Remember when vacations meant making new friends on the beach or down at the pool — and after hours of fun in the sun, rinsing off in the outdoor shower before gathering for a home-cooked meal? Hammock naps were a must, and evenings were spent recounting the day in granddad’s overstuffed chair or out on the screened porch playing a board game. At night you climbed into the top bunk (claimed by a quick game of rock-paper-scissors!) and drifted off to sleep, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
You don’t just have to remember those days — you can relive them. From knotty pine walls and cozy décor to outdoor showers and hammock swings, it’s often the simple touches that bring back the strongest memories of summers past.
One guest summed it up perfectly in a review of A Shore Thing - K0036:
A Shore Thing has been our family's preferred summer beach house for over three decades. It has provided four generations of our family with memorable experiences in the Outer Banks. The house and the island hold a special place in our hearts. What distinguishes this house is its remarkable ability to remain unchanged over the years. While improvements have been made, such as the addition of a pool in 1999, the overall essence of the house remains intact. It serves as a time capsule, transporting me back to my childhood with every visit. Although some may find the house's imperfections, such as cracks, water spots, peeling paint, leaky windows, and inconsistent plumbing, to be bothersome and potentially disruptive to their stay, my family and I cherish these flaws. They contribute to the house's character and make it feel like a true home. We intend to continue visiting this house until the ocean eventually reclaims it. While the amenities and furnishings could be modernized, we recognize that the primary purpose of a vacation home is to provide a place to sleep for a week and spend quality time with family. The house fulfills these essential requirements. The refrigerators keep your beverages cold and the AC has always been reliable in providing cool comfort after you've spent hours at the beach or by the pool. For us, this house epitomizes the Outer Banks experience, and we cannot imagine staying anywhere else.
We’ve gathered a full collection of nostalgic OBX homes — places where charm meets affordability, and every sunset feels like a promise of tomorrow’s adventure. Some are cozy two-bedroom bungalows, others expansive beach cottages, but all carry that unmistakable touch of the past — the kind that transports you back to summers when life felt a little simpler.
Explore our full collection of nostalgic OBX stays
With such a diverse range of vacation rentals to choose from, well…
How Do You Choose?
One way is by searching our "More Must Have Amenities" page, where we’ve highlighted stand-out amenities such as homes with horseshoe pits, corn hole games, tiki bars, volleyball courts, and basketball hoops. More relaxing amenities include saunas and hammocks! We even list homes that have access to a community pool because nothing adds to a summer vacation like spending time at the pool, right?
Or, you can make it even easier — let us find the perfect match for you!
Tell us your must-have amenities below, and we’ll match you with the right Outer Banks home.