Beach weather is finally here. It has arrived the last week of June 2013 as I write this.
If you are going to live some place that gets warm, you need lots of water, a nice breeze, and the willingness to get wet.
It appears that we are going to have our warmest weather of the season here on the Carolina coast the week before the Fourth of July. At least our tomatoes will like it.
Last month I wrote about our temperatures just managing to get into the mid-seventies. As we are headed towards July, we are lucky if our lows make it down to 75F.
It is hard to have nice weather and get enough rain to recover from our dry spell in May 2013 but we have managed it.
There has been some welcome rain, and fortunately except for Saturday June 22, we seem to have scheduled much of the rain at night.
June appears to have washed away our very dry May when we only received one-third of an inch of rain. So far in June we have gotten 7.2 inches of rain at our place just off the White Oak River through the morning of June 24.
That puts us in good shape for any heat headed our way as we close out June.
My focus on beaches during the month of June has been a real treat and like meeting up with old friends.
By renewing memories of some great beaches that I have enjoyed over the years, it is easier to see how they stack up to the Southern Outer Banks
Taking the time to walk all our beaches and visit others lets me offer good advice to those searching for a great beach that fits like a glove.
We even made our way up to Nags Head and took the ferry over to Ocracoke Island. These beautiful beaches have prompted a lot of thought about how to enjoy a good beach and all the fun I have had on beaches over the years.
Even after all the traveling, I have no doubts that the Crystal Coast does deserve its name, but there are some key elements to having a great beach vacation no matter where you go.
Emerald Isle, Nags Head, Ocracoke, and Myrtle Beach all have great but very different beaches.
If you do not know what you want in a beach, it is hard to find the right one. If you are looking for Myrtle Beach, you won’t find it on the Crystal Coast.
There are some very special beaches which I love that require some effort to reach, but those of us who enjoy their beaches in their natural state find that they are worth every bit of the effort.
One of my favorite beaches is Hammocks Beach which is accessible only by boat. It is truly a special beach to love. I have also written many times about the Point at Emerald Isle which I sometimes call the “End of the Sand.” To get to my favorite spot requires either a boat or a hike of over two miles.
Winds have kept the boating to a minimum, but kayaking in our inlet has been fine.
I suspect the winds will quiet down as summer marches forward. Already this year we have managed to endure our first storm, Andrea. Fortunately she helped to break our dry spell.
With Memorial Day behind us and the Fourth of July on the horizon, summer is full swing and summer is not summer without some serious pool time.
I spent so much time in the pool with our granddaughter this past week that I thought I was turning into a prune.
If reading about the Crystal Coast has perked your interest, please check out our new book, “A Week At the Beach - The 2013 Emerald Isle Travel Guide.”
If heat and humidity are not your thing, consider a trip to Martime Canada. It is closer than you think and my book, A Taste for the Wild, Canada’s Maritimes offers some in sights into visiting Canada. I lived there sixteen years so I have some good advice for potential travelers.
Canada and the Maritimes especially is a wonderful area, and it is full of great people who enjoy visitors. The weather is usually great in July through the early fall.
Visiting the Maritimes in the heat of an American summer is a real treat. I recently updated my post, A Summer Excursion Through New Brunswick, PEI, & Nova Scotia, if you need a little Maritime travel advice to get your wheels turning and there is more in our A Taste for the Wild book.
Nova Scotia is a paradise of blue and green and as long as you are not planning a dip in the water, you will find little to complain about in places where Americans even those of from the South are most welcome.
I like to say the book is worth the $2.99 just for the story about our honeymoon on the barrens of Newfoundland where my wife was convinced that we were close to being lost forever. If you like $2.99 books, the 2012 edition of our Emerald Isle Travel Guide is available. It has fewer pictures, maps, and recipes, but it certainly has a lot to offer a first time visitor.
If you are interested in more information about me, check out the about me section of my main website. It has links to many other places where my writing is posted. You can also visit this site to see what I have recently published.
More general information about the mainland where I live is available at this link to my Swansboro to Cape Carteret area page.
You will find some helpful area details that might make folks think you are a local, but for the real local experience and information head for our travel guide.
Why we love it here?
It is hard to say that any place is perfect. However, for those who think a walk on the beach is better than a trip to the mall, the Crystal Coast is hard to beat.
For thoughts on where we have chosen to live, I would steer you to my articles, Ten ways Carteret County met our needs and Why I love living in Carteret County
My Crystal Coast, Salt Water on Your Feet site also has a number of articles for people considering a move to the Crystal Coast.
We’ve even found a great church home at Cape Carteret Presbyterian Church.
It is a friendly area with a great future. So right now it is the spot for us. I often write about the area in my other websites.
This is a link to a simple map of the area. There are more detailed ones in our Emerald Isle Travel Guide.
You can find a introduction to the area and links to most of my other blogs at this link or visit this page for the basics.