$20.09 + Tax New Year's Lodging!

NEW YEAR'S SPECIAL--$20.09 + tax per person at our

DAYS INN & SUITES MARINER

DAYS INN OCEANFRONT

Reservations can still be made for New Year's Eve with our special rate above--2 person minimum per room.

At the Days Inn Oceanfront choose either a streetside room or a suite (YOUR CHOICE) for this great special.

At the Days Inn & Suites Mariner choose any of our streetside rooms or our 1-bedroom oceanside suites (YOUR CHOICE).

And you'll also get a NOON CHECK OUT in case you rang in 2009 all night long! Mention the NEW YEAR'S SPECIAL when calling 252-441-2021 for the Mariner or 252-441-7211 for the DI Oceanfront.

All rooms are non-smoking & have free wireless internet. Complimentary continental breakfast and an afternoon snack is served daily. Go for a PHOTO TOUR at: http://www.obxlodging.com.

Outer Banks Christmas Show

We're all decorated for the holidays like many of you and this is a great time to be on the Outer Banks! Until December 28th the Outer Banks Music Showcase is putting on their "Christmas Show" which I know a lot of people have enjoyed. They have even had motor coaches come down for the day to enjoy this live show. You can find out more information and schedule times at: http://www.outerbanksmusicshowcase.com/.

We have been experiencing some warm weather on the beach, and it helps make the shopping a little easier! Many shops have great one-of-a-kind Outer Banks gifts on sale, and of course we have gift certificates available for those wanting to give a gift of a beach stay!

This mild weather has been a great time to take long walks on the beach or on the various trails on the Outer Banks. I ventured out towards Alligator River (about 20 minutes from Manteo over the Virginia Dare Bridge) recently and was lucky enough to view all the birds migrating south for the winter. As we drove the Wildlife Drive by the start of the Kuralt Trail you could see and hear the birds in the flooded fields--it's a great site for anyone who loves to be outdoors . In a more remote section of the area we were able to see a mama bear and cub in one of the open fields (they seemed to be enjoying the sun)--it was all very exciting.

So come for a show, go shopping, or come and see the Outer Banks wildlife---we have great specials going on to make it all affordable for you during this holiday season! Gift certificates are available for all of our locations.

Christmas By The Sea This Weekend (Dec 5-7)

Come and join us on the Outer Banks this weekend for the annual Christmas by the Sea event in Manteo starting with a tree lighting ceremony Friday night (about 5:45 pm) with caroling and a visit by Santa!

On Saturday there is a parade and kids can visit Santa at the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. There's even a bake sale where you can grab homemade goodies to benefit the PTA for Manteo Elementary.

On Sunday at Manteo's Town Hall William Ivey Long II, a Tony Award Winning Costume Designer (and the Grand Marshall this year) will discuss his career with a few of his extraordinary costumes on view. There is limited seating to this event and it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

All the events are FREE for Christmas By The Sea, and there are plenty of quaint shops to buy holiday one-of-a-kind presents for your friends and family. And there are plenty of restaurants to choose from for a great Outer Banks dinner.

So make plans to join us on the Outer Banks for this event--we have the perfect accommodations waiting for your stay!

Does It Snow On The Outer Banks?

So our answer as you can see would be Yes! It snowed this morning quite a bit!

However like all good things the snow went away just as fast as it fell, but it was quite beautiful while it lasted. We had the excitement of snow and the happiness of knowing there would be no slushiness!

The rest of the weekend is supposed to be rain/snow free--so if you are trying to run away from snow this is a good place to come! You can visit the Outer Banks Music Showcase which has its best selling Christmas Show going on this weekend (and through December) with holiday favorites and some fun stuff thrown in as well. Visit their website for more information.

On Saturday enjoy the 25th anniversary of the christening of the Elizabeth II at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Plenty of things to do there starting at 10 am including a Clam Jam Chowder Cook Off--a perfect way to warm up. Find more information here.

So come take advantage of the great discounted rates we are offering and see what fun can be had on the Outer Banks. Wind down before you wind up for Thanksgiving next week!

Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks

Days Inn Oceanfront's Lobby

Thanksgiving starts our season of cozy warmth: gatherings with family and visiting with friends. Each year the Outer Banks has welcomed more and more family and friends who visit with each other while visiting with us. Many local restaurants now offer fabulous Thanksgiving dinners so visitors don't have to feel left out not cooking their own turkey or stuffing.

This is a great time to visit the beach with the many local shops offering discounts for great holiday Outer Banks gifts, and accommodations of all sorts offering off season rates. Many places are still open for Thanksgiving as it has become a busy holiday for the beach, so visitors need not fear seeing closed shops or restaurants.

For example the weekend of the 28th finds Kitty Hawk Kites with their annual "Kites With Lights" event. On Saturday night (29th) KHK will light kites at the top of Jockey's Ridge starting at sunset. This is a fabulous thing to bring kids of all sizes to, and each day kids can get their picture taken with Santa. For more information go to: http://www.kittyhawkkites.com/.

So come on down and have Thanksgiving dinner on the Outer Banks. We have several discounted specials going on ourselves--the Winter Blast Discount at each hotel and Reel Deal Specials at our cottage court. We hope to see you on the beach soon!

