JessaLyn, we go to OBX every year and stay in Kitty Hawk/Nags Head. Ft Fisher is a nice, small aquarium and offers something to do on a rainy day (there is a cost per person). Do go to Kitty Hawk and climb the hill to the memorial to the Wright Bros. The museum isn't very big and if you arrive within the final 45 of the day, they will probably let you in for free - especially if you have kids! We love to kill some time looking through the Kitty Hawk Kites store there in town. About every kind of kite you can imagine and some affordable ones, too. Drive down Virginia Dare on the lonely, beautiful 12. Pull your car off the road, head up over the dunes and you'll have the beach to yourself. Wonderful place to do some shelling and picnic. Do take a kite and head up to the top of the Dunes late afternoon (park closes at dark) and roll down the side! Kids will have a blast and I guarantee they will sleep soundly after climbing back up several times. Watching them teach hang gliding is also great fun. Hop the free ferry to Ocracoke and visit the wild ponies. They look like no other pony you've ever seen and the rangers there are friendly and informative. Ride into town, visit the lighthouse and take a lunch special at The Pelican on their outdoor patio. The kids peeled and ate their own shrimp from the baskets. Beer by the bottle for the adults! Stop by the Blackbeard shop and pick up a trinket from their gift shop for under $5. Everything there is pirate themed. The wooden sabres were good for some fun on the long ferry ride back. *Make sure you know the schedule* Captain Frank's in Kitty Hawk offers the best dogs and affordable seafood. Three kids and an adult ate seafood and hotdogs for under $20 and it was delicious. We also did a wholesale purchased seafood broil one night and got more bang for our $$. Sigh...I'm missing it already. All great, affordable family fun with no pavilion although we did do a game of night miniature golf - arrr!Have fun and leave some booty for us this Sept.
