Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/38156
Day Trippin’ Summer’s Winding Down, But the Beach Is Still Calling by BETH SOLZMAN-CARPENTER If you’ve been to a store lately that sells swimwear, you’ve probably noticed that they’re already on sale for more than half off. That’s usually the case sometime after the passing of Independence Day. What’s really cool is that there’s still plenty of time to have fun in the sun, so why not buy a new suit and head east! Ask locals about their favorite local strip of coastline and you’ll probably hear a wide variety of answers. No matter what your favorite beach activity may be, you’re sure to fi nd a setting that will suit (pun intended) your individual tastes. Take Ocean Isle Beach, for instance. It’s located south, just minutes from the South Carolina border. Wilmington resident, Gina Locklear, owner of Gypsy Gina’s Art, Antiques & Jazzy Junk grew up spending summers at Ocean Isle Beach. When asked about her fondness for OIB (now you know what those oval bumper stickers stand for) she says it’s a “family beach that’s quiet and one of N.C.’s best kept secrets because it’s clean and affordable. There aren’t all the distractions that you fi nd in Myrtle Beach.” Locklear, who now spends most of her time in her shop located on Castle Street in Wilmington’s art & antiques district, says these days she often ventures to Carolina Beach. “Carolina Beach,” explains Locklear, “offers a bit more. There’s the boardwalk, summer carnival, and it’s close to Wilmington which provides even more entertainment, as well as shopping and dining options.” The Fort Fisher Aquarium is also a great stop neat Carolina Beach. If you’re on a budget and perhaps have kids in tow, Topsail Island is just a couple of hours from Fayetteville. If you’re into scenic routes, take Hwy 210 and stop to picnic at Moore’s Creek National Battleground in Currie along the way. You won’t fi nd roller coasters or boardwalks, but, according to Sandie Go 4-Wheelin’ at Freeman Park by DAVE BUTLER The beach was crowded. There wasn’t a close spot to park. We had to wedge the car into a space and walk what seemed like two miles to our spot. The kids were hot … and complaining. Why did we bring so many beach toys and why didn’t we bring something to carry them in? Kids walk slow and even slower on hot sand. What a special start to our day at the beach; it just doesn’t seem worth it. There is a better way. Freeman Park is the north extension of Carolina Beach. It’s a beach you can drive on, in fact, you have to drive on. Forget lugging the coolers, the beach chairs and the toys. Here you just drive up, pick a spot, open the doors and you and the family are enjoying the beach. Yes, you can bring beer, but no glass, liquor or wine. Yes, you can bring Rover. The crowds are kept away because this beach is for members only. Members, that is, of the guys who drive on the beach club. Freeman Park costs $20 per day or $100 for a season’s past. Weekend passes are available at $40 for 2 days and $50 for 3 days. Credit cards are accepted. You must have a four-wheel drive vehicle to enter and dogs must be on a leash during peak season. Finally dads, a reason to use the four-wheel drive option you just had to have. It doesn’t snow that much in the Sandhills. We don’t have as much ‘man’ time to hunt as we used to. Try rolling out to Freeman Park to engage that four- 12 UCW AUGUST 3-9, 2011 wheel drive system that has sat sedentary under your chassis. The environment is super laid back, probably due to the space each family is naturally allotted. Similar to a campground, people are cooperative and social. As is common in the Wilmington beach area, the water is warm, the sand is not rocky and the rip tide is medium — except when it’s not. It gets better. Freeman Park is open for camping. That’s right dad, a nice point of compromise between you and the wife. You get to sleep in the wild while she gets to be at the beach. As the kids rise at an ungodly hour, it’s ok because they can entertain themselves with the shells and crustaceans left over from last night’s tide. The beach is safe and regularly patrolled by the police who pleasantly enforce the short list of rules which can be found at Carolinabeach.org. You might be surprised to fi nd people from all over the country camping at Freeman Park. At around two hours from Fayetteville, it’s a quick day trip and an easy over-night camp. Prove why you had to get the four-wheel drive option and drive down to Freeman Park. You will be pleased with the atmosphere and the ease of instant family beach day. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Blanton, Property Manager at Topsail Sound RV Park, what you will fi nd is a “family-friendly atmosphere, and pristine beaches without the over-crowding often found at some of the other beaches.” Travel northward and you’ll fi nd Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beaches, both near Morehead City. While Emerald Isle is the tamer of the two, Atlantic Beach offers a boardwalk reminiscent of a by- gone era. You’ll fi nd amusement rides, miniature golf, and of course, those mega-gift shops that sell everything from sand crabs to shell necklaces. A trip to this part of the Bogue Banks Barrier Islands isn’t complete without stopping for a quick bite at the Sanitary Restaurant & Fish Market which has been a local staple of Morehead City since 1938. Probably the most famous stretch of beach in our state is the Outer Banks, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This is where you can visit the Wright Brothers Memorial where aviation history was made. The Outer Banks is also home to fi ve lighthouses, the oldest of which is Ocracoke Lighthouse, fi rst erected in 1798. Another popular attraction is the outdoor drama, The Lost Colony, which is performed six nights a week during the summer on Roanoke Island. So, what are you waiting for? Pack up the kids, the dogs and the cooler, fi ll the tank up with gas and fi nd a beach that suits your style. The waves are crashing, the salt-air is blowing and it just won’t be summer without at least one trip to the North Carolina coast! BETH SOLZMAN-CARPENTER, Contribut- ing Writer, is a realtor with Penfed Real Estate. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com.