Jim Morekis - Moon Coastal Carolinas: Outer Banks, Myrtle Beach, Charleston & Hilton Head

JIM MOREKIS

From the wide, deep waterways of North Carolina on down to the South Carolina Sea Islands, theres a shared, effortless mystique over the 500-mile stretch of Carolina coasta sense of time standing still that is both poignant and palpable. No mere poets license, its something you feel here, whether in the bracing tang of the sea breeze or the oddly comforting whiff of pluff mud at low tide.

The chronicle of this stretch of the Eastern seaboard includes some of the United States oldest and most important recorded history. The names from its past echo on today: Sir Walter Raleigh, Blackbeard, Francis Marion, Fort Sumter, the Wright Brothers.

But outdoor recreation is by far the chief passion, almost all of it having to do with the waterways that virtually define the region. Swept by a constant, cooling breeze off the Atlantic and crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, creeks, and marshes, the Carolina coast is an aquatic wonderland for boaters, kayakers, and naturalists alike.

If you want family-themed vacationing, there are the commercial areas of Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, or Wrightsville Beach, with their user-friendly stretches of sand and tourist infrastructures. For a more challenging journey, put the kayak on top of the car and head to the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina or the blackwater ACE Basin of South Carolina. For a remote, laid-back beach experience, hang out on the Outer Banks, or take a jaunt down to Edisto Island or Hunting Island and enjoy the beachfront life, South Carolina-style.

under the Myrtle Beach pier

Locals and visitors alike also enjoy the fruits of the sea in the fresh catch that exemplifies the coastal Carolina plate. From Elizabeth City to Charleston to Port Royal, from fried to grilled to boiled, you can be assured of a tasty nautical treat at nearly every mealthough the barbecue around here is not too shabby, either!

Another common denominator along the Carolina coast is the people themselves. All have their distinctive identities, and they go by many names: the wreckers of the Outer Banks, the Down Easterners of the Core Sound, the Gullah of the South Carolina islands, even the snowbirds of Hilton Head. But the thread linking them all togetherand infusing the atmosphere of the coastal Carolinasis a gusto combining a gregariousness of spirit with a love of the simple pleasures of life.

Charleston Harbor

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston.

shrimp trawler

Where to Go

The Outer Banks

This windswept area includes the first English colony in America and the hiding ground of pirates and retains its poignant mystique to this day. Nags Head has a well-developed tourist infrastructure and boasts attractions like sandy Jockeys Ridge State Park and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. But along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the towns start seeming smaller, with Ocracoke Island, accessible only by ferry, embodying the remoteness associated with the Outer Banks. Across the sounds, the Great Dismal Swamp draws kayakers and naturalists.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

North Carolina Central Coast

Beaufort (BO-furt), North Carolinanot to be confused with Beaufort (BYOO-furt), South Carolinaboasts a long pedigree and beautiful old homes and cemeteries. A burgeoning tourist hotspot, New Bern also features a large historic district and the gorgeous Tryon Palace. With many sunken ships offshore, Morehead City is a divers mecca, while Cape Lookout National Seashore features fantastic, uninhabited beaches and wild horses.

Wilmington and Cape Fear

A great blend of old and new, Wilmington, North Carolina, combines an exquisite historic district with a young, happening vibe and plenty of shopping and dining opportunities. Enjoy its beautiful homes and gardens, but dont miss the excellently preserved World War II battleship, USS North Carolina. To the east and the south are great oceanfront recreational areas like Wrightsville Beach and Kure Beach.

Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand

The 60-mile Grand Strand of South Carolina focuses on the resort and beach activity of Myrtle Beach, and to an increasing extent, North Myrtle Beach. Down the Strand are the more peaceful areas of