Serene Moments: A Day at the Beaches of Southport and Oak Island

The sunrise over the water offers the early morning walker a moment of tranquility. North Carolina beaches are known for their warm temperatures and wide open spaces. Early morning walkers with coffee in hand stroll along the water's edge searching for sand dollars and sea glass. The sand is still cool as the sun rises above the gentle waves, lapping at the shore. The air is still and misty in the early hours of the day. The beaches of Oak Island and Southport are still and quiet, the sand smooth from the tide.

Foraging for yesterday's treats, the sea birds run between the water and the dune. The leftover potato chips mix with the sea's deposits of mussles and crab to feed the hungry, calling gulls and terns. Sandpipers join the joggers running at the waters edge keeping ahead of the lapping surf. The day is beginning to warm and the beach begins to come to life. Pelicans leave their roosts on warm lights and begin their hunt over the water.

The day will be hot as the orange ball of sun fire rises over the water. Families begin their trek to the sand in hopes of claiming a spot near the water. The calls of the gulls mingle with the cries of the children eager to shed their shoes and race with the waves. Blankets and buckets are dropped in the sand where later the shivering swimmers will gather for their daily beach construction.

Racing the tide, the castles are built and decorated, some with elaborate ramparts and moats, anything to stem the flow of water from washing out the sand sculpture. The castles forgotton, the kids race each other back into the water, washing the sand from their tanning bodies and diving into the waves. The water claims the sculptures and erases all trace of the moat, shell drawbridge and feather flag. As the hours pass, the umbrellas emerge with their bright colors and flapping edges, the sun slips to the west and begins its descent.

The tired families pack the buckets and shovels, the beach chairs and towels now sandy from the day at the beach.  The late afternoon shift begins with the families returning home and the fish lines of fisherman replacing them at the waters edge. The walkers return as the evening draws near. The day at the beach is complete as the moon rises and the quiet returns. The gulls and seabirds return to their roosts and the sand cools beneath the tide. The tides continue their gentle pulse as quiet returns to the beach.