Budget-conscious Outer Banks visitors who want to relax in a central setting without breaking the bank can head to the Tar Heel Motel. Open since 1960, this local motel has been providing reasonably priced accommodations for vacationers for more than 50 years, and continues to welcome generations of families who want to kick off their flip flops, relax, and enjoy the heart of the Nags Head shoreline.

Tar Heel Motel is located on the western edge of the less hectic Beach Road, and is just an easy stroll away from the oceanfront, (which is right across the street), as well as a number of restaurants, beach bars, stores, watersports companies, and the Tanger Outlets shopping center. The low-key rooms are simple but homey with en suite bathrooms, cable TV, free Wi-Fi, and mini-fridges & microwaves for added convenience. (There are also upgraded rooms available, which feature kitchenettes or kitchen facilities.) Visitors at the motel can relax at the outdoor pool and adjacent sunny lounge area, prepare al fresco meals via the on-site grills, or enjoy casual outdoor feasts at the picnic area. With an emphasis on enjoying the beach without too much fuss, this well-established motel is a solid spot for Outer Banks beach bums at heart.


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Nags Head
252-441-6150
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Hotels
Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin

Stop by Nags Head's Ben Franklin at Mile Post 10 on the Bypass where you will find everything you need for the beach! From Clothing, T-shirts and Swimwear to Boards, Chairs, Umbrellas and Tackle. You'll find it all…and of course, we have the best selection of Souvenirs anywhere on the Outer Banks. Enjoy your vacation! Independently owned by a member of one of the Outer Banks’ oldest families, the Ben Franklin store is stocked with just about everything a visitor would need to go to the beach.

 

Ben Franklin stores were once part of a five-and-dime retail empire, with about 2,500 locations across the country in its heyday. As decades passed and the times and customers began to change, many closed their doors, leading to fewer than 150 of these nostalgic shops. Nags Head Ben Franklin, however, has withstood the test of time and adapted to the needs of its customers to provide a memorable shopping experience on the Outer Banks.

 

Debbie Terry Tolson, manager of the Ben Franklin location in Nags Head, recalls working with former owner Tommie Daniels. Daniels’ father, Moncie Daniels, started the business in downtown Manteo in the early 1900s. The Daniels family has been a longstanding fixture in the Outer Banks business community—Moncie even sold gas to the Wright brothers in 1903.

 

Tommie, with an excellent business mind, saw the opportunity the new Bypass presented and, in 1977, he opened the Nags Head location of Ben Franklin. He was one of the first businesses on the Bypass,” Tolson says.In addition to a new location, the Ben Franklin store saw a new group of customers.

 

“People would come from all around because Tommie had a little bit of everything—it was more like a five and 10 then,” Tolson explains. “As he went to the beach, he began to get more tourists, so he started catering more and more to visitors.”

 

Today, the 21,000-square-foot souvenir shop quickly catches the attention of anyone driving by thanks to the ocean-themed mural that decorates the façade of the building, painted by local artist Rob Snyder. This Ben Franklin location has become the must-stop shop for both first-time visitors to the area and generations of families who escape to the Outer Banks annually.

 

Tolson credits the great prices and friendly customer service to the success of the location, which keeps families returning.“People come in all the time and tell me, ‘my grandmother or my grandfather used to bring me here and now I’m bringing my children,’” she shares. “One of my favorite parts about working here is seeing the people come back year after year.”