Sooo...I have a friend from New Zealand coming to visit the first week of September. He really wants to go to the beach for a day.

Which beach do you think will be the best for laying around, but gives a really good feel of how awesome NC beaches are?

I kind of want to avoide Wrightsville b/c it's a little too touristy...but I need to be able to drive there and have public parking for a day. Emerald Isle? Sunset?

7/19/2010 1:12:50 PM

Indian Beach between Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle

Free parking for however long you want, pretty secluded.. it's hardly ever busy. Also, it's right across the street from the putt-putt place if they want to go there

[Edited on July 19, 2010 at 1:14 PM. Reason : .]

7/19/2010 1:14:15 PM

I personally like the more desolate beaches like Holden. If you drive all the way to the end (go left off the bridge) it takes you to a little inlet and you can swim out to this sunken civil war vessel. Carolina Beach has the north end if you want to drive out on the beach.

7/19/2010 1:14:49 PM

if you are willing to drive go to the outer banks - lots of great stuff to do out there

7/19/2010 1:14:58 PM

If you were willing to spend the night I'd say Ocracoke hands down.

For a day trip one of the more secluded areas around Atlantic Beach or Topsail Island.

7/19/2010 1:16:25 PM

oak island is my favorite

7/19/2010 1:27:16 PM

The Holden beach thing sounds cool if you can swim to the ship. His section of NZ he said is cold and windy, not laying out and tanning, so he's real excited to see a "real american beach." LOL, I should just toss him into Myrtle and see him gag.

7/19/2010 1:31:46 PM

don't do it at high tide or if it's a strong current...it's enough out in the inlet that it can be dangerous

7/19/2010 2:50:41 PM

I'd do oak island, cape lookout, or cape hatteras national seashore

7/19/2010 2:56:34 PM

Oak Island and take them to Chasers Beach Club. Make sure you tell them to wear jorts and a sleeveless shirt so they fit in

7/19/2010 3:48:44 PM

^you can also see the "home" of the girl from MTV's 16 and pregnant and maybe if you're lucky you can meet the high school girl that married her 40 year old track coach

7/19/2010 3:54:56 PM

Quote :

"don't do it at high tide or if it's a strong current...it's enough out in the inlet that it can be dangerous"

He is absolutely right. You should wait until the tide is going out and at it's lowest point, then walk out there (you will only have to swim a very short distance but don't be an ass and swim all the way out when you can walk most of the way) and then you can actually get to the vessel (it kinda sticks up out of the water a little ways once the tide is low) You can find live starfish and sand dollars out there. Come back in as the tide comes in for less energy use.

My friend and I went out there too early one time and the tide just pulled us right past the sunken ship and a fisherman snatched us up before we went too deep.

7/19/2010 4:24:37 PM

Ocracoke Island if you have a 4x4, hands down.

7/19/2010 4:28:49 PM

he lives on an island and he wants to go to the beach?

7/19/2010 5:46:51 PM

wherever you can dig a pretty good hole

7/19/2010 5:58:42 PM

I know you don't want to go to Wrightsville, but I vote for Wrightsville. I've been to New Zealand, this guy might dig a more populated area.

7/19/2010 7:10:21 PM

It doesn't matter - anywhere you take him isn't going to be nearly as good as where he's from.

But my vote is Hatteras

7/19/2010 7:15:43 PM

LOL, I know it's ridiculous. "Your country is listed as one of the most naturally beautiful in the world...welcome to NC."

However, he's from the Southern island, so their beaches aren't really swimable, too cold. So he wants warm weather. I think I"m starting to dig t he idea of that boat more. That may be the plan.

7/19/2010 7:21:54 PM

Quote :

"he lives on an island and he wants to go to the beach? "

If the beaches in NZ are anything like the ones in Japan (ie completely shitty) I can completely understand why this guy wants to go to an American beach.

7/19/2010 7:29:48 PM

we get it already, you live in japan. i mean those two places are over 5000 miles apart, why would they be alike.

7/19/2010 8:13:29 PM

^ lol you crack me up every time

7/19/2010 8:20:47 PM

Quote :

"The Holden beach thing sounds cool if you can swim to the ship. His section of NZ he said is cold and windy, not laying out and tanning, so he's real excited to see a "real american beach." LOL, I should just toss him into Myrtle and see him gag."

I meet tons of european tourists and theyre always raving about myrtle beach. I guess a new zealander wouldn't have that problem though.


Tell me more about this civil war vessel. I thought holden was a cool old people/large family beach but never heard about this.

If you want to take him to a "real" american beach, you need to go to sourthern florida or southern cal, or at least the outer banks.

7/19/2010 9:17:09 PM

Shipwreck Photos

Quote :

"http://www.crownover.com/ironage/ironage.html"

I second taking him down to the strip at Myrtle. Otherwise yeah find some desolate strip on the outer banks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Iron_Age_%281862%29

http://fryingpantower.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=13

[Edited on July 19, 2010 at 11:21 PM. Reason : .]

7/19/2010 11:15:53 PM

OK...that is cool as hell. This is a GOLDEN opportunity to LIE to him..."That ship is a pirate ship dating back to 1659...it was stranded after a Ichthyosaurus, native to the Outerbanks, took out this vessle...which was manned by Black Beard."


I think I'll vote PIRATE SHIP...or this could be a opportunity to sneak in some beach camping and do Holden and maybe poke back down to Writesville or Myrtle later.


Thanks for the suggestions, TWW...ya'll never fail to provide helpful info and tons of amusement. KEEP THE SUGGESTIONS COMING!

7/19/2010 11:54:14 PM

take him to Rodanthe, and maybe ya'll can be the real-life couple in the movie.

7/20/2010 12:16:59 AM

If you are driving from Raleigh, Sunset is a good choice. Only half the island is developed, so you can walk out to the undeveloped part and it is pristine like Ocrakoke, only it is a lot easier to get to.

7/20/2010 6:29:47 AM

Any beach with a ferry, get the full experience

7/20/2010 7:24:31 AM

Topsail Island

Nice and quiet there, not built up at all. I'm not sure when the cycle is but if you are there are night/early morning you might be able to witness a few sea turtles crawl up to the beach to bury their eggs. My family goes there every summer. Plus, pirates used to go hide in the waterway between the island and the mainland. There are rumors of buried pirate gold there but lol the chamber of commerce probably started that rumor to attract tourists. I'll be going in a few weeks

7/20/2010 10:04:45 AM