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You are here: Home / Travel / Bald Head Island 2023

July 5, 2023

Bald Head Island 2023

Here’s the recap of our summer 2023 trip to Bald Head Island

Bald Head Island 2023 this !

Bald Head Island 2023

We last came to Bald Head Island in the summer of 2020. After a horrible social distanced ferry experience, we decided to move to Oak Island in 2021 and 2022. This summer marked our return to island time. 

ferry to Bald Head Island

Sea Oats Cottage

We stayed at Sea Oats Cottage (a Wendy Wilmot property) for the third time. It’s an absolutely beautifully decorated house with three king bedrooms and two rooms with twins for the kids. It’s also well stocked and semi oceanfront with a small road between you and the dunes. While the hike to the beach is actually a hike in the blazing sun, it’s our one compromise! 

Sea Oats Cottage Sea Oats Cottage Bald Head Island 2023

Read this post if you’re looking for tips for traveling to Bald Head Island.

As usual, our group was my parents, my sister, her husband, Matt, and their two girls. Plus the four of us. 

The cousins had an absolute BLAST playing together for a week! Even big pre-teen Mazen was so helpful and patient with his cousins. Emerson is 6.5 and she and Mazen buddied up a lot, and Avery is 3.5 so she and Birch paired up a lot of the time. Birch said he wanted to marry Avery! 

Cousins Bald Head Island 2023 Cousins at Bald Head Island 2023 cousins beach bonding

Morning visitors to my bed!

little girls in bed

Arrival Night

Getting to BHI takes us about six hours, plus all the ferry craziness, but we were so glad to get there Saturday around 5:00. 

Ferry ride Bald Head Island 2023

My sister had ordered the family style shrimp and grits from the Maritime Market, which was the perfect welcome meal. 

family style shrimp and grits

After dinner, we all raced to the beach! 

kids heading to the beach

I took some awesome pictures of Birch……that featured my thumb. Ugh! 

sunset at the beach

Here’s a cropped one!

sunset at BHI

Of course my boys were swimming in their clothes before we left. BHI is so great for kids because the surf on South Beach is quite mild but still plenty fun. 

Bald Head Island 2023

Beach Day On Repeat

The next day was all beach! The kids played for hours and hours and hours. Despite plenty of sunscreen, Birch’s eyes got pretty sunburned because he kept wiping them on a towel! He wore a mandatory hat the whole rest of the week. We had a couple of super windy days followed by a few super calm and hot days. Luckily we had minimal rain! 

Bald Head Island 2023 Bald Head Island 2023

Bald Head Island 2023 family playing in sand Bald Head Island 2023 Avery Bald Head Island 2023

Birch beach outfit kids mini surf

Birch Bald Head Island 2023

The Opposite of Cute

Other women look so cute at the beach. Not me! Haha. I’m always wearing a hat, a sun shirt, and carrying 5 things. 

Mom beach look

Beach Bubs

If you don’t have a beach bub umbrella system, you are missing out! These were great in the 25 mph winds AND for keeping the sun out with their UPF shade on the hottest days. We have two umbrellas! 

beach bub umbrella system

Other Activities

We went to each of the island pools (part of the beach clubs my parents are members of) for a little sand-free time. 

Things to do in Bald Head Island 2023

Turtle Central

We also went on a grandmother shopping trip to Turtle Central and visited the real turtles after at the nature center. 

Turtle Central

Games

cousins bonding cousins game time

Beach Themed Sensory Jars

Mom brought individual sensory jars from Young + Wild that were a HUGE hit. 

Beach Themed Sensory Jars

There was lots of snuggling that turned into…..

cousins snuggling

Kiddo naps!

kids summer nap

Puzzle Club 

We did a few junior puzzles

junior puzzles

followed by the Adult Puzzle Club who finished a 500 of cars and a 1,000 of Lego minifigs!

Adult Puzzle Club

And Matt and I played Jaipur – a great two-person game that is easy for travel. 

Musical Theater

The little kids and I put on a Lion King show. We were a little under rehearsed, but the audience enjoyed it!

Musical Theater

Beach Walks

All six of the adults got in some good beach walks. Mazen liked going with my parents after dark, and I went on one early morning that was very peaceful. 

Beach Walks Beach Walks Bald Head Island 2023 Beach Walks Bald Head Island 2023 Beach Walks Bald Head Island 2023

Apps at the Shoal’s Club

Every year dad treats us all to dinner at the Shoal’s Club where we all share a plethora of apps. This was only night we got some dressy pics of us all! I think one of two times I actually put on makeup and real clothes. 

 Birch telling us he would “be safe” running ahead:

Apps at the Shoal's Club Shoal's Club BHI

Shoal's Club BHI food Shoal's Club BHI snacks

The boys in their matching Bdraddy polos (Mazen too)! 

dad and son matching outfit Family Bald Head Island 2023 Family Bald Head Island trip Family Bald Head Island trip cousins BHI vacation cousins BHI vacation

Date Night

The four younger adults (not to be confused with the Younger adults!) went out on date night while Grammie and Pea watched the kids. We went to Jules’ for cocktails and dinner. 

