The Fourth of July holiday is quickly approaching! What are you doing? Where are you going to watch the fireworks? If you’ll be spending Independence Day here with us on Topsail Island, North Carolina then we have the best places to go for July 4th fireworks—and more. Check our local favorites and make your plans to join us. Bring your family, bring your friends!
July 3rd: Surf City fireworks always happen the evening before so you can get an early start to the holiday festivities. This celebration happens each year on July 3rd right on the island so it’s not far from your Topsail Island rental.
July 4th: You get double the July 4th celebrations with one on-island fireworks celebration and one that is off the island. The mainland towns of Holly Ridge and Sneads Ferry team up to bring you one fabulous Fourth of July celebration each year at their Liberty Festival and Fireworks held at Holly Ridge Municipal Park.
We have a few more July 4th events you’ll want to know about during your Topsail beach vacation. Take a look at these!
Ocean City Jazz Fest Kicks Off on July 4th
July 4-7 beginning at 5pm. Celebrating its tenth year, the Ocean City Jazz Festival is held in historic Ocean City in North Topsail Beach. Gates open at 4pm. Advance ticket prices are $50-$60 for one day or $160 for all three days. Tickets at the gate increase by $5. Event details here.
Surf City Pier Kids Fishing Tournament on July 4th
The Surf City Pier opens for a free day of fishing for youngsters age 16 and under in a fun, educational and safe environment. You must pre-register for this event. Call 910-328-3521 for more details.
What are you doing this Fourth of July? We want to know! Share this post if you’ll be here celebrating Independence Day with us this year. Happy Fourth of July from us to you!
We love talking about our oceanfront rentals here on Topsail Island, North Carolina. Why? Because they are amazing! With so many beautiful accommodations right on the beach, the hardest part is choosing which one is best for you and your family. But before we get to that part, let’s talk about the 10 best things about an oceanfront Topsail rental and why it might be the right choice for you and your family.
1. Access
Front row access to Topsail’s beaches.
Not only does our company name reflect how much we value offering the best access to the beach, but we also know it matters to you as a vacationer, too. Whether you stay right on the oceanfront of Topsail or not, quick and easy access to the beach is important.
It goes without saying that choosing a vacation rental right on the ocean front or ocean side pretty much guarantees you VIP access to the beach and all it has to offer. Knowing that you can walk out your door and be on the beach within minutes is a really great perk during a beach vacation. And isn’t being at the beach what you’re here to enjoy the most?
Spectacular oceanfront views from inside your Topsail Island rental.
Along with the best access to Topsail beach, you also get breathtaking views from an oceanfront rental—both from the inside and out. Looking out the window and gazing at all of that blue sparkling Atlantic Ocean water, sunny blue skies, and pristine sandy shoreline is good for the soul.
Step outside onto the oceanfront deck and immerse yourself in the coastal elements while you deeply breathe in the salty air. It doesn’t get any better than that! Ocean views 24/7 don’t get old. Ever!
The most compelling reason for choosing a beach vacation rental over a hotel/motel stay is the freedom to customize and personalize your stay by choosing the amenities that matter most to you and your family. Which amenities are must-haves? Which vacation rental amenities will you use most? These are the questions to ask before you book a rental.
Popular Topsail vacation rental amenities include, but are not limited to, pet-friendly rentals, beachfront homes with pools or pool access, boat access, hot tub, fenced-in yard, outdoor shower, and charcoal or gas grill just to name a few.
You can go to our Vacation Rentals heading at the top of Access Realty’s homepage, hover over it, and then slide your cursor down to hover over the By Amenities option to search our Topsail Island rentals by the amenities they offer. Alternatively, you can go right to our Oceanfront/Oceanside Rentals page and refine your search to include the amenities you’re looking for in that group of rentals. It’s that easy! Let us know if we can help you in your search or answer any questions you may have.
4. Spaciousness
Spacious and roomy for extended family and friends.
