We drove north on North Carolina State Road 12. We knew that the road ended at a certain point, but we continued north anyway. Sure enough the road does end, well by that I mean the paved road because the traffic certainly does not end. Once the paved road ends, driving on the actual beach becomes the only way to travel. What are the requirements for driving on the beach? A four-wheel drive vehicle and the sense to stay at least 50 feet away from the surf are all that is required. However, no one stops you and inspects your vehicle before you turn sharply to the right and find yourself treading on soft sand instead of hard blacktop.
It is strange enough to be able to drive on the beach, but imagine gathering all your supplies for a day out on the ocean and instead of parking your car in a lot a few feet or yards from the beach, you can park right by the water’s edge and set up your perfect sunbathing spot. What is the appeal? It seems a tremendous idea if you are the only ones out there enjoying the liberty to drive to the exact spot where you would like to sunbath. But you are not the only ones. We passed at least one hundred other people, fishing, surfing, sunbathing, or joyriding on the beach. Children were just feet away from the tires of countless Jeeps making their way through the sand. Not to mention the fact that if you are basking in the rays of the sun, hundreds of eyes will be staring at you while you do so.
People don’t just spend a day in this remote locale; some actually live (or perhaps, rather, vacation) out here without the luxury of paved roads. Some people must find the hustle and bustle of the more accessible parts of the island too crowded. In April the crowds are not smothering, but I can imagine that during the height of July’s hottest days, solitude might be a welcome thought. I had heard that people lived out here even before seeing the homes. I imagined there were a few houses that use the sand for their driveways. So when we passed a few houses spread apart amidst the dunes, I figured that would be all we would see. I was wrong. There are whole communities settled in amongst those sandy hills. And so I ask, is that really any more secluded than the communities that have a nice even paved road leading to their doorsteps? Perhaps not, but you do need four-wheel drive to reach your front door and maybe that puts your vacation on a whole new extreme level. If this vacation locale seems ideal stop by one of the many real-estate offices and buy one today, as many of the homes are for sale.
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