Trip Report DC &Topsail Island w/teens Part Two
Jul 27th, 2002 | 09:30 PM
#1
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Trip Report DC &Topsail Island w/teens Part Two
Recap - we are a family of two adults and two teens who invited four more teens to accompany us on our vacation
We made it to Topsail Island at 9 PM. If you're heading to The Sea Star Inn don't believe randmcnally.com, you turn LEFT when you get to the island. We'd called ahead to say we might be late and the owner not only accomodated our after hours arrival, she did it with a smile, a welcome and a healthy dose of hospitality.
The Sea Star is a quaint, family run motel of about 20 rooms. It is not fancy. The room we shared with three girls held two double beds, an adequate bath, a tired dresser, a nightstand, a table, a few chairs and a kitchenette. The boys' room had a double and a twin, a bath, a dresser and a small fridge. They are renovating the rooms one at a time and the boys' room showed evidence of this. Still, you don't go to the Sea Star if you want luxury.
Now, if what you want is a clean, cool room with screen doors, a front porch with chairs to laze in, a decent pool, a friendly staff and the ocean just a sand dune away ... then you'll have found your slice of heaven.
That first night we hurried to drop our bags and sneak a peek at the sea -- at least most of us did. Our girls were delayed by the arrival (on bikes) of three young men who were compelled to stop, say Hey! and offer an escorted tour. The rest of us made it over the dune stairway all by ourselves and each of us had the breath stolen from us by the beauty of the moonlight on the waves. It took a while to pull ourselves away; it was after midnight before the grown ups settled in our bed, even later for the teens.
The next morning we were up early for a walk on the beach before we headed to Hampstead for groceries. Once supplied, we called Herrings Sports to let them know we'd arrived and they promptly delivered the surfboards and boogie boards we'd reserved.
We spent most of our days on the beach, surfing, swimming, boogie and skim boarding and people watching. Mid-afternoons were nap times before tromping out again. The surf at Topsail was great for our beginners on two days and okay on the rest.
My husband grew up in nearby Jacksonville so we took a nice drive over there and on to Emarald Isle one day. The kids spent an afternoon and evening in Surf City proper, checking the place out and souvenir shopping. They also hauled their guitars and the conga drum to the beach once or twice. The rest of the time we were just plain lazy. Never once did I hear those dreaded words -- I'm bored.
I'd planned to have breakfast and lunch from our little kitchen most days and go out for dinners. The kids though were reluctant to leave the beach. We saved a fortune on meals. One night we had East Carolina style barbeque sandwiches (and grilled cheese for the vegetarians) from Cherries down at the south end of the island. Another night we ate flounder filet sandwiches (and more grilled cheese) from Island Delights - a funky 50's style beach grill in Surf City. One night we had pizza - the staff suggested Max's but the girls begged for Domino's (yuk, the same in NC as it is in IN). On our last night my husband and I snuck off to The Breezeway for good ole southern fried seafood and sweet tea. If you go, have the hot crab dip but ask the waitress to bring you hushpuppies to slather it on - delicious. The boys ate chinese at Asahi's and liked it. The girls opted for Domino's again.
Topsail Island was the real beach experience we'd all hoped it would be. Next time we plan to check out the turtle hospital, spend a little time at the pier and take the sunset cruise complete with pirate and ghost stories that sails from the dock behind the Breezeway. I only wish next time wasn't a whole year away.
We made it to Topsail Island at 9 PM. If you're heading to The Sea Star Inn don't believe randmcnally.com, you turn LEFT when you get to the island. We'd called ahead to say we might be late and the owner not only accomodated our after hours arrival, she did it with a smile, a welcome and a healthy dose of hospitality.
The Sea Star is a quaint, family run motel of about 20 rooms. It is not fancy. The room we shared with three girls held two double beds, an adequate bath, a tired dresser, a nightstand, a table, a few chairs and a kitchenette. The boys' room had a double and a twin, a bath, a dresser and a small fridge. They are renovating the rooms one at a time and the boys' room showed evidence of this. Still, you don't go to the Sea Star if you want luxury.
Now, if what you want is a clean, cool room with screen doors, a front porch with chairs to laze in, a decent pool, a friendly staff and the ocean just a sand dune away ... then you'll have found your slice of heaven.
That first night we hurried to drop our bags and sneak a peek at the sea -- at least most of us did. Our girls were delayed by the arrival (on bikes) of three young men who were compelled to stop, say Hey! and offer an escorted tour. The rest of us made it over the dune stairway all by ourselves and each of us had the breath stolen from us by the beauty of the moonlight on the waves. It took a while to pull ourselves away; it was after midnight before the grown ups settled in our bed, even later for the teens.
The next morning we were up early for a walk on the beach before we headed to Hampstead for groceries. Once supplied, we called Herrings Sports to let them know we'd arrived and they promptly delivered the surfboards and boogie boards we'd reserved.
We spent most of our days on the beach, surfing, swimming, boogie and skim boarding and people watching. Mid-afternoons were nap times before tromping out again. The surf at Topsail was great for our beginners on two days and okay on the rest.
My husband grew up in nearby Jacksonville so we took a nice drive over there and on to Emarald Isle one day. The kids spent an afternoon and evening in Surf City proper, checking the place out and souvenir shopping. They also hauled their guitars and the conga drum to the beach once or twice. The rest of the time we were just plain lazy. Never once did I hear those dreaded words -- I'm bored.
I'd planned to have breakfast and lunch from our little kitchen most days and go out for dinners. The kids though were reluctant to leave the beach. We saved a fortune on meals. One night we had East Carolina style barbeque sandwiches (and grilled cheese for the vegetarians) from Cherries down at the south end of the island. Another night we ate flounder filet sandwiches (and more grilled cheese) from Island Delights - a funky 50's style beach grill in Surf City. One night we had pizza - the staff suggested Max's but the girls begged for Domino's (yuk, the same in NC as it is in IN). On our last night my husband and I snuck off to The Breezeway for good ole southern fried seafood and sweet tea. If you go, have the hot crab dip but ask the waitress to bring you hushpuppies to slather it on - delicious. The boys ate chinese at Asahi's and liked it. The girls opted for Domino's again.
Topsail Island was the real beach experience we'd all hoped it would be. Next time we plan to check out the turtle hospital, spend a little time at the pier and take the sunset cruise complete with pirate and ghost stories that sails from the dock behind the Breezeway. I only wish next time wasn't a whole year away.
Aug 20th, 2002 | 07:34 AM
#4
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Glad you had a good time, deevee. I've been going to Topsail since 1966, when I was 6. A couple of questions. Aren't the hushpuppies at Breezeway the best ever in the world? What songs did you play on the juke boxes at Island Delights? What type of joint is Cherries-- I've never been there? Is the Chinese at Asahi's any good? I fear eating at Chinese restaurants too far off the beaten path. The food tends to placate the culinary tastes of the region rather than try to elevate the locals' culinary tastes.
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