School’s out, the humidity’s up — it feels like summer.
To celebrate, many of the North State Journal’s staff are sharing some of their favorite summer places and memories they have across North Carolina.
Matt Mercer, Editor in Chief
Bald Head Island
A few months after the COVID pandemic hit in March 2020 my wife and I decided to join some friends of ours for a trip to the beach.
The original destination was Carolina Beach but it was a single day at the end of the trip that left me wanting more.
At some point on Saturday evening, we were walking back to our hotel and she says to me, “ever been to Bald Head Island?”
I said no, but I’ve heard it’s pretty cool and you can’t drive there. Up to that point, that was all I knew.
We decided in that moment to drive to Southport early Sunday morning and take the ferry to BHI.
Stepping off the ferry and taking in the sights – and sounds of nature – I was enthralled.
A small part of the island is the resort-type surroundings with expensive golf carts and immaculately-dressed tourists. The rest, though, is quite literally the feeling of being in another country.
The island has thousands of years of untouched nature. Spanish moss, gorgeous trees, but something else – just the calmness of riding down a modest road on a bike taking in the island.
The venerable “Old Baldy” lighthouse gently sits at one entrance of the island. There is an old chapel next to it that still holds weekly services for both the full-time residents and part-time visitors.
At the southeastern edge is a spot I could have spent all day: Access 39. The sand, the competing ocean currents, it was a feeling I can’t quite accurately describe in words.
The day we had even with a dash to make the 5 p.m. ferry to get home was one of the best I can still remember.
As we took the 30-minute ride back to the mainland, we looked at one another and knew: we have to go back.
A.P. Dillon, Reporter
Carolina Beach
Almost annually, our family likes to head to the coast during summer vacation. While we’ve visited the Outer Banks a number of times, we keep returning to Carolina Beach, just south of the port of Wilmington.
Carolina Beach is always a winner with the kids with its shell-dotted beaches, various shops, and delicious restaurants, as well as the fun games and amusements on the boardwalk. The entire area is very family friendly and laid back – perfect for rest and relaxation. Both of my sons have declared that “no summer is complete” without Carolina Beach’s surf and sand!
A point of interest to check out is Condor, a partially sunken Civil War blockade runner ship that can be seen in the shallows about 700 yards off the coastline. The Condor is one of around 65 different shipwrecks within 50 miles of the Carolina Beach shores.
For families interested in history, wandering around the remaining walls and preserved cannons of the civil war-era Fort Fisher is a great way to spend an afternoon. Further south, the aquarium at Fort Fisher is a must-do, especially if you have younger children. A fun and interesting day trip we typically take while in the area is to tour the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship in the Port of Wilmington.
Cory Lavalette, Managing/Sports Editor
Duck
Trips to Duck on the Outer Banks during Fourth of July week have become my family’s summer getaway of choice. Duck and the surrounding towns have proven to be the perfect destination for a large group of people with differing interests.
We first went to Duck when we were a family of three in 2006, taking 3-year-old Isabelle on our first big beach trip with a combination of family and friends.
It was the start of an almost annual trip that’s become a family tradition.
What has made Duck — and, a couple of times, Corolla — such a perfect fit for us is the variety of things to do and the different houses available. When we had young children — Brodie was born in August 2007 — our needs were different than when shared a rental with other families totaling full of four of five teenagers. And what the region has to offer made our changing needs easily accommodated.
When the kids were little, several days were spent at the beach making sand castles, finding seashells and splashing in the surf. The nights were often quiet — a family-style meal each night followed by the latest animated movie.
When the kids got a little older, some beach days were exchanged for a charter fishing trip, an afternoon with Jet Skis, a trip to the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island or a visit to one of the lighthouses.
As our kids became teens, they often ventured out with their friends while the adults would enjoy morning coffee and doughnuts from nearby Duck Donuts, a quiet afternoon of reading on the deck or a nice seafood dinner.
No matter what we were doing, or how old our family was, the Outer Banks has always made for a memorable week — and a family tradition that maybe our children will carry on to the next generation.
Shawn Krest, Reporter
Chang and Eng Bridge
Anyone who has planned travel in North Carolina knows the usual talking points:
Mountains and beach, all in one state. But some of our most interesting trips have been when we visited, or more often, stumbled across, some of the other, offbeat travel options located in the vast area between the two popular destinations.
