Vacation season is almost upon us here on the Crystal Coast and first-time visitors to Emerald Isle always want to know what they can do especially with the economy more focused on saving money. With that said, here are 10 wallet-saving things to do on the Crystal Coast.
In case you haven’t heard about this Crystal Coast family event, the Annual Carolina Kite Fest is scheduled 
for this upcoming weekend on the dates of October 25-26. The 21st Annual Carolina Kite Fest will be held at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Hotel.
Now that school is back in session, and the summer crowds are gone, you might be wondering what’s left to do on that quick weekend getaway to the Crystal Coast. Just remember, with less crowds and pleasant weather in the fall months, it’s an ideal time to visit Emerald Isle. If you’re coming for a weekend or maybe even a fall vacation and you’re not quite sure what you and the kids should do, here are my top 4 things every family should do when coming for your Crystal Coast fall getaway.
In spite of $4 a gallon gas, large crowds gathered at the Crystal Coast town of Emerald Isle. The beaches were jammed, the DQ was filled with those seeking to satisfy their sweet tooth (hats off to Glenn’s team!) and the restaurants had long lines with equally long wait times (Jordan’s Seafood was awesome Saturday night-we did takeout!). Everyone (locals and vacationers) seem to accept the long lines and enjoy this 4th of July holiday.
One of the simple pleasures my wife and I enjoy when traveling from our vacation diggs to a local Crystal Coast restaurant or maybe a round of putt-putt is 
reading the names of the many beach cottages along the way. Crystal Coast property owners are so creative with their names of their cottages.
Many beach cottage names are obviously nautically inspired while others are connected to a favorite college or pro sports team. Some property names elude to a favorite past time or maybe evoke a sense of a person’s character (or lack there of). Some are based on the surname of the owners while others are inspired by a breath-taking scene of natural beauty. Here on the Southern Outer Banks, you might find a cottage named after a whimsical place and time. Whatever you call your property, we are looking for your favorite Crystal Coast beach cottage name and digital photo of the sign/property.
The 4th of July holiday will be here before you know it and the Crystal Coast is making grand plans for this
year’s edition to be a memorable one. If you’re planning a vacation trip to the Crystal Coast during the week of July 4th, here is a rundown of 4th of July holiday events scheduled to held in Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle, and Morehead City.
A typical week at the North Carolina coast for our family means lots of playing in the sand, riding the
waves, long walks on the beach, and more time than you could imagine crouched in the shell seeking position. Time must always be allocated for at least one game of miniature putt-putt golf and a trip to the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. We always try to venture out and explore new areas, interesting shops and yummy restaurants. These are a few of our favorite Crystal Coast beach vacation traditions.
Here on the beaches of the Southern Outer Banks, it’s always the right season to come fly your kite. And if you’re in need of such a “flying machine”, there is no better place to purchase said “stringed aerial apparatus” than at Kites Unlimited (& BirdStuff, etc.) in Atlantic Beach. Located in the Atlantic Station Shopping Center just down from the Outer Banks Outfitters marine store, this is one shop that is a must on your list of Atlantic Beach shops to visit.
