Oak Island: A Secret Escape
This past week, I went on one last vacation before heading back to school soon. My family and my cousins' family co-rented a little beach house on Oak Island, on the coast of North Carolina. This beach is a hidden gem. It's so peaceful and quiet compared to busy areas like Wilmington or Myrtle Beach. There were three things about this beach that really stood out to me while I was there.
The first thing I noticed was the surrounding area. The beach is very calm here. There's no big hotels or grand resorts. The coast is lined with beautiful little beach houses that you can rent for great prices. I believe a week only cost us around $2000. That's much cheaper than spending the night in a chain hotel or resort. There are plenty of houses with all kinds of amenities. From personal pools to wet bars, they have it all. Renting a little house right by the sea was the perfect option. Be sure to look for houses to rent through this website we used. Because this beach has no big commercial development, its perfect for a peaceful vacation. All of the houses are fairly small, so you can see the ocean from the third row back. We were on the second row of houses and had a perfect view of the ocean from our front porch.
The second thing that stood out here was the beach itself. This beach was clean and the water didn't seem murky or polluted. If you've ever been to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, you know that murky water doesn't make for a fun beach trip. Oak Island has beautiful blue water and because the beach is less crowded, you have plenty of swimming or surfing space. Many people took their kayaks from their houses and went right into water. There's not a lot of people out in the water, so if you love being active, this beach is a good fit. There's also plenty of space to set up camp on the sand. We always had the same spot and never had any issues with finding room on the beach. Our neighbors were kind and kept to themselves. No outrageous college kids or rude families crossed our paths. There was absolutely nothing to disrupt the peace here.
The last thing I loved about this area is actually a short drive away from Oak Island. And that would be the town of Southport. Southport is a city near Oak Island and it's basically where you find all your restaurants and shopping. I was glad to have grocery stores and restaurants nearby with such charm. The city was quaint and full of character. We went to one restaurant named Provision Company, which is a very small restaurant by the water. Don't let the appearance of it fool you, this restaurant is golden. You sit outside, but under a covered seating area, and get to enjoy the sunset while sipping and snacking. If you make it here, be sure to get a crab cake. They're famously delicious.
I would definitely go back to this quiet little beach town. Oak Island is the perfect retreat for a relaxing vacation. It's a hidden escape of the coast of North Carolina with plenty of charm. If you're looking for a calm, refreshing vacation this beach is for you.
