Here’s a recap of our family trip to Oak Island, NC with photos of the beach, restaurants we chose and tips for visiting.
Our family beach trips are my favorite week of the year. I love having no agenda other than beach – breakfast – beach – lunch – beach – dinner. Our trips have gotten crazier with 4 kids underfoot (the sand in the house has multiplied by 10), but the relaxed routine is the same. I just love being by the ocean!
Oak Island vs. Bald Head Island
This year we decided to go to Oak Island, which is the neighboring island to Bald Head Island. We had a hard time with the ferry last summer being at reduced capacity and wanted to be able to drive right to our house. We all loved Oak Island, but we aren’t sure yet if we’ll return to BHI next summer.
While Oak Island was a bit more crowded and we missed the BHI club community pools, it sure was nice to have a Publix with Instacart right there, fresh seafood shops, and restaurants we could walk to on the beach.
Our House
The house we rented was perfect for us: beachfront, plenty of bedrooms, a pool, and amazing views of the pier and ocean.
I especially loved the brand new spacious kitchen, coastal décor, and way you could perch on the covered top deck and see who was on the beach.
Evening baseball game
The house is named Monkey Pants (see it here), and in this super small world, the owner left a blog comment with the name of the house on a previous BHI post! So we connected over email. Tyler was very nice and helpful answering my questions!
The bunk room
Oak Island Fun!
The weather was a bit rainy when we first arrived, but the majority of the days were perfectly sunny.
I had a blast with my nieces, Emerson and Avery. Grammie and Pea were there too, although Pea escaped my camera the whole time!
Cousins
Birch really took to his cousins this time and is smack in the middle of their ages (4.5 and 1.5) so he played well with both of them.
Matching Outfits
We bought the cousins coordinating orange outfits from Tea Collection, which has so many cute patterns for kids to match.
They also each got a squid from our friend Cheryl who makes them!
Pepperoni Grill Pizza Night
We ordered pizza for our first night from the Pepperoni Grill.
Cake By The Ocean
It wouldn’t be a Younger beach trip without a cake! My sister brought this gluten-free cake all the way from Charlotte (plus a key lime pie!). Beach themed, naturally.
Oak Island Pier
After dinner walked to the Oak Island Pier, which was just down the beach. That’s something you won’t find on BHI!
Easy Breakfasts
We always bring a dozen Bodos Bagels from Cville for easy breakfasts, so I enjoyed those most days with some fresh fruit.
Beach Time
Around 9 a.m. we lathered everyone in sunscreen and hit the beach until noon.
Lunch: Half Salad, Half Sandwich
Nap + Reading Time
The littles went down for naps for the first half of the afternoon while the big kids had quiet time. I read 28 Summers on the trip and LOVED it. Maybe my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book to date! I just started The Four Winds!
Afternoon Play
After naps we went back to the beach from 3:30 to 5 or so.
Ponytail friendly hat linked here
Crabs!
On night two we had crabs for dinner! Mom made potato salad to go with them.
BBQ To Go
We ordered in from the BBQ House another night, which was SO good!
I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of our date night out!
Tina Morrow says
We have loved Oak Island for over 20 years now! We rented various houses when our 4 kids were still at home. That area is so family-friendly and uncrowded. My parents had lived on the island but now are in Southport. My favorite spot is Caswell Beach for early morning walks. Last month we spotted a first – a beaver playing in the waves! It was weird but amusing.
The Frying Pan in Southport is our current favorite seafood place. The service and food are impeccable and their Health Inspection rating is a 100A. Joseph’s Italian Bistro is in South Harbor Village near the original bridge to Southport and it’s my Dad’s favorite restaurant. It has a screened porch and fabulous food.
We’ve also enjoyed some fun times on Bald Head too but it does have some challenges.
Kath Younger says
Thank for sharing these recs!
Jill Hampton says
Great pics! We already had our beach trip this year. We go to Saint Simons Island off the Georgia coast every year. There are beautiful live oaks everywhere and it gives the island a wonderful Southern feel. I love your cover-up with the triangles and geometric shapes. Is this still available? I really enjoy your trip photos. Thanks!
Kath Younger says
I have a friend who grew up on Saint Simons! I bet it’s beautiful. My rashguard is from Title Nine but it’s many years old, so I doubt it’s still there.
Eliza says
Looks like a fun vacation.
Question: how do you keep your bagels fresh? I love Bodo’s bagels but I only ever buy as many as we can eat in a single day. I find them to be inedible even one day after purchase because they get so stale and hard.
Kath Younger says
We store 6 in a silicone bag and they last us 3-4 days. We do toast them! And we freeze the second dozen and pull it out later in a week. They aren’t as good as super fresh, but they are still great!
Leslie says
Can you please share where your sister got her beautiful dress? Love the color! You look great Kath.
Kath Younger says
I will ask her!
Sandy N says
I was down that way last week! We had some college tours (UNCW and Coastal Carolina) and a long beach weekend. We stayed in Carolina Beach and saw signs for Oak Island along the way. I truly love the Carolinas!
Kath Younger says
Oh fun! We have been to Carolina Beach many times : )
Mandy says
Oak Island has been our favorite beach getaway location for probably more than ten years now! We typically stay on West Beach (because it is closer to the water) and take the pups but this year we stayed with our family on Caswell Beach right in front of the lighthouse and it was a pretty awesome experience. Caswell Beach was definitely less crowded as well. Something to note, Oak Island has a great Farmers Market every Monday and we like to go support the local farmers and vendors and stock upon fresh fruit and veggies for the week. The nature trails are also fun to walk. This year we got to see two baby alligators! I don’t know if the kiddos would enjoy but if you are into old architecture at all, take a tour of Southport because it is amazing. They have homes there from the mid 1700’s and 1800’s and the restaurants there are fantastic.
Kath Younger says
Someone mentioned the farmer’s market to us too. I’m sorry we missed it! And I walked towards Caswell Beach several times – very beautiful and quieter for sure.
Cheryl says
Thanks for the shout out! Glad the squids were a hit
Kath Younger says
They loved them!
Katt says
Hi, Kath my name is Katt. My family and I were thinking about going to BHI for the day and if you would speak into what hurdles you encountered aside from ferry? I want an enjoyable beach day and appreciate your opinion. Thank you!
Kath Younger says
It’s all just about the ferry – small kids, long lines, tons of luggage, etc. If you’re just going over for the day, pick a morning time and you’ll be fine!
Sandy says
Do your parents still own a home on BHI? If so do they spend part of the year there and enjoy a change or why do you not take trips there? I ask because we have a Florida house and we never think of vacationing at another beach so I’m curious.
Kath Younger says
Yes they do and we spent 2 weeks there in April. We always rent a beachfront house in the summer because of the kids and convenience. The marsh house is about half a mile from the beach. My parents rent it out all summer though, so it’s not like that house is sitting empty!