When you vacation at a Carolina beach, where do you go? (Morehead City: real estate, rentals)

[perchy]

So you live in North Carolina and want to take a trip to the beach (or you already live near one). Where do you go? Why do you choose this beach?

I'm looking for opinions about both North and South Carolina beaches that one might travel to from North Carolina (I'm in the Triad, but no matter).

I've been to Southport/Oak Island, NC, and I've been to South Carolina's Grand Strand beaches (Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island). But I can't decide where I might want to go to spend an entire week and or consider buying a second home.... you know, when I finally win PowerBall...

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by perchy

So you live in North Carolina and want to take a trip to the beach (or you already live near one). Where do you go? Why do you choose this beach?

I'm looking for opinions about both North and South Carolina beaches that one might travel to from North Carolina (I'm in the Triad, but no matter).

I've been to Southport/Oak Island, NC, and I've been to South Carolina's Grand Strand beaches (Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island). But I can't decide where I might want to go to spend an entire week and or consider buying a second home.... you know, when I finally win PowerBall...

If you go in the Ocean at Carolina Beach be careful of the rip currents, it broke my ankle my first day there and you don't want to have to visit Cape Fear hospital although it is very good.

I didn't do much since I was down but the first night we arrived we ate at Michaels and they have fantastic crab crabs!
Heard Freddys has great pork chops but I never got there. Hopefully others can tell you the hot spots.

[nysparkle]

My husband and I like Atlantic beach. We stay at a condo resort called The Peppertree. If you call the resort they will tell you what real estate handles the rentals.

Further down the beach is the NC aquarium. The other half of the island is called Emerald Isle. There are homes there you can rent and purchase.

Now if you travel the other direction you can visit quaint boating villages Beaufort for one. Fort Macon is also 5 minutes from Peppertree.

The beach is nice be careful of the rip tide.

Put Atlantic Beach and Peppertree in a Google search and you will find the info.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by perchy

So you live in North Carolina and want to take a trip to the beach (or you already live near one). Where do you go? Why do you choose this beach?

I'm looking for opinions about both North and South Carolina beaches that one might travel to from North Carolina (I'm in the Triad, but no matter).

I've been to Southport/Oak Island, NC, and I've been to South Carolina's Grand Strand beaches (Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island). But I can't decide where I might want to go to spend an entire week and or consider buying a second home.... you know, when I finally win PowerBall...

Just FYI, the jellyfish are horrible at Hilton Head in August when the water is at its warmest. One day I saw no fewer than 50 people get stung!

A lot of people rave about Emerald Isle

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by nysparkle

My husband and I like Atlantic beach. We stay at a condo resort called The Peppertree. If you call the resort they will tell you what real estate handles the rentals.

Further down the beach is the NC aquarium. The other half of the island is called Emerald Isle. There are homes there you can rent and purchase.

Now if you travel the other direction you can visit quaint boating villages Beaufort for one. Fort Macon is also 5 minutes from Peppertree.

The beach is nice be careful of the rip tide.

Put Atlantic Beach and Peppertree in a Google search and you will find the info.

Sea Spray is another one at Atlantic Beach too and A place at the Beach right next door usually abbreviated APATB. I actually had a pretty good vacation at that beach last year, and I wanted more action at so I tried Carolina Beach this year, should have stuck with Atlantic Beach

My sister in-laws parents used to go to Peppertree every year.

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by lovesMountains

Just FYI, the jellyfish are horrible at Hilton Head in August when the water is at its warmest. One day I saw no fewer than 50 people get stung!

A lot of people rave about Emerald Isle

Jelly fish

Ermeral Isle is beautiful we'll probably stay over at that one this time. They have a nice mini golf and go karts place there, we had a blast!

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by a1m1700

Jelly fish

Ermeral Isle is beautiful we'll probably stay over at that one this time. They have a nice mini golf and go karts place there, we had a blast!

I STILL have the jelly fish scar - red and very visible 6 weeks later!!

The lifeguards doling out first aid said they have learned to just never get in the water in August - they were tired of being stung! Fortunately this jellyfish invasion doesn't happen everywhere along the coast

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by lovesMountains

I STILL have the jelly fish scar - red and very visible 6 weeks later!!

The lifeguards doling out first aid said they have learned to just never get in the water in August - they were tired of being stung! Fortunately this jellyfish invasion doesn't happen everywhere along the coast

Geez .......we went July 2005 and I was in the water almost all day. Thank God we didn't go in August. If I would have gotten stung by a jelly fish last year and this year broke my ankle this year, I would never return to another NC beach

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by a1m1700

Geez .......we went July 2005 and I was in the water almost all day. Thank God we didn't go in August. If I would have gotten stung by a jelly fish last year and this year broke my ankle this year, I would never return to another NC beach

That would have been terrible luck!! The locals told us it was something to do with how far south Hilton Head is and its warmer ocean temps - attracts the jellyfish. I've never known anyone stung by one at a NC beach.

[Niki]

I love the Southport/Oak Island area. Good restaurants (Ship's Chandler [now Cape Fear Restaurant], Jones Seafood, Russell's; too bad they closed the Sea Captain ), a lighthouse, great beaches, Fort Fisher and Ft. Fisher Aquarium nearby, Bald Head Island nearby.


Topsail Island is nice, too. We enjoyed eating at Mollie's for breakfast and Long Island Pizza for, what else, pizza.


I've spent very little time on the Outer Banks (just a few hours), but I'd like to return for a longer stay someday. I'd love to visit all the lighthouses there. We went to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on our short trip through there 2-3 years ago, but couldn't go in because some guy had jumped from the top of it and committed suicide not long before we arrived. He was on his honeymoon.


I've been to the Atlantic Beach/Morehead City/Fort Macon area 2 or 3 times. I liked Ft. Macon and the aquarium (which I'm sure is much nicer since they remodeled it) and there was a good pizza place in Atlantic Beach (Roma's), but the area wasn't really my cup of tea.


I personally don't care for Carolina Beach (unattractive, in my opinion) or Myrtle Beach (too crowded; too many buildings).