Hello
@RND1, Iv grown up on the Outer Banks and all of these suggestions are great! Everyone has basically covered everything but there are a few hidden gems around.
Take a hike or drive threw Nags Head Woods, One of our few maritime forest.
Dare Co mainland, Alligator river wildlife area. Its lots of long dirt roads with a few fun mud pits and if you go early enough you will see the largest black bears you have ever seen. I wouldn't walk to far from the truck out there.
Corolla Beach Driving is cool but you only need a pass if you STOP and enjoy the beach, you can drive up and drive all around without a pass. Thats not the case for Hatteras Island. Be careful of those mud holes in Corova, They are much deeper then you think!! Put my LX450 hood deep threw one and was happy I made it out. You can drive all the beaches on 15-18psi. Don't end up on our local Facebook page (Oregon inlet Idiots) of your truck stuck on the beach. It is also illegal to pull people out of the sand, you can give them a shovel or help dig but don't hook up and pull them.
Hatteras island beach (especially Ramp 27-34) is always very soft and the high tide comes right up to the dune in some spots. Id take caution in that area. As for the roped off bird areas, just don't, don't even look at it or the park rangers will give you a very hefty ticket. I knew a guy this summer that got washed down the beach in a rip only to make to the beach in that area and got himself a ticket for walking threw it.
Don't forget to get yourself an apple ugly at Orange Blossom Bakery in Buxton.
Duck is one of my favorite towns, I used to bartend at the Back Bar at The Blue Point. Its a lovely spot but reservations are definitely recommended. Its the only town you can walk from bar to bar. Duck research pier is cool, take a walk down the beach to that. The roped off area around the pier used to be a bombing range.
Downtown Manteo is a neat little place to walk around also. Its a bit of a drive from Duck but on your way back from Hatters, Its 10 mins out of the way to drive down there.
Most restaurants are gonna be understaffed and already burnt out so be prepared for that. We never really had an off season this year. Its been on, on, on.
There are a couple shipwrecks that you can swim out to from the beach if you'd like to try that one day, Contact the dive shop in Manteo for more info on that, I don't fish with a pole this time of the year but my speargun sees quite a bit of action.
If you have any questions, Shoot me a PM