One of the highlights of my year so far has been visiting Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina for a week this summer with my sisters and cousin. I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted to write a post about our trip—given we pretty much do the same things whenever we visit OIB— but one of the great things about having TOT is that has been such great way to save memories and photographs to look at them later.
As such, I’m going to share a recap of our week spent on the Carolina shore. But, I’m going to make it less of a travel guide and more just a recap + photo essay of what we did this particular trip—so if you’re looking for a post that makes specific recommendations for how to get to OIB, where to stay, where to eat, and what to do, check out my comprehensive Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina travel guide. There are also some great tips in the comments from readers!
Growing up, my family’s big vacation every year was a week at the beach. It was something I looked forward to all year around, and absolutely savored every moment of when we were on vacation. We were pretty good at keeping this tradition alive until 2015 or so, when life just got more complicated with work and college schedules. Then, last year during the pandemic, my sisters and my cousins decided to book a beach condo for a week last minute—and that vacation was such a bright spot in a very dark year. That trip also reminded me how restorative and fun a week at the beach is; compared to other trips where I feel like I need to be on the go to see all the sights and do all the things, a week at the beach allows you to slow down, enjoy some cold beverages, and not stick to any particular schedule. As Zac Brown Band once said, the only worry is if the tide is going to reach your chair.
We knew we wanted to make another beach trip happen this summer, so one lunch break in April when I desperately needed something to look forward to, my sister, Jennifer, and I had found and booked our beach condo for this year within an hour. We headed down to OIB the last week of June, and were blessed with amazing weather and an amazing time! My sister Lindsey’s friend Mary Kate joined us for part of the trip, and our cousin Mikie flew in from Arizona—we hadn’t seen him in over two years, so it was an awesome reunion.
So without further ado, some of the highlights from our week spent at Ocean Isle Beach this year!
