Cracked sea shells, shimmering sand in the afterglow of the ocean’s kiss – I am starting to think this could be heaven as I hear the whistle of the wind move in the rhythm of the sea. Piers – a window on the water, seashells and sand allow us to build castles at least until high tide…Today is my second day relaxing in Wrightsville Beach – life is good! After attending my conference this morning, I returned to The Sandpeddler, where I brewed a cup of their house coffee before my mom and I headed across the bridge to the mainland, where we made a pit stop at Lumina Station to load up on groceries at Harris Teeter. Lumina has an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants. I am making mental notes of handy shops and intriguing restaurants for our next trip to the Wilmington/Wrightsville area. Beach reprieve is the cure for big city woes 🙂
We returned to the Sand Peddler around noon. The Sand Peddler is the ideal hideaway for a relaxing and family friendly fun excursion. We love having access to a kitchen space and you can see the crashing waves and horizon from our room. The rates are affordable and the location is convenient.
Stomachs grumbling we walked across the street to for a seafood lunch at Tar Heel time honored haunt, The Oceanic. This is the only beachfront restaurant on Wrightsville. It connects to the historic Crystal Pier, an icon of Wrightsville. The Oceanic is causal elegance at its finest, with sweeping views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and pristine sandy beaches below. The restaurant menu offers local surf and turf and specialty house dishes. Perusing the mouth watering menu options my mom dived into the Oceanic Mixed Grill, a platter of salmon, mahi mahi and Carolina shrimp, confetti rice and broccoli. I opted for grilled flounder and fries. The food was fresh and delicious reminding me why I only eat fresh seafood, the platter was perfectly seasoned and the meat tender and plump. Our server was excellent, with an expertise of the menu and able to accommodate our gluten-free needs. The best part of the meal, staring off into the wild green abandon of the sea. Watching the waves in motion, I noticed the layers of green from foam cream teal to rich emerald and tinges of deep blue. The overcast sky of gray and fogged sun illuminated the expanse of ocean and beach in the image of a JW Turner painting…romantic and inspiring.
Fully stuffed after lunch, we meandered down the pier, staring into the eyes of the sea, the water dancing in the crash of rising waves, time an ebb and flow of perfect collusion.
In knee deep water, a man maneuvered the waves, paddleboarding against the current, falling down and getting back up. Wrightsville has the nickname ‘Surf City,’ because it is one of the best spots in NC for catching a wave. Paddleboarding is becoming a popular sport in the region – a hybrid of surfing, kayaking – it is a water gymnastics of sorts. I am the most uncoordinated person you will meet, but I am going to paddleboard next trip – it is a fun wave to ride the water without getting as beat up as skiing or intense surfing.
Sixty-seven degrees incited us to walk from Crystal Pier to the Johnnie Mercer Pier; this is a favorite spot for anglers looking to go pier-fishing. Seagulls liked the beach as we walked along the water for quarter of a mile, my eyes fixated on the crushed seashells softened by the harsh battle of being tumbled and tossed in the sand by the sea. Nature reminds me once again that beauty is found in ordinary places and the most broken and rejected of objects are treasures hiding in the sand if we dig deep enough.
Cutting back from the beach to the main drag, we ambled another three miles back to the Sandpeddler.
This day has been AMAZING – Wrightsville is the perfect blend of laid back cool, relaxed elegance and living the good life. Upbeat pedestrians and bicyclists navigate the streets and winding sidewalks, restaurants bustling with the clatter of the kitchen dishing out North Carolina’s best seafood – I cannot wait to return to Wrightsville. I will continue to blog about the area as I research the history and highlight local hotspots. Thank you for following me along on this journey.
