I, and then later my family and I, have been coming to the Outer Banks for a week each summer (actually, in mid-September) for years. I did a few years of sharing a large group house with friends in Kitty Hawk or Nags Head, but then headed all the way down south to Hatteras Village, and that's where the fam and I have stayed each year ever since, renting an oceanfront house.
It is a whole different Outer Banks down there, and we love the slower pace and less chain-store-commercialization vibe. Getting our butts kicked by the locals at the veterans benefit cornhole tournament held at the old Hatterasman (was so sad to see that place close!) while enjoying beers and fried fish was always a highlight.
My sister in particular loves it there, and I have toyed with the idea of retiring there, or perhaps Manteo, which I also love, but . . .
That level of "remote" is fabulous for a week, but living it day-to-day, year-round has got to be a different beast. And having to accept that in any year, it is quite possible that my home and everything I own will be destroyed by a hurricane -- not sure I can do that. We've had to evacuate a few times during our vacations, and every time, I think about what it must be like for the residents.
It is a wonderful, beautiful, fragile place, and I will continue to enjoy it for as many years as I can, but I think it will likely always be as only a temporary visitor.
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