Family Vibes and Local Feels at a North Carolina Beach.

North Carolina is our home state. It is insanely diverse and you can experience all different types of geography in this one little ol, southern state.

A beach that has family vibes and local feels. Non touristy and nothing but hometown coziness with the quaint sounds of the ocean. Sound like your type of beach getaway? Ours too.

50 mini golfs to choose from, shopping centers out the wazoo, traffic followed by long people-y lines...if that is what you are looking for you may want to leave now. This beach has absolutely non of the above.

Nick and I have grown up coming to this beach, it has always felt like our home away from home. As a kid I was so upset by always being brought to this beach. "Back in the day" there were even less attractions, entertainment, and dinning than there are today. I didn't understand the treasure that it truly is, until now. I was use to hearing and seeing all that a neighboring, extremely busy, and jam packed Myrtle Beach had to offer. As amazing as that type of vacation is, it is not the type of atmosphere I have grown to appreciate in adulthood...especially now with our own kids in tow.

So where on Earth is this beach I am talking about??

Holden Beach, North Carolina. A coastal getaway nestled right between Oak Island and Ocean Isle. 45 Minutes from Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. One of the only ways to stay at Holden is through renting an entire home/condo or staying at the only motel Grey Gull Motel , located on the mainland. There is not even one hotel available within a reasonable driving distance. I did tell you this was local vibes only, right? There are some listings available on Airbnb or you can check what is open for booking by calling Hobbs Realty.

Once you have your placed booked it's time to scope the scene.

where to eat at holden beach?

Ocean View Restaurants, Smoothies, ProCo on the waterway, locally owned sandwich shops, wings & more.

If you're up for a restaurant that "feels like you're at the beach", as we call it, then I would recommend you try one of these... Castaways and Mermaids are located on the main island once you cross over the big bridge. They both give you an ocean view if you sit upstairs on their rooftop seating. If you want something you can access by boat (or car) , located on the intercostal waterway try Provision Company ( aka ProCo). This resteraunt is located before the bridge, on the mainland. all three resteraunts serve completely different menus. All including seafood of some sorts. Shrimp & grits, crab cakes, shrimp baskets, fried fish, and more. If seafood isn't your thing that's ok too, all three menus have many different options for the land-lovers pallet.

Before you head to the beach, if you are like us and LOVE a good sandwich on the beach for

lunch, skip the Subway and head over to Jersey Girls Deli. Grab a few BLT's, a sub, hoagie, or anything else your sandwich craving belly desires. 10/10 recommend this place! Great food and average priced. Big bonus all the veggies taste completely fresh and our bacon was cooked right on the spot. Not the fake, frozen, trash that Subway tries to dish out.

After a long day at the beach you're wanting a quick and easy dinner for the whole family. Make sure to stop at The Hot Buffalo. Can you guess what the menu serves? Yep, you guessed it...wings. And boy were they delicious! Super easy menu because you are basically just choosing your flavors, boneless or traditional, and then of curse your sides.

If wings are not appealing to you, then stop at The Mini Jalapeño ,a Mexican restaurant located a few buildings down on the main causeway. We have always had great food and service here.

For breakfast we love a good smoothie, unfortunately there is not an option available right on the island, yet. So if you're up for a few minute drive into town head over to JP Smoothies located in Shallotte. We have not ordered anything that we would not order again. They also offer Acai Bowls as well. For the kiddos she let them create their own custom smoothie combo apple juice, strawberries and bananas. They absolutely loved it! While you wait for your smoothie make sure to sign the chalk wall and see if you can find us (@theall.enfamily in red writing).

You cannot come to the beach and not get ice cream, am I right?? Well there is plenty if places to grab a cone at Holden Beach. One of our Family Favorites is The Scoop . Grab a cone from one of the MANNNNYYYY flavors they have to choose from, take a picture in the GIANT chair photo opportunity they have out front, or grab a pint to go. Whatever floats your boat. This is a must stop and see when you visit Holden.

What is there to do at Holden beach other than the beach?

For a non-touristy place there are still quite a few great places to visit whether you are trying to escape a bad weather day or you just want a break from the sand and the waves.

First and foremost we are huge fans of parks and playgrounds. They are free, a great place to feel more like a local and the kids always LOVE it of course. The Holden Beach Park/Playground is one of the better parks we have been to. It is located under the bridge on the Island, right behind the Police station. Parking is free and you have a beautiful view of the water way, marina, and ProCo. The playground also has a splash pad open during summer months. A basketball court, pickle ball and tennis court are also open to the public year round.

If the weather is still great but you are looking for some time away from water and sand, you can pop on over to Fantasy Isle Mini Golf for a few rounds of mini golf and finish off with some great ice cream all in one stop.

To escape bad weather or just take a break from the sun, head on over to Planet Fun for a full day of indoor family fun. Bowling, laser tag, and a mega arcade all under one roof.

If you are in need of some retail therapy, head over to Shallotte where there is a newly built (as of 2023) Hobby Lobby, Ross, Marshalls, and a boat load of other stores popping up in this new retail location. There are also a ton of coastal boutiques all up and down the Main Street in Shallotte, (also near the JP Smoothies I had mentioned earlier).

Where do you park at Holden Beach?

As of 2022 Holden Beach now requires paid parking to access anything on the island. Whether you are parking to go to the beach, the park, or to attend festivities "under the bridge" at the marina. You must pay to park until 5:00 pm everyday. Parking is $4 per hour (up tp 4 hours) $20 per day, $80 for a week or $150 for the season.

Now, where to park? May the odds be ever in your favor when it comes to finding a spot to park...parking spots are technically located all up and down the island. The Pier, the marina, public beach accesses, the "end" of the island, near the public park, under the bridge. Parking is tucked in all sorts of nooks and crannies.

Once you find a spot there will be a sign instructing you on how to pay for parking. It is all done through an online portal. You must have a debit/credit card to pay and you must enter your license plate number and the section in which you are parking (it tells you the "zone" in the sign closest to where your vehicle is parked).

**For easy checkout and less frustration I recommend taking a photo of your license plate BEFORE you walk over to follow the instrustions to pay. It is not that big of a deal to have to walk back and forth, but if your like us...arms full of stuff AND kids when we walked to the nearest sign for the first time, having to turn around and go back to the truck and get the license plate number was super irritating.