tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262014339384471992010-03-07T19:48:12.945-05:00Sunset Beach Pier just a few minutes from our home in Sunset VillageAlex Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06964120219393260750noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakestag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-475757319462888352010-03-07T18:00:00.001-05:002010-03-07T19:48:12.951-05:002010-03-07T19:48:12.951-05:00

Because we rent out our condo for most of the Summer Season, the times my family are most often able to come stay there ourselves tend to be in the Spring and Fall: the perfect seasons for an alfresco luncheon! Having lived in England, the custom of going out to a Pub for Sunday lunch is something we enjoy doing with the family - particularly when the weather is fine. They have a fine selection

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-78023799020577815362010-02-09T18:21:00.000-05:002010-02-09T18:27:32.360-05:002010-02-09T18:27:32.360-05:00

Well, we are just back from a lovely off-season February weekend at Sunset Beach, North Carolina. It was chilly at times and rained here and there; but we were treated to enough sunshine breaks to keep us happy - and the sunshine took center stage by Sunday morning. Of course, if the weather's a bit drippy, there's still a lot in the area to keep a family happily occupied. One of our favorite

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-58087953457361456982010-01-01T19:30:00.004-05:002010-01-03T09:49:04.855-05:002010-01-03T09:49:04.855-05:00

**Now that the holidays are over and a long dull winter lies ahead (dull, at least for those unable to take time off over the next couple of months to enjoy a weekend skiing or the comparatively warmer climate at the beach). One way I cope is to start planning our next vacation - perhaps a long weekend in the spring?Spring and early summer at Sunset Beach provides no end of events and festivals

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-4746974443205757162009-11-14T19:30:00.001-05:002009-11-14T19:38:05.059-05:002009-11-14T19:38:05.059-05:00

Last weekend, we made a quick trip to Sunset Beach and brought along the cousins. The November weather was surprisingly warm, with temperatures hovering in the mid-70's. We spend every morning on the Island, enjoying the warm breezes, our toes relishing the sun-baked sand. The water was even warm, and I saw a few folks wearing bathings suits (we didn't even think to bring ours), and someone

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-53635205519021926872009-10-09T18:00:00.001-04:002009-10-09T18:47:04.892-04:002009-10-09T18:47:04.892-04:00

Our last weekend at Sunset Beach Bliss was spent in the shadow of a couple of late-summer hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, which meant rip tides and rough seas. But the weather that weekend dodged the threat of all-day rain and turned out a beautiful few days for us, only interrupted occasionally with a quickly-passing shower. On one of our days there, we decided to catch a ride on the Super Voyager

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-76481448960641740422009-09-07T14:29:00.009-04:002009-09-07T14:55:08.021-04:002009-09-07T14:55:08.021-04:00

On our most recent visit to Sunset Beach, NC, we revisited the Museum of Coastal Carolina and discovered a brand-new playground right next to it.We also took a moment to photograph the lovely murals on the outside of the museum before going in to reacquaint ourselves with the critters in their touch tank and the many informative displays. This time there, we were able to solve a mystery involving

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-67541910618425445142009-08-02T07:00:00.000-04:002009-08-02T07:54:47.234-04:002009-08-02T07:54:47.234-04:00

After this Summer, trundling over a single-lane, wooden-decked bridge on our way to the beach is an experience that we soon may not encounter ever again on our annual travels to the Atlantic Ocean. The Sunset Beach Swing Bridge, the last of its kind, will soon be replaced. Build in 1961, it is said to be the only large-capacity, steel, swing span bridge remaining on the East Coast. The center

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-14359441599126227342009-07-24T08:00:00.000-04:002009-07-24T08:45:54.788-04:002009-07-24T08:45:54.788-04:00

Although we have a modest shelf of books for our guests at our condo (and usually add a few more volumes to it whenever we are there), it's just not possible to anticipate everyone's tastes when it comes to beach reading. So knowing where a good hole-in-the-wall neighborhood bookstore can be found wherever you are vacationing is a valuable piece of information. And, I don't know about you, but

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-77702871109641538012009-07-11T17:33:00.002-04:002009-07-11T17:35:39.602-04:002009-07-11T17:35:39.602-04:00

Well, when we first discovered Sunset Beach, NC, all we knew about it was what we saw: the prettiest, smoothest, broadest, most-peaceful beach we had experienced over a whole summer of exploring the coast of North Carolina. And this was right smack dab in the middle of high season (You see, we're not fond of crowds)! It wasn't until after we found our little peace of heaven nearby, took the

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-25254975324594792172009-06-28T11:00:00.001-04:002009-07-11T17:38:29.903-04:002009-07-11T17:38:29.903-04:00

My husband and I decided to kill a few hours prior to our dinner reservations with walk along Sunset Beach. The pleasure of this beautiful place inspired us to head towards the South Carolina border and cover as much as we could of Bird Island before we got tired. The broad and flat expanse of sand and the interesting creatures we kept spotting in the dunes beckoned us on and on for miles. We

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-44211210719691348882009-06-20T18:12:00.000-04:002009-06-20T18:16:13.592-04:002009-06-20T18:16:13.592-04:00

Well, I now have an opinion to add to the following debate: Which is better, charcoal or gas grilling? I vote charcoal! During our last stay at our condo in Sunset Village, we grilled out quite a few times; and I really can't remember the last time my steak tasted so good!! We have a gas grill at home, and it's been years since we cooked over charcoal briquettes. I'm seriously considering

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-35933815293646297222009-06-14T12:23:00.003-04:002009-06-14T19:59:12.687-04:002009-06-14T19:59:12.687-04:00

