We took a quick 30 minute boat ride from Wilmington to the Bald Head Island marina.   This was definitely a resort stop, but we knew that from the beginning. There are ferry rides every hour from the mainland, but other than that the only way to get here is to use your own boat. There is a whole community on the island, with emergency services, mail, grocery store, hardware store, and restaurants.

The slip we rented for the two days was one that is owned by someone on the island, and the marina took care of the paperwork. They were modern, floating docks with water and electric. We stepped off our boat into a beach paradise. There are only golf carts allowed on the island and they are expensive to rent. Bikes are also permitted, so ours were put to use right away.

There is an old lighthouse on the island called Old Baldy that is available for tours. It is a prominent landmark on the island that can be seen from the mainland. The beaches are beautiful and we usually were alone when we were out on the beach.