Thinking of squeezing Outer Banks into a Myrtle Beach trip? About This Page:

[Courtney892]

Current Plan: 1 week in Myrtle Beach with my parents at the end of October for our anniversary. Since I've always wanted to go to the Outer Banks, I'm looking at the viability of adding 1.5-2 days to our trip and going up to Oracoke Island just Eric and I.

Our Myrtle Beach trip will be free except for the cost of travel, food, & any missed work as Eric owns his own business & has no vacation time per se. We'll have our own car as work schedules generally cause us to drive up seperately from my parents. After 2 years in HHI, we're trying MB for the first time & while it sounds beautiful and I expect to love it, it sounds like a typical beachy touristy area albeit during the off-season. We're imagining more to do than on HHI, but not crowded and spring break-ish . Suggestions for things to do (or not to) there are welcome!

Last night, I got the bright idea to add on a couple days at the end (or the beginning) for some more romantic time. We made a list of places we'd like to see over the next several years last night, and I think this might be my best shot at the Outer Banks for a while as there isn't anything else on the US list in this area.

I'm trying to get a sense of distance, but the online maps I'm looking at aren't great (and I think the 2 Beauforts threw me for a bit there ), and it's hard to figure how long travel time will be when you're dealing with small island roads.

I think I'm most interested in Oracoke Island as it sounds romantic, private, and very different from MB which is kind of the point since we'll have plenty of MB time. I have a travel book here which recommends a 2 day trip to Oracoke leaving on the 9am ferry from Hattaras, and returning after lunch on day 2 or alternately spending a second night and going to Cedar Island. I'm not sure why if Oracoke is so beautiful, they would have you leaving it so quickly for another destination

If all we need is 1.5 days, it is only really a 1 day addition if we do the longish drive home directly from lunch (definitely doable), but I'm not sure how realistic it is especially considering we'd be coming in from MB which looks to be a bit of a distance.

Suggestions?

[mestitch]

It's quite a ways from MB to the Outer Banks if you go that route. Once you get up into NC and up to Manteo/Nags Head, it's another hour to hour and a half down the island to the Hatteras Ferry, then it's a 45 min. ferry ride over to Ocracoke. You might be better off driving from MB up the coast, and taking the Cedar Island Ferry (I think it's a 2 hour ferry and must be booked in advance) from the Morehead City, NC area. That ferry takes you to Ocracoke.

We live just north of Charlotte, NC and it takes us like 4 hours to get to Myrtle Beach from our house. It takes us 6 hours to get to Avon (just north of Hatteras) on the Outer Banks (just got back again last week) we LOVE the Outer Banks and Ocracoke. Would definitely recommend a trip out there. But we have to stay a week, a couple days wouldn't do it for us

I mapquested it for you.... it's 6 hours and it takes you the way I recommended...the Cedar Island Ferry...
Driving Directions from Myrtle Beach, SC to Ocracoke, NC

[Courtney892]

Thanks for the info and for mapquesting! I was afraid that 2 days wouldn't allow us to see enough, and 6 hours sure takes a pretty big bite out of a day--though the ferry could be a sight in itself...maybe.

I'm so afraid if I can't make it work on this trip that I won't get there for several years.

On my way to look at your pictures from your recent trip!!