North Carolina beach area
 

My husband and I have never been to North Carolina before and have a week vacation end of July (I know it will be hot). We are looking for a hotel/resort on the beach, maybe with a pool. Would like to sightsee a little also, but we are beach people mostly. Just looking to relax. Trying to hit all 50 states...Also good restaurants nearby is a plus. Thanks for any help

JulieR, I have never been there, but have friends who vacation every year at Topsail Beach..and love it.

search on the outerbanks and you will get tons of info. friends i know go to ocracoke is. every year and love it. you can also look under obx, the short hand name of the outerbanks.

How about renting an oceanfront condo at Oak Island? Some of them have swimming pools, and the beaches are beautiful and usually uncrowded. Historic Wilmington is nearby for sightseeing and shopping. If you're interested, here's a website where you can search for rentals:
http://www.rentalsatthebeach.com/

Have a great trip. I'm jealous...at the moment we live in Germany, and I'll miss those beautiful NC beaches this summer :(

There are many areas to choose from. You might want to start here:

www.outerbanks.com

Duck!!!!!!!!!

I second Topsail Island (pronounced Top-suhl, as I found out!) for a quiet, peaceful vacations. I don't know much about resorts on the island, as we rented a house, but I believe there are some on the north end of the island. Not a ton to do on the island, but Wilmington is a short drive away. The beach is not crowded, and at night there is no light but the moon. Incredible!!

You don't say whether you need to fly in or will drive. Folks LOVE the Outer Banks but it can be a trek. You might enjoy the SC beaches (if you are looking for a pool plus beach). Litchfield by the Sea at Pawley's Island is a beautiful resort with GREAT dining nearby. Wild Dunes near Charleston is also beautiful. These two are close to airports also--Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

I have vacationed at Topsail Island for nearly forty years (since age 7) and find it a wonderful place. Topsail is very uncrowded and people are friendly. By late July, the ocean temperature will be in the low eighties. Eating has improved greatly on the island. There's three New South restaurants my family eats at on the island along with your traditional Carolina fried fish restaurants and several hamburger joints. Although one Italian restuarant just closed after the death of its owner, the island still has one Italian restuarant. Topsail Island is served by one IGA supermarket on island and two Food Lions just off island near the two bridges that served the island. Fresh seafood is easily obtained at one of the several markets on and off island. Although wild parties are discouraged on the island, there's no problem with drinking at the seaside. Topsail has several piers to fish from and surf casting is very popular. The island boasts hundreds of rentals. I have found the best run rental companies to be Ward Realty, Bryson Realty and Century 21. Each has a web site.

I am a big fan of Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. It is a great area with historical attractions, excellent restaurants and plenty of shopping. You can rent a house there or stay at the Sunspree, which is quite nice.

I'd love to return to Topsail some day. I dated someone whose family owned a house there back in 1976, I think. I remember no restaurants, just a fish market where we would get fish or shrimp every day. Later, around 1982, I took my husband and a group of friends there for a week's vacation. I have really fond memories of the place.

We love the OBX and go every summer. However, there aren't a lot of hotels. Have you considered renting a home for a week? This is what this area is all about and you can get villas or homes, complete with pools, etc. if you're willing to pay the price. That said, if you really want a hotel, there is a new Hampton Inn in Corolla which is right on the beach. I think, though, you may wind up paying more at the Hampton for one week than you would for a rental property. We just love this area but the road (Rt. 12) can get quite congested in high season. But that's just a great part of the experience. There are other motels in the Kitty Hawk and Nags Head area. Once you go to the OBX, you'll be hooked! This will be our 10th summer there! Be sure to go to Penguin Isle in Nags Head for dinner - it's our favorite place to eat. Also, Dirty Dick's Crab House has the best crabs and seafood. If you're looking to rent a house, request a rental book from Village Realty or Southern Shores Realty. We've dealt with both in the past.

We love Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, and Emerald Isle. Have also been to Topsail and Outer Banks, and had wonderful times there. You can hardly go wrong on the Carolina Coast, but I'd say my faves at the moment are the first two areas I mentioned.

Suki, Topsail got it's first modern, top-flight restaurant in 1982- Soundside. Beauchaine's, later called Beauchaine's II opened about 1995. Latitude 34 opened about 2001. All are a combination of New South/modern seafood/neo-Cajun. All three are great places to eat. Villa Caprini is replacing Pallotti's as it's in-house restaurant with a top-flight restaurant but I don't know the name of it as yet.

We stayed in Emerald Isle last June for a week and it was wonderful and relaxing. We had rented a house on the beach and just hung out everyday. The beaches were not crowded and the town right there was small. I do not know if renting a house is something you'd be interested in, but it was great. P.S. Bring a flashlight with you, if you walk on the beach at night you can see crabs everywhere.

You can't go wrong with any of the suggestions above. But my wife & I were in the neighborhood of Ocean Isle yesterday and decided to stop in on a restaurant there we've been wanting to try, The Isles Restaurant. Unfortunately we were too early, so we walked out onto the beach at the resort of the which the restaurant is part.

We have both been to Ocean Isle, but we had not really been to the western tip in several years.

Wow! This portion of Ocean Isle has been nicely preserved (great dunes), sensibly developed (lots of beautiful ocean-front and 1st, 2nd, & 3rd row houses, along with what appear to be very tasteful low rise condos), and has a nice flat, wide beach (as good as ours in Myrtle Beach).

