A couple of great places to eat:
Also interesting - go north to Corolla and see the Corolla lighthouse. It’s really a nice trip up there and I believe you can climb during certain times of the year, although there is a cost to do so.
I’ve spent most of my OBX time in Duck, so this might not be on point. But if you’re adventurous, take a hang gliding lesson off the dunes near Kitty Hawk (Kitty Hawk Kites runs a pretty good operation). I went last year with my 9 year old daughter and 71 year old father, and we all had a great time. Literally, fun for the whole family.
If you come across 158 from the mainland, prepare to sit for a while on the causeway heading out there. Most rentals are Saturday to Saturday, but some are Sunday to Sunday. Traffic crawls over the causeway on Saturdays from around 11 a.m. until about 4 p.m. because there’s one lane in and one lane out, but Sundays are slightly better. Since you’ll be further south, you might come in along 64, but I can’t imagine it’s much better, although I haven’t done it.
We rent a house with from 15-20 people and most of us do our own thing. But once you’ve spent a day or two at the beach and a day or two at the pool, we’ve found there isn’t a whole lot to do. We’re not the kind of people that can spend all day, every day on the beach, but maybe you are. We usually spend a day in Manteo at the piers and at the aquarium, or taking a tour to see the wild horses up in Corolla.
There are good restaurants to be found although they tend to be on the pricier side.
I go every year with a group of people that now numbers over seventy (we rent three adjacent beach houses). Make time to fly kites. The wind is amazing. Go to eat at Fuji Japanese Steakhouse. Call in advance, go for the hibachi, and ask for the hibachi chef known as Spiderman. Seriously. You won’t be sorry.
It looks like we may be going the length of the Outer Banks through Norflok. Williamsburg and up the Delmarva penninsula.
We would spend two nights somewhere in the tidewater area to go to Williamsburg one day, and then maybe to the USS Wisconsin early the next day before heading out.
I know nothing about the area. What’s a good place to stay in given my itinerary / traffic / safe areas, etc. I usually stay at HI Express/Super 8/Days Inn. General area is good enough, I don’t need a specific motel.
Are the lots by the USS Wisconsin well patrolled in case we go there; there’d be luggage in the back of the car since we’d have checked out and be leaving the area that day.
If you want to go to Wmsburg one day, stay in that area. Most of the rest of “Tidewater” is a freaking armpit and not close enough to Wmsburg to be worth staying there anyway. Wmsburg has cheaper hotels as you mentioned. I suggest leaving early as possible on that 2d day to beat the traffic going to the beach. Frankly I don’t think it’s worth all the hassle just to see an A/C carrier, but if you’re fired up about it, be prepared to sit in traffic and endure IMO some of the most obnoxious/idiot drivers anywhere in the U.S.