When a beachgoer on the Crystal Coast loses a beloved bauble to the sea — say, a class ring or an heirloom necklace — one local comes to the rescue.
Island Eats: 12 Flip-Flop-Friendly Restaurants
Relax. Sandy toes, salty hair, and big appetites are welcome here. Whether you’re looking for a shrimpburger, a fish taco, or a double-scoop ice cream cone, these restaurants know that a beach vacation should never stray too far from the sea.
High Tide on the Rocks
Following family lore to the wilds of an unihabited island, a brother and sister find plenty of local residents hiding in plain sight.
The Lure of the Fly
A bottom fisherman will fish with anything — even a yardstick. But a fly fisherman requires more precision from his equipment, especially when casting from a kayak off Masonboro Island. Either way, a successful trip isn’t measured by what you catch.
Follow That Fish
Finding local seafood at a coastal restaurant isn’t always easy. Two fishermen (and one unlucky flounder) explain why eating hook-to-fork is harder than it looks.
Beneath Still Waters
Pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, began her writing career on a 2,300-acre network of islands a short paddle south of Beaufort. At the reserve that now bears her name, marine scientists follow in her wake.
Shaped By Sand & Sea
A summer camp, a beach resort, and a community retreat: Hammocks Beach State Park in Onslow County — and its epic, sugar-sand beach — inspired generations of teachers and their students. Now, it awaits rediscovery.
A Guide to Ocracoke
Where in the world is Ocracoke? For many mainlanders, the island accessible only by ferry, boat, or plane remains a mystery. For those who live there, it is home to past and present, change and stasis, a tight-knit village and wild woods filled with centuries of secrets.
Keepers of the Light
There are no bridges to Cape Lookout, no roads along the 56 miles of islands. In the seven years that Ron and Joan Preloger have come here to watch over its iconic lighthouse, they’ve survived raging storms and swarms of stinkbugs. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
