island getaway

Our sweet friends invited us to stay with them at a beach house they had rented just before high season begins...Umm yes, of course please! We spent our week at Bald Head Island just off the coast of North Carolina. This island is very secluded as homeowners and guests can only get to the island by ferry and there are no cars. Talk about taking a break from the busy everyday life. When the ferry docks we were picked up by tram and taken directly to our beach house. Everyone travels by golf cart which is so much fun! Although, somehow Mike and I got the slow cart and were actually passed by another cart as we were pushing the pedal to the metal. We were laughing hysterically the rest of the drive. 

The island is secluded, however, there are several amenities since some of the homeowners live here year round. Two country clubs, grocery store, hardware store, a few little shops and a handful of restaurants. Kensi and her friend loved the ice cream shop and jumped at the opportunity to indulge in a stacked sugar cone. 

 The island is kind of amazing and we loved the seclusion of everything. We had our choice to one of the clubs on the island and took advantage of the Shoals Club which had a great adult pool, kiddie pool and sand play area. Not to forget a bar and direct beach access which allowed us to walk out during the low tide. It was ankle deep for nearly 1/4 of a mile out and the girls found some great seashells.

Each day left the kids even more exhausted than the last as they took multiple naps, but together they had so much fun in the sun, sand and water. We visited a few of the sites on the island as well; including the original lighthouse built in 1817, the local church and the conservancy. Bald Head Island is know for several different things like the filming location for Weekend at Bernies, but even more impressive is it’s nationally known as a sea turtle nesting location. The kids loved visiting the conservancy and were enthralled learning about sea turtles and other ocean animals. Unfortunately, we weren't able to check out any nests because we’re just outside the the season for it, but we have a good reason to come back. 

It was such a great week and a much needed vacation for all of us, but we're happy to be home. Luckily, the beach house had a washer & dryer and we were able to do all our laundry there. We're slowly recovering from all the fun in the sun with some much needed sleep and coffee and looking forward to enjoying another long weekend together.