The Emerald Isle
is where people go because they want to sit on the beach and let the sun bake, the surf buffet, and the water soak their cares
away. It's a place where the beach is the main attraction. And, you know that it's a place for real 'beach people' because the number of cottages for rent is vastly outnumbered by the number of cottages that are owned by locals. This is a place where people go to live; I can't think of a better dream. At the Emerald Isle, you won't find amusement parks, outlet malls, and all of the other balderdash that the more prominent places seem to attract. You'll find sand, surf, calm, and serenity.
There's still shells here, whole beautiful fossils of life that still teams off the coast. If you look har
d enough, you'll even see some of what you thought were shells, burrow into the sand - clams; and dolphins, and schools
of fish, and all of the things that nature would have you see if you're calm enough to wait. Go, wait, breathe, you'll be glad you did.
And, when you've beached for days (or burned for hours) there's one more thing to recommend you to The Crystal Coast that might get you off the beach for a while. If you drive to the southern tip of Emerald Isle, and then a little further, you can cross the bridge into Beaufort (Bow-fort), an exquisite and historic town, one of North Carolina's oldest.
Take
the second right after the bridge (you'll see the sign) and drive to the shore. Don't miss the visitor's center on your left, a small, unassuming storefront, but the place where you can pick up a nice walking tour of the town. Park your car, get out, stretch your legs, suck in that ocean air, and check things out. Stop and watch the men build real wooden boats. Visit North Carolina's maritime museum. Take a ferry over to the Rachel C
arson Nature Reserve, and make the walk down to Hammock House, where Blackbeard stayed on shore-leave. It's a surprising place, but the walk is lovely. Walk back along Ann Street, in the shade, and enjoy the historic homes. Turn back to the shore on Queen and stop at the Front Shops. Have yourself a lovely (and reasonably priced) lunch at The Boardwalk Cafe. Although they have plenty of ite
ms to recommend, I always have a shrimp burger and am never disappointed. The food is plentiful and tasty. You can seat yourself, so make sure you sit by the windows because you'll be close enough to look across Taylor's Creek for the wild horses on the reserve. Beaufort is t
he place to do your souvenir shopping, should the mood hit you - its also the place to buy fudge, trust me.
And, if there's still more you want to see and do, The Crystal Coast, like all destination vacations, is internet ready. The following websites should help: