patience with the traffic
At it's worst, it's better than NoVa.
We go to OBX once a year. Every time, we hit the aquarium on Roanoke Island, we go fishing at the Nags Head Pier (caught a mess of Mullet and Bluefish last year about this time), drive out onto the beach at Oregon Inlet for a bit of surfcasting, eat at the Weeping Radish restaurant, tour several of the lighthouse sites, and try to enjoy being on the beach as much as possible. Ocracoke is worth the trip, heck, the ferry ride is worth the trip just by itself. Set aside an entire day for the Ocracoke trip though, assuming you're starting further north than Nags Head. You'll want to take your time and check out some of the beaches on Hatteras Island. Frequently, you won't see another soul in either direction on those beaches.
If you drive out onto Oregon Inlet, please air down your tires and have a 4x4. The sand is deep and soft there. When you come back to the road, there's a marina on the other side where you can air back up. Don't be a tool and try to drive your FWD minivan onto the beach (yes, I've seen this).
This year, my wife's entire family is renting a huge beach house for a week. There's room for 18 people (only 14 going!). I'm actually looking forward to it. Last year, my daughter was under 1yo and was a bit freaked out by the waves and noise of the beach. This year, I'm hoping she'll enjoy it and even get in the water. That and I can't wait to try out my new pierfishing rig. I rebuilt my granddad's old Penn baitcaster reel, loaded it up with some 30lb braided line (same diameter as 12lb line, so it should cast well) and mounted it to a shiny new Berkley Cherrywood rod (not the best, but works well enough). It should be just right for the pier and doable for surfcasting...
Chris