How Did You Get Here?

This part of North Carolina's coast is not one of the major beach destinations. Sure, folks from Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta and Winston-Salem have known for generations that the beaches here are among the best on the east coast. Oak Island, Ocean Isle, Sunset Beach, Holden Beach -- fabulous sand and sea with long stretches that are uncrowded even in mid-July. So a topic of conversation in these parts is often "how did you get here?" People are interested in how we found this amazing piece of heaven. The stories are varied. Some people started in Savannah and Charleston and choked on the beach prices, so they drove up the coast. Others spent many summers in the Outer Banks and choked on the crowds (and the deserted island with snow in the winter) and drove down the coast. Some had heard of Bald Head Island and then discoverd the charming fishing village of Southport. Some ventured out of the Myrtle Beach strips and found Calabash and Ocean Isle. The end result, though, is no matter how we got here, we are darn glad we did!