Some places you visit once. Others somehow become part of your story.

For me, the Outer Banks has always been the latter.

Growing up, my family vacationed in the Outer Banks every year, so coming back as an adult always feels a little nostalgic. There are places along the beach that have changed completely, and others that somehow look exactly the way I remember them.

Now, instead of piling into the car for our annual family beach vacation, I'm coming back with Shawn, our Wolf Pup camper, Bruce and Mac—and creating a completely different version of those OBX memories.

That's probably why I'll never get tired of this place.

This time, we packed up the camper for a simple weekend by the ocean with very little on the agenda: beach mornings with the dogs, surfing, seafood, coffee and as much time outside as possible.

And, of course, revisiting a few Outer Banks traditions.

Those Winged Horses You See Around the Outer Banks

If you've driven around the Outer Banks, you've probably noticed something slightly unusual standing outside businesses, parks and other spots along the beach:

giant horses with wings.

I remember seeing the horse statues around the OBX, but their history makes them even cooler.

They were originally part of the Winged Horse Extravaganza, a public art project launched in 2002 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903.

Artists transformed 99 life-size fiberglass horses by decorating each one individually and adding aluminum aircraft wings—a pretty perfect combination of two pieces of Outer Banks history: horses and flight. The statues were displayed throughout the Outer Banks from 2002 through 2004, with additional horses displayed off-island. (Outer Banks Press)

After the project ended, many of the horses were auctioned or privately purchased, but quite a few stayed around the Outer Banks. More than two decades later, you can still spot them outside businesses, in parks and along the highway.

Finding them has basically become an unofficial OBX scavenger hunt.

And yes, I will stop to photograph them.

Every time.

An Outer Banks Tradition: Driving Through Brew Thru

There are certain things that immediately make me feel like I'm back in the Outer Banks.

The smell of the ocean.

Beach houses lining the road.

Brew Thru.

If you've never experienced Brew Thru, it's exactly what the name suggests: you literally drive your vehicle through the middle of the store.

Employees grab your drinks, ice, snacks and beach supplies while you stay in the car. It's wonderfully weird and feels completely appropriate for the Outer Banks.

But Brew Thru isn't some new tourist attraction. The original opened in Nags Head in 1977, after Dana and Becky Lawrentz moved their family to the Outer Banks and created the drive-through convenience-store concept. It's since grown to five OBX locations. (Outer Banks)

And then there are the T-shirts.

Brew Thru releases new designs, and buying one has become an OBX vacation tradition in its own right. More than six million Brew Thru shirts have been sold over the years. (Outer Banks)

For me, stopping here is one of those silly little traditions that instantly brings back memories of coming to the beach growing up.

Roamsteaders tip: Hit Brew Thru on your way in, stock the camper cooler, grab ice and snacks for the beach—and obviously get the shirt.

Where We Ate & Drank in the Outer Banks

Food is half the reason we travel anyway, so an OBX weekend wouldn't be complete without a couple of stops worth recommending.

🦐 Black Pelican Oceanfront Restaurant

For dinner, we headed to Black Pelican Oceanfront Restaurant in Kitty Hawk.

This is exactly what I want from an Outer Banks dinner: seafood, casual atmosphere and absolutely no need to dress up after spending the day on the beach.

We ordered a huge plate of seasoned shrimp with corn, potatoes and vegetables.

Then came the drinks.

Because if you're going to order a frozen tropical cocktail, you might as well drink it while looking at the Atlantic.

Roamsteaders recommendation: Come hungry, order seafood and grab a cocktail.

☕ Shore Coffee Roasters

Our coffee stop was Shore Coffee Roasters in Southern Shores.

It's the kind of coffee shop we always hope to find when we're traveling—local, relaxed and actually serious about its coffee.

Even better, they roast their coffee locally. The vanilla bourbon latte was literally amazing.

It's an easy stop before heading to the beach, especially if you're staying around Kitty Hawk, Duck or Southern Shores.

Roamsteaders recommendation: Grab your morning coffee and breakfast here before an early beach walk.

Why I Keep Coming Back

The Outer Banks is different for me than most of the places we travel.

We've hiked across countries, traveled through the mountains, camped all over and constantly have another adventure on the calendar.

But the OBX doesn't need to be a big adventure.

I spent summers coming here with my family as a kid. Now I get to come back with Shawn and the dogs, park our little camper by the water and make new memories in a place already filled with old ones.