Depends on how much time you want to spend seeing sights vs hanging on the beach. Coquina beach is one of my favorite spots & it changes, but there is often a nice sandbar there. Sometimes you can see the remnants of an old ship depending on how the sand has shifted.
If you get an overcast day Jockey's Ridge is really awesome. I drive up a few times a year just to walk around there. But it's not so great on hot days in the middle of the summer, would be worth an early morning trip even if you don't get an overcast day.
The Wright Brothers Memorial is interesting.
There are lighthouses, if they are open to go up inside the view is worth the climb.
Ocracoke is always worth a visit, but would be a bit of a drive plus a ferry ride, so could be tough to make work in a day from where you'll be š¤ don't know how long the passenger ferry takes.
Captin Frank's Hotdogs has been there forever & has pictures from when they were the only thing on the beach & of former presidents that visited. They have fantastic steamed shrimp for dinner (after like 6pm I think) & usually some decent live music or something later.
There are also some really cool putt putt places & other random stuff.
You going with family or friends or just you?
2 buddies and I are going. Dont have anything planned so we are pretty open to just about anything. š
Probably won't be an issue, but it's worth keeping in mind that all flat "grassy" areas (yards, areas around sidewalks, etc) come with a very real risk of stepping on a small cactus with razor sharp thorns that will go all the way through just about any shoe or sandle. Loose sand is generally safe, grassy yards can be dangerous af. Some houses have brought in sod & work to keep the cactus out, but that's not really the norm.
Thast not what I was expecting you to say š
Thanks for the heads up!
I had some friends who didn't know learn the hard way on the first day & kinda ruin their week. Once you know what to look for it's generally not an issue.
Oddbean new post about login | logout 