There are also the typical talking points when it comes to famous people who have called North Carolina home, and the state has plenty of areas where visitors can learn more and pay tribute about the luminaries who have spent time in our state, from Michael Jordan to Dale Earnhardt to Ava Gardner to Andy Griffith. Again, some of the most interesting day trips come from the people not normally associated with the state.
Take, for instance, Chang and Eng Bunker. The conjoined twins were two of the most famous celebrities of the 1800s and are well-known in modern times to regular readers of the Guinness Book of World Records, where a photo of the Bunkers is an annual staple.
The brothers were born in the kingdom of Siam and are the reason that conjoined twins are still often referred to as “Siamese twins”. They made a fortune traveling in what were then called “freak shows” but eventually bought property in North Carolina and settled down with a pair of local girls (sisters) who eventually became their wives. The Bunkers retired to Mount Airy and are buried there. The town also has an exhibit celebrating their lives and has named the bridge into town after them.
Another foreign-born, widely traveled star who settled in North Carolina was Andre the Giant, the 7-foot-4 pro wrestling legend. Born in Grenoble, France, he retired to his ranch near Ellerbe, NC. While the ranch is not open to the public, the town has a museum that honors him and features some of the gear from his storied wrestling career.
From Babe Ruth’s first home run to the final resting place of the Gravedigger monster truck, there’s plenty to see in the state, if you know where to look.
Ryan Henkel, Reporter
Emerald Isle
My favorite summer vacation destination in North Carolina has to be Emerald Isle.
Every year since high school, me and my buddies have spent a week or weekend – typically whatever we can make work – down there enjoying the beach, some fishing and just all around good times.
Emerald Isle is the perfect Outer Banks beach experience, in my opinion. The sand isn’t plastered with shells and sediment and the water is typically fairly calm and pleasant. It’s not too crowded, being a fairly quiet stretch, but there’s still plenty enough to do and enjoy in the area. So whether you want to enjoy the sun or get out in the water, Emerald Isle is the perfect spot.
We always make it a tradition to hit up our favorite dining spots, including Rucker Johns, the chicken tender platter with RJ fries and cheesy grits is the way to go you can’t forget about the basket of croissant as an appetizer, Big Oak Drive In & Bar-B-Q, for your general southern barbeque/burger type of spot, and The Crab Shack, if we’re feeling like some great, fresh seafood.
It’s also special to me because it’s a chance to catch up and hangout with my friends like we did back in the day.
My favorite memory of Emerald Isle was in 2017. It was the summer following my first year in college and so I hadn’t really seen my friends in a while. That trip down to Emerald Isle was special for me because it brought us all back together again and after that trip we’ve made an even greater effort to keep it going as the years have gone on.
So for me, Emerald Isle is more than a destination, it’s a piece of my heart.
Jesse Deal, Reporter
Oak Island
Ever since my childhood, my family and I would often spend our summer vacation beach trips enjoying the beautiful beaches and quaint, small-town vibes that can be found on Oak Island in Brunswick County, about 45 minutes south of Wilmington.
Whether it’s taking advantage of the spacious beach access of Long Beach, experiencing the Southport 4th of July Festival that has dazzled locals and visitors for over 200 years, or trying out the numerous mom-and-pop-styled restaurants and pubs that populate E. Oak Island Drive, the island provides a little something for everyone.
While I grew a deep, nostalgia-rooted affection for the area through the years, I never truly appreciated it the way it deserved until I temporarily lived there in 2016.
I was fresh out of college at ECU — and feeling more than a little aimless — as my family decided to build a home in a Southport neighborhood with the goal of spending lots of time there as a quasi-beach house.
However, with the rest of my family unable to join me due to work constraints, I soon found myself as the sole occupant of the home for that summer as I bonded with Oak Island’s atmosphere in a way that only comes with spending time there on an often-daily basis.
One particular memory that leaps to me is when some visiting friends and I spent nearly an entire day at “The Point,” a lovely spot at the westernmost tip of the island where the Lockwood Folly River empties into the south-facing Atlantic.
With the right set of eyes, the views of the crimson sunset and Holden Beach off in the distance can trigger an elicit feeling of gratitude for this gorgeous, expansive state of North Carolina that provides a wide range of sights for all who seek to look.
