Well, not you but your shared Instagram and Twitpics for sure! And we will give photo credit to each photograph linking back to your website, Twitter profile or Instagram profile.
What would the 4th of July Emerald Isle holiday be without a fireworks display off the Bogue Inlet Pier? The great news is you can bring your whole family to see the Emerald Isle 4th of July Fireworks 
display for 2012! Clearly seen from the Intracoastal Waterway and Bogue Sound, this year’s fireworks will be launched from the Bogue Inlet Pier. Visitors up and down the Emerald Isle coast will be able to catch the display!
With parking a premium, you would be wise to arrive early for parking. The fun begins at 9 PM!
Speaking of parking, be sure to view the Google Map below to help you find the most convenient parking to the Bogue Inlet Pier.
This week the Carroll families are renting 124 Heverly Drive in Emerald Isle. A popular component of many Emerald Isle beach vacation rental 
properties is a guest book or renters journal. The property owners of Carefree Sandancer West offer such a journal for their rental guest. Curious to know what other renters have documented, I peeled back the pages to find some interesting observations about the unit and what activities visitors enjoy when they come to the Crystal Coast.
I recently asked my five year old grandson to write his first blog. Below is what he typed on the computer and added to my Facebook page:
What makes Nana and Papa’s house special is their toy’s and TV. I also like to go with Nana and Papa to the Farmer’s Market to eat chicken nuggets. Papa and Nana are fun to play with. Nana and me like to play crosswords. Me and Papa like to play trains. I also like to go to the Parade of Homes in Raleigh with Nana and Papa and Mommy and Daddy, and look in the homes.
There was no hint of a financial downturn judging from the throng that filled the Morehead City waterfront for
this years’ 2008 Seafood Festival. Beautiful fall weather greeted a shoulder to shoulder crowd. Great aromas filled the sun-drenched air as the throng munched on a smorgasbord of delicious foods. A crowd favorite was shrimp on the bar-bee along with the usual fair of elephant ears and roasted corn. The kids stood in line for their favorite carnival rides and moms and dads armed with video and digital camera’s snapped memorable photos.
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.
We all know the beach is a wonderful place to make memories. And what better way to document your time
together than by taking awesome photographs. Believe it or not, beautiful photos can be taken on the beach and it’s easier than you think. We recommend you try these simple tips.
By now it was approaching early afternoon and the wind had picked up. Obviously, a return by way of the Atlantic was out of the question. I asked my trusty navigator, Pam my wife, to plot a course for us to return via Taylor’s Creek on the Beaufort waterfront for our return trip back to Emerald Isle. Taylor’s Creek is a scenic trip and I highly recommend that trek. Just remember, all along the waterfront is a “no wake zone”, so take that into account when calculating your time. Beaufort is a pretty little town filled with neat shops, good restaurants and interesting homes. If you have time, check it out if you’re near Morehead City.
If you own a boat and live on the Crystal Coast, or maybe vacation here, no doubt you’ve traversed the ICW to the “Hook” of Cape Lookout. You may have even conquered the Beaufort Inlet out to the “deep water” and followed the shoreline of Shackelford Banks. I suspect you’ve spotted the ponies as you made your way to Cape Lookout. Or maybe you took the easier “path” via the inside passage to avoid the big swells of the Inlet. I assure you, each trip you take will be memorable.
On our first trip to Maui, my husband Bobby and I walked up to the cabana at the Maui Marriott swimming pool to pick up a couple of towels. When we asked the attendant (Tom) stationed at the cabana for our towels, he immediately asked if we were from North Carolina. WOW! I guess our accents gave us away. We told him that we were from Raleigh. Tom exclaimed “North Carolina has the best beaches in the world”.
