite. It's soft on the feet, I have not had a problem with guests leaving stains, and very crucially, it's really forgiving on hiding sand. No cleaner can perfectly clean the floors to where you get sand out of every corner and staircase in a large home. Carpet really hides that - you can't see it or feel it.

I always thought vinyl plank would be a no-brainer. I've installed it myself at some other non-beach rentals. I do have to say, the mid-range brands on vinyl plank do not hold up. Only the more expensive brands look good after 5 years, so I'd be really worried putting it on a high-traffic area like stairs.

Anyone have any thoughts? No wrong answers. It's an expensive choice that could lead to 10+ years of regret, so I just wanted to put this question out there. It would also be really helpful to know if everyone hates carpet! I always thought I did.

We’ve been coming to Nagshead for 10 years and this is this first time I got “bit” by sea lice…two days in a row!! My torso is covered!

Any tips for not having this happen again? Seems like when I switched to a bikini the first day it happened I was fine the rest of the day, so maybe not wear a full suit? And any tips for treating the rash?

Headed to camp Hatteras tomorrow for honeymoon give me anything and everything to do/eat/visit!

Also looking for a good spa. Thank you in advance:)

I’m a little confused about how driver improvement courses work between Virginia and North Carolina.
I got my first ticket in Virginia in April for going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. Then, about a week ago, I got another ticket in Dare County, North Carolina for going 69 mph in a 55 mph zone. My court dates are about a week apart.
I was already planning to take a Virginia driver improvement course for the Virginia ticket. My questions are:
-Can I use that same course for the Dare County, NC ticket, or does North Carolina require its own course?
-If Dare County accepts a driver improvement course, can I mail in my certificate of completion, or do I still have to appear in court?
-If I complete the course before my court date, is it common for the court to waive my appearance, or do I still need to go?
-Do I need to hire an attorney for tickets like these, or is this something people usually handle themselves?

The trooper that pulled me over in Dare County said that I might be ok using the Virginia one for the North Carolina ticket. I’m planning to call the Dare County Clerk when they’re open, but I wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience with a Virginia ticket and a North Carolina ticket close together. Thanks!

I would like those back if possible. They're my 10-year-old crocs flops that stay full-time at my house. I did not appreciate coming back from kiteboarding to no shoes and a hike across the road.

hey all! would love to take my spouse crab picking somewhere in the obx; we're staying in KDH but willing to travel. so much good advice on this sub about where to get good live crab (we love billy's for seafood!) but would love to know the best places/deals to sit down and get through a couple dozen. thanks so much!

Best place to catch the fireworks?! The other year we just went to the beach but it was so crowded just seeing if there might another option.. we are staying in the condos on Cambridge st maybe could see them from our deck?

Hi! Just curious if there is anywhere from Manteo to Kitty Hawk that sells fireworks?

Not looking for rockets. Looking more so for poppers and sparklers for the kids.

Any tips for kids pool safety when staying at a rental? I know our rental has a fence around the pool but should we bring an additional lock, noise alarm, any other ideas other than setting firm rules with the kids for the whole trip?

My fiance and I are eloping in OBX in early August with just an officiant and photographer. We're super excited, but haven't nailed down the exact location yet. We've been strongly considering Jockey's Ridge since the pictures I'm seeing online are super impressive, especially at sunset. But I'm wondering if it's a viable spot.

It doesn't seem like we need an event permit since it's just 4 people total. I'm mainly concerned about heat and the walk. I guess my main questions are:

- It's not right on the beach, so does it just stay terribly hot all day, even at 7-7:30pm?

- Similarly, does the sand stay scorching hot by that time? Would barefoot be out of the question?

- I'm seeing differing opinions about how long and arduous of a walk it is from the parking lot, is that worth considering?

- It seems pretty large and I've never personally been there. If we do end up sticking with this plan, are there any portions of the park that would be best for sunset views/colors and dramatic dune shots?

If it's unwise, we'll probably just find a random spot on the beach around Nags Head/Kitt Hawk instead.

Afternoon folks- we are headed to the OBX next week. I have a 4Runner but it’s been years since I drove on the beach. Last time I was up there I don’t think we needed a permit, nor any “required equipment”. Now I see when buying a permit I also have to possess things like a shovel, jack, jack support board, etc. These are all useful things that I currently don’t have.

Can someone recommend places to buy these? Naturally my car came with a jack and spare tire, and I already bought a low pressure tire gauge and air compressor. Not sure what a “jack support board” is though.

Many thanks!

Good Evening. My wife and I are visiting OBX the week after next. I want to bring our bikes but my wife doesn’t ride on roads. Are there any trails/paths for biking in the area? We have never been to OBX in the summer. Thanks.

Will Link Video In Comments if Allowed.

We love 4th of July. I’ve always loved this holiday. My kid loves fireworks! I love fireworks! We love summer! It’s the best.

I booked a trip to Carova. A typical Sat-Sat rental DELIBERATELY booked to include JULY 4TH! We love nature and outdoorsy stuff so this was totally a deliberate choice to go to Carova. BUT! But I definitely expected that we’d be able to go see fireworks in Corolla and do Fourth of July stuff that first day (which is the 4th). We’ve never been to OBX but we vacationed last year during the 4th and loved experiencing it there.

Welp, I found out a few days ago what all of ya probably already know, which is that Corolla does their fireworks on the 3rd, not the 4th. I’ve already talked to my husband and begged him if we could drive down to see the Kitty Hawk fireworks on Saturday night. But he thinks doing the drive back to Carova on the beach after dark seems unwise. Especially on our first day there. I know he’s probably right.

I’ve tried everything. Tried finding a hotel room somewhere for Friday night so we could attend the Corolla fireworks. Tried talking to the rental owner about coming a day early. Looked into the possibility of camping out on Friday night.

Someone please tell me: Will we be able to see any fireworks at all from Carova on Saturday night??

We're down staying at my dad's house. He's on the sound side so when we go to the beach we usually have to drive and park in the lot by Black Pelican. We brought our bikes so we could just cycle over but forgot locks. Should we go buy a lock or is it generally safe to leave a bicycle unlocked?

generic photo of a traffic jam on the beach

Everyone had requests. Pool, movie room, roof top deck. Mine was pretty simple. Not Corolla, or anywhere further north. I love the area for a secluded getaway, but this is a multi-family trip with 5 kids 10 and under, 4 adults in their 30's, and 2 adults in their sixties.

It would have been nice for my wife and I to have a date night or walk/short drive with the kids to a surf shop or ice cream. Anything between Duck and Nags Head would have been great. I found five places that fit the budget split between three families. That went out the window as soon as my in-laws offered to pay for the entire rental up to $10k. With that, they assumed the role of selection and booked it.

I now have to drive our pickup truck 7.5 hours instead of the family Traverse. Date night in the bed of the truck? FYI...we all found out after the fact that we would need a 4x4 vehicle, so they are renting a Suburban for 10 days and taking my SIL, BIL, and their kids with them to the house.

Should we take the kids to the fun stuff during low tide and return to Carova at the next low tide?

Will it totally suck having to keep 3-5 year old kids out of the way of oncoming beach traffic?

I'm meeting up with two friends who off road tonight so that I can borrow a D ring hitch, snatch rope, soft shackles, and traction boards.