Today I had the privilege of meeting George and Ian from Greensboro, North Carolina. We met on the dock at the Cedar Street Soundside Park. There were a few local young guys around Ian's age, that he could hang out with. They were throwing a cast net to catch bait fish for later(which can be seen in the background, behind George and Ian)! The Cedar Street pier ends in steps that go down, into Bogue Sound. The two local guys walked out a fair way with their cast net in tow. The sound is shallow enough in most places to walk across from Emerald Isle, to Cape Carteret on the mainland, with exception of the Intracoastal Waterway/channels. I admire George and Ian for spending the morning and early afternoon together at the park. Quality time for parents and their children are precious, and the years go by quickly. I hope they will be able to return in the years to come and enjoy our beach each and every time!

I thought I'd post a quick photo of what I meant by 'drowned land' in previous posts. This photo was taken down in the Emerald Isle Woods Park on the west end of the island on the north side of Coast Guard Rd. This area has stagnant standing water interspersed with grasses, bushes, and trees. This isn't a swamp, really, these are often very small chunks of land surrounded by higher, drier land.

Folks living in or visiting the Emerald Isle NC area should take note that the Emerald Isle Woods Park will be closed for 2 months to complete a storm water project.

That area of the island is one of the lowest in terms of feet above sea level, and there are many areas that are drowned land or which flood bad at times during heavy rain. The ongoing project will hopefully ease those issues. The official notice from the town states:

Please be advised that beginning May 5th the Emerald Isle Woods Park will be closed indefinitely due to construction of the Phase II Coast Guard Road Storm Water Project. We will attempt to reopen the Park as soon as possible, hopefully by July 4.

You don't have to go to the Bogue Inlet Pier to have a good day of fishing in Emerald Isle, you can try your hand at fishing from one of the public docks available. Our friend Ginger caught a 7 pound Hatteras Blue from the dock in the Emerald Woods town park on the west end of town. Note that you will need to purchase a fishing license (about $15) even if you are a local resident. Also, the Emerald Woods Park will be closed for a couple of weeks starting this week (May) for renovations.

One of the cool things to do while you vacation in Emerald Isle and the Crystal Coast area is take a short jaunt down the island to Fort Macon, which is on the East end of Bogue Banks, east of Atlantic Beach at the very end of the island. The Fort overlooks both the Bogue Sound and Atlantic Ocean, and sits next to one of the widest beaches in the area. The Civil War era fort is maintained in near-authentic condition, and offers a few spoken histories integrated into the displays. Check out the beautiful views and enjoy a bit of history if you want to do something cool while vacationing in Emerald Isle.




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The 17th annual Emerald Isle St. Patrick's Day Festival will be upon us soon. Everyone in town looks forward to the local rite of spring that takes place in Emerald Plantation, this year falling on March 15th from 9am to 5pm. There will be bands, a beer garden, food and craft vendors, rides, and more:

8 am at the Eastern Regional Access (2701 Emerald Dr.) Emerald Isle Parks & Recreation will sponsor an 8k road race. Registration is from 6:45am to 7:30am at the access. Fees for the race are $15 before March 10th and $20 after. The first 100 registrants receive a free t-shirt. There are seven age categories that have awards.

At 11 am on the main stage catch the Little Ms. And Mr. Leprechaun Contest. Boys and girls ages 2-3 and 4-5 will be in leprechaun costumes and judged on originality, creativity, and overall stage presentation. The contest requires pre-registration no later than 12pm Friday March 14th. Registered participants are asked to be under the main stage tent by 10:30am n the day of the contest.

There are lots of activites for folks in Emerald Isle, even in the offseason. Scrapbookers have an excellent opporunity to meet with other hobbiests at the Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation complex once each month.

Scrapbooking workshops take place the third Saturday of each month (except September). All workshops take place at Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation. Pre-registration required, ages 12 and up. Call Linda Phelps at 910.326.6164 or email at rphelps@ec.rr.com . Use of tools and snack included. Fees Payable at workshop.

For more information, see the flier.

The Emerald Isle Friday Free Flicks continue in 2008 with the first offering on January 11. The movie will be Evan Almighty, and will be at the Parks and Recreation Gym near Town Hall. Showtime is at 7PM, and admission is free. Popcorn and drinks are available for $1. No outside drinks or food is allowed, and you should bring chairs or blankets. View the Flyer for more Emerald Isle Friday Free Flicks information.

Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation is promoting a Winter Tennis Clinic from January 7 through March 28, 2008, on Mondays and Fridays. These clinics are presented by tennis professional Tony Pereira at the Emerald Isle Community Center Gym. Ages 14+ are welcome, and there is a nominal fee for participants. For more information, read the flier.