Summer 2017 Wraps Up
The waters did stay stirred up with lots of wind for longer than normal this season, but that is a minor complaint in what has been a very successful summer for our beach community.
The big excitement in early summer was the dredging that took place in Bogue Inlet. The old channel on the West side of the Inlet became problematic to get through and a new channel was dredged in early summer and eventually marked. However, the channel seems to have a mind of its own and kept boaters guessing for much of the summer.
Our last hot spell peaked on September 21 with the temperature approaching 90F before lunch. Then the heat broke with an afternoon of storms which drove the temperature down over twenty degrees in a couple of hours. We got an inch of rain out of the storm. Since that our weather has steadily improved. The last two weeks have delivered only one-tenth of an inch of rain while temperatures remained in the upper seventies to low eighties in daytime and dropped as far down as 50F at night. Most of morning temperatures have been around sixty degrees Fahrenheit. It has been wonderfully fall like with the heat pumps hardly running.
It appears spot fishing season has already started slowly with a few boats showing up around the bridges. The season is starting earlier than last year which was later than normal (pictures taken November 3, 2016 and October 8, 2011 and October 8, 2014). Still the best of the fall fishing should be ahead of us as long as the fall weather continues dry and storm free.
Our five star-rated 152 page 2017-18 travel guide with 65 images continues to be well received. The Kindle version is only $3.99 and has 128 color images. It is also free if you have Kindle Unlimited. The Kindle version works on practically everything including the iPhone and iPads. The paperback versions have been very popular locally. If you are in the area and want to have a look at a paper copy, stop by the Emerald Isle tourist bureau or drop by the bookstore in Emerald Plantation to purchase a black and white copy. The color version is available at the Emerald Isle Town Office. This is a recent review of A Week at the Beach The Emerald Isle Travel Guide. The black and white paperback is $7.95 and the full color version is $19.99. Both are Prime eligible from Amazon. We released the updated print books on August 15, 2017 and the updated Kindle version was published on September 20, 2017
If you just need some quick information about the area head for our free online guide to Emerald Isle. Either way, remember this is a great area to visit even late in the fall. Fall is our best season and can last until December. Lots of visitors get hooked and end up put down some roots along our sandy beaches.
Why we love it here?
While no place is perfect, the Crystal Coast presents us with many options besides beaches that make life here very appealing.
Living by the water is not for everyone, but we really enjoy everything from waves on the beach to the warmth of an evening on the beach or even the power of the ocean you feel standing in the surf.
The magic of the river or our other waters is never far away. Sometimes the big water calls and other times I get seduced by the river and the fog. There are few places where you can have such wonderful November days on the beach.
In the summer there are times when the heat will not seem to go away but there are ways to deal with the heat or humidity and even escape our paltry crowds.
We typically have plenty of summer weather, but we do have four seasons here including some cold weather every few years. That just makes the other three seasons besides winter seem even nicer.
My Crystal Coast, Salt Water on Your Feet site also has a number of articles for people considering a move to the Crystal Coast. Our quiet spot sheltered by Bogue Banks, the Croatan National Forest, and the Cape Lookout National Seashore is a very friendly and scenic area with a great future. Right now it is the spot for us and sometimes I think I am living in a time and place that cannot survive the pressures of the modern world forever. I am just happy to be here now and able to share it with my children and grandchildren.
This is a link to a simple map of the area. There are more detailed ones in our Emerald Isle Travel Guide.
