Refreshing air, golden sunsets, minimal crowds — fall hits different on the coast. Often called “locals’ summer,” this is the season for beach days with a break in the heat and sparser crowds. As afternoons inch into evening, you’ll want to be in position to catch one of the main attractions this time of year: sunset. Golden hour during the fall is a drawn-out affair, with gentler light and dramatic colors as the sun sinks below the horizon. As you plan your fall vacation on the Crystal Coast, here are eight ways to chase the last rays of the day.
For a sunset-viewing experience that feels like being perched on the edge of the world, venture out to Ship Shoal Island on horseback. photograph by Austin Rooper from Rooper’s Stories
Buckshot works the sunset shift. From his oceanside pasture, the majestic, speckled-grey horse watches and waits as the occasional visitor makes their way to the end of the earth. Cedar Island Ranch is perched at the very tip of N.C. Highway 12, just about as far out as you can go on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. If you’ve traveled this far, you’re either here for the Cedar Island Ferry or you’ve come for the adventure of a lifetime.
If it’s the latter, Buckshot is saddled up and ready to go. “We do sunrise and sunset rides, but sunsets are our most popular,” Virginia Johnson says, who manages Cedar Island Ranch. On horseback the entire trip, you and a few fellow riders amble along the length of Cedar Island before crossing a thousand feet of water to the completely uninhabited Ship Shoal Island.
“It’s so surreal; you get this overwhelming sense of calm and peace,” Johnson says. “Your perspective changes, and you feel the beach differently. When you’re walking through the water, with the current going one way and you going the other, it almost feels like you’re not even moving at all.”
Johnson is more than a horse expert; she’s also a sunset aficionado. Just as the sun begins its descent, she gives the horses a signal to make their way back to the barn. Now the heat of the day is gone; the wind has shifted; a golden glow illuminates tiny white shorebirds as they hover just above the emerald grass and auburn dunes.
Pack up the car and head to the Crystal Coast where 85 miles of uncrowded beaches, 11 charming waterfront towns, and golden skies make every moment a lasting memory.
Learn more
Enjoy dinner with a side of nautical entertainment aboard the Crystal Coast Lady. Photography courtesy of Crystal Coast Lady Cruises
On your way out to Cedar Island, just off U.S. Route 70, you’ll hit the waterfront town of Beaufort. Its charming downtown is postcard-worthy at any angle and its harbor is where you’ll board the luxurious 100-foot Crystal Coast Lady yacht. Once it sets sail, passengers are treated to a feast — depending on the night, that might be fried chicken, fajitas, Low Country boil, or barbecue. Captain George Aswad is partial to the ribs. “They’re my favorite. A local caterer makes all our food, and it’s absolutely delicious. We have people come back four or five times a season to try the different menus.”
As passengers enjoy the setting sun, Aswad takes them for a ride. The yacht’s deckhands narrate the scenery, sharing local history and pointing out the dolphins and horses when they’re out and about, and large windows give panoramic views of the watery passage.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, musicians perform as diners enjoy their meal in a fully carpeted, air-conditioned dining room. After dinner, passengers are invited to mill about the top deck, or Aswad will give you a tour of the wheelhouse. “If you bring children, we’ll let them wear a little captain’s hat and steer the boat. We’ve had people come back over the last 10 years, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, we were here when he was two, and now he’s 12. Watching people grow up is one of the best parts,” he says.
Shop for hand-painted pieces at Mattie King Davis Art Gallery, located within the circa-1732 Rustell House in Beaufort Historic Site. Photography courtesy of The Crystal Coast
Before your sunset cruise departs, arrive to Beaufort early to browse the seasonal shopping sales. On either side of Front Street, rows of historic buildings beckon shoppers with their art studios, locally owned gift shops, boutiques, and specialty stores.
As you pop from one store to the next, pause to take in the view of Carrot Island, just across the creek. Home to the Rachel Carson Reserve, the uninhabited island offers refuge to around 30 wild horses, who graze on smooth cordgrass and drink from water in the holes they dig.