I don't know much more than this, but here are a few links if you want to explore. One of the resorts there: http://www.islanderresort.com/ and the restaurant I mentioned: http://www.islesrestaurant.com/

Ocean Isle is about a 30-40 minute drive to the MB area, and perhaps about the same to Wilmington and to Southport (a neat little port city on the Cape Fear River, with a disproportionate number of good restaurants and antique shops).

Shane,

Bad news -- Soundside is permanently closed, according to a friend who lives in Snead's Ferry.

On a positive note -- The Green Turtle is replacing Pallotti's at the Villa.

Can't wait to get back to Topsail!

Thanks to everyone for their replies, we booked the Holiday Inn Sunspree on Wrightsville Beach, N.C. Now to find good restaurants...seafood,steak,italian,burgers..and things to see in and around Wrightsville. Any suggestions??

Yes, there is a restaurant at the very end of Wrightsville Beach which for the life of me I cannot name but your hotel will know it. Great views. PortLand Grille, no view but fantastic food, in the Lumina Station. There is also a small restaurant in Lumina Station on the lower level (same level as PortLand Grille) which is a woman's name (I think, Deborah) very inventive and very good. Not much business at lunch so it is a great place to stop. The Bridgetender is a popular old standby. I also like Jerry's just over the Causeway. Elijah's on the Waterfront is a favorite restaurant in Wilmington and worth the drive. Reservations a must. go visit the Battleship North Carolina for fun.

Please post a trip report. I am taking a business group to the Sunspree in October and would like your feedback. The public areas are very nice, but I have not seen a room.

Oceanic

(Restaurant at far north end of Wrightsville -- great hush puppies and crab cakes, lovely views and a nice deck in good weather)

Depending on how much you want to spend, I can't think of a better place to stop that the Sanderling Inn in Duck on the Outer Banks. It is right on the beach, no other hotels nearby (just houses) and it has wonderful restaurants.

I have not been to the Sanderling and my information may be 'way out of date but on AOL boards a while ago, the Sanderling was described as getting shabby while still being expensive. It may have been renovated by now but you might want to post a question on TripAdvisor.com

I may be in the monority here but I am not a big fan of Topsail. I live north of there and I avoid it at all costs! However, the Outer Banks are a little more crowded but you will be hard pressed to find a resort atmosphere. Most little towns on the NC coast have house rentals, there aren't many resorts (as that seems to be what you are looking for.) Sorry, I'm not much help but I'll keep thinking...

As a previous poster suggested, if you go to SC, there is Litchfield, Wild Dunes, and Kiawah. Those are resorts.

Julie, please rethink the hotel room and reconsider the condo idea.

Most condo complexes are run like resorts: front desk check-in, bellman, valet parking, daily maid service, room service, multiple pools, include linens, beach chairs etc., but have the convenience of full kitchens, living rooms, balconys, and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms if needed.

The price of a condo is similar to that of a hotel but the money you save in meals makes them the better deal. You don't have to eat out every meal which adds up quickly.

At the very least, the kitchen will allow you to pack your cooler for lunch so you don't have to get off the beach to go find food.

Pretty sure the Sunspree where she booked is much like you describe.

Any more Topsail Tips? This July I'll have my fifth vacation there and it is my idea of the perfect getaway. Very quiet compared to a lot of other Atlantic coast beaches I've been to. I appreciate the lack of floodlights (for the protection of the nesting turtles.)

I wouldn't want the peace and quiet to go away and be replaced by a "scene," but it's good to know about any new places to eat - I read Shane's comment about the new restaurants and look forward to checking them out. Info welcome.

My son worked at the Holiday Inn Sunspree in Wrightsville Beach and I've stayed there; I can attest that it is a very, very nice place. Please be aware of the speed limit on Lumina Dr. in Wrightsville Beach (the main drag). We've found it to be very well-monitored by the local police and they don't hesitate to hand out tickets for speeding.
We enjoyed the Blue Water restaurant (I think that's the name) in Wrightsville Beach.
lots of places to eat in Wilmington; it's very crowded in the summer.

SugarPlum, the Ward Realty web site has announced the selling of the Soundside building for $ 3,000,000. If the nedw owners plan to open a restaurant, I feel sure that it will have to wait a while. Soundside was a very successful restaurant for two decades but I believe the owners suffered from burn-out, a common ailment of people in the restaurant business.

GoTravel, just a side comment: for families with younger children, a condo is much the more convenient, inexpensive route, because you can do Cheerios and PB&J's in your own kitchen. But for a true vacation for the person who makes the PB&J's and cleans up the Cheerios, a motel is the thing! ;-)

Shane, my Sneads Ferry friends have good things to say about the Atlantis, which has opened in the space at the top of the St. Regis. However, I think that restaurants will always struggle there because the location is so far north.

They also like the Green Turtle (second location) that has opened at the Villa Capriani.

We're going back in July for a week - can't wait!

I'll be at the Casablanca (actually it is colored yellow) in Surf City with my family the week of July 4. Really looking forward to a week of recharging and relaxation.

Julie - You MUST eat at the Oceanic - yes, yes, it's a little expensive, but we have discovered every year we go there - it's well worth it! Someone mentioned Blue Water Restaurant - Very good as well.

I'm normally a Wrightsville guy, but am hitting Topsail this year; great atmosphere...

The best place to stay to me would be Angel by The Sea. It is ocean front and a great bargain. Very Simple and clean and the best view of the ocean.
Favorite restaurant is the Green Turtle when they have live entertainment. It is on the waterfront and you can dine outdoors. The rental is also on a quieter area of the island
in Surf City that has nicer beaches with softer sands. Barbecue is big in NC and country ham.