Hotel at a Glance: Shutters on the Banks

Shutters on the Banks seems more like a large vacation home than a hotel. Set directly on the beach, this white-sided, green-roofed inn features spacious rooms with kitchenettes, all within steps of the sand and the beach-themed restaurants of Kill Devil Hills. Staying here, you’ll be close to Outer Banks attractions such as five nearby lighthouses and the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

• Refurnished guest rooms feature refrigerators and coffee makers.
• Room with a view: From your hotel’s window or balcony, you’ll be able to see ocean views, dunes and sea oats, or the hotel’s pool.
• Walk to the quaint shops of Kill Devil Hills.
• Wake-up call: Each morning, a complimentary grab and go cold continental breakfast is available.
• Splash into the heated indoor saltwater pool
• Direct beach access: From this hotel’s doors, it’s only a short trek to the public beach.

The Northern Beaches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks: Idyllic Towns, Sand Dunes, and Wright Brothers History

Dubbed the “East Coast’s recreational playground” by Frommer’s, the Outer Banks is a string of narrow barrier islands that hugs the northern coast of North Carolina. Vacationers have flocked to the islands’ postcard-worthy beaches and idyllic villages since the 18th century. The most northerly island in the Outer Banks, Bodie Island, is home to five such towns, known collectively as the Northern Beaches: Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head.

Head to Kill Devil Hills to see the Wright Brothers National Memorial Park, where a large granite boulder commemorates the spot where the world’s first powered flight took off, in 1903. The memorial also includes replicas of the brothers’ early gliders. Just outside the town of Nags Head lie some of the East Coast’s tallest natural sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Strong winds off the ocean constantly reshape the dunes and make the area a popular spot for hang-gliding and flying kites. Make the drive south to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for the many ships that have crashed into its dangerous sandbars during storms. Here, you can catch a glimpse of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, whose iconic exterior is a swirl of black and white stripes.