I second CaptRandy. If you go to Roanoke the Elizabethan Gardens are really nice, and there is a nice aquarium nearby.
The Wright memorial is cool, Kittyhawk Kites is a neat store to check out. Get a kite when you first get there, then take it with you whenever you go to a beach. the wind is almost always good for kites.
Right near the ferry landing to Okracoke, at the southern tip of Hatteras island is the Graveyard Of The Atlantic Museum. Well worth the stop. Then catch the ferry to Okracoke.
Bodie island light is the one near the Oregon Inlet. that's cool. The Chicamacamico Life-saving station is neat. The Hatteras light is really cool. And you can climb it if you are okay with lots of stairs.
Good restaurants all along Rt. 12 You will love it. The Outer Banks is one of my favorite places on earth.