Back to the beach: A pandemic trip to Carolina Beach
By Brian Miller
There is little question that people are fed up with being locked up inside and when the weather starts to break, many will head back to the beaches. On Sunday, I hit Carolina Beach.
Many people have their own idea of paradise, in my family paradise comes in the form of sand and ocean waves. Doesn’t matter where so long at there are rolling waves, screeching seagulls, and seashells. After being “quarantined” for more than a year, we finally were able to get out.
With my in-laws in tow, my kids, and two of their friends, we jumped into the RV and headed southeast to the lower strands of the Carolina Outer Banks. Carolina Beach and Kure Beach are located south of Wilmington, we call it the family beaches unlike the younger “pretty people” beach at Wrightsville north of Wilmington.
Temps were good along the coast and rain wasn’t forecast until later. The 90-minute drive was a dip through patches of green pollen fog down route 87 and then finally we arrived at the beach area. Parking was easy as the beaches on a Sunday were surprisingly light, even for these times.
Once on the beach, we found everyone adhering to social distancing. No one was crammed together onshore and in the water. No one approached you while crossing the bridge over the dunes, some wore masks and others only wore them as strangers came by.
The water is still quite cold in North Carolina but the kids swam anyway and warmed up on the beach with the sun shining.
Is now an ideal time to hit the beaches? For now, at least at the two beaches south of Wilmington, it seems to be. Sunbathers were very much aware of the current situations and politely kept their distances. When my kids strayed too close to other kids both my wife and I and the parents of the other children calmly pulled our kids apart and reminded them we are still in a cautious state.
Next. Devil's Kitchen at Caesars Head State Park. dark
The beach offers a respite from being locked up and gives us a chance to get out, soak up the outdoors, and feel a bit normal once again. If you are dealing with pent-up frustration and have the chance to just let your toes sink into the sand, now is a good time to do so, at least at some beaches.