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Hello. Moved to NC about year ago. Grew up at the shore in NJ so I have always been a NJ beach person. Have been to FL, SC, CA, VA beaches and have always assumed that NC was a good mix of all since they have a dozen different beaches and beach towns.
I get the feeling from talking to people that NC beaches are...boring. I not looking for Atlantic City NJ or Virginia Beach type feel with ferries wheels or the cast of Jersey Shore. But I do like the feel of a vacation type beach town - boardwalks, games, fishing, and great seafood beach-ie feel restaurants.
So I guess I have been pushing off the beach visit for this reason. I really don't want to be disappointed. I'm craving the ocean and can use a little push. Anyone have any similar thoughts or positive experiences...
I'm from the Jersey Shore (Belmar / Spring Lake Area). I love the NC beaches. Because of it's proximity to Raleigh I frequent Wrightsville Beach. Beautiful beach surrounded by gorgeous beach homes. I usually eat at the Oceanic for lunch or dinner for some inexpensive but great seafood. (It is right on the beach and has great views).
I can't speak much about the other beaches in NC but Wrightsville doesn't have a boardwalk or arcades ect... FWIW, I couldn't care less about that stuff. What you call boring I call relaxing. I'm not into the carnival side of the beach scene. Now that I am older (in my 30's) going to the beach is all about sun, surf, and relaxing with my feet in the sand. The fact that in NC you can bring beer on to the beach makes it worth it in my book. I like a good game of skeeball as much as the next guy from NJ, but I don't find the NC beaches boring at all.
Carolina Beach has a small boardwalk but you're not going to find Jenkinson's or Martell's here. Which is A-OK with me to be honest. But you might want to give Carolina Beach a try. I don't eat seafood, but there are seafood restaurants there (I just can't give you my thoughts on them).
I'm with NRG, I was all about the Jersey shore in my 20s and now I try and go to the least crowded parts of the beach
I'm also a fellow NJ girl and while I love the boardwalk at times for my 8 year old daughter I don't want it every time I visit. We went to the Outer banks, which is a longer drive - about 3 1/2 hours. We stayed in Duck which overall the area there is very family friendly, places to shop and eat and beautiful beaches. We also just recently went to Top Sail beach which is only 2 1/2 hours and much more laid back and quiet compared to the outer banks. They purposely did not build it up much, just has beach homes and a small area in Surf City ( which is on the same strip as Top Sail ) with some stores and a few places to eat. Wrightsville beach I heard is nice, but is more crowded now and they have metered parking. Which to me is a pain. I always hated that in NJ..lol. Making sure you have enough quarters...run back before the meter runs out...etc. Myrtle Beach in SC I have not been to yet but would like to for the board walk it has and of course near by golf for my husband
I've always thought your first NC beach trip should be the Outer Banks as its the most unique part of the NC coast in my opinion.
I too grew up going to the Jersey shore. Spent some time in Cape May a couple of years ago and drove up to Wildwood for the day. Not much seemed to have changed in 30 years ...
As others noted, you really won't find big crazy commercial stuff in NC. Myrtle Beach is probably as close as it gets around here.
I've always thought your first NC beach trip should be the Outer Banks as its the most unique part of the NC coast in my opinion.
Frank
That is what my wife and I did. 3 years ago our first trip was OBX. TYhe following year we went to Atlantic and Wrightsville. Being from Michigan and the Great Lakes Beaches, we found the NC beaches to be huge and beautiful.
We have been back to OBX and Atlantic several times since..
I get the feeling from talking to people that NC beaches are...boring. I not looking for Atlantic City NJ or Virginia Beach type feel with ferries wheels or the cast of Jersey Shore. But I do like the feel of a vacation type beach town - boardwalks, games, fishing, and great seafood beach-ie feel restaurants.
There is tons and tons of fishing at the NC coast. And certainly no shortage of seafood restaurants with all that fresh fish coming in. As far as games, depending on the beach, you'll find stuff like mini-golf and maybe go-karts.
But the focus is clearly on the beach and the water.
The majority of the NC beaches are very family friendly. Wrightsville Beach is definitely the biggest draw in the state for a young, singles sort of crowd. And the bars and restaurants are pretty lively later in the day and into the evening. (Haven't been there in years and years, but Atlantic Beach was very crowded in the evenings with cruisers and such the one time I stayed near there).
Myrtle Beach in SC is closer to the Triangle that some of the NC beaches, and it has a boardwalk and pavilions area. And Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing are very popular places off-beach. Those might really appeal to you. Myrtle has lots of nightclubs, too. I spent a lot of weekends in my 20s down there because I had friends working their summers away. Despite the "cheese" factor of a lot of it, there was some definite fun to be had.
These days I just want to hang out on the beach with a cooler full of beer and friends and/or family. Get a quick shower and hit a nearby restaurant for some fresh seafood, and then hit the sack early so I can get up and catch the sunrise.
I've not been to shore yet myself. Big questions is: What month(s) are the best months to go if one wants to avoid excessive crowds and at same time avoid risk of hurricanes?
Myrtle Beach in SC is closer to the Triangle that some of the NC beaches, and it has a boardwalk and pavilions area. And Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing are very popular places off-beach. Those might really appeal to you. Myrtle has lots of nightclubs, too. I spent a lot of weekends in my 20s down there because I had friends working their summers away. Despite the "cheese" factor of a lot of it, there was some definite fun to be had.
Not any longer. There is no Pavilion in Myrtle Beach, they bulldozed it over two years ago. And the boardwalk there, is practically non existent. They tore down half of it to create an open space with benches overlooking the water. Myrtle Beach is trying to become a golf and shopping only destination. Most of the old water slides and go cart tracks are long gone. A handful of miniature golf courses remain. But if you haven't visited Myrtle Beach in 5-10 years, you wouldn't recognize it. The city does not want people loitering around on Ocean Boulevard like in the "old days" when the boulevard was packed.
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