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Uncovering a Coastal Gem |
Emerald Isle provides treasured break from reality.
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Story by Ellen Biltz, The Free Lance-Star
August 5, 2006.
There's plenty of room to roam at Emerald Isle. Families and other visitors flock to Emerald Isle, N.C., for what it doesn't have-- constant distractions and miles of development. The younger set may complain, but they'll come around too, eventually. THE LAST PLACE I wanted to go was Emerald Isle.
My family had been going there as long as I could remember, and the vacation could be summed up in one word: boring. But by the time I was 18, I was so ready for a "boring" vacation. I stood by my mom's side that January as she scoped out and reserved the oceanfront house we'd call home for a week in July. Despite my preteen desires for a beach filled with things to do, I finally realized what I really wanted from a vacation--relaxation. Before, my goal was to fill my week with excitement and activity. From 18 on, I've cherished the times when I can head for the sand with a book at sunup and stay until the sky turns orange over the water and the sun fades back into the horizon.
As a 21-year-old on the verge of being too old to go on vacation with my folks, I treasured this year's trip to Emerald Isle. On the way there, I rolled down the windows to smell the air in anticipation. The salt and humidity increased as we logged the miles.
Emerald Isle is nestled into the coast of North Carolina about six hours' drive from Fredericksburg. It's part of the "crystal coast," a nickname that dates to the '50s. Visitors arriving by air were dazzled by bird's-eye views of the beautiful, emerald-colored piece of land surrounded by water that sparkles with glimmers of blue and green--like winks from the sun itself. Emerald Isle is close to the bustling Atlantic Beach, but comfortingly far away from Myrtle Beach and other populated beaches I so longed for as a child. An approximately 30-mile-long, two-lane road spans the island and serves as the only major link from one end to the other. And no matter how many people decide they want to take a trip to the island, the island can sustain only so many.
There's one hotel. There's one grocery store. You'll find a couple of small restaurants and a few surf shops, but commercialization is not what the town's about. Most visitors stay in a house on the beach and enjoy the low-maintenance week. Night-life options are limited to a few small bars playing Jimmy Buffett-style music. You won't find any dance clubs or strobe lights, but you can kick back and have a drink.
If you want a main drag to cruise or an oceanfront resort, head to Myrtle Beach. It's different on Emerald Isle. We used to go out for one dinner during our vacations on the island, but it's gotten to the point that we'd rather skip the trouble of making a reservation and spend quality time at the beach rather than a crowded restaurant. Instead, we take turns making dinners of seafood and other beach favorites. Then, as the sun begins to go down and the exhaustion from the heat of the day sets in, we enjoy a nightly family adventure--seashell excavation. As our dinners settle, we enjoy the changing tides when the shells are at their prime.
It's also one of the only times all year my whole family actually comes together to do something as a group. I am the oldest of five children and part of a beach party of 11, so it's hard to get everyone in one place at the same time. I know my parents sit back watching in amazement as all of their children actually get along. I've been to various beaches in my life and have never come across a coast that has the same beautiful and exotic shells you can collect at Emerald Isle. The sand is also a platform for entertainment. There's plenty of room to play games like horseshoes or bocce ball.
My mother, who routinely logs 60-hour workweeks in the real world, treasures making drip sand castles on vacation. It's the one activity that takes her back to her childhood.My dad, on the other hand, would rather pull out the fishing rod. One cast into the ocean and kicking back on a beach chair to let the saltwater swimmers nibble at his bait shrimp can be very relaxing. I think my father's favorite part about Emerald Isle is being able to send his line flying without worrying about swimmers getting snagged on his hook.
Whether it's building sand castles, fishing or just enjoying the break from work, relaxing is a common trend we've all learned to enjoy.And though some of my siblings are going through my former phase of restlessness and constant boredom and my little brother would rather sit at the computer playing video games than enjoy the water, I know they, too, will see the day when they're thrilled to sit on the porch and stare out at the lapping waves. |
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