Many of our oceanfront Topsail rentals are large and spacious enough for your to bring your extended family or your friends—and share the cost. Think about the memories you can make with those you love the most. This is a really special way to share quality time together in a very beautiful place. Get those plans underway today!
We have several Large Group Topsail Vacation Rentals that are also right on the oceanfront. Check them out and start planning your next family vacation or reunion.
5. Decks
Oceanfront decks that showcase the best of the beach.
We’ve already touched on this point and it definitely relates back to #2 of this post, but it’s worth elaborating upon. Having an oceanfront deck is a pretty sweet Topsail rental amenity that you are and your family are sure to get a lot of use out of and enjoy to its fullest.
First, you can’t beat the views. Then there’s the luxury of waking up, staying in your pajamas (if you please), and sipping your morning cup of coffee out on the deck each and every morning of your Topsail beach vacation. It is a very enticing thought, isn’t it? Almost as much as the evening glass of wine or beach cocktail to indulge in each evening in that very same spot.
Sunbathe with a little more privacy, sit out there and read a book, or do absolutely nothing but relax. However you spend your time, you’ll definitely be spending a lot of it on the oceanfront deck of your Topsail rental.
Bird’s eye view of Topsail Island sunrises and sunsets.
Then there are the coastal sunsets that you can view right from your beachfront rental that you absolutely won’t want to miss! Topsail Island is perfectly positioned to give you stunning sunrises over the ocean to start the day and magnificent sunsets over the sound to end your day.
Do you know what two of the top shelling tips are?
1. Get out on the beach early.
2. Get out on the beach often.
You have to increase your odds! Well, that’s really easy to do when you’re staying right on the Topsail oceanfront. No extra time needed to get to your shelling spot, no need to find parking, and no extra preparation required. Just get out there as often as you can and before others get first dibs on the seashells. Those are your best shelling strategies!
You can find some more helpful Topsail shelling tips here on where and how to find the best shells on the island.
8. Fishing
Easy and accessible fishing right outside your doorstep.
When you choose an oceanfront rental on Topsail beach, you’re also gaining access to surf fishing right outside your door. Walk to the water and cast your line (just make sure you have an NC fishing license first), and fish all day if you choose.
Depending on where your oceanfront rental is located, you may also be really close to one of Topsail’s three fishing piers (there’s one in each town) giving you another easy option to fish until your heart’s content. It’s a great way to have a family fishing experience, too. The Topsail fishing piers have a blanket fishing license so you don’t need one—and all the fishing gear necessary for a great day of pier fishing, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Kids have a coastal playground in their front yard.
Every parent knows that the beach is one nature’s best playgrounds. With so many ways for kids to play (and learn), you don’t need much for your kids to be occupied for hours on end at the beach.
From shelling and sandcastle building to tidal pool exploring and wave splashing, the beach offers an endless array of activities for all ages and interests from toddlers to teens.
Do you want some additional fun family beach games, ideas and activities for the kids and kids-at-heart? Read this.
10. Strolling
Stroll the beach anytime you please.
One of the most loved beach vacation activities of all time is the simple but beautiful beach stroll. Walk the beach whenever you want by just heading out of your oceanfront rental and onto the beach. Stroll hand-in-hand with your sweetheart at sunset or take the whole family for a walking adventure to get your daily dose of exercise.
Walks on the beach are a quintessential beach activity and one that’s easy to do from your Topsail Island oceanfront rental.
So what are you waiting for? Take the next step and find your place in the sand today. You won’t regret it! Book your Topsail oceanfront rental and look forward to all of this and more.
Have you rented an oceanfront rental on Topsail Island? If so, what did you love most about being right on the beach?
As you drive over the bridge onto Topsail Island, NC for your beach vacation, you’re going to notice that things have changed quite a bit from last summer. The old historic swing bridge lives on in our memories but not in its usual location.
