Atlantic Beach, NC Road Trips

1 Fort Macon State Park, ☏ +1 252-726-3775. Daily 9AM-5:30PM (except Christmas Day). Fort Macon is a five-sided brick and stone fort with 26 vaulted rooms, which was used during the 18th and 19th centuries to protect the area from naval attacks by pirates or enemy warships. Today the site features exhibits about the fort's history, restored quarters, and occasional re-enactments. Guided tours are available. Visitors can also fish, hike, swim and picnic in the park grounds surrounding the fort. (updated Apr 2016) 2 The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 1 Roosevelt Blvd, toll-free: +1-866-294-3477. The aquarium takes visitors on a tour of North Carolina’s amazing aquatic life "from the mountains to the sea." The journey is arranged in five galleries: Mountain, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Tidal Waters and Ocean. Among the 38 innovative exhibits are re-created shipwrecks that showcase the diverse marine life attracted to these sunken vessels. The 306,000-gallon Living Shipwreck display in the Ocean Gallery features a three-quarter-size replica of a German U-boat that was sunk off Cape Lookout in World War II. The Queen Anne’s Revenge duplicates the 18th century artifacts in Beaufort Inlet thought to be the wreckage of the pirate Blackbeard’s flagship. Visitors also get a view of a pair of playful river otters, a roaring mountain waterfall, a sea turtle rehabilitation area, and a jellyfish gallery. Touch pools allow personal contact with stingrays, hermit crabs, whelks and other creatures.

The heart of downtown is the Circle, the local name for the culmination of the Atlantic Beach Causeway in a traffic circle by the beach. The Circle is fringed with souvenir shops and a boardwalk along the beach; large groups of teens and young adults are often to be found playing volleyball, sunbathing or listening to music. The area is being renovated, with upscale retail shops and restaurants joining the touristy kitsch. There are miles of beautiful beaches where you can take a stroll or sunbathe; they can be fairly busy during the day, unless you walk beyond the crowds (particularly around Fort Macon), but they're also quite pretty for moonlight strolls at night. There are beach access points up and down the coast; some are only available to residents of the adjacent hotel or condo, but there are several with large parking lots for public access. Atlantic Station Cinemas (W Fort Macon Road in the Atlantic Station Shopping Center (mile marker 3)), ☏ +1-252-247-7016. The only movie theatre in town, with four screens, snack counter and arcade games. By far the most popular dance with the Crystal Coast community is the amusingly-named shag, which some even claim was invented in Atlantic Beach. It's usually done to classic beach music. If you want to take shagging lessons (yes, we know), they're offered at Memories Beach and Shag Club, 128 E Fort Macon Road (mile marker 1.5), +1 252-240-7424. Go for a hike along the Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail, off Highway 58, in a 31-acre maritime forest.

Amos Mosquito's Swampside Cafe, 703 Highway 58 (mile marker 2), ☏ +1 252-247-6222. Open for dinner W-Sa; call for winter hours. Swamp decor and atmosphere- including Spanish moss, cattails and swamp sounds- with a panoramic view of Bogue Sound. Emphasizes fresh, in-season vegetables and seafood; the homemade potato chips, crabcakes and tableside s'mores are popular, and Thursday is sushi night. $10.50-22.95. Big Oak Drive-In, 1167 Salter Path Rd, ☏ +1 252-247-2588. Praised by many for having the best shrimpburgers on the island ($4.95 for a large). Crab's Claw, 201 W Atlantic Blvd, ☏ +1 252-726-8222. Not always open off-season, so it's best to call ahead to check their hours. Oceanfront fine dining serving Harkers Island littleneck clams, crabcakes, conch fritters, steamer pots and other local seafood delicacies. Island Grille, 401 Money Island Dr, ☏ +1 252-240-0000. Fine dining in a casual atmosphere, with plenty of fresh seafood. Locals know that the best nights to come are Monday and Tuesday, when the restaurant offers two entrees for the price of one. $12-20.

If you want to mix your own drinks, there's an ABC store at 101 Cedar Lane, +1 252-726-3221, open M-Sa. Otherwise, you can check out one of the local nightspots: Beach Tavern (BT), 413 W Fort Macon Rd, ☏ +1 252-247-4466. Right near the center of town, is a bar and restaurant that is an AB tradition. It attracts all kinds of folks, from locals to tourists, and features pool tables and liquor. Cash only, but there is an ATM. Bahia Beach House & Surf Bar, 208 West Dr, ☏ +1 252-499-9033. Located on the Atlantic Beach circle; events include weekly pool and dart tournaments, video games and more.

As with many coastal areas, visitors can choose between cheap motel or upscale hotel rooms rented by the night, or a beach cottage by the week. Prices are highly variable, usually running between $60 - $150 per night; prices naturally go up with the quality of the lodging establishment and, in particular, proximity to the beach. Atlantis Lodge, 123 Salter Path Rd (Highway 58 (mile marker 5)), ☏ +1 252-726-5168, toll-free: +1-800-682-7057, [email protected]. Suites with efficiency kitchens, dining, living and sleeping areas with oceanfront decks. Outdoor pool. Pets welcome. Golf packages available. (updated Apr 2016) Island Inn of Atlantic Beach, 215 W Fort Macon Rd, ☏ +1 252-726-3780. Outdoor pool. Upscale condotel with reasonable daily rates. Microwave, fridge, hair dryer, coffee maker, tile floors, granite counters, designer interiors, some with full kitchen. Close to restaurants, shopping, beach, Fort Macon, NC Aquarium, Crystal Coast Jamboree. $60-190. Caribbe Inn, 309 E Fort Macon Rd, ☏ +1 252-726-0051. Aquatic decor with fish murals, boat slips and dock, and the highest health department rating on the beach (100%). $65-90 peak season, $45-60 off-season. Crystal Coast Oceanfront Hotel, 511 Salter Path Rd, ☏ +1 252-247-4155. Highway 58 (mile marker 8.5). All rooms are oceanfront with private balconies. Highly recommended for its reasonable prices, friendly service and convenient location. Outdoor swimming pool. On-site restaurant called The Clam Digger, open all day, serving fresh local seafood, and a cocktail lounge called the Cutty Sark.

The most direct way to reach Atlantic Beach, if you're coming from the direction of Raleigh, is down US-70 to Havelock. Atlantic Beach is on NC-58, which runs the length of Bogue Banks. It's only possible to cross to the island at two points: from Morehead City into Atlantic Beach on the eastern end, and from Cape Carteret to Emerald Isle on the western end. Both crossings are large bridges with pleasant scenic views.

The island of Bogue Banks is only 26 miles from one end to the other, but due to the reduced speed limit, you'll need about 45 minutes to travel the entire length. At some points, the island narrows to only a third of a mile wide, giving you excellent views of the ocean and the sound. Mile marker signposts are placed along Highway 58 every half-mile, and these are often used for giving directions. There is no public transportation on the island, but you can hitch a lift with one of several reliable taxi companies.