Going vacation is always a fun experience filled with new things – such as fine dining, exploring new places, or just laying out on the beach. Vacation is an important thing – so important that more than ninety percent of all employees in the United States said that their vacation time was of much importance to them. After all, employees and workers and push themselves at work are doubly as likely to experience elevated levels of stress at home and as much as seventy three percent likely to feel increased levels of stress at work. Those who took breaks to relieve stress were found to be up to twenty five percent more likely to get promoted and more than eighty percent more likely to get a raise.

From dining options to budget, there are many different ways that people decide where to go on vacation. In fact, nearly seventy five percent of people choose a place that they will ultimately return to, while others like their vacation to be a new adventure every time.

The Outer Banks in North Carolina have become a popular vacation destination for people all over the country. The Outer Banks are a small stretch of islands, just about one hundred and thirty miles long, providing adventure, dining and restaurants, and an escape from everyday life. The Outer Banks in North Carolina are also ideal for hosting big events such as weddings – and are actually the third most popular wedding destination in the entire country, third behind only Hawaii and Las Vegas.

There are many attractions in the Outer Banks, both natural and man made. For instance, wild ponies still freely roam much of the Outer Banks and at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge you can see as many as four hundred different species of birds. The highest sand dune, ninety feet tall, also finds its home in the Outer Banks, at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Visiting the Cape Hatteras lighthouse is another popular tourist attraction and in 2011 alone, more than one hundred thousand people have climbed it. It’s the tallest brick lighthouse in the entire United States, reaching taller than two hundred feet. Many tourists and visitors are also interested in visiting historic sites, such as the monument dedicated to the Wright brothers, who had their first successful flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and the many shipwrecks off of the coast, a popular destination for scuba divers looking to explore them.

And there are still more popular activities, from engaging in the fine dining offered on the Outer Banks to partaking in kite surfing, hang gliding, and paragliding, popular activities because of the wind typically found on the coastline at the Outer Banks. Beach rentals are common in the Outer Banks, and it is important in your vacation planning process to find a vacation rental close to the things that you want to do. For instance, if you love food, getting a rental close to restaurants and various dining options is ideal. Beach rentals, on the other hand, while often still close to dining options, tend to be primarily chosen because the vacationers want to utilize their easy access to the beach as often as possible while on their trip.

Vacationing is important, so important that the vast majority of employees in the United States highly value their vacation time. In fact, taking time off of work has actually been shown to improve your performance, as well as the possibility that you will get a promotion or a raise (or even both). Taking a vacation to relieve stress every once in awhile is crucial to your overall happiness and even your success.