Oh, what wonderful places we will go!

The last trip my husband and I went on was to one of our favorite places that is close by. A few weekends ago we made a day trip to South Port, North Carolina. We had spoken previously about going on the trip but before bed, we decided that financially, we should probably stay home! Well, of course we didn't follow our own advice, because the next morning, when we crawled out of bed, the first thing out of my mouth was, "Do you want to go to South Port!?" So low and behold, there we were, piled up in the car with our beach chairs, a cooler with snacks and drinks and our four doggies in the back seat. We drove the quick 3.5 hours to South Port and pulled straight up to the beach!

John playing fetch with the dogs! The sun was shining, such a beautiful day!

Now, how do I describe South Port to you? It is one of my favorite coastal towns in North Carolina. It has a lovely beach that doesn't ever seem to be overly crowded. The ocean isn't nearly as rough as the Outer Banks and the water was the perfect temperature for swimming! There are tons of friendly people and you can make friends in an instant! We set up our camp close to the beautiful sand dunes that line the ocean. That is something else that is different from Myrtle Beach! Typically, to get to a beach in North Carolina you have to travel over mountains of sand and sea oats to glimpse the water. This is very different from what you may experience in some commercialized, manicured beaches! It seems to me to be a little rougher, a little wilder!
So we spent a few hours on the Oak Island Beach, from swimming, to playing fetch with our dogs we had a wonderful time. Then when we left the ocean and we went do downtown. Such a cute little downtown. They have the most adorable small town store fronts that you can spend an entire day wandering through. I recommend visiting "Cat on a Whisk" if you are interested in cooking which I know a few of you are. They have the cutest kitchen items I have ever seen. If you are a thrifty person then you need to stop by "ABC Consignment" they are all about reusing and recycling. They have a large selection and you can find some stashed away deals! After walking around the quaint downtown area, make sure to stop by Port City Java and grab yourself a coffee. A locally owned coffee shop that can compare with Starbucks. :) If you have your puppies with you like we did, have no fear, because they have an outside ordering window and a water bowl for your dogs to fill up at!

Part of downtown Southport, NC. 

Now that you have visited the quaintest downtown, you have to go to the harbor area. I have never seen anything like it. It is about a mile long section of swings, benches and rocking chairs siting about five feet from the ocean. It is the perfect place to watch boats passing, scout for dolphins, or sit with your family and eat some ice cream! John and I have watched many sunsets from those swings and we have met many nice people while enjoying the view! Then, if you are ready to walk off those extra calories from the ice cream, turn around and walk the historic part of downtown, you will see beautiful old-time houses, and a lovely farmers market (depending on when you are there of course!) If you continue through the town you will stumble across a intricate park with trees that weave and grow every-which-way. It's the perfect spot to stop and grab a couple pictures, or even to pack a picnic and have a shady lunch. There is so much to see and so much character in South Port, it really is a lovely place to go. It's the perfect place for a day trip to the beach with family and friends!