March 2026 Newsletter

🎭 JGOOT Family Travel Newsletter

Go Fly a Kite: The Outer Banks Flight Blueprint

March is windy — which makes it perfect for a destination built around flight, wide-open space, and shoulder-season value. The Outer Banks gives you a beach trip that is active, educational, and logistically simple once you arrive. This is exactly the kind of destination where JGOOT strategy shines: position for the best flight deal, rent a car, and unlock a place most families only visit in peak summer at double the price.

🗺️ MONTHLY FAMILY TRAVEL BLUEPRINT: 🪁 The Outer Banks & Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

✈️ FLIGHT STRATEGY: WHERE YOU POSITION MATTERS

Best airport options:

Closest:


Norfolk (ORF)
≈ 1.5–2 hour drive to Kitty Hawk

Best for deals and award space:


Raleigh-Durham (RDU)
≈ 3.5–4 hour drive, easy and scenic

Because you need a car no matter what, RDU often wins for JGOOT families. It has far more nonstop routes and consistently better availability for transfers from major domestic hubs. March points deals can be found from many major US airports for under 5k points each way on BILT transfer partners Spirit and Alaska, and cash deals are also competitive! 

This is a classic position for the flight → drive to the experience destination.

🚗 THE DRIVE ONTO THE OUTER BANKS

Once you cross onto the barrier islands, the trip starts to feel different. The road narrows, water appears on both sides, and everything shifts to a slower pace. It’s an easy drive with very little navigation required — one main highway runs north to south — which is why this destination works so well for families. You’re not spending the week figuring out transportation. Don’t forget to leverage your car rental as an earning multiplier, and book through a portal such as Rakuten for additional Bilt or Amex points!

🏨 WHERE TO STAY

Condo rental (best overall value for families)


🔗 https://www.vrbo.com


🔗 https://www.outerbanksblue.com

If you prefer to look for condos and rental homes on Airbnb, you can take advantage of the British Airways partnership and earn Avios with your stay! 

https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/avios/collecting-avios/hotels/airbnb

Look in:

• Kill Devil Hills

• Nags Head

• Kitty Hawk

You’ll get:

• separate bedrooms

• full kitchen

• laundry

• walkable beach access

March pricing is dramatically lower than summer for the same properties.

Splurge stay: Sanderling Resort (Duck, NC)

For families who want one elevated trip each year, this is the property that changes the feel of the stay. The location between the ocean and the sound means you can do sunrise beach walks and sunset boardwalk strolls without getting in the car. In March, the indoor pool, on-site dining, and bike access to Duck’s waterfront make a real difference.

🎯 CORE EXPERIENCES

🛩️ Wright Brothers National Memorial

This is the reason the destination works as an educational trip, not just a beach trip. The site is laid out along the actual flight path, so you can walk the distance of the first four flights and see how quickly the progress happened. The visitor center is compact and well done, and then most families head back outside to the open field where kids can run in the same space where the first plane lifted off. It’s one of the rare historic sites where the landscape itself explains the story.

🪁 Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Jockey’s Ridge is the main outdoor activity of the trip. The climb to the top of the dune is short but feels like an accomplishment, and once you’re there the constant wind makes it ideal for flying kites. You’ll also see hang gliders launching from the same area, which ties directly back to the flight theme of the destination. Go later in the day, bring water, and plan to stay for a while — this is not a quick stop.

For families with teens, beginner hang-gliding lessons are run from here:
🔗 https://www.kittyhawk.com

🪁 Kitty Hawk Kites (Flagship Store)

Stop early in the trip. The staff will match you with kites that actually work in the current wind conditions, and this is also where many of the area’s activities are booked. It saves time and prevents buying something that won’t fly well at the beach.

🐎 Wild Horses of Corolla

This is done by guided 4WD tour for most families. The drive takes you into the undeveloped northern beaches where there are no paved roads or commercial buildings. The horses move freely, and the guides stay in contact with each other to locate them, so sightings are very reliable. Because you remain in the vehicle, it’s easy with younger kids and doesn’t turn into a long wildlife trek.

🌊 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

This works best as a dedicated day trip. The lighthouse itself is the visual payoff, but the drive down Hatteras Island is part of the experience — long stretches of protected shoreline, small villages, and multiple places to stop and walk on the beach. Plan a few short stops along the way so the drive feels like a series of experiences rather than one long haul.

🍩 Duck Donuts

This becomes your default breakfast because it’s fast, customizable, and consistently good. It’s also an easy first-morning tradition before doing your grocery run for the week.

👨‍👩‍👧 FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS

Packing for Wind Without Checking a Bag

This is a layers destination, not a bulk destination.

Bring:

• packable windbreakers

• joggers or leggings

• lightweight sneakers

• thin hats for the beach
  
  
  

You stay mobile, avoid baggage fees, and keep your flight options wide open — which is critical when you’re positioning into smaller coastal regions.

🎓 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Turn Spring Break Into a Flight Lab Before You Ever Leave Home

A few short, visual activities ahead of time will make every stop in Kitty Hawk immediately meaningful — your kids will recognize what they’re seeing instead of being introduced to it for the first time.

🛠️ Build: A Backyard Glider That You Can Test

These beginner projects focus on adjusting weight and wing shape. Testing small changes at home makes the hang gliders at Jockey’s Ridge instantly recognizable as the same principles in action.

🪁 Practice Kite Flying Before the Trip

Experiment with tail length, angle, and wind strength at a local park. When you reach the top of the dune, you’re not starting from scratch — kids already know how to control what they’re flying.

📈 INDUSTRY TRENDS

BILT: The New Catch-All Card That Actually Solves Redemption Frustration

The biggest shift for JGOOT families right now is the move toward BILT as the everyday points engine.

At its simplest, BILT functions as a 2X catch-all travel card, which makes it far more useful for real life — especially internationally, where bonus categories often don’t apply and you still want to earn transferable points.

What makes it stand out is the partner list. BILT’s transfer options are strong, practical, and built for people who actually redeem flights, which means:

• fewer dead ends when you find award space

• more ways to book the flight you want

• less need to stockpile multiple currencies

It also keeps Hyatt as a transfer partner, so for families whose lodging strategy is built around high-value Hyatt redemptions, nothing is lost in the shift.

The result is a single card that:

• earns well on everyday and international spend

• supports flight redemptions without the usual partner limitations

• stays fully aligned with the JGOOT 2¢+ redemption goal

And that combination is what’s making it the card that can replace Chase in a JGOOT points strategy.

❓ Q&A

Is March too cold?

Not for the way this trip is designed.

Average March temperatures in the Outer Banks are:

• Highs: around 60–65°F (15–18°C)

• Lows: around 45–50°F (7–10°C)

You’re not planning a swimming trip — you’re planning:

• dune climbs at Jockey’s Ridge

• kite flying in steady coastal wind

• biking and long beach walks

• exploring historic sites without summer heat

Those temperatures are actually ideal for being active outdoors, and you’ll have the beaches largely to yourselves.

From a JGOOT strategy standpoint, March also gives you:

• significantly lower lodging prices

• better flight availability for positioning

• a much more relaxed experience overall

So while it’s not a sunbathing month, it’s one of the best months for the type of memory-dense, movement-based trip this destination does best!

And speaking of questions, don't forget - you get to ask us any questions you want on this month's LIVE Q&A session: Mar 10, 9am PT/12pm ET. Click here to join the livestream.