Bodie Island and Lighthouse

The modern-day Bodie Island region from Nags Head to Oregon Inlet is sparsely developed, but nevertheless a popular destination for nature lovers and anglers alike. Visitors will find the following activities, attractions and amenities just miles away from the town borders of Nags Head, and all close to the distinguished Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center - This massive marina is home to dozens of local charter fishing businesses and tour boats, as well as public boat launches, gas for mariners, and a ship's store.

Whalebone Junction - This small Visitors Center located just south of where NC Highway 12, US 158 and US 264 intersect, offers a small information center, public restrooms, and plenty of picturesque, rugged scenery.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Campground - This seasonally operational campground, close to Oregon Inlet, offers 120 rustic campsites for tents and RVs. Open from the third weekend in April through Columbus Day Weekend, this popular campground is exceptionally close to Nags Head, as well as great fishing and beautiful beaches.

Bird watching - Visitors who are cruising along NC Highway 12 will spot a number of wooded bird stands that are stationed along the roadside from the town borders of Nags Head to Oregon Inlet. Open to the public, visitors can park just off the road and admire the soundside wildlife year-round, at any time of day or night.

Beach Driving - A Beach Driving Permit Office is located at the National Park Service Campground on Bodie Island, and there are three ORV access ramps in between Oregon Inlet and Nags Head. Remember that a NPS beach permit is required to drive on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Coquina Beach - Located just south of the Nags Head town borders, this beach is renowned for its exceptional fishing, 4WD vehicular access, and thousands of colorful coquina clams that seasonally burrow along the ocean wash.

 

Kitty Hawk Surf Co.
Outer Banks Gearworks Laser Tag and Fun Center
Brew Thru

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves.

Drive-Through Beer & Gear

Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach

The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that?

Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru.

It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild.

The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.”

The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through.

For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks.

The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish.

“Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

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