Friday, December 27:
8:00 AM - Easy Breakfast at a Local Favorite! For a tasty sit-down family breakfast, stop by Henry’s Restaurant at 3396 N. Croatan Hwy. in Kill Devil Hills between 7AM and 1PM. Open year-round, Henry’s has a menu selection that will satisfy even the pickiest palate. Try “The Captain” which offers 2 eggs cooked to your preference, grits or home fries, toast or biscuits, and your choice of protein (like country ham, pork chop, ham, sausage, and bacon!) You can also order breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, hot cakes and more! View full menu. Check out other recommended breakfast options here.
10:00 AM - Corolla Wild Horse Tour! Whether you checked in last night or last week, or you're waiting to get settled into your vacation rental this evening, why not spend the morning trying to get a glimpse of the famous Corolla Wild Horses by taking a Corolla Wild Horse Tour? These tours run about 2 hours and give you the opportunity to explore the 4x4 in an open-air jeep. Listen to the sound of the ocean waves and search for the descendants of the Spanish Mustangs that call these wild beaches home!
12:00 PM - Shopping and Lunch! After the tour, head on down to the Timbuck II Shopping Village for lunch and some last-minute holiday shopping. Enjoy pizza from Giant Slice or some delicious seafood at Mike Dianna's Grill Room before exploring the wide variety of specialty stores and unique boutiques. There's plenty to keep you occupied through the afternoon and don't forget about dinner before making your way up to Whalehead for the Candlelight Christmas Tour!
3:00 PM - Hunt for Sea Glass at the Beach! After you've shopped and had your fill, head to one of the Corolla Public Beach Accesses for an afternoon of beachcombing and look for sea glass. Check our guide for looking for sea glass and you'll find that the quiet, peacefull "off-season" can be the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of the Outer Banks while finding spectacular shells and ocean wildlife.
4:00 PM - Find Your Way Out at OB-Xscape Rooms! End the day by enjoying some family fun at OB-Xscape Rooms in Southern Shores! See who can figure it out the fastest in one of their exciting, memorable rooms like "The Blind Tiger Speakeasy," the "Rest in Peace Motel," or "Raptor Revenge." This is a great bonding experience while enjoying some indoor fun after an exciting day exploring the sites of the Wright Brothers' first flight!
6:00 PM - Pizza Night! On the way back to your vacation rental, be sure to stop by Southern Shores Pizza and pick up a pie to take back to your vacation home. Enjoy a relaxing evening of pizza, board games, and your favorite film as most of our homes offer spacious living areas with lots of room for family movie night. Rest up after tour long day and get ready for another day of exploring the best of the Outer Banks!
Saturday, December 28:
8:00 AM - Breakfast at Stack'Em High! Start off a day of sightseeing and exploring the best of the Outer Banks with a yummy breakfast of pancakes, waffles, fruit, or eggs at Stack'Em High Pancakes & So Forth! With 2 locations, one in Kitty Hawk and another in Kill Devil Hills, there's no reason not to head out and let someone else handle breakfast. Stack'Em High is an Outer Banks staple and a great place for singles, couples, and groups. View full menu.
10:00 AM - Wright Brothers National Memorial! Since you're already in the area, now is the best time to make a stop at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Come explore the exhibits and the monument to celebrate the "12 seconds that changed the world." This was the time of year that Orville and Wilbur were trying to get their flying machine up in the air, so come take a walk around the grounds and enjoy the brisk, refreshing winds of the Outer Banks in December!
11:00 AM - Lunch at “Goombrrs!” Several eateries around the Outer Banks will be changing their names to become pop-up Christmas bars to get everyone in on the holiday season! Bonzer Shack becomes The Broken Candy Cane where you can stop by for some yummy food, pop-up fun, and a positive holiday atmosphere to get you in the holiday spirit! Other participating restaurants include Mama Kawn’s → Mama Klaus’s, Lucky 12 Tavern → Jingle 12, and Goombays → Goombrrs.
