For generations, the calm waters of North Carolina’s sounds have shaped the landscape, history, and culture of the communities they border.
beach
Design in the Dunes: A Photo Essay
Not your average beach house: From the clean lines of a flat-top cottage in Southern Shores to the extravagant opulence of an Art Nouveau icon in Corolla, landmark architecture defines our coastal villages — and chapters of our history.
Dining on (Oak) Island Time
No rush: The clocks on the walls of Oak Island Restaurant are just for decoration. All you really need to know is whether it’s Chicken & Dumplings Thursday or Fried Fish Friday.
The Cream of Calabash
In a town known for its seafood, a family ice cream business serves up nostalgic standards and creative concoctions that change with the seasons.
The Crab Shack is Here to Stay
More than 45 years ago, a fishing family started a seafood market to sell their catch. The market expanded into a mainstay restaurant in Salter Path whose varied menu includes a seasonal special that celebrates coastal resilience.
Oak Island, Over Easy at the Old Bridge Diner
On the way to work or headed home from the beach, post up in a booth at the Old Bridge Diner for breakfast and lunch classics — pancakes to patty melts to popcorn shrimp — all day long.
Sit. Stay. Relax.
For more than 60 years, vacationers have been bringing their pampered pets to Atlantis Lodge in Pine Knoll Shores for beach getaways worthy of man’s best friend.
In Praise of the Tar Heel State: A Photo Essay
Here’s to the talented North Carolinians whose fancy footwork propels them to great heights, nimble speeds, and feats of creativity.
6 North Carolina Coastal Classics
An ice cream shop, a seafood restaurant, retro motels, and more — these six spots have established themselves as some of the state's beloved beach destinations.