Ah, rain! Friend to everything green and lovely, but what a bummer when it happens all over your Beach Vacation! Fortunately, right in Sunset Beach there is an excellent way to entertain the family while you wait for the rainclouds to clear: Ingram Planetarium!We visited the Planetarium right when they were putting the final touches in place for their grand re-opening in May. Even though they

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-34600229528451154982009-06-05T13:06:00.001-04:002009-06-14T20:01:28.755-04:002009-06-14T20:01:28.755-04:00

We've been back from our vacation at our condo in lovely, peaceful Sunset Beach only a few weeks, but I am just itching to go back. There were so many different things to do, I'm afraid we only scratched the surface.One of the places we did visit was Ripley's Aquarium, a "$40 million, state-of-the-art, 87,000 square-foot aquarium experience," located at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach,

Alex Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06964120219393260750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-87025663921078881392009-05-30T20:20:00.007-04:002009-05-30T20:37:03.759-04:002009-05-30T20:37:03.759-04:00

With beautiful Sunset Beach only a few minutes' drive away, and so many different attractions, shopping, and great restaurants nearby, sometimes its easy to overlook the simple pleasures available right on our doorstep. The grounds of Sunset Village are beautifully landscaped, with several large water features, one of which is right by our building. Besides being nice to look at, the ponds in

Alex Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06964120219393260750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-90725732475871742722009-05-21T15:06:00.001-04:002009-06-14T20:03:01.116-04:002009-06-14T20:03:01.116-04:00

On one of our little outings while staying at the condo in Sunset Beach, we decided to do a short drive over the state border and visit some attractions in North Myrtle Beach. One of our intended destinations was Barefoot Landing, which I found out later is the only shopping/dining attraction located on the Intracoastal Waterway on the Grand Strand. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill shopping

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-46641392094371695072009-05-19T14:48:00.005-04:002009-07-11T17:40:59.077-04:002009-07-11T17:40:59.077-04:00

Fresh from our lovely week in Sunset Beach, I have been reflecting on the many fun things we got to do. Yes, there was plenty of rest and relaxation by the fountain, out on the beach, and poking around the boutiques in town; but we also took a little time for an easy drive over into busy and bustling Myrtle Beach, SC, for some excitement.My daughter (now 5 years old) is currently fascinated

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-40714001165598633602009-05-11T16:35:00.014-04:002009-06-14T20:04:46.551-04:002009-06-14T20:04:46.551-04:00

This particular installment on our Sunset Beach Bliss Blog is the result of "on the scene" reporting. In fact, I have just returned to our condo from an exploratory visit to nearby Silver Coast Winery (about a 15-min drive from our place). The Sunset Beach area seems such a sleepy little place at first glance, but we keep finding very pleasant surprises like this Winery very near to us. And a

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-84940102751989065872009-05-06T18:18:00.000-04:002009-05-19T23:46:49.227-04:002009-05-19T23:46:49.227-04:00

Another great thing about the Sunset Beach area is that it is rich with options for those who'd rather fly than drive in. Not only is our condo only an hour from your choice of two International Airports (Myrtle Beach to our South and Wilmington to our North), plus the excellent facilities of the Brunswick County Airport, we have a fantastic municipal airport just 15 minutes down the road in

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-31826797797180842732009-04-22T11:00:00.000-04:002009-04-22T11:18:21.939-04:002009-04-22T11:18:21.939-04:00

So you are all ready for your Sunset Beach vacation: You've booked your vacation rental, pre-ordered your groceries, and packed! But just when you're ready to head down the road, you find out the arrangements you made for Fido to stay with friends have fallen through . . . And you cannot bring pets into your vacation rental! What's a responsible pet owner to do? Fortunately, there are many

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-15885479567667353732009-04-14T21:08:00.001-04:002009-06-14T20:05:40.548-04:002009-06-14T20:05:40.548-04:00

If you're looking for a fun place out of the sun (or rain) to go with small children during your visit to Sunset Beach, nearby Ocean Isle has a very nice natural history museum. Despite is smaller size, the Museum of Coastal Carolina has a lot to offer to its visitors - and most particularly to families with children. Amongst its plentiful displays of ocean-related artifacts and exhibits, there

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-52867670559754557322009-04-07T08:21:00.001-04:002009-04-09T16:59:59.188-04:002009-04-09T16:59:59.188-04:00

Being just ten minutes down the road from all the fine seafood that Calabash, NC, has to offer is just one of many advantages we discovered after finding our place in Sunset Beach. In the past few months, we have started on our task of trying out the local food with gusto; and the job has been a very pleasurable one.Below is just a few of the very many choices in dining out that our area enjoys.

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-13828744763668136562009-03-30T23:24:00.004-04:002009-07-20T14:53:08.212-04:002009-07-20T14:53:08.212-04:00

Perhaps your vacation this year will involve less eating out and more dining in? I know that is true for our family this year; but at the beach, surrounded by all that fresh seafood, you're not going to lack superior choices that make for quick and easy-to-prepare meals. When there's a large pot available for a shrimp boil (and there is in our condo's kitchen) and plenty of Old Bay Seasoning,

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-726201433938447199.post-57631851925626619592009-03-30T22:34:00.000-04:002009-04-06T23:12:25.692-04:002009-04-06T23:12:25.692-04:00

Our family discovered Sunset Beach, NC, late in the Summer of 2008 and spent several months after that first encounter, searching for a little place nearby so we could enjoy it again and again . . . and perhaps make it our permanent home once we retire. So now we have a little place in Sunset Village at Sandpiper Bay, surrounded by lagoons and pristine golfing greens, with only 5 miles of easy

Heather Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13265275330246020129noreply@blogger.com0