Let us know if you want to 'get away' to CB

Just a reminder that our adorable (well, we think so) little condo is available to rent -- and at a VERY fair rate, we might add.

Just contact us and let us know about rates and availability. I should note that July and August are quickly filling up, and dates are getting fewer and far between in September though there are some free times in September and October, so act fast.

To recap: The place is literally 100 feet from the ocean with 3 public accesses within a short walk. (One of which is Freeman Park.) We have cable in the living room, a queen bed in the bedroom and a pull-out sofa.

And to those who have already enjoyed OBP, please share your thoughts here.

Town of CB hoping to run its own marina

WHQR is reporting that the town of Carolina Beach is "proposing legislation that would let the town run its marina."

Carolina Beach Town Attorney Steve Coggins says they need authority from the state to govern the town marina effectively.

During the past 50 years the marina has been governed by multiple state and federal agencies. Coggins says overtime the marina traffic has increased and so has the number of agencies that oversea it, making it difficult to take needed immediate action.

Oh no they didn't

Apparently folks got a little out of control around the Fourth of July at Masonboro Island, according to the Star-News.

Here’s one species Masonboro Island could do without but is sometimes overrun with: the litterbug.

They come in all shapes and sizes, but all have in common the nasty habit of not picking up after themselves. They’re particularly numerous on holidays such as the Fourth of July, when they have a predilection for leaving behind beer cans.

Approaching the barrier island after this Independence Day, Hope Sutton, of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, was met with the unmistakable mark of the beer-loving litterbug.

“It was polka-dotted with beer cans,” Sutton said of the northern end of the island, which is between Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach. “By the time I was in the inlet, I could smell the beer.”

Sutton said a quarter-mile of the 8-mile-long island was covered with cans, beach chairs and even tents on Sunday. The trash can poison animals and kill vegetation and micro-organisms that live in the water, said Sutton, who manages Masonboro Island for the state.

Click here to read the rest about this travesty.

(Image from the Star-News)

Quirky Carolina Beach: Floating convenience stores, donuts and more

One thing that drew us to Carolina Beach was its "feel" as an old beach town. You can still walk a little ways to a run-down (yet charming) little store for the necessities and there's that perfect mix of old and new.

Apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way.

This beach still has a bit of an old school flavor, especially at night [says the Daily Reflector].

Wednesday night there was a DJ blasting oldies at the boardwalk, while children rode the carnival rides and about 100 adults played cash bingo just a few feet from the beach.

Oh, and don't forget Britt's Donuts.

This places rocks.

Open since 1939, Britt's Donuts has the best donuts I have ever tasted.

This unassuming spot was probably my favorite shop or restaurant that we visited.

It is just a simple counter with a very simple menu.

They have donuts, coffee and soda. That's it. And it's not a bunch of different flavors. It's one flavor: glazed.

So don't order a chocolate filled or something like that. Just say, "I want two donuts and a coffee." Better yet, make it a half dozen.

We went there Wednesday night and we just had to go back Thursday morning before we left Carolina Beach. Britt's Donuts is awesome.

In addition, there's just enough quirkiness in Carolina Beach to keep you on your toes.

Case in point: The Bait Barge, a floating convenience store.

Yes, a floating convenience store.

If you’re a boater and frequent the waters near Carolina Beach Inlet, you’ve likely noticed the Bait Barge [says the Island Gazette]. It’s a convenient location where boaters can buy live bait, ice and other necessities.

Owner Nick Kintner was informed by the Division of Coastal Management earlier this month that state law considers his operation a “floating structure” and regulations prohibit it from staying in one location more than 30 days.

Kintner said he wasn’t aware of that law and didn’t intentionally try to violate the rules. To resolve the situation, Kintner registered the floating bait shop as a vessel.

The Bait Barge sells both live and frozen bait for all types of fishing.

In addition to ice and bait, they also sell snacks, beverages, sun block, and many other items.

The entire Bait Barge is run on electricity that is self generates through solar panels and windmills. They run business hours every day of the week opening at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and on weekends they open early at 6:00 a.m. Barring inclement weather the Bait Barge will be open and available as your convenient bait shop on the water.

The Bait Barge accepts credit and debit cards and they hope to be an asset to all of the water loving people in our area. Stop by the bait barge for all of you bait and supply needs the next time you are on the water.

(Photos by the Island Gazette and the Daily Reflector)

Economy slows travelers

Because of the economy, fewer people are visiting the Cape Fear region, according to the Star-News.

More than 15,000 fewer commercial passengers have flown into or out of Wilmington International Airport this year. Through May, 311,852 passengers flew ILM, down 4.6 percent from 326,947 a year ago. Gary Broughton, ILM operations director, said discretionary travel is down because of the economy. But, he added, June’s numbers are looking up.

“I’m hoping now that schools are out the vacation travel might start picking it up pretty well,” he said. ...

From February through May, 49,026 vehicles took the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry across the Cape Fear River, down 13 percent from 56,234 in 2008. The ferry was shut down in January for maintenance.

The biggest hit to ferry travel is coming from out-of-state travelers. From February through May, 2,793 out-of-state vehicles crossed the Cape Fear River on the ferry, a decrease of 48 percent from 5,320 vehicles during that time last year, according to N.C. Ferry Division statistics.

All the [hint] more reason [hint hint] to look for an affordable [hint hint hint] vacation option in Carolina Beach!

The place is 99.5 percent done

We've gotten the correct shade of yellow painted, so here are some new photos of the place. (We even added some orange Adirondack chairs to the porch, which the girls love!)

Catch free flicks at CB

Enjoy free fireworks and movies this summer in Carolina Beach. The fireworks take place at 9 p.m. on Thursdays at Lake Park.

Here is the movie schedule (via the Pleasure Island blog) ...

Sunday June 14 | Hotel for Dogs (G)
Sunday June 21 | The Tale of Despereaux (G)
Sunday June 28 | Indiana Jones, Crystal Skull (PG-13)
Sunday July 5 | Madagascar II (PG)
Sunday July 12 | Pink Panther II (PG)
Sunday July 19 | Space Chimps (G)
Sunday July 26 | Ironman (PG-13)
Sunday August 2 | Monsters vs Aliens IN 3D (PG)
Sunday August 9 | Journey to the Center of the Earth IN 3D (PG)
Sunday August 16 | The Goonies (PG)
Sunday August 23 | Bedtime Stories (PG)
Sunday August 30 | Wall-E (G)
Sunday September 6 | Night at the Museum II (not yet rated)