Recreation - Avon

Avon Golf

• 41001 N.C. Highway 12, Avon Fishing Pier
• Avon
• (252) 995-5480

To practice your putting skills, head over to Avon Golf. This 18-hole, natural-grass putting green is on the oceanfront. Unlimited, all-day play is available for one low price, and you can come and go as you please. Get your tickets at the Avon Fishing Pier.

Avon Surf Shop

• 40136 N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe
• (252) 995-4783

Avon Surf Shop rents and sells surfboards. They also offer individual surf lessons for all ages and all levels. The owners are longtime surfers dedicated to the sport, so you’ll know you’re in good hands. They also have a full skate shop with a large clothing section. It’s located just south of the Dolphin Den in north Avon.

Beach Driving

• Hatteras Island

Driving on the beach is allowed in many areas of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. However, some areas of the beach may be closed to driving (but open to pedestrians) during the bird-breeding and turtle nesting seasons (mid-March to late August for birds and as late as November for turtles).

You may have heard rumors that all of the Hatteras Island beaches are closed to beach driving, but that simply is not true. In July 2009, in the height of bird-breeding season, Cape Hatteras National Seashore still had more than 23 miles of beach open for ORV use and more than 48 miles of beaches open to pedestrians. Only about 19 miles of beach were closed for resource protection in 2008.

To protect nesting sea turtles, night driving (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is not allowed on any Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches between May 1 and September 15. Night-driving permits will be available for beach drivers between September 16 and November 15. For more information on Cape Hatteras National Seashore see www.nps.gov/caha.

These beach-driving closures are in effect to protect the breeding birds and turtle nests, so the areas of closed beaches vary greatly depending on where the birds and turtles decide to breed and nest each season.  To see the most up-to-date information about closed beach areas, visit http://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/googleearthmap.htm. The website is updated continuously during the summer months so it is the best source of current information. This interactive map is very easy to use and offers a wealth of information at a glance. If you don’t have access to the web, call the National Park Service Headquarters at (252) 473-2111.

Off-Road Driving Maps are available at the National Seashore Visitors Centers at Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse or the campgrounds.  You can access the beach by vehicle at one of several sand ramps along the island.  Be sure to read any signage concerning beach driving!  There are also several soundside off-road-vehicle trails listed on the maps.  Driving on the ocean beach or the soundside trails can be very convenient, especially for anglers looking for the perfect spot to
fish. It’s also nice for families to be able to park and spend the day at the water’s edge.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles are an absolute necessity when driving in sand. You’ll certainly be the subject of derisive snickering if you attempt it in a two-wheel-drive car and get stuck. But even four-wheel-drive vehicles get stuck from time to time. If you’re going to attempt driving in sand, most people recommend lowering the air pressure in your tires to about 20 to 25 pounds to give the vehicle a little flotation on the sand. Try to follow in the tracks of vehicles that were there before you, and try to maintain a steady pace in the softer, deeper sand. If you do get stuck, a fellow off-roader will usually help you out. If not, call Cape Point Exxon Towing Service in Buxton at (252) 995-5695.

Hatteras Island Boardsports

• 41074 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-6160

Hatteras Island Boardsports rents kayaks, surfboards, body boards, skim boards and wetsuits, and delivery is available. You can also take group or private surfing lessons. The shop is a one-stop shop for surf gear and apparel for men, women and kids. Some brand names you’ll find here include Billabong, Quiksilver, Volcom, Roxy and Rusty, along with surfboards by Dewey Weber, Rusty and Imagine.

Haulover Day Use Area

• N.C. Highway 12
• Rodanthe

The Haulover Day Use Area is also known as Canadian Hole because it is a hotspot for windsurfers and kiteboarders, many of whom hail from Canada. This soundside access makes a day on the sound very convenient. There’s lots of parking plus a bathhouse with rinse-off showers, changing rooms and restrooms. This little beach can be quite the scene when it’s packed with windsurfers and kiteboarders, but a lot of families come here, too, to swim, kayak, paddleboard and sit on the beach.

Island Time Cups and Cones

• 40146 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-0202

Island Time Cups and Cones shows a family-friendly movie outside every night in the summer starting at dark, usually about 9 p.m. Sit outside on a blanket or lawn chair, or pull your car up like the days of drive-in theaters. While you’re there, enjoy a Hawaiian ice, ice cream, shake, smoothie or coffee. Island Time is open every day until 11 p.m.

Outer Banks Marathon, Gateway Bank Half-Marathon

• Throughout the Outer Banks, from Kitty Hawk to Manteo

If you’re a runner or walker, you don’t want to miss this event on a flat course with awesome scenery and the spirited residents of the Outer Banks cheering for you all along the way. On Sunday, November 14, 2010, you can participate in the fifth annual Outer Banks Marathon or the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon. The course for the marathon begins in Kitty Hawk, travels on through Kill Devil Hills and around the Wright Memorial, goes through Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. The Gateway Bank Half-Marathon begins in Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. Walkers are welcome. There is a $25,000 prize purse for the marathon. The Fun Run is held on Saturday, November 13. For information and to register, go to www.obxmarathon.org.

Pam Bailey Massage, Hypnotherapy and Yoga

• 40246 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 305-8822

Pam Bailey teaches yoga classes at the Community Center in Hatteras Village and offers private classes for small groups at her office or at your location. Give her a call for the class schedule and prices. Pam is a licensed massage therapist offering Swedish massage, cranio-sacral therapy, deep tissue and sports massage, energy work and other healing modalities. She teaches classes for national and state recertification of massage therapists. She also offers hypnotherapy in all aspects, focusing on weight reduction and addictions. Her office is located next to Island Spice and Wine.

RC Hatteras Movies 4

• 41934 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 995-9060

RC Theatres offers four first-run movies daily in the summer months, and they close in the off-season. Beware the rainy day, when the theater is most crowded — you can buy advance tickets on those days. For movie info, call the hotline at the number above or rely on your phone app.

Ride Hatteras

• 40168 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-6755

Ride Hatteras offers surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding lessons for beginner, intermediate or advanced riders. Equipment is tailored to meet the needs of the student and the wind conditions of the day. Kids’ lessons are available, and class sizes are small. You can rent equipment for standup paddleboarding, windsurfing, surfing, body boarding and skimboarding here, and they sell other essential gear.

The Glass Bead

• 39774 N.C. Highway 12, Dairy Queen Shopping Center
• Avon
• (252) 995-7020

Let your creative streak shine at this make-your-own-jewelry store. The Glass Bead has thousands of beads, including handmade beads, crystals, semiprecious stones, charms and seed beads, plus hemp for designing your own necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other jewelry. You can make the jewelry here, and lessons are offered. All the supplies you need are available, including cording, thread, clasps and idea books. Pre-made jewelry is for sale as well. Java Junction, a coffee shop and internet café, is right next door.

Uglie Mugs Coffeehouse

• 40534 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5590

Uglie Mugs offers quite the combination of enticements — coffee, baked goods, internet access and beads galore. The bead shop offers thousands of beads and all the supplies you need to make your own jewelry.

Wind-NC

• 41074 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-4400

Wind-NC is a full-service windsurfing and standup paddleboarding (SUP) specialty shop. Wind-NC offers rentals, lessons and sales of high-quality new and used gear and waterwear. Windsurfing and SUP lessons are offered for all ages and all levels, from beginner to expert; reservations are recommended.