We spent Labor Day week in the Outer Banks this year, staying in Rodanthe with family and packing a little bit of everything into the trip: beach days, coffee stops, seafood, breweries, an Ocracoke day trip, beautiful sunsets, a ferry adventure, shopping and plenty of time with family.
There were places we absolutely loved, a few experiences we probably would not repeat, and some moments we definitely did not plan for. If you’re thinking about a family vacation to the Outer Banks, here’s how our week went and what I’d do again next time.
Saturday: A 4 A.M. Start & Our First Taste of the OBX
Our Outer Banks vacation officially started very early Saturday morning over Labor Day weekend. My dad — Pops — drove my van, following my sister Ariel’s van, and we pulled out around 4 a.m.
After several stops along the way, we finally made it to the Outer Banks and decided our first order of business should be food and a beer.
Outer Banks Brewing Station
Our first stop was Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills.
I ordered a blonde ale and the pub burger, and the burger was very good. After being in the car all morning, this was also a great first stop with kids.
Outside, there was cornhole, a pirate-ship playground and a pretty garden-style seating area where you could relax while the kids had some room to move around.
Checking Into Island Breeze in Rodanthe
While we were eating, we found out that our beach house was ready early, so we headed south to Rodanthe.
We stayed at Island Breeze, a five-bedroom vacation home that worked really well for our family.
The house had plenty of bathrooms, a private pool, a hot tub and a volleyball net in the grassy area out front. One of my favorite things about the location was that we could walk to the beach, the pier and a coffee shop.
We paid extra to have sheets included with the rental, so after unloading everything and making all of the beds, we headed down to the beach for a little while.
After leaving home at 4 a.m., nobody was interested in making an elaborate dinner. We ordered pizza, relaxed at the house and called it a night.
Sunday: Coffee, Groceries, Beach & Pool Time
Sunday morning, Pops, Bobbie, Ariel, Parker and I headed out to get groceries for the week.
But obviously, we needed coffee first.
Uglie Mugs Coffee House
We stopped at Uglie Mugs Coffee House, and there was quite a line when we arrived — which is usually a pretty good sign.
It definitely was this time.
I ordered a 20-ounce specialty iced coffee and a toasted chocolate croissant, and I finished both before we even drove away. This ended up being one of my favorite coffee stops of the entire vacation.
From there, we went to Food Lion, stocked up on groceries for the week and headed back to Island Breeze. Thankfully, the kids helped us unload everything once we got back.
After lunch, it was finally time for another beach day.
Parker made his feelings about the Atlantic Ocean pretty clear: he was not a fan of the waves. Playing in the sand, though? He was perfectly happy with that.
That evening Ariel made tacos for everyone, and we spent some time swimming in the pool at the beach house.
Monday: Fishing, Coffee & Another Beach Day
Monday morning started with a pretty impressive catch.
Pops spent some time fishing at Rodanthe Pier and caught a 26-inch flounder. The pier even shared his catch on their Facebook page, which was a fun little vacation moment for all of us.
One of the things I really liked about staying at Island Breeze was how much we could reach on foot, including the pier and nearby coffee.
Later, Parker and I took the stroller out and walked over to Waves Coffee & Candies.
The weather was still beautiful, so we spent more time at the beach.
The ocean did surprise us with something we weren’t expecting: tiny jellyfish.
Several family members had the little jellyfish brushing against them in the water and ended up with itchy stings afterward.
That evening, we kept dinner simple and grilled chicken back at the beach house.
Tuesday: Veyha’s Birthday & a Beautiful Rodanthe Sunset
Tuesday was a little bittersweet because it was Veyha’s birthday.
I was sad she wasn’t at the beach with us because of school and soccer, but I was happy that Josh was home with her and able to take her to the mall for her birthday.
Parker and I stayed in Rodanthe and walked from the beach house to Good Winds Seafood and Wine Bar.
The restaurant is located above a gift shop and has an elevator, which was helpful when going there with Parker.
I ordered the seafood salad and a blonde ale. The food was alright, but for me, the real reason this stop was worth it was the view.
We caught a gorgeous sunset over the sound and got some of my favorite photos of Parker and me from the entire trip.
Would I go back? Probably for a drink and the sunset views more than specifically for the food.
Wednesday: Our Ocracoke Day Trip
Wednesday was our biggest adventure of the week.
We woke up around 5:30 a.m. with plans to leave by 7 so we could catch the 8:30 ferry to Ocracoke.
We actually arrived at the ferry dock around 8:10.
