north carolina beaches
 

has anyone been to carolina , topsail, or outerbanks beaches? i'm looking for a nice oceanfront motel close to some nice restaurants & tourist attractions, can anybody help? we are in our 50's if that helps thanks in advance

I have been to Atlantic Beach many times --the nicest place to stay on Atlantic Beach is the Sheraton- right on the ocean....<BR><BR>Outer Banks has too many bugs.<BR>Wilmington Beaches are very large and wonderful also.<BR><BR>Atlantic Beach is very family oriented--but there are tons of restaurants on the beach side of the bridge--including Frank and Clara's for Seafood...you are also only a 1.2 hr drive to Beaufort NC- a very very picturesque town on the intracoastal with a walking harbor,shops,antique shops and great restaurants.....<BR><BR>Hope this helps= ( we are also in our 50's-lol)

that is 1/2 hr drive from Atlantic Beach to Beaufort,NC--sorry for the typo-- senior fingers!!!

Have you thought about a cottage on the Outer Banks? They have so much more to offer.

I have vacationed on Topsail Island since 1967 when I was seven. I highly recommend the island for a vacation. It is very family-oriented. The beaches are the opposite of the wall-to-wall people one finds in the north and at much of Myrtle Beach. The water temperature will reach 70 degrees by Memorial Day and peak at 85 degrees in early August. From the beach, dolphins can be sited on a nearly daily basis. As long as one isn't having a major drinking spree, drinking on the beach is not a problem. It is a pleasant beach for a nice read and also to surf fish.

Topsail is best enjoyed by renting a cottage. Wards and Century 21 are the best local realtors. Even this late in the spring one should be able to find a nice place to rent. As for motels, there are several. The Jolly Roger is too close to the pier by the same name for my taste. The venerable Topsail Motel is old but kept up pretty well. The Sea Vista is newer but has experienced sand erosion in a terrible way for over twenty years. These three motels are located at Topsail Beach, on the island's south end. The motels in Surf City, the epicenter of the island, are of a lower grade and are for budgeters and fishermen. Most are not oceanfront.

As Topsail Island is 21 miles long, places to eat are spread out. On the north end, amongst the condos, is Palotti's, which is attached to Villa Capriati. Palotti's has been around for many years and specializes in Italian and seafood dishes. I highly recommend Palotti's. Mr. Palotti has lived on the island for decades and runs the place in a family fashion. Many of the waitresses have worked for Palotti for twenty years plus. In downtown Surf City is Soundside which specializes in New South food with much of the menu centered on seafood. Soundside is the most elegant restaurant on the island. Just off the island in new digs by the old military swing bridge is Beauchaine's II. Beauchaine's II is new south cooking, too, with more of a Cajun twist. Shrimp and Grits is one of their most interesting and tasty entrees. On the far south end of the island is Latitude 34, which opened up 3 years ago. Don't be discouraged by Latitude 34's sharing a building with Kip's convenience store. It is a nice restaurant with a splendid view of Topsail Sound. It also cooks in the New South manner. For an even better view of the sound, there is the Breezeway, which is an old fashioned fried seafood place that has branched out to blackening your fish. Their hush puppies may be the best in the world. The other restaurants on the island are only fair. Blackbeard's and Oceanside serve fried seafood. Mollies is very good for a Carolina breakfast or an omelette. Max's Pizza is alright, certainly not up to New York's standards on the pizza. Palotti's pizza is superior. Next door is a steak house, the name escapes me. It is mediocre. All these are in downtown Surf City. Surf City also has a pretty lousy Chinese/Japanese restaurant. Off the north end, near Sneads Ferry, are at least three pretty decent restaurants. For Mexican, if you are in the mood for a thirty minute trip, there is El Vaquero.

Topsail is served by two Food Lions which are located about two miles off-island. Be leery of shopping at these Food Lions on Saturday afternoons when the week's vacationers arrive. The Surf City IGA, forced to compete with the Food Lions, does a pretty good job of it.

Left out that El Vacquero is in Wilmington, on Route 17. And, of course, Wilmington has several fine restaurants if you want to make the trip. Wilmington, especially the strip between Wilmington and Wrightsville, are filled with all sorts of chain restaurants from Hooters to Olive Tree if that is what apeals to you.