We live in the lovely waterfront town of Manteo on NC's Outer Banks. Where you'll be staying is a block from the downtown area that's full of great restaurants, interesting shops (no box stores here!), art galleries, attractions, kayaking, dolphin and sailing tours and so much more. We have summer music festivals that feature nationally known groups and a bluegrass festival in the fall. And our July 4th, Christmas and New Year celebrations and legendary! You enter your room through a screened porch outfitted with a cozy sofa and chairs and a wood-burning fireplace. It's totally private for your use. Right off the porch is a half-bath and the stairs that lead you to your space. The room is large with two queen beds, a large writing desk, huge closet and a full bathroom. Room amenities include a mini-fridge, Keurig coffee maker, coffee pods, sweeteners and creamers.

We are Beth and Michael, and we've been hosting guests for more than two decades. We started out with a full B&B but sold that building to our daughter and her family as their home (so now we have our grandgirls right beside us). Now we exclusively rent the Sandpiper room. We are here to check you in, but then we let you have your privacy, unless you need something. We understand that you didn't come on vacation to hang out with us! But we've also made many friendships over the years with guests who revisited many times. Our main company produces the No. 1 information source for everything Outer Banks, so we can answer any and all questions you might have about the area. We've lived in Manteo since the late 1970s and think this place is exceptional.

The veteran actor Andy Griffith once said, "If Mayberry is anywhere, it's Manteo." While the town has grown since his statement, we've diligently worked to maintain the heart and soul of our island home that so attracted him to live here. The streets are walkable or bikeable and wind you past restored historic homes, a lighthouse, a representative ship that brought the first colonists from here in 1587 and a harbor full of boats. Yes, there's the quiet side, but the town also has a lively nightlife scene with restaurants that feature live music in the evenings, a wine bar, rum distillery, sunset cruises and history walks. And the music festivals in Manteo bring people in from miles around. Every first Friday from April-December, the restaurants, shops and art galleries put on a celebration in the streets. Downtown Manteo is also a designated Social District so you can stroll around with your beverage of choice. The glorious Nags Head beaches are a 10-minute drive away. And Manteo is equidistance from the attractions in Corolla (Currituck Lighthouse, the Whalehead Club, Corolla Village and the famous, free-roaming Outer Banks ponies), the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, Jockey's Ridge sand dune and Bodie Island Lighthouse in Nags Head, and the Hatteras Island attractions of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge (incredible birding!) and the Hatteras Island Lighthouse. Hatteras is also the center for kiteboarding and has always been known as a surfing mecca.