Overlooking Taylor’s Creek, Moonrakers’ rooftop draws waterfront onlookers. Photography courtesy of Moonrakers
Although local oyster farms enable year-round enjoyment of the bivalve, for the traditionalists, fall signifies the unofficial start of oyster season. From Moonrakers’ shaded rooftop in Beaufort, you can toast the day’s end with platters of fresh oysters on the half shell and peak-season shrimp. As the sun sets, boat-watching abounds: Catch the breeze coming in over Taylor’s Creek and watch as yachts come and go from the Beaufort Harbor and sailboats return to their port for the evening.
Fall days at the beach slip by fast. Breezes temper the sun, and before you know it, it’s dinnertime. Located between Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach on N.C. Highway 58, the quiet town of Salter Path is home to The Crab Shack. With a back deck that overlooks Bogue Sound, this casual diner serves up some of the island’s best Calabash-style seafood. While you can get your ocean bounty grilled, steamed, or broiled, we love our plates topped with lightly breaded, deep-fried fish, shrimp, and oysters.
Order tuna nachos and a tiki drink (or two) at Surf’s Up Grill & Bar. Photography courtesy of The Crystal Coast
If you prefer dinner by the ocean, sandy flip-flops and sun-kissed faces are welcome at Surf’s Up Grill & Bar, the ocean-front grill on the end of Bogue Inlet Pier. Grab an air-conditioned seat inside or find a colorful picnic table on the back patio. For the optimal complement to your sunset-viewing, order one of their frozen drink specials.
The paved Emerald Isle bike path enables safe and accessible transit for all ages. Photography courtesy of Emerald Isle Realty, Inc
The wide, paved Emerald Isle bike path runs 11 miles from the Indian Beach town limits all the way to The Point at Bogue Inlet. Swap four wheels for two, leave the car keys at home, and explore all of Emerald Isle with the breeze blowing through your hair.
For Emerald Isle’s most glorious, unobstructed sunset view, set out about an hour before sunset and make your way down to the far western tip of the path, known as The Point. Here, the island ends where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bogue Inlet. Striking shades of orange, pink, and red swirl, mix, and mingle, illuminating the sky all the way down to the ocean’s peaceful horizon.
Wait for high tide and welcome the day’s end by casting a line from the shoreline. Photography courtesy of The Crystal Coast
When fall rolls around, Emerald Isle local David Sutton ends each day in much the same way: He grabs a fishing pole and tackle box (frozen shrimp is his bait of choice), packs up a cooler, and heads for the beach. “You want to watch the tides to see what time to get there,” he says. “I like to set up when the tide’s high or when it’s changing. If you can catch the first full moon in October, that’s even better.”
Before you wedge your beach chair into the sand, Sutton suggests surveying the ocean to find the perfect spot. “When you’re surf fishing, you want the water to be a little deeper so you have a better chance than the birds,” he says. “Find a dark spot. Those are the deeper pools where the fish like to swim in and out.”
Every day brings a different harvest, but it’s not unusual for Sutton to reel in a blue fish, croaker, sea mullet, flounder, or, his personal prize — the red drum. “Even when I don’t catch anything, I still enjoy it. The serenity, everything calms down, you see the waves coming in and out, smell the salt air, wait for the sun to set. Fall sunsets are better — it’s just always been that way.”
Ready to plan your picture-perfect experience on the Crystal Coast? Whether you move through the surf on horseback or sip a cocktail with a waterfront view, click here to plan for autumn’s can’t-miss moments.
In busy workshops and bright stores, our state’s toymakers and purveyors keep wonder alive. Dolls, trains, and games remind us: The joy of play never grows old.
Whether it’s secret Santa or the company cookie swap, sweet gatherings get everyone into the Christmas spirit.
Among dazzling lanterns, silk creatures, and twinkling lights at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, one little boy leads his parents straight to the heart of the holidays.
Sparkling streets, local traditions, and the cozy charm of a city wrapped in holiday wonder — Asheville offers merriment for every age of visitor.
