Sun, Sand and Surf!

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH ~ I dedicate this post to all the kids returning to school. There's a week until Labor Day and the beaches are packed with families taking in the last days of summer vacation. I took this shot of Wrightsville Beach (4-miles long) in Wilmington, NC back in the winter when the beach was pretty empty. I imagine this is what it will look like again in a month or two. But until then, kids, enjoy the sun, the sand and surf (now that the sharks have stopped biting!)

Accolades - Best Place to Live 2015

Okay, so it's not Raleigh, but Apex is just a couple towns away and still considered part of the greater Raleigh/Durham area. Congratulations to this small American town. Check out my posts on Apex. Here's another, click here.

Southport Sea Breezes

No, this is not Bermuda, the Virgin Islands or somewhere on the Greek Islands. This is SOUTHPORT, an out-of-the-way place along the intracoastal waterway of North Carolina, a small town spanning no more than four miles.

I checked this town out with a couple friends on an unusually warm winter day back in mid-March. It was also Sunday, so few places were even open.

Southport has been the backdrop for many tv shows and movie productions, including Dawson's Creek, Crimes of the Heart, Revenge, A Walk to Remember and Safe Haven. And it's not hard to see why with picturesque southern homes, the sounds of waves lapping against docked boats and seagulls soaring overhead.

There are two distinct vibes here in Southport  represented by the two photos above. To the left...I imagine a spunky woman in her nineties on her skateboard, dressed in helmet and kneepads vandalizing a traffic sign early in the morning before others her age are even waking for the day. To the right, I picture an older lady of leisure, spending the afternoon with the love of her life, soaking in fresh air, scenic views and sipping on sweet tea—a scene straight out of a Nicolas Sparks novel. And if my initial impressions prove to be correct, both women would be welcome here. 

This is a town I would visit again, for sure, but perhaps not on Independence Day, when this quiet town of roughly 3500 swells to a boisterous 50,000 for the Fourth of July Festival. For me, I'd like to remember this place for the welcoming spirit, and slow pace. Until we meet again...