How to Plan a Summer Vacation in Topsail Island, NC

If you are looking for a great place to spend your summer vacation with your family, then you simply can’t go wrong with a trip to Topsail Island, North Carolina. Topsail Island is located a convenient 30 minutes north of Wilmington in Eastern North Carolina. Unlike many other tourist locations in the area, Topsail Island is not as crowded and has just as many things to do.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Lodging
• Map of the area

1. Find many activities to keep everyone in your family busy while you visit Topsail Island. The adventurer in you might enjoy exploring the some 26 miles of the long barrier island that was once used by 1700 pirates to hide their ships. The story goes that the sails could be see the sails over the large dunes and this is how the island got the name. In fact, legend goes that Blackbeard’s treasure is still buried here.
2. Explore Topsail Island, and you will see that there are about 3,500 year-round residents in the area. They love visitors. The golden sun, clean sands, and quiet lifestyle is what leads many people to settle here.
3. Discover the many activities that abound here in this coastal town. If you enjoy fishing you could spend your entire vacation doing just that. There are always fishing tournaments going on that you can join and you are sure to catch a bounty. You do need a fishing license that you can obtain from The North Carolina Wild Life Resource Commission. You can get your license through their website online.
4. Hit the waves and enjoy the clear waters surrounding the area, if you enjoy surfing. You can even take courses that will teach you the ins and outs of surfing if you have never tried it before. There are local ordinances that you should be familiar with before planning your surfing adventure in Topsail. Check out "Town of Surf City" for specific regulations regarding surfing in this area.
5. Golf to your hearts content here in Topsail Island. The Topsail Greens is a small, yet nice golf course that is right near the beach. Shopping and dining is popular here, too. Try the popular Mystic Mermaid where they prepare everything fresh. It is located on Sneads Ferry.
6. Find a great place to stay as you plan your vacation to Topsail Island. There are several cottages and seaside villas that you can rent for the weekend, or the entire week. You can find a house that will suit any size family and prices will range quite a bit depending on when you travel. For example, a standard three bedroom house with two bathrooms that can sleep up to eight, will run about $950 weekly during peak season and about $575 during off peak times. You can find many deals in the Topsail area by contacting a real estate company in the area to help you plan your lodging.
7. Explore other lodging options, if you prefer a hotel or motel. You will be able to find those here, too. You can choose from a Holiday Inn Express, Island Inn, Jolly Roger Inn, and the Sea Vista Motel, among others. Check out Hotwire.com or Expedia for discount hotel rates, or go straight through the hotel that you want to stay at for bookings.

Tips & Warnings

• The beach is a main attraction for families.
• Kids can enjoy pools at various lodging facilities.
• Make sure you have the proper license, if you are going to fish.