Instead, you’ll be driving over the new Surf City high-rise bridge—and taking in some pretty fabulous views as you do. Here’s what you need to know about the new bridge and what it means for your Topsail, NC beach vacation and how it affects you getting to your Topsail Island rental.
The Surf City Bridge opened ahead of schedule late last year, which is really good news for you (and for those who of us who live here and drive over it every day). The new 65-foot-high, $53 million Surf City Bridge represents an improvement over the old swing bridge it replaces, as the swing bridge forced motorists to wait numerous times each day so the bridge could be opened to allow boats to pass. Traffic now can move continuously over the bridge as boats pass underneath. Faster, more efficient access to Topsail Island and its beaches? Oh yeah! We approve.
The bridge was originally scheduled to open in September 2019. But crews with NCDOT and Balfour Beatty Construction worked with the local community to accelerate the construction of the much-anticipated bridge so it could serve the community sooner. So that’s exactly what happened, with the new bridge opening 9 months ahead of schedule—which is pretty impressive (not to mention unheard of) when it comes to a massive construction project such as this.
After the opening ceremony, the Surf City Bridge became open to the public at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December, 2018. Local officials led a vehicle procession across the 3,773-foot span between Topsail Island and the mainland for its inaugural run.
The new bridge also boasts 7.5-foot bike lanes and a 10-foot wide multi-use path, so there is a lot to love about the new Surf City Bridge and its user-friendly upgrades.
As they say, the rest is history. Oh and did we mention the panoramic views? Get your camera ready!
Have you driven over the new highrise bridge in Surf City? What did you think? We want to know! Our comment section is always open and we love hearing from our readers.
It’s hard to believe that another Memorial Day holiday is quickly approaching. It’s the symbolic start of summer in most places, including on Topsail Island, NC. Although the beach spirit is alive and well here all year long, now’s the time when the summer fun and festivities begin. Set your watch to island time—Topsail Island time, that is—and come spend the Memorial Day holiday with us. You won’t be disappointed!
Your Topsail Island oceanfront rental(or whichever location you love most) is the place to soak up the Carolina sunshine, splash around in the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, take a deep breath of the salty air, and find your place in the sand.
Here are the local highlights and what things you may want to consider during your Memorial Day getaway to Topsail. Enjoy!
Why Memorial Day on Topsail Island
So you may be wondering if Topsail Island is the place for you and your family. If you haven’t already been here to experience it for yourself, here are few things you should know about, including why families love vacationing at Topsail Beach.
Here’s the short list:
Affordable. Families don’t have to break their budget or their bank account when vacationing on Topsail Island. In fact, TripAdvisor recently named North Topsail Beach and Surf City in the Top 20 most affordable beach destinations in the entire country. True story! You can read all about it here.
Family friendly. Yes, we cater to families here on Topsail Island and value a family-friendly beach atmosphere. Skip the overcrowded, bigger beach destinations along the East Coast and come spend some time here with the ones you love the most. Once you visit Topsail Island, it’s hard to go back to any of those other beaches. Fair warning!
Safe and community centered. We are a community-centered island and each of our towns has its own unique offerings. So no matter which place you choose to call your home-away-from-home for a week or more, you and your family will feel safe, secure and right at home. North Topsail Beach, Surf City, and Topsail Beach eagerly await your arrival.
Not overly commercialized. The beautiful beaches and gorgeous Eastern Carolina coastline are the stars of the show here, but there’s also enough other family-friendly activities and things to do to keep your family busy—but nottoo busy. Skip the loud and crowded summer spots and choose one that is a little more relaxed, a lot more laid back, and focus on what you really want from a beach vacation.
Topsail, NC offers a quintessential beach vacation experience. Visitors and vacationers come here looking to enjoy a beach vacation experience that’s not like the rest. Topsail towns and beaches give you exactly that. With a focus on spending quality time together, making memories that last a lifetime, and capturing the moments that matter most—all in a beautiful place—that’s what you can expect from your Topsail beach vacation. And that’s what keeps families coming back year after year to spend this most precious time together here on our island. We consider that a privilege and an honor.
