SAVING THE LIFESAVER

When Gary and Judy Studer relax in their Caswell beach home enjoying the sounds of the surf just outside their back door, they occasionally hear a tentative knock on their front door. Typically, they welcome it. If it’s not one of their many new friends, it’s often just another curious visitor wondering what the heck they’re doing living in such a strange house on the North Carolina coast--lookout tower and all!

The Studers love sharing their lives with anyone who wants to know what it’s like to live in a 115-year-old former life-saving station. Now, it has become their mission to save it. For the Studers, it’s all about keeping a legacy alive--and living right in the middle of it.

Originally published in Southern Living

MYRTLE BEACH:

It's Grand on the Strand

Called the “Grand Strand” by locals and veteran visitors, Myrtle Beach has evolved from a seasonal resort town into a year-round, multi-faceted destination and residential community, welcoming more than 13 million visitors annually and boasting a permanent area population of about 250,000. Of course, the beach and weather have played a big part in the area's success, with additional lures like abundant world-class golf (more than 100 courses and counting), star-studded entertainment, super shopping, and creative cuisine also playing feature roles.

The greater Myrtle Beach area stretches for 60 miles along the South Carolina coast, and is actually made up of several distinct communities. While Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach attract the most visitors, other oceanfront draws include Atlantic Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, and Pawleys Island. Away from the coast, charming inland possibilities include Aynor, Conway, Little River, and Loris.

Originally published in Skylights Magazine

OCRACOKE ISLANDS' SAND AND SEA WORK MAGIC

Accessible only by ferry, North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island is a classic island getaway, thanks to the quiet streets, friendly locals, award-winning beaches, one-of-a-kind shopping, varied accommodations and fresh seafood. Any time is a great time to visit Ocracoke, although it can get crowded in midsummer. Spring and fall bring fewer visitors, mild weather and generally lower prices.

Best beach

Once a fairly well-kept secret outside the Southeast, Ocracoke Island landed on the GPS scene in 2007 when the island’s Lifeguard Beach was named Best Beach in America by environmental scientist and coastal expert Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman. He gave Ocracoke’s pristine beaches top scores for water and sand quality, facilities and environmental management practices. What more could a man or woman ask of an island -- or a beach?

Originally published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

YOU’RE A LIFE-SAVER

Long past their heyday as the base of operations for rescuing shipwrecks, some North Carolina stations are getting a little lifesaving of their own.

The United States Life-Saving Service took shape in the early 1870s with the construction of lifesaving stations to house crews, boats, and equipment that might be needed for often-daring shipwreck rescues. In all, a network of 279 life-saving stations were built on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes.

The spartan lifesaving stations were typically built at regular intervals (often seven miles) along the shoreline. North Carolina would eventually have 29 in service along its jagged coast, the shallow shoals of which earned the area the moniker “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The North Carolina lifesaving stations played an important role in saving lives, cargo, and vessels. The service’s slogan, which was supposedly created on Hatteras Island, was, “The book says we gotta’ go out; don’t say nothing’ ‘bout comin’ back.”

Originally published in Our State Magazine

SUN, SURF, SAND TRAPS...AND DAYSPAS

Broad appeal has made Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina, a growing hot spot for a wide variety of spas

Called the “Grand Strand” by locals and veteran visitors, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has grown into a year-round resort destination and residential community, welcoming more than 13 million visitors annually and boasting a permanent population of about 250,000, with consistent projected growth. What's the secret to Myrtle Beach's popularity? Of course, the beach and weather have played a big part in attracting both visitors and residents, but additional lures like abundant world-class golf (more than 110 courses and counting), plenty of entertainment, and fine dining also play star roles.

And spas? Most certainly. “Thanks to our status as a premier golf and beach destination and place to live, the spa scene has blossomed along the Grand Strand,” says Brad Dean, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce (www.myrtlebeachinfo.com). “The number and diversity of spas has become yet another attraction for both visitors and residents.”

Originally published in DaySpa

FALLING FOR THE OUTER BANKS

The Secret is Out: Autumn is the Nicest Season

When it comes to spending my hard-earned money and vacation time, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than in the Outer Banks during the fall. My reasons are many: pleasant temperatures; smaller crowds on the beaches and elsewhere; lower prices for accommodations; and a slower vacation pace in general. For me, it’s the best bang for my Outer Banks buck.

Many veteran Outer Banks visitors first come for the summer, sand, and sun on 130 miles of beaches, but many return in the fall for the ‘secret’ season. The lures include cottage rentals and B&B or inn stays, as well as activities like hang gliding, sea kayaking, windsurfing, hiking, biking, and more. Plus, from September to November, temperatures, crowds, and prices all drop throughout the Outer Banks, making these adventures even more appealing.

Originally published in Hampton Roads Magazine

TAKE A SHINE TO NC LIGHTHOUSE COTTAGES

Capt. Charles Norton Swan lived his dream life on this island, lighting the lamp to put the new Cape Fear Lighthouse into service in 1903 and then running the Cape Fear Light Station for the next 30 years.

Today's Bald Head Island visitors can temporarily live like "Cap'n Charlie," thanks to three renovated lighthouse keeper cottages available for rental.

The three wood-frame dwellings overlooking the wide beach were built in the early 1900s, with one housing Cap'n Charlie and his family and the others occupied by his two assistants.

Originally published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MYRTLE MEANS SAND, SUN, MUSIC, FORE, & MORE

The Myrtle Beach area offers a beach vacation at its best. The famed South Carolina Atlantic Ocean destination has matured into a popular spot for sand, sun, golf, and music lovers, as well as much more.

The Spanish were the first to drop anchor in these charmed coastal waters. Spaniard Lucas Vasques de Allyon and a group of pioneers founded the first colony in North America here in 1526, but the settlement was ravaged by disease and all the inhabitants perished within a year.

But the word was out and, today, visitors from around the world receive a much warmer welcome to the Grand Strand. More than 12 million people annually come to swim, sunbathe, retire, fish, boat, golf, eat, shop, and, more recently, enjoy music.

Originally published in Air South Magazine