OBX MARATHON NOV 7-9, 2008

The OBX Marathon is upon us again on the Outer Banks--celebrating 3 years! We're happy to act as sponsors to this great event which helps to raise monies for the Outer Banks Relief Foundation and the Dare Education Foundation on the Outer Banks. We all love to see the runners who have traveled from all over the world, and many of us stand along the route cheering the runners on.

For the past few years a few thousand people descend on the Outer Banks to run this beautiful course which is a Boston Marathon qualifier. The course is not just street/pavement--runners will traverse through Nags Head Woods a pristine ecological preserve, view the Albemarle Sound in Kitty Hawk, and wind their way around Kill Devil Hill--where the Wright Brothers had their first flight.

Registration is closed via the internet but you may register on-site at the Expo on Friday or Saturday. We still have a handful of cottages available for Marathon Weekend at our Wright Cottage Court. So come and have fun running from one end of the beach to the other (or just do the 1/2 Marathon---they welcome runners and walkers too) and view the many scenes of the Outer Banks!

A Breezy Day On The Outer Banks

The beach at the Days Inn Oceanfront yesterday

As you can see it was a bit breezy yesterday on the Outer Banks, but our beautiful Carolina Blue Skies were a great back drop for a wonderful day. This type of weather is great for kite flying---on the beach, at the Wright Brothers Memorial, or on Jockey's Ridge (the largest natural sand dune on the East Coast). Recently I've been noticing a lot of hang gliders taking off from the dunes on Jockey's Ridge---it's cool to see them taking off and hovering in the wind like birds (the fellow I was watching was hovering, he didn't actually get to the "glide" part while I was there). And of course the Outer Banks is world famous for our kite boarding, so the kite boarders like this windy weather too.

Fishing seems to be doing well from the amount of fishermen we have had visit with us this week at the hotels. One of our staff went fishing with a friend on one of the piers this past weekend, and said that folks were catching quite a few fish while she was there.

So there's plenty to do---rain, wind, or shine and we've got great discounts to take advantage of for any length of stay---so we hope to see you soon on the beautiful Outer Banks!

A Great Place To View Migrating Birds & More

Even geese love it at the Days Inn & Suites Mariner!

The Outer Banks is the perfect place for bird lovers to watch the annual migration on all sorts of bird species---and sometimes when you stay with us you don't have to go far to check them out! Every year people travel to view various species of birds at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge as they migrate for the winter. Another great place to visit is Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (about 20 minutes driving time from Manteo) which has a driving trail in which you view the refuge from the comfort of your car. Maps are available at the entrance of these roads and their website can be found at: http://www.outer-banks.com/alligator-river/.

There's even a festival held every year on the Outer Banks called "Wings Over Water" which you can learn more about here http://www.wingsoverwater.org/. It's a great place for birders to meet with daily trips around the Outer Banks to view different bird types. "Wings Over Water" will take place November 4-9 this year and all registration information can be found on their website. We will be offering 15% off our normal nightly rate for anyone mentioning "Wings Over Water" when making their reservations for the nights of 11/4-11/7 (1 discount per reservation).

The weather is still mild, and it's the perfect time to be outdoors on the Outer Banks. So bring some friends and family and check out the wildlife on the Outer Banks!

Winners of our Free Night Stay Drawings

View from the cottage court beach access today

We are happy to announce we have drawn a winner for a FREE 2 night stay at the Days Inn & Suites Mariner and the Days Inn Oceanfront on the Outer Banks. We are happy for M. Gray and J. Bank and hope they enjoy using their free stays!

Always remember to enter our drawing (located in our lobby) when staying with us. It's great to be able to post the winners in our new blog. It's a nice, warm day on the beach and the weekend is shaping up quite nicely weather-wise.

The Outer Banks Music Showcase has a great show tomorrow featuring Ron Block of the Grammy Award winning group Union Station (who plays with Alison Krauss). Also on the 11th and 12th there will be an Elizabethan Tymes Faire held at Roanoke Island Festival Park which you can attend with a purchase of a ticket to the Park (the ticket is valid for both dates).

Also for all those oyster lovers out there, Oct 11 will hearld the 7th Annual First Flight Rotary Oink N' Oyster Roast which will be held from 11 am til 5 pm at Sunburn Sports Bar in Kitty Hawk. This features NC style BBQ and all-you can eat oysters! The Rotary is supporters of several county-wide programs like the Special Olympics, Food Pantry, and the Community Care Clinic. To find out more info on what to do, or more infor on the items above-- visit http://www.outerbanks.org/events/calendar_of_events/october.asp.

Welcome to our new Outer Banks Blog

We welcome everyone to our new blog for our Days Inn & Suites Mariner, Days Inn Oceanfront, Wright Cottage Court, and the Driftin Sands. We hope to give you information on specials going on the Outer Banks, neat places to visit while here, and cool things to do while visiting the Outer Banks!

We welcome your thoughts and comments too. We are happy to be situated in Kill Devil Hills, home of the Wright Brothers Memorial--sight of man's First Flight. We're having fabulous fall weather---the kind that makes you want to go outside and DO something (even if its just walking on the beach).

So stay tuned for more great information to come---and welcome!