Emmie Brooks, Reporter
Bayview
Brackish water waves rolling under the pier, the smell of sunscreen around the air, and tying up crab pots, are all the things that make up my favorite vacation.
There are countless places in North Carolina to find vacation, although Beaufort County offers an ideal destination for tranquility and relaxation. Bath, North Carolina has long been a destination of mine when looking for time to get away from the busyness of everyday life.
Every summer, my family and I pack up our things and head down to Bayview, a small community in Bath. This area is just close enough to a few other popular, buzzing areas, although just far enough that it is possible to find peace in the quiet.
Bath itself does not consist of much more than vacation homes, locals, and a small colonial village that is now a state historic site, although, the people truly do make the place in this area.
A day on vacation in Bayview typically starts with Old Town Country Kitchen. A Bath local favorite for a classic comfort breakfast. After indulging in Country Kitchen’s cheesy biscuits or eggs and bacon, my family and I “suit up” for a boat ride.
The Pamlico River itself brings back countless memories for me; from exhausting my dad’s elbow driving my brother and me on the tube behind the boat to simply anchoring and going for a swim. A plus of tubing and swimming in the sun all day, were the best “boat naps” as the rolling waves of the Pamlico rocked me to sleep on the bow.
As they say, “time flies when you’re having fun”, similarly, time spent on the river can pass by quickly. My family and I typically bring the boat back to its lift typically around sunset and begin thinking about what to eat for dinner. Blackbeard’s tavern is a wonderful quick and easy pizza place in the middle of Bath, although surrounding areas such as Washington or Belhaven also have some great restaurants to offer.
Stacey Matthews, Opinion Columnist
Southport
North Carolina is filled with places to up pack the family and take on vacation or to jump in your car solo for a quick getaway — from the coast to the mountains and everywhere in between.
But though the choices are vast, my favorite spot without a doubt is Southport.
I’ve taken many summer trips there over the years, including some with family and others with friends, and the sights and sounds, not to mention the gift shops and food places by the water, never get old.
The historic waterfront homes take your breath away. I could sit on the nearby swings there and never get tired of it.
For lunch, there is the Trolly Stop hot dog place, which recently changed its name to Southport Hotdog Company. My dad absolutely loved their hot dogs, and every time we visited Southport together, we would stop there at least once to partake in the deliciousness.
For a landing spot, we enjoyed the Riverside Motel, where watching the ships and boats go by was only a few footsteps away.
With Oak Island being right next to Southport, we spent many an afternoon and evening enjoying the pier, where Dad fished and made new friends while Mom and I soaked up the sun and dug our toes into the cool, mushy sand.
If all goes well, Mom and I may visit Southport this summer, not just for a change of scenery but also in memory of Dad who if he was still with us would be the first out the door to get on the road.
Summers in Southport. It really doesn’t get much better than that.
Valeria Cloës, Reporter
Kure Beach
I can vividly remember the first time I spent a vacation at Kure Beach in North Carolina. It was summer of 2016, only a year since I had moved to North Carolina after spending four years living in France. The beach was calm, family-friendly and colorful.
Whether it’s pronounced “CURE” or “CUR-RY,” I still have no idea in June 2023.
But that summer with my family, where we spent two weeks in an Airbnb, was one of the most memorable.
One of my favorite parts of that beach is South Fort Fisher Boulevard, a road lined with beautiful live oak trees. The ocean is visible on one side of the road, and Fort Fisher State Historic Site with a museum and dunes on the other.
While I wasn’t a fan of running at the time, my mom and I would take long walks down that same path, enjoying the view and having the ocean breeze cool the sweat forming on our necks. After a few years, this path became my favorite beach running path.
And the best part: taking a dip in the ocean after those long walks and runs.
After almost six years, Kure Beach remains our favorite beach spot in the state. Yes, Carolina Beach has the liveliness and Wrightsville has the college-age sensation, Kure Beach has the time-stopping effect.
When I’m laying in the sun, relaxing and recharging from all the hard work from the rest of the year, the stress of it evaporates and drips from my skin, absorbed by the Kure Beach sand. The Kure Beach ocean replenishes my body with newfound energy I can take home with me.
This beach cures me.
So whenever anyone asks me where they should go for summer vacation, I always answer with “Kure Beach,” however you want to pronounce it.