Topsail Island, North Carolina

Yes, we spent last week at the Hardman/Wilson house on the sound at Topsail. The beach house that we rented was located on the sound and was just a short walk from the ocean. Here is the house and the view as seen from the back deck.




Located along North Carolina’s southern outer banks midway between Cape Lookout and Cape Fear, Topsail Island is 26 miles of white, uncrowded sandy beaches. Some say the island’s name is related to local maritime heritage. During the Golden Age of Piracy, merchant vessels had to watch carefully so they would not encounter pirates such as Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. Ship captains who frequented Topsail Island waters began warning their crew to look just beyond the island dunes for the tops of the pirate’s ships.



In 1941, the government seized the island as a place for military maneuvers and antiaircraft firing exercises. After the war, Topsail Island was chosen as the test site for a guided missile testing program known as Operation Bumblebee. When the military left in 1948, permanent residential development began on Topsail Island.




We had a great week with family! In the next blog I will tell of the exciting reptilian adventure on the island.