Sunday, August 18, 2013

Simple Provisions: Holden Beach, NC


One of our simplest Halterman adventures is one of the best:  the annual trip to Holden Beach, North Carolina.  Simply put, Holden is an outstanding family beach full of lovely rental houses on an island in Brunswick County.  In about an hour, you can be in the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach, but the rest of the time, you can bask in Holden's calm.  It's the perfect sit-and-read-and-talk beach. 

We discovered a new "cheap date" this year:  the Provision Company restaurant.  It has a great atmosphere, an outstanding view of the Intercostal Waterway, good food, and really bad parking that they treat as a mark of pride.  For a touch of Key West in North Carolina, we recommend it.  For a sweet treat afterwards, cross the bridge and head to Sunset Slush for gelati, a blend of Italian ice and ice cream.  Take advantage of the Town of Holden Beach's Parks and Recreation tide dye program in the high season and make a tye dye T-shirt for $3 at the pavillion under the bridge--and since you'll be standing in line in the heat, it's another good excuse to visit Sunset Slush.  It was a bittersweet season making our last trip to the now-closing Lowell's Bookworm, a "bookstore in the classic tradition" we've visited many summers.  Yes, we bought their commemorative T-shirt.  When out shopping, you should still stop at Sugar Britches on the causeway for unique items including etsy-esque handmade jewelry--it's going strong.

This year, we stayed at an outstanding beach house--Hobbs Realty's Carolina Peach.  The owners post the story of their exceptionally clean, attractive home in its dining room, and we felt connected to them even though we've never met.  We also saw our first mama turtle (if you don't know about the Holden Beach Turtle Watch, you should) and drove to Wilmington, NC, for Guinevere Lawton to meet her namesake Great Uncle Lawton Halterman.

If you go, don't miss the Holden Beach pier, profiled on our previous blog and a great experience for young kids.   

Relevant Twitter Handle:
@HoldenBeach

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