Unfortunately, that didn’t mean we were getting on the ferry at 8:30.
We ended up sitting at the ferry dock not moving for about three hours and didn’t board until around 11:30.
My biggest Ocracoke tip: Give yourself much more time for the ferry than you think you’ll need. We got there early and still lost several hours of our day waiting.
Lunch at SmacNally’s
By the time we finally arrived on Ocracoke, everyone was ready to eat.
We went straight to SmacNally’s.
I had the Black & Bleu burger with fries, which I really enjoyed, and the hush puppies were awesome.
After spending most of our morning waiting for the ferry, it felt good to finally sit down, eat and start exploring the island.
Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum
After lunch, we visited the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum.
Ocracoke Lighthouse
Next, we stopped at the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse.
During our visit, we couldn’t go inside the lighthouse, and the nearby building normally used for information was under construction.
For us, this was more of a sightseeing and photo stop than a longer attraction.
Beach Time for Everyone — Nap Time for Parker
Next, everyone wanted to head to the Ocracoke Day Use Area to spend some time at the beach and fish.
I dropped the family off while I attempted something parents traveling with a baby will understand: getting Parker to nap.
That gave me a chance to drive around the village and stop at a few shops while he rested.
Moonraker Tea Shop & Ocracoke Village
I stopped at Moonraker Tea Shop for tea and explored a few of the local village shops before heading back to meet everyone.
One of My Favorite Beaches of the Trip
When I finally headed back to the beach to join everyone, I understood why they were enjoying it so much.
The sand was incredibly soft, and the waves were much calmer and clearer than some of the water we’d experienced earlier in the trip.
It was wonderful and ended up being one of my favorite beach experiences of the week.
Dinner at 1718 Brewing Ocracoke
We ended our Ocracoke day with dinner at 1718 Brewing Ocracoke.
We played Jenga at the table while we ate, and I ordered a buffalo stuffed pretzel.
There were a couple of mistakes with my sister’s order, but I appreciated how the restaurant handled them. They corrected the order each time and let them keep the sides and wing flavors that had accidentally been brought out.
The Ferry Ride That Looked Like a Horror Movie
We got back to the ferry around 8:15 p.m. and waited approximately 45 minutes this time.
Once we were on the ferry, the seagulls started swarming the boat.
And I mean swarming.
It looked like something straight out of a horror movie. Everyone had their phones out recording because there were so many birds flying around the ferry.
It wasn’t exactly part of our planned Ocracoke itinerary, but it certainly became one of the more memorable parts of the day.
Thursday: Neptune’s Kitchen & Dive Bar
Thursday evening, we went to Neptune’s Kitchen and Dive Bar in Rodanthe.
Unfortunately, this was one of the more disappointing restaurant experiences of our trip.
There was only one server working while we were there, and service was slow. We had a party of six, and a 20% gratuity was automatically added to our bill.
I ordered the crab cake sandwich. It was okay, but at around $18, I personally didn’t think it was worth the price.
We also had a problem when it was time to pay. My card was accidentally charged for my dad’s bill, which meant I overpaid by about $60.
Between the billing mistake, the service and the meal itself, this just wasn’t one of our favorite stops.
Friday: A Disappointing Return to Captain George’s
Friday, we decided to go back to Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills.
We had eaten there on a previous Outer Banks trip and really enjoyed it, so this was somewhere we were actually looking forward to returning to.
Unfortunately, our experience this time wasn’t nearly as good as the one we remembered.
During our meal, we saw cockroaches crawling on our table and along the wall beside us.
We immediately asked to move tables, and the staff accommodated us.
They also applied what was listed as a VIP discount to our bill, which worked out to around $5 off per person. The adult buffet was approximately $55 per person during our visit, so I appreciated that they did adjust the bill.
What made the situation more uncomfortable for me was that although they didn’t seat another party at the table we’d left, guests were later seated at the neighboring table along the same wall where we had seen the bugs.
We’ve enjoyed Captain George’s in the past, which is why this visit was particularly disappointing.
Would I go back? After this particular experience, probably not anytime soon, which is disappointing because it was somewhere we had enjoyed years ago.
Saturday Morning: One Last Walk to the Pier
Before packing up and officially saying goodbye to Rodanthe, we got up early Saturday morning and walked down to the pier.
I’m glad we did.
It gave us one last quiet Outer Banks moment before the rush of loading the vans and starting the drive home, and I got another photo with Parker that I’ll always love.
Packing Up in the Pouring Rain
Nearly the entire week had given us beautiful weather.
