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Are you looking for a quiet, family oriented spot for a vacation, where the emphasis is on surf, sand, and seafood? Look no further than Kure Beach, North Carolina. If you're interested in fishing, surfing, swimming, or just relaxing at the beach, it's a great place. Additional attractions can be found a few minutes' drive away. And unlike many beach vacation spots, prices are very reasonable.
Kure Beach (pronounced "Cure-ee") is located just down the road from the better-known Carolina Beach, near Wilmington. Hans A. Kure purchased the area around 1900, and in 1923 his son L.C. Kure built a fishing pier to begin an entertainment complex for the residents of Wilmington. The entertainment complex never materialized, but today the same family owns the pier. Though it has been badly damaged by hurricanes and rebuilt, it is 1/5 mile long and serves as the town's biggest attraction. It has a gift shop, snack bar and arcade, and sells fishing permits, bait, and equipment.
Several motels and hotels are nearby, most on the beach or across the street. The presence of numerous timeshare apartments and vacation homes attests to the fact that it is a popular location for vacationers to return year after year. The fishing pier is the center of town, and most shops and restaurants are near it. I personally recommend Big Daddy's seafood restaurant – the service is excellent, prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious. After a day of fishing or body surfing, head over to the Tastee Freeze for ice cream.
Our family vacationed there in mid-August, and unlike many popular beaches, it wasn't crowded and it was fairly clean of litter. Lifeguards are on duty during most of the day. Most motels and public access points have wooden walkways through the dunes of sea oats, and it is a short walk to the water. Body surfing is a popular pastime, along with "real" surfing in designated areas. Kids will enjoy searching for shells, flying kites, and of course building sand castles.
If the beaches, pools, and fishing aren't enough to keep you busy, there are other attractions nearby. Drive south on the main road to Fort Fisher, a civil war encampment. Ride across the Cape Fear River on a ferry to the town of Southport, where there is a fascinating maritime museum. Browse the antique shops and gift shops, dine on seafood, then head north to the Orton Plantation Gardens. Keep driving north and visit the U.S.S. North Carolina, a World War II battleship that is being restored. Visitors can tour the battleship, which is huge and takes a couple of hours to explore, then search for souvenirs in the impressive gift shop. If you still have energy after climbing up and down those tiny steps on the ship, a short drive back across the river will put you in Carolina Beach. There's a boardwalk with shops, food, and the festival attractions will keep your family busy till after dark. Other excursions may include historical tours of Wilmington or the town of Brunswick, a trip to see nearby lighthouses, parasailing, or cruises on the Cape Fear River.
Everyone's heard of Myrtle Beach, which is just south of Carolina/Kure Beach. My family had considered it, but we decided we'd rather visit an attraction rather than seek accommodations within it. We wanted an area where life was more relaxed, where we wouldn't have to worry about our small children getting lost in a crowd, where we wouldn't have to fight over a few square feet of beach space. On the other hand, we were concerned that we wouldn't find enough to keep us busy for a week in a slower-paced area. I only heard the words "I'm bored" once, and that was from my husband because we couldn't tear our daughter away from the beach and pool to do anything else. Who needs Disney World when you've got sand, water, pelicans, sandpipers, shells, and a motel pool filled with kids?
If you're looking for an exotic getaway with exciting night life and a festival atmosphere, look elsewhere because Kure Beach doesn't have much to offer after dark but a game room and moonlight walk on the pier. But if you like fishing or just eating seafood, or if your family needs a relaxing spot with friendly people and inexpensive food and accommodations, it may be the perfect place and you just may get "hooked."
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