There is a bit of excitement when you first arrive at the beach. As good as modern rental sites are, that first look at the water still means a lot.

We once stayed on Bald Head Island and found that our beach house was so close to the beach that we could almost cast our fishing lines into the water from the deck. Since we were on the west side of the island we also figured out that our water was the Cape Fear River instead of the Atlantic Ocean.

It was a small detail but the weather that week was so hot that the water on our side of the island was almost too warm for swimming after 10 AM. It was just one of those surprises which sometimes happen when you vacation in a new spot.

In the last few weeks I have seen a lot of different beaches. I completed my annual Emerald Isle beach survey in May. That means I have walked all the over 12.5 miles of beach inside the town limits. In early June we took a trip to Ocracoke Island and eventually we wandered up to Nags Head. On June 8, I did another 4.7 mile hike of the beach at the Point here on Emerald Isle. It might look like I am walking on water at times, but trust me Google maps has a hard time keeping up with mother nature.

I love walking beaches and I find lots of differences between individual areas of the beach.

When you are planning a beach vacation, it is wise to remember that we have as many different types of beaches in North Carolina as Canadians have varieties of snow. I lived in Canada for sixteen years so I can say that.

If you visit a beach in Nags Head, NC, you will find a very different beach than if you visit the beaches of Ocracoke Island. It should be no surprise that the beaches within the town of Emerald Isle perhaps offer even more variety. You can go from this section of wide gently sloping beach near the Point at Emerald Isle to a more sloped beach where the island is narrower.

The beaches which find on Hatteras Island near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse are different than our beaches. To complicate things even more, beaches change continually. Not only does the sands keep moving but sometimes mother nature takes a bite out of the beach. Then you can go back a few weeks later and find that the sand has come back.

While you cannot control the sand, you can plan your vacation and minimize surprises. You can look at what I have noticed as things which make beach vacations special. I think there are some good reasons to read up on the beaches where you might be planning a vacation.

There is lots of information on the web, but make sure you take your advice from someone who has sand between their toes from the beaches you’re interested in visiting. If North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks and the Crystal Coast are on your radar for a beach vacation, you should check out our Kindle book, A Week At The Beach - The 2013 Emerald Isle Travel Guide. It even has sand been the pages.