This slender 26-mile island bounded by the clear blue Atlantic Ocean and the island-dotted InterCoastal Waterway, is a beachcomber's paradise, boasts all types of bountiful fishing  and still has the charm of "real" beach town.  Actually, it's now three beach towns, North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach.  All three have a different character with a variety of shopping,dining, and sporting possibilities. Incidentally, once you cross the causeway, the pronounciation is "TOP SUL" not "TOP SAIL".  The name comes from the days when Blackbeard hid along the island inlets with only his ship's top sails showing above the tree line as a warning to merchant ships that pirates were about.

Fishing is top notch.  Whether you approach it from the beach, from the piers or from boats of all sizes and classes, almost no one comes home empty handed.  Surfcasters can catch trout, spots, flounder and drum in the summer.  In the clear blue waters from your choice of charters, you'll challenge your angling skills from king mackerel, tuna, snapper, grouper and cobia.  Even the "Shrimp Lady" hauls her fresh, giant catch to a roadside stand, very near our cottage.

Golf or Tennis your game?  There are plenty of fine courses from Hampstead in the North to the south right across the bridge in Snead's Ferry.  Public tennis courts are convenient.  Go roller blading, parasailing, scuba diving, kayaking, surfing, snorkeling and more.  There's an amusement park for the little ones, with miniature golf and go carts.  Get back to nature or revisit history.  Tour the Karen Beasely Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.  Or Visit the Missiles and More Museum.  A daytrip to Wilmington can put you on the Battleship U.S.S. North Carolina.  And this area, named after the Cape Fear River basin, gives visitors even more recreational options.

Just a net cast away is Snead's Ferry, an old-fashioned fishing village just 5 minutes from Blue Moon Cottage.  Snead's ferry is the real deal.  Most folks here still make their living from the sea.  Enjoy the views from the fishing docks, soak up the ambiance and try the catch - some of the freshest oysters, shrimp and fish anywhere in coastal North Carolina. We've eaten at The Green Turtle several times ourselves.  Visit at least once while you're in Topsail.

You could spend at least two weeks on Topsail and never eat at the same restaurant twice.  There's something for everyone here.  Seafood is at it's best, but for a change of pace there's Italian, barbecue, pizza, and plenty of good home-town cooking.  There's a little gift shop in Surf City with a great coffee shop hidden inside..or maybe it's a little coffee shop with a great gift shop hidden inside.  Whatever it actually is, the coffee is pretty good!  There's a couple of beachside tavern & restaurant establishments right on the dunes in Surf City that offer great views, good food and a lively atmosphere.  Virtually everything here is casual, so enjoy as you are. http://insiders.com/wilmington/main-restaurants10.htm

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