1:00 PM - Visit the Monument to a Century of Flight! In addition to visiting the Wright Brothers Memorial, be sure to stop by the Monument to a Century of Flight located in Kitty Hawk. Built to commemorate the 2003 Centennial of Flight, this monument features 14 stainless steel towers that are organized into an orbit of 120 feet, symbolizing the length of the historic first flight that took place just a few miles down the road. The monument also is made up of 100 markers highlighting the 100 most important events in aviation history between 1903 and 2003. Just off the highway at MP1, this monument is certainly something to behold and perfectly rounds out the history of aviation on the Outer Banks.
2:00 PM - See the Wright Brothers Garage Monument! Keep the theme going and find this unique monument just off the beaten path. To celebrate Wright Brothers Day, you've seen the memorial and the Monument to a Century of Flight. Now, see the place where the famous Wright Flyer is believed to have actually been built. Hidden away on Moor Shore Road in Kitty Hawk, you’ll find a monument dedicated to memorializing the place where the Wright Brothers stayed and are believed to have constructed their glider. Known as the Wright Brothers Garage Monument, this hidden gem is located in the front yard of a private home so please be respectful when you walk or drive by.
4:30 PM - Dinner in Nags Head or Manteo! Grab an early dinner before heading down to the Manteo Waterfront for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting event. There are plenty of amazing options for dinner in Nags Head, including Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe or Tortuga's Lie. If you'd rather not rush, or want something light to snack on, there are lots of delicious options for light and heavy meals in downtown Manteo. Walk around the waterfront and you'll see that there's a little bit of something for everyone!
Sunday, December 29:
8:00 AM - Breakfast in your Vacation Rental! Enjoy a calm, quiet breakfast in your beautiful vacation rental before heading down to Manteo. Many of our vacation rental properties offer multiple refrigerators and/or dishwashers, so breakfast prep and cleanup can be a breeze! Take your cup of coffee out onto the beach or find pleasure in a peaceful morning stroll by the ocean before the fun of the day begins!
10:00 AM - Morning at Jockey's Ridge! It's so much fun to see Jockey's Ridge State Park soon after the sun rises. Enjoy the cool winds and the sound of birds and other wildlife as you run around on the dunes, have some fun in the sand, or head on across the street to Jockey's Ridge Crossing to get some holiday shopping in!
12:00 PM - Lunch in Manteo! Whether you want to find something delicious downtown, or you're looking for a quick and easy sandwich spot, there are plenty of places to grab a bite in Manteo. Be sure to pick out your favorite spot to head back to for dinner as you spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the best of Roanoke Island.
1:00 PM - Explore the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island! No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without a trip to the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Explore the cultural history of the Outer Banks as connected to wildlife and the wetlands before visiting the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center where your kiddos can follow their own sea turtle through to rehabilitation in a fantastic simulation. Have some fun at the Touch Tank and explore the unbelievable history of the U.S.S. Monitor before taking a breather and relaxing in front of the massive tank with sharks and other fish.
3:00 PM- Visit Roanoke Island Festival Park! And when you're done at the aquarium, Roanoke Island Festival Park is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Explore this amazing museum park where you can walk through the Settlement Site or take a tour of the Elizabeth II and get an idea of what life would have been like aboard a 16th-century sailing ship. Don't forget to visit American Indian Town or the Adventure Museum for some hands-on history that you won't soon forget.
5:00 PM - Dinner! Before heading over to the Annual Winter Lights at the Elizabethan Gardens, be sure to grab a tasty dinner in Manteo or Nags Head, just across the causeway. Enjoy something yummy at Mahi Mahi's Island Grill or Miller's Waterfront Restaurant. If you're hoping to stay on the island, why not try Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar or Orega'z?
7:00 PM - Winter Lights at Elizabethan Gardens! The Annual Winter Lights at the Elizabethan Gardens is the biggest light display on the Outer Banks! Kids and adults of all ages will love wandering through this enchanted winter wonderland of dazzling lights and holiday decorations. Tickets are $18 for adults, $14 for ages 6-17, and $8 for children 2 to 5. Infants under 2 get in free! Dogs can come, too, for $6. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the door. The final tickets of the night are sold at 8:15 PM and since this display is outside, it is subject to weather cancellations. Even if you’ve been in the past, this is a display that you should see year after year! Click here for more information.
