Get the most of the Carolina coast

---

The coastline of North and South Carolina is one of the most wonderful places for a vacation destination.  From the historical Wrights Memorial in Kitty Hawk NC to the thrilling attractions at Myrtle Beach  SC.  There are so many wonders along these shores that it would take months to experience them all to the fullest. But if you don’t have that much time on your hands and you want to get the most you can out of a few days then there is a certain spot I recommend that is both cost effective and a great way to experience the most of the coast.  

My wife and I just recently discovered a  small campground  called the Holden Beach RV Campground in Holden Beach NC. It has a few amenities such as  full hook up campsites (even some pull through) a playground, nice clean bath house and laundry and the best Wi-Fi I have ever had in a campground. It was only 35.00 per night even on a holiday weekend.  But it is the LOCATION of this campground that makes it such a great place to stay.   If you look on the map you will see that Holden Beach is located right in between two of the big  tourist cities on the Carolina Coast.  To the north you have Wilmington NC and to the south you have Myrtle Beach SC and you can get to both in less than an hour.  On top of that you have Holden Beach itself which is a beautiful stretch of shoreline that doesn’t get near as crowded as other beaches.  (Plenty of space to fly a kite if you are into that like I am.) So lets say you only have a holiday weekend (3 days)  You can dedicate one day to the Wilmington area  another day to Myrtle Beach and  then one for the quiet area of Holden Beach. All of these are really awesome places to visit for different reasons and if some of these attractions don’t appeal to you then there are many more that probably will.

If you choose to go north I recommend you go through Southport which is a beautiful coastal town with many shops and a nice little park right by the waters of the inlet. From Southport you can catch a ferry to Fort Fisher which is home to the NC Aquarium with a huge two story tank filled with all kinds of sea life. (even sharks) From there you can drive up highway 421 where you go right by the historic Fort Fisher site where many historic events took place that date as far back as the Colonial days and the Revolutionary war but it is mostly know for it’s roll in the Civil War.  On up 421 you will encounter the Carolina Beach State park which is another great place to go camping if you don’t mind boon docking  (there are 9 sites with full hook up but you will have to reserve one way in advance.) Still there are many great hiking trails and it is one of the best fishing spots on the coast.  Continue on up 421 and it will take you right to the heart of the riverfront City of Wilmington NC.  There you can walk along the scenic boardwalk with many shops and restaurants on one side and the beautiful waters of the Cape Fear River on the other.  There are seasonal River boat tours and  dinner cruises or you can take a boat over to the USS North Carolina battleship.  You may even see a yacht or two anchored out by the boardwalk. What many don’t know is that Wilmington is home to many production companies and many blockbuster hit movies and TV shows were made right in the city of Wilmington. (Dawson’s Creek, Muppets from Space, King Kong  just to name a few) Still Wilmington seems to maintain that small town atmosphere in many ways.  If you are traveling with kids there are lots of activities for them in downtown Wilmington as well such as the Children’s Museum  and the Historical Museum both with a lot of hands on fun.  (Wilmington NC is also the birthplace of  former NBA star Michael Jordan and there is a small section dedicated to him at the Historical Museum as well.) There are some amazing restaurants right on the riverfront with outdoor seating when weather permits.  There you can enjoy a beautiful sunset along with your delicious meal.  When all is done you are only 35 miles from the campground if you take highway 17 back down south.  

If the next day you choose to go south then simply follow highway 17 right down to North Myrtle Beach. North Myrtle is a little more on the quiet side than Myrtle Beach is on down south but there is still a lot to do there like Barefoot Landing.  This place is an oasis of shops, restaurants and shows including the Alabama Theater (Founded by the country music band Alabama) A definite must see if you can.  Barefoot Landing is really a beautiful place to go shopping  with a 27 acre lake and bridges that cross and connect the many shops.  Through the summer there is even a fireworks show every Monday night  as well as July 4th and Labor day weekend.  If that isn’t enough in itself then you can head on south on US 17 right to the Grand Strand of Myrtle beach where you will find the many tourist attractions like Ripley’s believe it or not,  the Sky Wheel, the Grand Strand Arcade and they just rebuilt the Pavilion where you can get your fill of a thrill on a roller coaster or some other carnival ride.  Then not far from there on 10th Ave North is Broadway at the Beach which is a lot like Barefoot Landing with a touch of adrenaline added.  Great shops and restaurants are there but it also includes attractions like MagiQuest, Wonder Works and a bunch of Go-cart tracks (Broadway Grand Prix).  It’s more things than anyone can do in a day.  Take warning though because if you are not careful you will end up spending every penny you have.   You may want to leave earlier anyway to get back to the campground which is almost an hour from Broadway at the Beach though it won’t seem that long if you enjoy a few stops along the way.  

You may choose to simply stay at Holden beach as well. Holden Beach has plenty of good shops and restaurants itself with a very calm and relaxing atmosphere.  The beach itself is much less crowded there and it is usually easy to find a parking place at one of the many public beach access points.  Plan a pick-nick right on the beach, work on your tan as you listen to the waves crash or (like me) fly a kite over the ocean. There are as many rules at Holden Beach as there are at Myrtle Beach.  We saw a few Cabana’s set up right on the beach in Holden Beach which is something that is not permitted in Myrtle Beach.  If you choose to swim I must advise you to please be careful because there are not as many lifeguards in the area.  Once you have had your fill of the beach you can come back to the campground and make some smores over a campfire. (We also made apple pies over the fire with the sandwich maker) Let the kids play at the playground or play catch in the field next to it.  Sit and relax under the awning of your camper as the sun goes down.  Once it is all done and you lay in bed thinking of all the memories you just made you will realize you packed a weeks worth of fun into one weekend.  At least that is ho

A really cool place to visit with a two story tank filled with all kinds of sea life.

Though Holden Beach is close to everything it is a much more quiet and less crowded place to enjoy the ocean