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North Carolina: Outer Banks Rodanthe, Cape Hatteras KOA - Beach, Wind and Waves.  A family camping vacation on Cape Hatteras is all about being in, around and on the water. From beach combing, swimming, surfing and kayaking to jet skiing, sailing, wind surfing and para sailing enjoying the moment is easy. Add to the list a cozy campfire, stargazing, kite flying, bird watching, the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk and at least one awesome lighthouse and your family vacation is set.
Location, location, location! Escape schedules, vacation on the edge and feel the energy. The Cape Hatteras KOA is only few steps from the Atlantic Ocean with miles of marvelous beach. On the flip side of the barrier island Pamlico Sound provides kayakers, windsurfers, and kite boarders wind and waves.
Fun stuff onsite. Cape Hatteras KOA makes relaxing onsite effortless and enjoyable. Imagine beginning your day with a pancake breakfast – the kind with no clean up and creating your deluxe ice cream sundaes after lunch. You can do it onsite. Days include Jumping Pillow exercise, tie-dying shirts, making chalk art, and creating bead jewelry as well as miniature golf tournaments, pool tournaments, volleyball and basketball tournaments, ultimate Frisbee, pool volleyball, water aerobics, and horseshoes. Just steps away beach activities include beach softball, beach kickball, beach football, beach combing, beach bonfires, and building sandcastles. Ride the KOA Express Fun Train, lunch in the café. Rent a kayak, paddleboat or bike and create an adventure of your own.
Night activities include roasting marshmallows, eating s'mores, impromptu sing-a-longs, bingo, outdoor movies, and Karaoke. The Campfire Theatre is the spot for live family night shows including comedy moments, talent shows, and game show re-creations resulting in fun for the whole family – no scripts needed. Bonus points: Just to ensure no day ends without a memory making experience get someone in the family to try riding a mechanical bull or mechanical surfboard. Eight seconds is really a long time.
Select your sleeping place. Sleeping options include campsites, RV spots, as well as one and two-room kamping kabins . The complex has cable TV, wireless Internet available, and for late night munchies – a snack bar. The campground has a pavilion ideal for a family gathering and they have the facilities to cater meals to a campsite or in outdoor seating area of the campground.  Bonus points: Onsite you’ll find a fenced interactive dog playground so guests with dogs can drop the leash and recreate with their pooch.
Make it happen. Cape Hatteras KOA Route 12 Rodanthe, NC 27968. (252) 987-2307 or go to Cape Hatteras KOA
Fun stuff in the Cape Hatteras Outer Banks area.
Go for the fish, shells and windsurfing. This area offers some of the best saltwater fishing on the Atlantic Coast signified by the eight piers located between Kitty Hawk and Hatteras Island. Add to that the option of sound fishing along the short bridge on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway or the Washington Baum Bridge. The shelling and beachcombing along this stretch of beach will always be rewarding because the prevailing wind and waves bring new treasures ashore s with each change of tide. The predictable winds make this area perfect for flying kites and windsurfing. Bring your own kite and if windsurfing sounds exciting there are outfitters in the area who will provide equipment, lessons, and clinics.
Become lost and found. Since its debut in 1937, the dramatic story of one of the nation’s oldest mysteries has fascinated over three million visitors. The Lost Colony, the nation’s longest running outdoor symphonic drama, brings the wonder of the New World to the Waterside Theatre stage. The production, written by Pulitzer prizewinner Paul Green, tells the story of 117 men, women and children who settled in the first colony on this country’s shores, only to disappear without a trace into the sands of time. The Lost Colony also brings visitors eight different experiences throughout the year, including Tea with the Queen, backstage tours, Broadway revues, and the Virginia Dare Faire. (The Lost Colony, 1409 National Park Drive, Manteo. 1(252) 473-2127 or www.thelostcolony.org)
Count the fish. Located on historic Roanoke Island, the North Carolina Aquariums seek to promote an understanding, awareness, appreciation and conservation of the diverse aquatic environments of North Carolina, from the coastal waters, to the rivers, streams and estuaries. Recently expanded, the North Carolina Aquariums feature hands on exhibits, a wide variety of free programs and activities, such as marine life videos, live animal programs, audience participation games and more. Visitors should make sure not to miss the fascinating Graveyard of the Atlantic tank which explores the bottom of the ocean – complete with a replica of the sunken USS Monitor. Bonus points: North Carolina Aquariums has a special Kids Tank section of their website with an Aquarium cam that brings kids face to face with some of the water’s most interesting residents. (North Carolina Aquarium, 374 Airport Road, Manteo.1-800-842-FISH or
Discover the past. History comes alive year round at Roanoke Island Festival Park, a 25-acre island located across from the Manteo waterfront. Roanoke Island Festival Park is a celebration of Roanoke’s unique place in history as the birthplace of English-speaking America. The park features a 16th-century ship, living history demonstrations and interactive exhibits, an interactive museum and a variety of performing and visual arts. Visitors are invited to explore the Elizabeth II, and meet sailors like those who sailed across the Atlantic in 1585 and at the Settlement Site visitors will encounter soldiers bravely facing the challenges of the New World. The Roanoke Adventure Museum has interactive exhibits which explore the 400-year history of the Outer Banks and invite visitors to site a star with an astrolabe, meet a pirate who sailed with Blackbeard, learn about lighthouses and live saving and many other activities. Bonus points: Just a block from the Roanoke Island Festival Park is the NC Maritime Museum, and the Roanoke Mashes Lighthouse. (Manteo. 1(252) 475-1506 www.roanokeisland.com)
Fly away! Only a few miles north of Cape Hatteras National Seashore is the Wright Brothers National Memorial, where Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the first powered flight on December 17th, 1903. With a recently refurbished replica of the original Wright Flyer as well as other memorabilia of the First Flight, the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Visitor Center lovingly commemorates one of America’s most historic moments. On the extensive grounds surrounding the visitor center numerous historical markers narrate the story of the innovative Wright brothers. (Wright Brothers National Memorial, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo. 1(252) 441-7430 or
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Content researched and created by Travel Communications. Images provided by KOA. Copyright 2009.
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