Everyone loves a quickie every once in a while. Tapping the breaks for a Southport, North Carolina getaway is a weekend well spent.
The first ‘Break Check’ article was well received, it involved a long trip to a distant land but a break does not always have to be lengthy and involved. I recently traveled with Cindy to hang out with some friends in North Carolina for some golf, fishing, great seafood, and a few cocktails. Southport is about a half hour drive from Wilmington… and guess what New Yorkers… no traffic!
To me, the beauty of heading halfway down the coast is that you can get ready for summer in a place that is a few months ahead of you weatherwise with a very short flight.
Coming from NY you really appreciate flying into an airport like Wilmington, NC. The airport is extremely small and so easy to get in and out of. When we left Southport we only had to be at the airport 45 minutes before the flight and had maybe 5 people online for security in front of us, just like JFK right hahaha.
Our hosts Lisa and Bob recently retired. They left the NY rat race to enjoy a calmer way of living in a wonderful community called St. James Plantation. St.James offers amazing amenities including 3 magnificent golf courses and a marina on the intercoastal waterway. Our friends home also has a pond behind it allowing me to catch a bass in my pajamas! (please don’t go to that old “shot an elephant in my pajamas” joke!)
One of the cool things about travel is that you see the different ways of life within our own country. How about this… you can walk around the supermarket drinking beer!
Hello ladies, want hubby to do some shopping?? The local supermarket has beer taps and allows you to taste before you buy… my kind of shopping!
Another great local tradition is that golfers in St.James have a “birdie bottle” of their favorite liquor in their golf bag. Shoot a “birdie” and everyone in the group is poured a shot! How’s that for an incentive to concentrate on your game?
We traveled up and down the intercoastal in a pontoon boat that is available as part of the membership to a boating club that Lisa and Bob subscribe to. What is great about belonging to a boating club is that when you are done for the day you pull up to the dock and hand the keys to an attendant… done!
We pulled the boat up behind Provisions, a local restaurant that serves great local seafood and burgers. Provisions has a very unusual way of service. When your table is ready, you walk up to the kitchen where you actually see the food prepared, and order what you want. You then go into their refrigerator and take whatever you want to drink and go sit down…Then they bring your food to the table. After you are done eating, there is no check!! As you exit you tell them what you ate and drank and they ring you up!! I had amazing crab cakes and fresh steamed shrimp, all locally caught.
The beautiful sandy ocean beaches of Oak Island are a short drive away and if you want to hang with the rich and famous, Bald Head Island is just a short ferry ride.
As Americans, we are always going 110 mph and think that taking a break involves extensive time off and planning. This does not need to be the case. Taking off on a Thursday to extend your weekend makes it easier to plan. It does not require a lot of catch up when you get home and lessens the anxiety and guilt of being away from work.
In today’s age, airline travel is inexpensive and easy to book. We are extremely grateful and fortunate to have hosts but you also have so many accommodation options between hotels and online rentals such as Airbnb.
So go home, pick a few days and have a quickie break. Enjoy a North Carolina getaway type of trip. You will return energized and ready to rock on Monday morning! (if you party too much maybe you will get through Monday and rock on Tuesday.)
Special thanks to Bob and Lisa Rett for sharing their amazing home with us and showing us around their new locale!
