Atlantic Beach N.C. ~ My Dream

Atlantic Beach North Carolina is part of what is known as the Crystal Coast. The Crystal Coast includes Emerald Isle at it's southern most extreme and Fort Macon State Park, just to the north of Atlantic Beach. The whole area is considered to be the southern portion of the Outer Banks.

That area of the United States coastline is rich in nautical history, especially that which involves the piracy of three hundred years ago. Nefarious seafarers such as Blackbeard, Anne Bonney, Mary Read, and others plundered and made the waters of the Outer Banks their playgrounds. The waters of the area were hazards to any who dared apprehend the pirates.

Because of the swift flowing gulf currents that run north along the coast, many ships would try to knock time off their journey by hugging the coast. Many ship captains blundered their vessels to the shoals this way, thus giving birth to the area being called the Graveyard Of The Atlantic.

On the flip side of that coin, the Pamlico Sound leads deep inland to New Bern North Carolina, making the Sound a sought after refuge from rough Atlantic Ocean storms and New Bern a near perfect portage.

Atlantic Beach, as a resort area, wasn't even conceived until 1870 when a well known man of Morehead City began buying property out across the Intercoastal Waterway (then known as Money Bay). Appleton Oaksmith gave up on his dream out of devastating despair over the loss of four of his daughters in a horrific accident in 1879.

Two wealthy businessmen of the area picked Oaksmith's dream up and by 1887 the first public bath house was built . From there, over the years, the city has grown to be just as Oaksmith dreamed, a resort.

Atlantic Beach Today

Many rental condos and homes line the what are known as the Bogue Banks, but you won't see many tall hotels. There are plenty of public accesses to the beaches as well, accompanied by ample free parking.

Dining is as fun as it gets, featuring fresh seafood on many of the menus. Seafood netted in the waters of the area is the fare, and not once did I have anything that I wouldn't eat again. If seafood ain't your bag, there are plenty of other places that offer Asian to Italian. I'd suggest the China Garden And Mongolian Grill over in Morehead City at least one night of your stay. Reasonably priced and all you can eat.

Speaking of Morehead City, that's where I usually stay. All the rooms are clean and a darn sight cheaper than trying to rent something on the beach for a week. With all the free parking at the beach and less than a five minute drive from most places in Morehead City, the choice is a simple one for me. Not because I'm cheap, but because I don't plan my trips that far ahead and finding a place on the beach, no matter what beach, is a tall order on a short notice.

I don't go to the beach just to follow someone's daily plans, so condos don't really excite me, because renting one usually means a vacation with other folks. I go to the beach to de-evolve. Lose myself. The sound of the ocean washes away a lot of the grit that builds up on my soul.

Atlantic Beach is perfect for me to do that. Like I mentioned, the surf is a little rougher, but that makes for that awesome crashing sound. The waters are also shallow enough that once you get behind the breaking surf, the swimming is wonderful. Hey, another cool thing is that Atlantic Beach faces nearly due south, so that the sun runs along it all day.

I have a patio umbrella that was given to me by a beer distributor and it goes to the beach with me. It's huge, it's vinyl, it's perfect. I can lay it down in the sand and it serves as a small shelter, so rain is no problem, nor is the searing sun on those days when the sun is overbearing.

It is my dream to live there.

As a result of several attacks along America's East Coast and Beaufort's Inlet, Fort Macon was built, beginning in 1826, as part of a chain of coastal defenses. The five sided fort, designed by General Simon Bernard and built by the Army Corps Of Engineers, was taken over by the Confederate Army in 1861 and held for a year until Union forces retook it and held it for the remainder of the American Civil War.

Fort Macon was garrisoned for the Spanish-American War, but was decommissioned and sold to North Carolina in 1923. Once more, the fort was garrisoned for three years during World War II, but has served as a monument and centerpiece for the state park, that bears its name, since.

Today, the beautiful park located at the extreme northeast end of Bogue Banks offers not only tours of the interesting Fort Macon, but also has one of the cleanest beach access and facilities I've seen anywhere. These facilities include a public bathouse , snackbar, and plenty of free parking. Of course, the beautiful dunes block any view of the facilities from the beach.

For my money (which is none), Fort Macon State Park is the place to beach at, and it is literally three minutes from Atlantic Beach.

There are seven known sea turtle species in the world and five of the seven, the most common being the Loggerhead, use the area of the Crystal Coast as their nesting grounds.

Every morning, from March to October, volunteers comb the beaches for turtle trails that may lead to a nest. The nest area is roped off and watched at night, every night, until the turtles hatch; about 50-60 days after being laid.

Every purchase means you'll automatically be making a donation to Young Inventors International, supporting engineering and science students.

Doesn't that make you feel good?

For another look at Atlantic Beach, head over to Home Is Where The Beach Is and read my response to the memoir prompt, Travel Destinations
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