Jules' for dinner Jules' cocktails Jules' salad

Bald Head Bottle

Thomas and Matt discovered Bald Head Bottle while out shopping together and bonded over a glass of Chardonnay. They said we had to go back because Larbs and I would love it. They were right! What a nice modern addition to the island. 

Bald Head Bottle

Orange wine on trend!

Orange wine

Home Cooked 

We cooked in twice – tacos night one and low country boil night two when Matt’s parents came over to join us for the day. 

Home Cooked cocktail Thomas in apron cooking Bald Head Island Trip 2023 home cooked meal home cooked seafood shrimps and corn low country boil night

Father’s Day Lunch

Larbs and I took dad out for a belated Father’s Day lunch at Horizons. This quinoa watermelon salad was fantastic!

Quinoa watermelon salad

Sipz

I brought a few of the Sipz for mom and Larbs to try. Larbs was a fan! Mom was a little scared to have more than a few sips. At 2mg, they are VERY mild and no “stronger” than one glass of wine. [Use code save35 for 35% off!]

Sipz drink

Kath Eats Real Food

Breakfasts + lunches!

Bagels from Cville

Bagels from Cville

Yogurt + granola bowl

Yogurt + granola bowl

Sandwich, chips and salad all in one!

Sandwich, chips and salad

Egg banana scramble with PB!

Egg banana scramble with PB

Classic beach sandwich

Classic beach sandwich

Horizon’s Takeout

The perfect blend of dining out and enjoying the comforts of home with kids was getting takeout from Horizons. It was so easy to email in our order and send someone to pick it up at 6:00. We did this twice! 

Ahi tuna salad

Ahi tuna salad

Greek pizza

Greek pizza

Lots of shrimp!

Mazen eating shrimp

Dessert!

cousins eating ice cream sandwich

Sea You Next Time!

This trip luckily went so smoothly. Larbs and I were commenting how this was the first year in MANY that we haven’t needed cribs, diapers, strollers, strict nap times, high chairs, baby monitors, etc. It made traveling there so much easier, and the cousins were all so happy to play together! We look forward to our next visit. 

Bald Head Island 2023 with cousins

Bald Head Island 2023 with cousins BHI 2023 where to stay

Filed Under: Travel

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Comments

  1. Amanda says

    July 5, 2023 at 7:15 am

    Your mom looks amazing in the pink dress!

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      July 5, 2023 at 7:19 am

      She does!!! It’s the Somerset from Anthro.

      Reply
  2. Claire says

    July 5, 2023 at 8:06 am

    Great photos, I really enjoy these posts, especially the traditional low country boil – that sipz drink would be illegal in the uk btw lol!

    Reply
  3. Heather Kittle says

    July 5, 2023 at 8:52 am

    ever traveled to Outer Banks? Bald head gives me some of the same vibes

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      July 5, 2023 at 10:58 am

      Yes we go there every September! BHI is a lot quieter, but equally beautiful

      Reply
  4. Ellen says

    July 5, 2023 at 9:34 am

    This looks like a wonderful trip! So fun to have cousins to play with at the beach! And I also think your mom looks beautiful in her pink dress!

    Reply
  5. Shelly says

    July 5, 2023 at 11:40 am

    Such nice family photos! Your mom looks amazing and your sister and her girls in their matching dresses are so cute.

    Reply
  6. Shana says

    July 5, 2023 at 1:55 pm

    How do you plan the food when traveling with multiple families? What kind of food do you keep around the cottage for snacks and such? Looks like a gorgeous trip!

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      July 5, 2023 at 2:06 pm

      We have a shared Google Doc that we reuse year after year based on the previous year. It has a list of grocery staples to bring from home, staples to buy on the island for breakfast/lunches, snacks, ingredients for the 2-3 recipes we make, and our dinner plans each day. We all split groceries in a receipt pool that we settle up at the end of the trip. Seems like this might be a great blog post?!

      Reply
      • elle says

        July 5, 2023 at 2:43 pm

        Yes! That would be a great post! Somehow my sister and i always feel like we’re starting from scratch when planning weekends at our camp.

        Reply
        • Sara says

          July 5, 2023 at 6:23 pm

          100% agree. It’s always a challenge when we travel with my husband’s family to the beach! I think I’m the only person who would use a spreadsheet though, so I wonder if there is something in between. It just always seems like there are 235644 trips to the grocery store and a lot of wasted food.

          Reply
  7. Shana says

    July 5, 2023 at 2:20 pm

    It would be a fantastic blog post! It seems like you have a really great system in place!

    Reply
  8. Angie says

    July 9, 2023 at 3:56 pm

    Looks like a super fun vacation! The beach sounds amazing right about now. We have about 2 months until we head to Jamaica.

    Reply
  9. Andrea says

    July 12, 2023 at 5:53 am

    Wasn’t your mom a teenager in the 70s? 😉 I haven’t heard of that THC drink but I’d be interested to try! Also, I love your mom’s pink maxi dress.

    Looks like a fantastic vacay. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  10. Nishita says

    July 26, 2023 at 8:29 am

    Seeing your family enjoying together on Bald Head Island makes me happy. The photos are great, and your kids are cute.

    Reply

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