40 Days & Counting!

The smell of the ocean air. 

The sand between my toes. 

The sounds of the waves crashing and my kids laughing. 

The feeling of the sun warming my face.

These are the things that keep me going each and every day between our annual beach vacations to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.  My grandparents are the masterminds behind this trip that we all look forward to so much, and we couldn't be more appreciative to them. There are 21 of us that travel from Kansas City, St. Louis, Cleveland and Winston-Salem to spend a week in paradise together.  By this point (14 years, I believe!) we have the logistics down to a science: the menu is the same each year but updated as needed, the sleeping arrangements, everyone's assigned tasks throughout the week, and helping out with kids or cleaning and cooking whenever needed. It's a well-oiled machine and we absolutely love it. 

The beach itself has a very interesting history and feel to it, compared to many other beach towns I’ve been to in the past. First of all, it is tiny; it is only 4.5 square miles in total and has a population of 550 people.  In the summer months, however, that population increases to 100,000 people weekly. It is a very popular summer destination spot for families especially. It is one of the few beaches that runs east to west, instead of north to south, so we are lucky to get to view some amazing sunrises and sunsets each day. There are some amazing pop-up thunderstorms throughout the week, and one of our favorite past-times is sitting on the covered decks to watch the storms together. There are two grocery stores in town, along with some little coffee and gift shops. 

Our favorite things to do while we are there include visiting the fishing pier, going to the local creamery, catching Blue Crabs along the Intracoastal Waterway, swimming, walking out onto the sandbars to search for seashells and going miniature golfing in town.  It feels like an old beach town, which is part of its charm and appeal.  There aren't a lot of options to distract you from just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful scenery. My husband catches as many crabs as he can during the week so we can all enjoy some fresh, delicious crab cakes! 

Luckily, there are numerous destinations within driving distance if you do want more to do. Myrtle Beach, SC is only a 45 minute drive from Ocean Isle and is a highly commercialized location with lots of shopping, shows and tourist attractions. Bald Head Island is a short drive and ferry ride away with its unique “no cars allowed” policy. People rent golf carts or bikes and cruise around the island with a speed limit of 12 MPH. Wilmington, NC is also only about 45 minutes away and has some really interesting history including the Battleship North Carolina, fun little shops, and some areas where scenes from many television shows and movies have been filmed. 

The countdown is on: 40 days until we get to experience all of this again for a whole week with some of our favorite people. I am so grateful that my kids get to form these memories with family that we love the most. I have a feeling we will be going there for many more years to come!