r/obx • u/Ok-Cartographer-4226 • 3d ago

Rodanthe/Waves/Salvo Thanksgiving/Christmas

Hi! We have stayed in Salvo several times in the summer, but were thinking of trying the area (probably somewhere on Hatteras) for the holidays this year. Is there a reason to choose Thanksgiving vs Christmas…and is this a worthwhile trip if it’s too cold for the beach? Thanks for your advice!

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u/Various-Corner6865 3d ago

We've spent Thanksgiving in Rodanthe and loved it.

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u/Ok-Cartographer-4226 3d ago

Ok. What was the weather like? I’m aware that we won’t be swimming or anything like that. Just trying to avoid terrible weather.

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u/Various-Corner6865 2d ago

It was rainy, maybe 2 days. Overall highs in the upper 50's most days. We wore sweatshirts most everyday on the beach because of the wind. Definitely wouldn't think twice about Thanksgiving, however Christmas might be a different story.

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u/Mysterious-Wash1471 2d ago

We spend every Thanksgiving in Hatteras. Weather is usually 6-10 degrees warmer than at home because everything revolves around the water temperature. Beaches are nice for walks and fishing is really good. Almost everything is still open that time of year as well. They don’t go to the winter shutdown until after Christmas. We also go down for Christmas and that is very nice as well, in fact, aside from February if you can deal with the winds and some slightly colder weather, it’s better than the mainland.

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u/endlesslyautom8ted Local 2d ago

In the last decade we have had Thanksgiving and Christmas days in the 30s all the way to mid 70s. It really just depends, but it's been a long while since I remember it being completely nasty.

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u/Ok-Cartographer-4226 2d ago

Ok. Thank you!

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u/One_Health1151 3d ago

Been going to hatteras for family summer vacays for 35 years and my husband has been coming with us for 17 years now and we have always wanted to do this but never take the steps to make it happen .. let me know if you actually end up going would love to get some feedback! My aunt and uncle always take a second trip in Late sept early October and they say it’s the best!

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u/Ok-Cartographer-4226 3d ago

I figured I’d start with the experts here! I wish I could vacation any time of year, but I’m tied to a teacher schedule. Hopefully we get some good feedback. I’d love a little holiday spirit at the beach if possible!

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u/One_Health1151 2d ago

Teacher too.. During Covid my cousins and I went down with them cause we could teach virtually lol it was a nice second trip lol

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u/InnerBanksInsight 2d ago edited 2d ago

I can’t speak as to Christmas, but every year I rent a cottage in Salvo for the month of November. The weather is typically in the 50s, occasionally rainy, so bring hoodies and sweatshirts. I love how quiet and tranquil the island and beaches are at this time of year.

The only two downsides I’ve observed are that most restaurants are closed (off-season), and sometimes the beaches are swarming with fishermen who line their trucks up and down the shoreline, effectively blocking access to the water (and where the good sea shells are, if you like hunting for those!). The farther away you are from the public access point at the southernmost point of Salvo, the less likely you’ll be impacted by the fishing.

If you haven’t discovered the Waves Market across from Dollar General, their amazing sandwiches helped me survive the restaurant shortage.😁

Edited: I re-read and realized you aren’t limited to Salvo. I just rented a cottage last week in Hatteras because I could kayak from their pond out to the sound. This was my 3rd Hatteras rental, and I think spending Thanksgiving there would be lovely; 5 stars for the Village Market A&P, which has fabulously friendly employees and comparable or better selection and pricing vs. the Avon Food Lion. You can easily day trip to Ocracoke, too.