Sunset Properties Blog

Heading to the beach for Easter or have a child that is begging for a beach vacation? Why not give them a taste of the beach by creating a beach themed Easter basket? If you have a beach towel or sand pail you are already on your way! Fold the beach towel so that it acts as a basket for all the goodies or use a sand pail and fill with artificial grass, etc… Next, add in all your beach themed fillers like miniature beach balls, flip flops, plastic sunglasses, assorted beach toys, kites, and of course…. Lots of candy!! An easy and fun idea to shake those winter blues away!

If you haven’t reserved your favorite beach vacation rental home what are you waiting for!? Call us today and scratch this task off your to do list!

(866)320-1344.

*Photo Credit: http://forthemommas.com/articles/frugal-easter-idea-beach-towel-baskets

We had a pleasant surprise on a cold wintry day yesterday when a representative of the new Shallotte River Swamp Park stopped by our office! If you haven’t heard, the new park with have a groundbreaking ceremony on February 26^th at 12:00pm at 5550 Watts Road, Ocean Isle Beach, NC. 

A little additional information about the new park: this place is going to be AWESOME! The Shallotte River Swamp Park will be a unique local attraction that is nature oriented and eco-friendly. The park will include a Swamp Buggy Trail, boat tours of the Shallotte River Swamp, a Zip-Line, Tree Top Challenge Ropes Course, and much more!

If you would like more information about the park, please go to: www.shallotteriverswamppark.com

We all want to have cherished momentos of our beach vacations and what a better way to capture the moment than with photos? Here are a few tips on how to make capturing those fun and special moments a breeze:

Make it easy on yourself - keep it simple and only bring one or two of your favorite lenses with you on vacation. Try to avoid changing your lens while out on the beach. Wouldn't want the sand or salt water to have a damaging effect on your equipment if dropped.

Get a good variety - we all want those up close photos of the little ones building sand castles but don't forget shots of the background too! Also, include your favoritie places, shots from your deck, etc... How about an early morning shot of your street or the beach strand before the busy day begins?

Don't be stingy - let a family member take the camera for a little while. This way you can be included in some of the pics as well!

Last but not least - don't forget to put the camera away for a bit. You are on vacation after all!

With Thanksgiving upon us and Christmas one month away, if you haven't gotten into the holiday spirit try attending one of these upcoming events.

Small Business Saturday will kick off the morning of November 29th. There will be special promotions by local businesses throughout Shallotte. Be sure to stop in and show support for local retailers.

Want to stay a lttle closer to the beach? Start your Saturday with a trip to the Museum of Coastal Carolina. The Museum will have crafts and activities for children from 10am to 3pm. Cost for non-members: Adults- $7, Seniors and Children (3-12)- $6, Children 2 and under- free.

Hang around and enjoy the annual Ocean Isle Beach Christmas Parade that will take place at 2pm. You're sure to see creatively decorated golf carts that will bring a smile to even the biggest Grinch's face.

Up next is the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony which is scheduled to begin at 5pm. Directly after, head over to the Ocean Isle Beach Fire Department for snacks and hot cocoa while the kids visit with Santa.

And last but not least, my favorite Super Saturday event, the Ocean Isle Flotilla: Lighted Boat Parade. The flotilla is set to begin at 5:30pm in front of Inlet View Bar and Grill, the decorated boats will then make their way down the Intracoastal to Sharky's restaurant where the judging will take place.

Everyone at Sunset Properties hopes that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

One of the best highlights of the  fall season in Ocean Isle Beach is undoubtedly the North Carolina Oyster Festival. This year stands to be no exception as the 34th annual festival will be packed full of great music and some of the best food you will have all year! Did I mention the craft vendors?? Saturday will be a great day to join in the festivities and watch the annual oyster shucking contest, enjoy a live performance by the Academy of Dance and Fine Arts, and listen to a great local act 4 Miles South. Some of the highlights on Sunday include a Shag competitition, Oyster Stew cook-off, and more great music! Dont forget the annual Road Race! The festival will be open on Saturday October 18th from 9 am to 6 pm and on Sunday from 10am to 5 pm. For more information about parking and entertainment, please go to: www.brunswickcountychamber.org.

Be sure to stop by our booth and say Hello!!

If you have spent your summer vacation anywhere along the coast of North Carolina, at some point you have probably dealt with rain. One minute you are enjoying a sunny beach day, the next minute the sky looks as though Zeus is angry and preparing for vengeance.  With summer rain storms being sporadic at best, it never hurts to have a plan in place of things to do on a rainy day.

We are fortunate to be conveniently located between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, both of which offer an abundance of family activities. Myrtle Beach is home to the Children's Museum of South Carolina. The museum offers lots of hands on exhibits for your child to enjoy and is open seven days a week! A great place to catch a move is the Carmike Cinemas BigD Theater. The BigD is located at Broadway At The Beach and boasts an 82 feet wide wall screen and leather seating for your enjoyment.

Want to head North? Check out the Cape Fear Museum located in downtown Wilmington.  A few of the exhibits include Cape Fear Stories, giant Ground Sloth Skeleton, and A View From Space. The Cape Fear Museum is open 7 days a week  May through August and is closed on Mondays during the Fall and Winter. Another fun indoor adventure is a trip to the Cape Fear Serpentarium. Not ideal for those who have an adversion to snakes, the serpentarium is home to several species of snakes, alligators, and lizards.

If you don't want to travel far from the beach, you should definitely plan a visit to the Ingram Planetarium and/or Museum of Coastal Carolina. Both are packed with fun learning experiences for the kids and offer great exhibits and events for all ages!

Don't let a rainy day stop you from enjoying what our area has to offer!

When counting down the days until your beach vacation, you probably make a list of the items you need to pack, a bathing suit, flip flops, sunscreen, a beach towel, etc. Here is a list of some items you may not think to pack, but you’ll be glad you did.

A photo mat for a picture frame – Get everyone who went on your trip to sign it during the week, then get a picture of everyone together to frame with it once you return home. Keep the memory of your trip alive until next time!

Baby Powder – Are you jumping in the car directly from a walk on the beach? Sprinkle baby powder on your feet and then wipe it off. It will remove that sticky residual sand.

A brightly colored or unique flag or beach umbrella – If you have swimmers or walkers in your group, give them a landmark to spot from the water. Put up a brightly colored flag or a unique umbrella where you’ll be sitting for the day, this will help swimmers find their way back after playing in the waves. 

Baby Wipes - nothing is worse than grabbing a snack on the beach with your hands covered in sand. 

Travel Board Games and a deck of cards –Can provide family fun and entertainment during a rainy day or in the evenings. 

Reusable water bottles – much cheaper than plastic and keeps trash off the beach. 

Extra trash bags – A heavy duty trash bag is a multi-use beach tool, it works for trash and hauling back sandy beach toys or wet beach towels. 

An old sheet – line the trunk of your car with an old bed sheet before heading back home. Put all of your beach equipment on top of the sheet, after unloading your car you can just shake the sand off and wash it.

We hope we have given you some helpful ideas of things to pack for your next beach vacation. If you have tips and tricks to share, we’d love to hear about them! Feel free to leave them in the comments below. 

See you at the beach!