If the goal of your vacation is relaxation, Carolina Beach is the place to go! Carolina Beach is the most relaxing beach we have ever traveled to! Our only regret was not spending more time there! We visited Carolina Beach last summer. We were initially going to travel to Raleigh, NC, for fertility treatments, but decided to head down a couple days early to visit Carolina Beach – just over a 2 hour drive from Raleigh. The drive was an easy one, but felt long after traveling all day. There is a smaller, very nice, airport in Wilmington, NC that is close to Carolina Beach if you don’t want the long drive, but it may cost a little more to fly into than Raleigh’s airport. 

Condo on the Beach

North Carolina is a scenic state. There are many beautiful, tall, pine trees that give you a cozy, warm, feeling and the all the people were nice and welcoming. We stayed at a 2 bedroom condo on the beach that we found on VRBO. This was the first time we had used VRBO and it was a good experience. We did not meet the owners in person, but we texted them when we arrived and departed. The owners were friendly and made sure we knew they were available if we had any questions. 

• 

• 

This was the first time we had stayed at a place directly on the beach. We were on the 3rd floor of the condo building, which provided a great view of the beach and ocean from the balcony. The living room, kitchen, and dining area were all open. One bedroom had a bunk bed and twin bed and the master room had a queen bed with an attached bathroom. There was also a second bathroom between the two bedrooms. The condo could have easily fit 5-6 people. Perfect for families!

We went on the off season (the week before Memorial Day) and it was so quiet and relaxing! Since it was the off season, the price was very reasonable. It was comparative to what a night at a hotel would have cost. Another benefit to going during the off season was that there was hardly anyone on the beach. We basically had the beach to ourselves. It was in the mid to upper 70’s for temps. One day it was quite breezy, which made it feel cooler.

Our time at the beach was wonderful! We sat on the beach and were able to just let go and relax. Zak read a book and I enjoyed the sound of the ocean waves, while our daughter ran around the beach, digging in the sand looking for shells and any creatures she could find. The sand was so incredibly soft. We enjoyed making sand castles and other sand creations as a family. Needless to say, it was perfect. We hope to go back some day. 

Activities

Carolina Beach Boardwalk

Since we went during the off season, some places were closed that normally would have been open, specifically on the board-walk. This was fine with us, as we went there for relaxation rather than shopping or sight-seeing. People that we talked with said it’s much busier starting Memorial Day weekend and then throughout the summer. The boardwalk was a couple miles down the beach from the condo we stayed at. Storefronts on the boardwalk consisted of unique souvenir shops and places to stop for sweets. Many of these stores were open. We enjoyed stopping for some ice cream on an evening stroll down the boardwalk our last night there. There are rides on the boardwalk, but the rides did not open until Memorial Day weekend. 

North Carolina Aquarium

We also went to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. This was also only a short drive (about 15 minutes) from our rental. The aquarium is a must if you are traveling here with kids. We felt it was a nice aquarium with different activities to keep children engaged. On the day we were there they had a SCUBA diver presentation. There were hands on things for children to explore, as well as a children’s story time. I usually try to avoid the gift shops at places like zoos or aquariums, as many times they are pricey, but we went into their gift shop and I was pleasantly surprised. I felt their prices were fairly reasonable and they had a lot of neat things, especially for kids.

One of the more interactive exhibits at the aquarium is the aviary. We paid a separate, small fee (a few dollars I think) to go into this exhibit, but it was well worth it! You can buy small cups of nectar-like liquid that the birds eat. We were one of the first ones into the exhibit that morning and they told us the birds might be “a little feisty” to whoever entered with the nectar first…and boy were they not kidding! Zak was the first to walk in and instantly about 10 birds flew over and landed on him trying to get the nectar. I took a couple of the cups and instantly had birds all over me as well.

Our daughter was a bit overwhelmed by all of the birds, so she chose to just watch and laugh at us as the birds fought over the cups of nectar on us. It was a lot of fun! I would recommend doing the aviary last as bird poop is possible.

• 

• 

Restaurants

Soul Flavor

If you could only choose one restaurant to eat at while at Carolina Beach, it should be Soul Flavor! They truly live up to their name. Each bite you take is filled with tons of flavor that feeds your soul! We had never tasted food with that  much flavor before. Best of all, the options are fairly healthy and you don’t feel overly full or bloated when you leave. You feel content, full, and happy. We had the Chicken and Noodles and one of the salads – I believe it was the Carolina Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad. The wait staff is fun and laid-back. Our daughter had asked for chocolate milk and they didn’t carry that, but instead went above and beyond and whipped up their own version of a chocolate milk mixed drink for her at the bar (virgin of course). I’m pretty sure they made it up on the spot, but it looked and tasted good. She thought it was pretty cool and so did we!

Gulfstream Restaurant

Gulfstream Restaurant is a nice, hometown style, restaurant situated near the line of beach condos. It was in a great location as it only took a few minutes to get there from where we stayed. We ate here twice, once for supper the night we arrived and then again for breakfast one morning. Both meals were good. It was nice to eat some home style-type meals while away from home. Both locals and tourists enjoy this restaurant. It’s a friendly, laid-back place to eat as a family. 

Kate’s Pancake House

If you’re looking for a good sit-down breakfast in Carolina Beach, this is the place to be! Kate’s Pancake House is rated as the #4 restaurant in Carolina Beach on TripAdvisor. We enjoyed their food and friendly staff, and would definitely recommend stopping there for breakfast one morning if you find yourself at Carolina Beach. 

Carolina Beach gave us many good memories and we hope to return someday! It’s a great, fairly affordable, family get away. Have you been to Carolina Beach? Do you have any recommendations to add? Leave a comment below!