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May 17 - 18, 2013 Quilts and all things to do with quilting are what you will find at this annual event. Sponsored by the Crystal Coast Quilt Guild, the show is a wonderful opportunity to see quilts made by local artists as well as artists from the surrounding area. Each year...more about Crystal Coast Quilt Show
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Sling a beach towel over your shoulder and slip on your flip flops if you are headed to Atlantic Beach, where the sand and waves are clean and alluring and the scenery is extraordinary any time of day or night. Although visitors can arrive by boat traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway, there are two bridges that eventually lead to Atlantic Beach. From the mainland in Morehead City on a four-lane high-rise bridge access to Atlantic Beach is quick and easy. The scenic route, about twenty-two miles, travels the length of the island from Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach. In the past, Atlantic Beach could only be reached by boat. It had its humble beginning with a small pavilion on the beach way back in 1887. The one-story building was a refreshment stand with stalls for changing clothes. Folks who visited the beach over a century ago enjoyed the same wide beaches and majestic sun rises and set sets that attract locals and tourists today.
Just because the beach is captivating, doesn’t mean there’s nothing else to do in and around Atlantic Beach. Start at the furthest point on the island, Fort Macon State Park where there’s something for everyone. The historian and war buff will be astounded to see these pristine grounds with a state-of-art museum detailing the Civil War constructed fort and grounds. School children love to stand by the cannons on the thick walls of the fort and peer out to into the Atlantic Ocean imagining Blackbeard’s pirate ship approaching. You’ll understand why this is North Carolina's most visited state park and why tourists return every year. Summer concerts, cannon firings, and reenactments make this one of the most facinating places to visit in Atlantic Beach.
Just so you’ll know, the barrier island is home to five communities, Atlantic Beach being the oldest of the bunch. Traveling from Atlantic Beach west on the main drag - Highway 58 - you will enter Pine Knoll Shores, then Salter Path, Indian Beach, and finally Emerald Isle where you can cross the Cameron Langston Bridge into Cape Carteret and the intersection of Highway 24 and Highway 58.
If you love the ocean and all of it’s living creatures, you’ll want to visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores - which borders Atlantic Beach. Mesmerizing exhibits of local and global finds from under the sea, keep visitors returning. Step up to the counter to touch a horseshoe crab and help save a turtle at the turtle weighing display that fascinates and educates the youngest visitors.
Since you’re at the beach, why not venture out into the ocean on a fishing trip with the Captain Stacy Fishing Center in Atlantic Beach, NC. They offer half day, full day fishing trips, and even shark fishing. Even if you don’t know how to fish, the folks at Capt. Stacy’s will teach you everything you need to know. Don’t miss an opportunity to explore the waters of the Crystal Coast.
