I need help from the Outer Banks experts

We are traveling to Nags Head June 6-13. This is our first trip to the Outer Banks. We are staying in a rental house near MP 19. We have three children, two girls ages 8 and 7 and our new son who is 4 months old. I am looking for some great activities or attractions in the area. Is there anything we should not miss while we are in the area? I am willing to drive outside of the Nags head area. I have heard that Duck is a great place to visit.

This website and members have always been a big help with my trips. Thank you in advance for your advice.

I need help from the Outer Banks experts

There is a pirate cruise that is great for kids age 12 and under. You will be near Jockey%26#39;s Ridge and the Wright Brothers%26#39; Memorial. You could drive to the ferry and go over to Ocracoke (free ride) and rent bikes and tour the island. We enjoyed the wild horse tour on the northern beaches. Check out www.obxconnection and you will get lots of help. Duck is a nice place to visit if you are staying there. I think Lisalala (something like that) posted about a secret soundside beach near where you are staying. Have fun. The OBX is wonderful.

I need help from the Outer Banks experts

Sorry, I forgot the most fun and cheapest thing to do, ghost crab hunting. What a hoot! I also filled a small treasure chest with goodies and buried it in the sand on the beach, made a map, put it in a bottle with a poem, and the kids found it. They LOVED it!

Thank you for the advice. The treasure chest is a great idea. Thanks again.

Bring binoculars. The girls will be excited to watch the dolphins swimming past and the many different birds flying by. They may enjoy using them to look at the night sky, too.

Are the girls, or mom and dad for that matter, interested in fishing? You%26#39;re near a fishing pier, and surf fishing is also an option.

Lighthouses- Bodie is close by, but you can%26#39;t climb it. Corolla is roughly 45 min to an hour north, Hatteras over an hour to the south. Be sure to visit at least one.

Wright Brothers Memorial-my two boys (4 and 12) thought this was okay at best. They liked walking around outside, and the view from the Memorial was good, but the rest didn%26#39;t catch their attention much.

Jockey%26#39;s Ridge-must visit. Great view, fun walking around, and great fun jumping or rolling down the hill. This is a must do stop for us and always a blast. Good place to fly a kite.

Kitty Hawk Kites across the street has a lot of neat stuff in their stores, not to mention fudge and ice cream.

Be sure to give miniature golf a try. Professor Hackers around MP7 is very good, and Mutiny Bay at MP15/16 is the best. The tourist trap souvenir places are a diversion, Wings or Sunsations. As you enter the OBX, be sure to stop at the Visitors Center. Tons of info and brochures. Let the kids pick up information on anything that catches their eye. You%26#39;ll get some good ideas.

Some restaurants my kids like are Goombays (decor is like being underwater), Mako Mikes (big fish tank), Five Guys Burgers (you can eat peanuts and leave the shells on the floor), Duck Doughnuts (watch them being made).

Have fun.

There%26#39;s an aquarium in Manteo. I haven%26#39;t visited it, but it may be another option for your family.

Great Suggestions, I really appreciate it.

A visit to Manteo is a must. Lunch at Big Al%26#39;s 50%26#39;s diner (get there early to avoid crowds). Then over to the Historic Waterfront. Lots of nice shops (Manteo booksellers, Wanchese pottery, Coffee shop for both excellent coffee and milkshakes for the kids, toy store, etc). Then over the little bridge to the Roanoke Island Festival Park to tour the Elizabeth II, the Lost Colony re-enactment, and the hands-on museum (worth several hours) - and don%26#39;t forget to spend a few minutes in the fossil pit where we usually come away with a few dozen shark teeth. If the girls want to play pirate, the Pirate Adventure is very cool and they are the perfect age - it%26#39;s a real ship that takes the kids out into the sound for a real adventure pirate-style (bring a camera, it%26#39;s a blast). Afterwards, head over to the aquarium which is down the road another 5 minutes inland - that%26#39;s worth about an hour, stay around for the scuba diver in the shark tank demostration.

We plan on fishing off the pier as well as off the beach. Any recommendations for lures or bait?

The pier has a bait store on it. Just ask what%26#39;s biting and what rig and bait is needed to join in the fun. They are always helpful.

We will be arriving in Nags Head around 9 am but we can%26#39;t check into our house until 4 pm so I will be trying to figure out what to do until we can check in.