Is it just me, or do spontaneous trips often turn out to be the most memorable?
Earlier this week, CJ and I pointed the car east and headed for Brunswick County, home of our favorite beaches and Southport’s North Carolina 4th of July Festival. The festival is billed as North Carolina’s biggest, and includes a nearly weeklong series of events. As we drove into town Wednesday at 8:30am, residents and visitors had already lined both sides of Howe Street with their lawn chairs in preparation for the parade, which started at 11:00am.
We had bypassed the free preservative-laden continental breakfast at our hotel in favor of the pancake breakfast at Trinity Methodist Church. The line there was long, but I found myself smiling, regardless. Young and old were dressed in various combinations of red, white, and blue. Lion’s Club volunteers sold raffle tickets. Neighbors greeted each other with hugs. A sea breeze rustled through the live oaks.
Southport is everything that is wonderful about a small town. The historic area is devoid of chain restaurants, chain motels, and crass commercialism. Even on a day when the town is crowded with festival-goers, it still feels like the quaint fishing village it has been for 200+ years.
After breakfast, we took a slow walk through the arts and crafts booths at Franklin Square Park and then down to the banks of the Cape Fear River, where a lone sailboat drifted across the sparkling water.
It probably goes without saying, but I would definitely recommend a visit to Southport – preferably a slow, spontaneous visit. Just make sure you don’t tell too many people about this little treasure by the sea.
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