Carolina Beach

Are you tired of spending your vacation at a crowded beach that's teeming with people and lined with wall-to-wall towels, interspersed with frenzied visits to amusement and water parks? Consider planning something different this year: a trip to Carolina Beach on Pleasure Island, where you can teach your family how to really relax and get away from it all.

Located just 15 minutes from downtown Wilmington, Pleasure Island was created in 1930 by the dredging of Snow's Cut. With the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Cape Fear River on the other, the island is only about 2 miles wide and about 10 miles long. The towns of Pleasure Island are Carolina Beach to the south of the bridge and Kure Beach in the center of the island.

While the town of Carolina Beach is a thriving community with grocery stores, restaurants, surf, beach, and bait shops, the northern half of the island retains its natural glory. By traveling 2 miles north, you reach a spit of land only two blocks wide. The streets are lined with vacation homes and condos until you reach the pier; the two miles north of the pier are accessible by foot or four-wheeler only.

What's there to do in the middle of nowhere? You'll be astonished by how quickly your days fly by. Picture yourself on your own private deck, watching the sun rise as the smell of the ocean intermingles with your first cup of coffee. Imagine your children riding the biggest "amusement park" in the world  — learning to boogie board or surf on the Atlantic Ocean! With a beach of white sand and only a handful of people in sight, you and your family can walk for miles on uninhabited coastland while you search for seashells as the gulls and pelicans dive for their breakfast. Hold a sandcastle contest, dig for treasure, or just lie on the beach while the kids romp in the surf.

When nighttime falls, take a flashlight and the kids down to the beach and chase Ghost Crabs on the sand. Take a walk on the moonlit pier, and see the coastline lit up against the sky. The pier is also a great spot for watching the weekly firework display, compliments of the town of Carolina Beach.