NC Beaches - amusements?

[mcmartian]

when we went to outer banks the kids were told about the pirate history and given pirate hats and swords, then they buried their toys on the beach and tried to dig them up before the waves washed away the x's. needless to say some toys were lost but the kids didn't ask about a rollercoaster all week.

[DIGBY67]

Highway 40 will put you in Wilmington/Wrightsville beach in about 2 hours or less.
If you want the "blank beach" feel of the outer banks, and you have a vehicle that can handle sand, then keep 40 all the way through Wilmington and into Carolina Beach. Ask for directions to either the "north or south end" where you can drive your vehicle around the dunes and onto the beach.
Carolina Beach also has a little carnival and a boardwalk where you can buy a fresh doughnut and some tacky stuff (the last time I was there).
Closer to Wilmington proper is Wrightsville Beach. Check out the NC Aquarium at the south tip of Wrightsville at Fort Fisher, then you can take a ferry to Southport. The best cheeseburger ever (maybe because of the view) is at Dockside Restaurant on the Intracoastal Waterway that overlooks the boats, marina, and drawbridge into Wrightsville Beach. Wilmington itself has a beautiful historic district and the USS North Carolina Battleship docked across the river from downtown is a pretty cool tour for the kids too.
Obviously, I like Wilmington a lot.

[3littlerascals]

Thanks for all the info. I found out this morning that my son's speech therapist vacations in Wrightsville Beach. She says it's beautiful. I'm looking forward to seeing things for ourselves.
BTW - what do people refer to vacationing at the beach as in NC? Do they say "going down the shore", "to the beach" etc. Just curious.

[MrsSteel]

People say they're "going to the beach" in NC.