Naturally, the rain decided to show up right when it was time to load the van.
We packed up Island Breeze and loaded everything while it poured outside. It definitely wasn’t the easiest way to check out of a beach house, but at least we’d gotten almost an entire week of great weather before then.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
We weren’t quite ready to head straight home, so our last real vacation stop was the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island in Manteo.
I had a lot of fun here, and it ended up being a great rainy-day activity.
The aquarium was celebrating its 50th anniversary during our visit, so they also had carnival-style games set up outside.
Eventually, the sky started looking like another storm was moving in, so we decided it was probably time to start heading home.
One Last Burger at Outer Banks Brewing Station
Before officially leaving the Outer Banks, we ended up right back where the trip had started: Outer Banks Brewing Station.
And yes, I ordered the same pub burger again.
I liked it enough the first time that I didn’t see a reason to change my order.
It actually felt fitting that our first restaurant stop of the trip also became our last.
Once the rain started coming down again, we got back on the road and headed home, finally arriving around 9 p.m. Saturday night.
Our Favorite Parts of the Trip
Looking back, there are definitely a few things that stand out from the week.
- Uglie Mugs Coffee House: One of my favorite coffee stops. I’d absolutely get the iced specialty coffee and chocolate croissant again.
- Ocracoke Beach: The soft sand, calmer waves and clear water made this one of my favorite beach stops.
- Our sunset in Rodanthe: The meal at Good Winds wasn’t my favorite food of the trip, but those sunset views were beautiful.
- Island Breeze: Having our own pool and hot tub while still being within walking distance of the beach, pier and coffee made the location really convenient.
- Outer Banks Brewing Station: The pub burger was good enough that I ordered it both when we arrived and before we left.
- The Roanoke Island Aquarium: A fun final stop and a great option when the weather isn’t cooperating.
What I Would Do Differently Next Time
The biggest thing I would change is our Ocracoke ferry planning.
I’d still absolutely visit Ocracoke again, but I’d plan for a potentially long ferry wait from the beginning instead of assuming that arriving for a certain ferry time meant we’d actually get on that ferry.
I also think I’d leave even more time just to walk around the village and enjoy the beach. Despite our long day, I felt like Ocracoke was one of the places I could have spent much more time exploring.
Where We Ate & Drank
- Outer Banks Brewing Station — Kill Devil Hills: Blonde ale and pub burger. One of my favorite meals of the trip.
- Uglie Mugs Coffee House: Specialty iced coffee and toasted chocolate croissant. Definitely a favorite.
- Good Winds Seafood & Wine Bar — Rodanthe: Seafood salad and blonde ale. The food was okay, but the sunset views were beautiful.
- SmacNally’s — Ocracoke: Black & Bleu burger, fries and excellent hush puppies.
- Moonraker Tea Shop — Ocracoke: A fun tea stop while I explored the village with Parker.
- 1718 Brewing Ocracoke: Buffalo stuffed pretzel and a fun Jenga game at the table.
- Waves Coffee & Candies — Rodanthe: A convenient coffee stop within walking distance of our rental.
- Neptune’s Kitchen & Dive Bar — Rodanthe: Crab cake sandwich. Unfortunately not one of our favorite dining experiences.
- Captain George’s — Kill Devil Hills: A restaurant we’d enjoyed in the past, but our experience during this trip was disappointing.
Would We Vacation in the Outer Banks Again?
Absolutely.
Like any family vacation, not every meal or moment went perfectly. We had a three-hour ferry wait, tiny jellyfish, a few disappointing restaurant experiences, pouring rain while packing the van and enough seagulls circling our ferry to make everyone think we had wandered into a horror movie.
But those aren’t the things I’ll remember most.
I’ll remember Parker happily playing in the sand even though he wanted nothing to do with the waves. I’ll remember walking to get coffee with him in the stroller, the sunsets, swimming at our beach house, exploring Ocracoke, early mornings on the pier and spending an entire week together as a family.
Rodanthe gave us a quieter home base while still putting us within driving distance of plenty of Outer Banks adventures, and I’d definitely consider staying in the area again.
If you’re planning an Outer Banks family vacation, my biggest advice is simple: leave room in your plans for the unexpected.
Sometimes that’s a three-hour ferry wait.
And sometimes it’s finding a beach, coffee shop or sunset that ends up becoming one of your favorite parts of the whole trip.
All opinions in this post are based on our family’s personal experiences during our September 2026 trip. Restaurant prices, menus, operating hours, construction and other details can change, so always check directly with each business before visiting.
