Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to the coast of North Carolina for the first time. I can tell you that this German girl here loved it. I was beyond surprised about the beauty of it all.
I flew to Wilmington, North Carolina and then took a ferry to Bald Head Island which is located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Bald Head Island ends where the treacherous sand bars known as Frying Pan Shoals begin.
Several movies were filmed here. Three of the most famous ones are Sleeping With The Enemy (1991), The Butcher’s Wife (1991) and Weekend At Bernie’s (1989).
Beautiful Bald Head Island in North Carolina
After traveling to this beautiful and secluded island, I really wonder why everyone always wants to travel to islands outside of this country. This is a serious treasure not all that known to the majority of the population of the US and it really is all I would need on a vacation because I don’t like the hustle and bustle of some of the major resort and vacation destinations.
This island doesn’t allow cars and you get around either by bike or golf cart. That alone makes it so special. But I also enjoyed the small size of it, the architecture, nature, beaches and food.
Below you can see a google map and where the island is located. The red area is the accessible vacation area.
There is so much to read up about this island as well and this book is perfect for that purpose.
You can also read about the rich history of the island on the Bald Head Associations website by clicking HERE. The stories about pirates are definitely not just for kids. I enjoyed reading about the history just as much.
The Tiny Marina
This big yacht came up from Florida:
The Inn At Bald Head Island
I don’t even know where to begin with this inn. It’s the perfect spot for couples or even just a trip with friends. It’s the only inn on the entire island and there are no children allowed at the inn. This sounds maybe bad to some but I can totally see why not. There are homes for rent on the island if you are vacationing as a family with children and they are the perfect fit.
The inn owners also own the real estate company on the island and take care of 44 rental properties so there is a spot for everyone.
Click HERE to see their website.
Dann and Gail Jackson, the owners, are the sweetest couple and love to socialize with the visitors during their happy hour. And Dann even took us for a happy hour boat ride on their boat “Endless Summer” which was beyond lovely.
The Inn’s kitchen is a dream!!!
The view from my room. You can check out all the rooms by clicking HERE. I stayed in THIS room.
You can also check out their facebook page HERE.
Getting Around The Island
And you guys I’ve always wanted to see Spanish moss covered trees. This was my first time. I know it sounds odd to those who live in the south but I think it looks magical.
I got to meet up with my friend Diane of In My Own Style (who you’ve seen me hang out with before), my new sweet and talented friend Amy of Meme Hill and the famous Emily Clark. I’m saying famous because most of us bloggers have been following her since the beginning of our blogs and she is just awesome.
We totally didn’t talk about what we would wear, even though it looks like we did. I guess we are all into black, plum and pink.
Big Baldy Lighthouse
We got to paint this historical lighthouse at the end of our trip.
The Ocean
Duh, I don’t think I need to mention this in a headline 😉 do I? But to me that’s always one of the most important things. I just love a nice deserted beach and you have plenty of that here, especially in September.
Only about 170 people live on this island all year long and it swells up to about 2000 during the busy summer months.
The water is clear and beautiful.
And I hadn’t seen palm trees since my trips to Southern France during my childhood and our family trips to California. They make me really happy too.
Sweat Water with Alligators
Alligators don’t make me happy but I would have loved to see one in the wild which I have never seen before. An alligator sighting didn’t happen on this trip. I definitely didn’t want to test my luck with alligators in this island pond.
Our tour guide pointed out after I saw a sign for a missing cat, that outdoor cats aren’t a good idea on this island because they usually do end up disappearing due to the alligators. Poor little ones.
Look at the cute little streets that you can ride with your golf cart or bike.
Beautiful Homes
Lets start with some more history because you can even rent a historical home to stay right on the beach.
Historic Cottages
I’m talking about Captain Charlie’s 1, 2 and 3 (click on the numbers to see the links) which are three historic cottages once home to the namesake lighthouse keeper and his crew.
Look you step right out to the dunes and beach. I can just dream about sitting on those chairs in the evenings.
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You can see more vacation rentals by clicking HERE or HERE.
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More photos I snapped of the homes along the golf cart ride.
Two Private Clubs
One with a golf course named Bald Head Island Club which you can see below and when you click HERE.
And another one on the tip of the island called Shoals Club (click HERE to see). I can just imaging how beautiful the weddings are in this club. It’s jut such an amazing setting.
The Chapel
Speaking of weddings… the chapel is the perfect little spot for it. So romantic and cute. (click HERE for their site)
Two Restaurants
Yes you read that right, there are only two restaurants for regular folks but if you have a club membership then you have access to their restaurant as well. So I should have probably written 4 restaurants.
Mojo’s (click HERE)
And Delphina (click HERE)
I really want to go back with my family. It was one of the nicest trips I have taken in a long time. And this island is a serious treasure right here in the US. It really is that good. So next time when you are looking at heading to an island outside of the US, you should look into traveling here instead. I’m 100% sure that if you enjoy beach vacations that you won’t regret coming here.
The story is to be continued on Wednesday and why I was there. Chances are that you saw it on Instagram already or you probably didn’t because non of my followers see anything I do anymore on Instagram but thats an entire different and frustrating story.
Tschüß,
the chapel is the cutest thing! looks like such a beautiful place and reminds me so much of seabrook island, where we go! glad you enjoyed it!
Yes I remember your post about the turtle hatching. I didn’t get to see much wild life on our short trip though. It’s usually my favorite thing to explore
wow–it’s gorgeous! I’m not sure I’ve ever even heard of this place, but now I need to go 🙂
You guys would love it. I want my kids to study marine biology now and get an internship with their institute.
Wow! Never knew about this place, thanks for the intro Julia! Will definitely be putting this on my bucket list!
It really blew my mind how special this place is and that it’s in this country.
They are working really hard to keep it secluded and not too touristy too.
What a beautiful island trip. It looks fun and relaxing and with those ocean views so refreshing. I love beachy bungalows. They have a special type of charm. I’ve lived in NC (mountains) for two years now and still haven’t made it to the coast, so thanks for the vicarious treat. Looks like a really good time!
Oh you live in NC Jill. You should really get to the coast. It’s so worth it and special and I’m glad that I got the chance to go. Thanks so much for reading.