Five Things to do in Surf City NC (Including a Photo Session!)

Welcome to the Summer Series – Part 1: Surf City, NC!

Summer is finally here! The days are getting hot, the ocean is warming up and vacationers are back on the island! Are you planning to visit our beautiful island this year?

Often, my clients seek out recommendations for places to go and things to do while they are visiting the island. Whether it be local restaurants, sightseeing locations, good beach spots, etc., I love to share my insight and highlight other small businesses in town.

I thought I’d put together a series of three quick blog posts to help you learn more about our island and each of the three beach towns that encompass it. Today we start with the fun town of Surf City! I figure it’s the perfect place to start since I live here!

There are two bridges over to the island. One bridge is in North Topsail Beach and the other bridge is in Surf City. You may have seen photos or videos I’ve posted while walking this bridge and looking out over the ICW and the beach town of Surf City.

Surf City is known as the area where all the action is. You will find a lot of different places to eat, shop, and listen to local live music with a cold drink! But here are five things to check out while you’re in town:

1. The pavilion is located in the heart of town, on the oceanfront. It’s a great place to find some shade on a hot summer day or take cover from a quick passing rain shower. If you’re in Surf City and looking for a good breakfast, walk across the street from the pavilion and grab an Acai bowl at North Shore Juice or an amazing breakfast sandwich from Oven One. Grab a hot coffee from one of the numerous local coffee shops. Then take your breakfast over to the pavilion and grab a seat while you eat! You will have a front row seat to watch all the surfers by the pier. They are usually in the water by first light of day. One of my favorite places to eat is Shaka Taco! They are located diagonal to the pavilion and if you’ve never eaten there, you are missing out! Grab a bowl with coconut rice and either eat it there or at the pavilion! The pavilion is a fun place to relax and take in the energy of our small town! Directly next to the pavilion is Buddy’s Crab House & Oyster Bar. We love to grab a bite to eat here with a cold beer. Honestly, they have the most amazing outdoor seating areas right on the oceanfront!
2. Soundside Park is a great place to take a quiet walk and it’s even nicer around sunset. There’s a nice walking trail over the marsh and it connects to the bridge, where you will always find people exercising. If you have young kids, they have a really nice playground and picnic area, too. If you are looking for a place to launch your boat, Soundside Park has a boat launch as well! At certain times during the warmer months, you can catch live music shows and performances on the stage there and if you visit during Christmas, we have a big celebration and light our community Christmas Tree right after Thanksgiving each year! It’s a big event and usually has a large turnout. Soundside Park has a lot of grass and open space to relax and there are some great retail stores and small eateries by the park as well. Soundside Park has a front row seat to all the boats traversing by on the ICW. On July 4th we have a huge fireworks display here and people come from all over to watch it! If jet skis and watersports are your jam, you’ll want to visit Surf City Jet Ski & Watersports, located just across from Soundside Park! My neighbors own this small business and they have a large fleet of jet skis and more to rent and ride in the ICW.
3. Surf City extends over to the mainland as well and it’s worth the trip over to explore a variety of eateries and eclectic shops in town. Most make this trip anyway to hit the local grocery stores. Salty Turtle Beer Company and the Hidden Ships Distillery are located just over the bridge in a small shopping plaza. They are popular spots to visit. Next to that shopping center is a fun putt putt, called Shipwreck Point Golf. Doesn’t everyone putt putt when they visit the beach? This place is fun for everyone!
4. If you have kids, take them to visit the Topsail Aquarium, located on the island, and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, located just over on the mainland! Honestly, it’s not just for kids. Adults love to visit these locations as well! Prior to living here I had never seen live Sea Turtles. I visited the rehabilitation center and was fascinated to learn about them and what we can do to protect them. Each of these are worth your time to visit! As a note, the turtle hospital requires a purchased ticket entry and they usually sell out. So if you plan to visit, go to their website and purchase your tickets ahead of time!
5. A trip to the beach should always include family photos! So this is your reminder to book that photo session in advance of your visit! There are many photographers to choose from here and while each of us offer photographs, some of us offer a lot more and do things a bit more in depth than others. I would love to share my “why” with you and create a session experience that you will enjoy being a part of and forever remember in printed photographs! Reach out to Sage Willow Photography and learn what makes us different!