Best of Topsail Beach
If you follow Access Realty’s blog (and we hope you do!) you know that we love sharing our little piece of paradise with you and all it has to offer. We want you to have the best NC beach vacation ever, so we strive to share the things we love most about the area from an insider’s perspective. If you ever have any questions, please let us know. We’d be happy to be of service.
Here are a few of the many highlights of Topsail’s beaches:
Nestled between ocean and sound. Topsail Island is a barrier island perfectly placed between Atlantic Ocean waters on one side and calm soundside waters on the other. It really is the best of both worlds. Did we mention that the coastal sunrises and sunsets on Topsail Island are incredible? Well, they are!
Beach fun for everyone. Whatever you love to do on the beach, from reading and relaxing to fun and family-friendly beach games and activities (and more), you can do it here. No wall-to-wall beach towels for you to wade through. Claim your space then spread out, relax and enjoy it to the fullest—and however you please.
Plenty of on-the-water-fun. Choose your water adventure whether it’s calm and quiet on the soundside of the island or where you can find more wave action on the ocean side. You choose the aquatic adventure and then go for it! We have plenty of local sports outfitters and surf shops to give you what you need, if you don’t already have it in your Topsail Island rental. Read more about the most popular Intracoastal Waterway activities on Topsail Island here.
Beachcombing for shells, shark teeth and sea glass. Beachcombers absolutely love Topsail Island and for good reason. Whatever your beachcombing pleasure, you can start out on your shelling, shark tooth hunting or sea glass finding adventure. Who knows what the ocean will wash up on any given day? Megalodon teeth have been found on Topsail beaches, you know…
Picnics and cookouts. Memorial Day is a one of those holidays where we tend to want to gather together with family and friends and make it a little extra special with a picnic-style meal or cookout on the grill. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice that. Pack up a picnic and bring it right to the beach. Or take advantage of the grills you can find locally. Maybe your Topsail rental has one included or go ahead and use the free charcoal grills available in some of our local Topsail parks. You may also want to check out our previous post for recipe ideas and cool treats perfect for a beach picnic or lunch.
Topsail events & attractions. Topsail’s annual events, local festivals, and area attractions offer something for everyone of every age and interest. See what’s happening during your stay and check out some of the most popular things to do on the island and off. Visit our local recommendations of the best things to do in Topsail here.
Topsail Military History
Let’s not forget the true meaning and significance of the Memorial Day holiday. It honors those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we currently have on this day and every day. So what can you do to bring that meaningfulness to life during your Topsail beach vacation?
We have a few ideas for you:
Experience living history on the island. The local history of Topsail Island is rich in military history and significance. From the Missiles and More Museum to the Topsail Missile Towers, and all of the fascinating military history that is part of Topsail’s past, there are always stories to be told and new things to learn.
Venture off the island for a day trip. The nearby towns of Jacksonville and Wilmington are also quite rich in military history. From the Battleship North Carolina to the National Cemetery and Battlefield, as well as the historic forts and sites that are also nearby, you’ll find plenty of ways to fill your days with history, learning and remembrance.
Ask a local. They probably have a few additional suggestions for you depending on your interests. We have a wealth of local resources in our residents and area businesses, so go ahead and strike up a conversation. The Topsail Historical Society is another wonderful resource for you to explore.
What’s your favorite way of remembering the true meaning of Memorial Day when you’re here on Topsail Island?
Where to Stay on Topsail Island
Alright, now it’s time to make your plans to be here! Whether it’s Memorial Day or any day, there is always plenty of culture, history, natural beauty, events and festivals, and so much more for you to discover on Topsail Island.
What are you doing this Memorial Day? Wherever you are spending it, we wish you a safe, meaningful and relaxing holiday weekend. Happy Memorial Day to you and yours.
