We both love the BEACH – with its sunrises and sunsets!
Walking the surf – toes in the sand and cold water to sip on!
Our life now consists of two beaches that are close – one four miles and one six miles!
When we were first married – our dreams were beach vacations – but that was not always an option!
Money – we had to save what we could – taking four kids to the beach was expensive.
Our first “FAMILY” vacation was to a rental – off the beach – at Lake Erie!
I really do not remember much about the house – it was one level – sat on a bluff with lots of trees- and you could walk to an overlook and down below and see a small rock-strewed beach.
The boys would go down the side to the beach – the girls not so much.
Later – we would pack up and drive to the beach in New Jersey – having picnics on the way –
saving as much money as we could – Sherry was excellent at that!
The Outer Banks was our later goal in life and we managed to do that with friends and their families-
later my brother and sister and their families.
Today – here we are – Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach – within minutes we are on the beaches!
We also are within a half hour to forty-five minutes of Holden Beach – Oak Island –
and North Myrtle Beach!
Our dreams have come to be – we are now living the “BEACH LIFE” while on the mainland-
away from the storms – Hurricanes can and do have an effect on us –
But – we will deal with it at the time.
Ocean Isle Beach and the pier – this beach is not as flat as Sunset Beach –
but this beach also has a community center with bathrooms – outdoor showers – and free parking!
The Community Center has a large open-air covered porch with many picnic tables.
There is a nice beach entrance and a large volleyball net and court.
This beach is also where we shell hunt and the month of April is known for the large Counch shells!
There also is a large park with a stage and live music all summer long!
There are more places to eat and ice cream – slushes and stores here!
Sunset Beach is my favorite beach to walk on – it is flat and easier to walk – we often go here –
They also have live music on Thursdays with the band on the pier and you set up below on the beach!
It also turns into Bird Island – a protected area and where the “KINDRED SPIRIT MAILBOX” –
This is a mile and one-half walk from the pier –
and has been there for over forty years!
Two benches and the mailbox sit up near the top of a dune.
There are plaques for remembering those who first put this here and a large piece of driftwood-
with a plaque in honor of those two people all the years ago.
In the mailbox is a journal and a pen for you to sit down and leave a message.
these are collected-
and are at a University for recording the history of “THE KINDRED SPIRIT MAILBOX”!
Thank you for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
PAPA’S WORLD – A DREAM OF LIVING NEAR THE BEACHES!
After dinner, I said to Sherry – “Want to go to Sunset Beach – get ice cream and stand on the deck”?
That is Southern Beach Living!
Living the Salt Life!
Our view of the Gazebo on Sunset Beach where we stood with our cups of small ice cream!
This is where the bathrooms – showers and free parking are!
If you turn around – you are looking at the beach – pier and ocean – we stood here and a bonus – there was live music on the pier we could listen to – that is why all the people faced the pier!
Looking West from this spot – the dunes – the pay-for parking lot – and the first row of houses – oceanfront means long walkways over the protected dunes to the beach and ocean!
Because the coastline here is on a curve – the beach faces almost South and a little bit East!
From Charleston, S.C. to Wilmington, N.C. the coast looks like a quarter-moon crescent!
Sort of like a huge coastline bay!
Most storms come up from Charleston and then make a beeline to Wilmington – Cape Fear River area and then onto the Outer Banks!
I believe the last Hurricane to cause disaster damage was in the 50s!
Sea oats on the dune – we can be here in 15 minutes – but we have the island – the ICW and the main coastline between us and the ocean.
So far we have experienced a tropical storm and a grade 1 Hurricane, a number 2 is pushing it for me – but could remain – it is the wind and the trees I fear the most!
Living the Salt life – choosing to be here – living life one day at a time!
Thanks for reading and as always HGD!
PAPA’S WORLD – EVENING TRIP TO SUNSET BEACH -ICE CREAM! My site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
The first thing they wanted to do was walk the beach!
Now – wouldn’t you know it that it got cold and windy the day they arrived!
It was so warm the day before people were sitting on the beach and wading in the water!
So we pressed on and walked down and onto the beach.
The wind was the culprit – making it very cold.
Even Bode has enough even though he had no shoes on!
Cassidy Taylor Bode after he put his shoes back on!
We walked to the next beach entrance and exited!
MorMor Bode Cassidy Taylor Tammy
It was a very short walk – but they got to see just how close we are!
Tammy said the kids were great – she had told them she would not stop and she didn’t making the seven hour drive in a little over six hours and they never complained!
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WHERE FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS
FRIENDS MEET FAMILY!
And that night after the kids went to bed – we relaxed and watched a playoff game
We are all from Western New York
and were huge fans when Buffalo Bills made their four straight Super Bowls!
One of my favorite beers from back in Western New York!
We have not had a really bad storm since we have been here!
It has rained hard once – the wind was somewhat strong once!
But – there have been storms way out on the Atlantic Ocean –
that have had a impact on the beaches!
You can see the effect of a storm out to Sea!
I have noticed the erosion of the beach –
the gentle slope is now much less
and it seems that the flat part of the beach
now extends further out!
Just the other side of this dune is almost gone – another big storm will most likely wash this away!This pier looks new but is missing a section at the far end. I do not know when this happened.Looking back toward the shorelineLooking out toward the oceanAnd along the side toward the missing section
The beach has changed since we first walked on it!
There are large tidal pools now when the tide goes out
that were not there before!
Maybe when we first walked – that was not the normal?
Where did this come from?Walking the flat beach now – more flat than before!
Storms out to sea – sending the huge waves pounding the shore!
At night and in the predawn
we can hear the surf –
One of the many storm drains from main street – we have seen them dig out with a back hole!Tidal pools now where before there were none!Sherry walking the tidal pools.