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Life in the DayngrZone

Sharing real life, one adventure at a time.

7 Ways You Can Help Sea Turtles in Emerald Isle

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We love sea turtles! Have you ever seen sea turtles hatch in Emerald Isle? If you love the turtles too, you’ve probably thought “How can I help sea turtles in Emerald Isle?”

May 1st thru October 31st  is Sea Turtle Nesting and Hatching Season in Emerald Isle.  The Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Protection Program, with about 80 volunteers, tries to locate and protect the nest sites and help hatchlings return to the surf. If you ever have the opportunity to participate, it will be an experience you won’t forget.

Baby-Loggerhead-sea-turtles

Baby-sea-turtles

We had the pleasure of being present for a sea turtle excavation, to be exact, 39 baby loggerhead sea turtles excavated and carefully guided on their way into the deep, wide ocean. 

The kids were thrilled. Each time a baby sea turtle passed them where they were standing, Bella would wave and say bye to it and Rex would name it and tell it that he would see it in 30 years. It was so heart-warming and adorable. 

Did you know a female Loggerhead turtle may travel thousands of miles to build her nest on the same beach where she hatched as a baby? 

Sea-Turtle-Nest

7 Ways You Can Help Sea Turtles in Emerald Isle

  1. Fill in holes: Fill in any holes that your children dig while they’re at the beach. Mama sea turtles can get stuck in them.
  2. Pack it up at night: Be sure to pack up any tents, toys, and beach gear overnight.
  3. Keep outside lights off: If you live on or near the beach, keep your outside lights off. They disturb nesting mama turtles and distract hatching babies by luring them toward the light and away from the moonlit ocean where they need to head.
  4. Don’t litter and pick up trash: Pick up any and all trash you find, especially plastic bags which turtles can confuse for jellyfish, their food source.
  5. No fireworks: Fireworks are illegal in North Carolina and the noise keeps the mama sea turtles from coming onshore to nest. They also disturb hatching, baby turtles.
  6. Call the local police: If you see anyone disturbing a sea turtle nest, nesting turtles or hatchlings, call the police immediately. In Emerald Isle, they can be reached at (252) 354-2021. Check your local info if you’re outside the area.
  7. No flashlights or flash photography: If you see a nesting sea turtle or hatchlings sea turtle please be very quiet and do not disturb them. You might even want to sit down and watch in amazement.

sea-turtle-excavation

For more information, check out Emerald Isle’s General Sea Turtle PDF or contact the Turtle Protection Program Coordinators:

Jim Craig
354-4001
JCraig2@ec.rr.com
 
Pam Minnick
354-4288
PaMinn@aol.com 

 

This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I get a small percentage to help keep this blog going. 

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Fall Hiking in North Carolina

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Fall Hiking in North Carolina

Have you ever thought about Fall hiking in North Carolina? Fall in North Carolina is a great time to hit the trail, hike, and commune with nature at one of the many local hiking areas along the Crystal Coast or across our beautiful state. The blush of the leaves, scampering wildlife, and cool, crisp breezes that keep the mosquitoes at bay make this the ideal season to get off the couch and head for the woods. Let’s face it, we could all use a bit more time in nature.

I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the board at The North Carolina Coastal Federation so I’m pleased to share that they organized the development of two of the most popular trails in the coastal region and that the Federation has trail maps available at the trail entrances for folks to use and learn more about these natural recreation areas. You can also get them online at: www.nccoast.org.

Patsy Pond Hiking

Hike Hoop Pole Creek

Hoop Pole Creek is a 31-acre maritime forest that serves as a refuge for fish, wildlife and plant communities in an enormous diversity of coastal habitats. The property was purchased in 1996 with a grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund and is permanently protected by the federation. You can hike the low-impact, half-mile trail. It’s open to the public during daylight hours and is located off Highway 58 in Atlantic Beach next to the Atlantic Station Shopping Center.

Grab the Hoop Pole Creek fact sheet or the Hoop Pole Creek Trail map

© Sam Bland

 

Hike Patsy Pond

Fall hiking at patsy pond

The Patsy Pond area is in the Croatan National Forest and is one of the most diverse natural areas in North Carolina. It is a place where plant species of a longleaf pine forest coexist with plant species of the state’s coastline and barrier islands. Two well-marked trails exist – a three-quarter-mile and a 1.75-mile trail. The trail entrance is on Highway 24 directly across from the federation offices in Ocean, about halfway between Morehead City and Swansboro. Trail use is open to the public during daylight hours.

Grab the Patsy Pond fact sheet and the Patsy Pond Trail map

For more information, visit:

North Carolina Coastal Federation
www.nccoast.org
(252) 393-8185

Do you have a favorite hiking trail in North Carolina? Let me know. I’m always looking for a new adventure and a new place to explore. 

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Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza Offers Tasty Pizza

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Pizza on EI, Pizza on Emerald Isle, Circle Pizza, Sausage Pizza

Are you a pizza lover? Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza offers tasty pizza and more. One of the things we’ve missed about our hometown was the pizza. Delicious, mouth-watering, New York-style Pizza is something we’d grown accustomed to, but have always had a hard time finding when we’ve traveled. Now that we’re residents of the Crystal Coast, we’ve been hunting for really good pizza.

Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza Offers Tasty Pizza and More

Circle Pizza, Sausage Pizza, Emerald Ise Pizza

We’d heard about Circle Pizza and Subs in Emerald Isle but had never stopped in so we thought we’d give it a try.  Circle Pizza and Subs is a nice, casual dining restaurant where you can eat in or take out. We decided to eat-in and though we only wanted to grab a slice and head off on our next adventure, we weren’t too disappointed to learn that pizza by the slice wasn’t an option. Instead, we opted to grab a table and get a large, sausage pizza.

It looked so good that I didn’t have an opportunity to snap a photo before everyone started digging in. It really was delicious! Plenty of sausage, cheese, and just the right amount of sauce. Personally, I like a crispier crust and in all honesty, I didn’t explore the option to request that when I ordered so that’s my fault. Overall, it was a really, really good! So good, we only had two slices left, and took those home in a doggy bag.  Yum!

Subs, Sandwiches, and More

I don’t know about your kids but my kids can be picky at times. The nice thing about Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza is that there are plenty of options. In fact, you can get traditional subs here (meatball, Philly cheese-steak, etc.) as well as other types of sandwiches (grilled cheese, burgers, BLTs, etc.) pasta, and more. Side orders include tasty french fries, onion rings, garlic bread and so much more. See the full menu.

They offer free delivery with a minimum order of $15. What’s not to love?

Check out Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza for Yourself – 

Circle Pizza and Subs

7702 Emerald Drive
Emerald Isle, NC 
Phone: (252) 354-8885
 

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Fresh Seafood and Southern Hospitality at Crab Shack

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fresh seafood at the crystal cosst, crab shack

Fresh Seafood and Southern Hospitality at Crab Shack

If you’re looking for extra fresh seafood and good ole’ southern hospitality then put the Crab Shack, in Salter Path, on your must-visit list. We stopped in for a celebratory seafood dinner and not only enjoyed the food but we loved the atmosphere, as well. In fact, Kenn enjoyed it so much, he decided to vlog about it below.

Located on the island in Salter Path, on the sound side of Highway 58, Crab Shack serves up fresh seafood and southern hospitality daily. Their restaurant is a 40-year-old, family-owned business run by commercial fishermen so you know they’re delivering the freshest seafood in town. In fact, when you visit you can enjoy waterfront dining and see their fishing boats docked right outside. The kids were delighted to see a real, working fishing boat, right on the water and close enough to touch.

Fresh Seafood on the Menu

crab shack salter path, crystal coast seafood restaurant

The food was delicious. During our last visit, we had clam strips, scallops, shrimp, flounder, and the kids had chicken tenders – some of which you can see featured in the video above. In addition to the wide variety of seafood available, there’s also traditional landlubber fare like burgers, barbecue, chicken, and steak. There are plenty of kid-friendly items on the menu making this a family-friendly restaurant. But don’t take my word for it, check out their full menu and see if there’s anything on it that appeals to your tastebuds. 

Visit Crab Shack – 

146 Headen Lane
Salter Path, NC 28512
Phone: (252) 247-3444
 
Open daily from 11:00 AM
 

Have you been to the Crab Shack? What did you think? What are your favorite spots here on the Crystal Coast?

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Date Night at Nu Asian Bistro in Jacksonville, NC

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We all have these restaurants we never notice until we’re on our way to somewhere else, right? Well, Nu Asian Bistro in Jacksonville, North Carolina, has been that place for me for quite a while now. From what I can tell, they’ve been open for almost 2 years now, but for some reason, they never come to mind when the hubby and I are fighting discussing where to go for dinner.

The stars finally aligned for me to try out Nu Asian Bistro when a good friend of mine invited us to a sushi dinner date. Turns out she had been there many times before, and it’s one of her go-to places! It was fate. Fate for a sushi date. Fate for a sushi date with some of my mates. Feel free to stop me anytime here.

Nu Asian Bistro in Jacksonville NC

Great Food and Deals

Now on to the good stuff –  We happened to go on a Thursday night which also happens to be one of their BOGO sushi nights! Finally, I could try different kinds of sushi without it costing me an arm and a leg. I’m usually a Shrimp Tempura Roll kinda gal (which, of course, I got because it’s my favorite), but I also got their Volcano Roll, which I was very excited to try. Both were AMAZING, and I almost couldn’t finish them both (I said almost).

Shrimp Tempura at Nu Asian Bistro

© Nu Asian Bistro

My Volcano Roll even looked like a volcano which I loved. I admired it for a total of 5 seconds before I destroyed it. Our friends got an undeniably large platter of sushi rolls that put my little plate to shame, and they loved their choices as well. If you don’t like sushi, they also offer many other dishes, including a special Thai menu that is out of this world. I’ll definitely be sampling that one soon. The hubs isn’t a fan of sushi, but he was super pleased with his Teriyaki Beef. I almost regretted not getting it, but we’re married so of course, I stole a bite or two or three.

As if the night wasn’t perfect enough with our BOGO sushi rolls, the dinner gods continued to shine down on us with $5 martinis… need I say more? There were four of us in our group, so we asked the waitress to surprise us with four different martinis. We spent the evening sampling almost their entire menu of martinis – Death by Chocolate, Sour Apple, Washington Apple – you name it, we probably tried it.

My Favorite Picks at Nu Asian Bistro

My personal favorite was the Lemon Drop Martini complete with sugar on the rim. The Sour Apple was a close second. This chocolate lover was sure the Death by Chocolate martini would rock my world, but I suppose I’m just not a big fan of chocolate with my alcohol. Martinis and sushi; this is my heaven, I’m sure of it! The service was great as was the atmosphere of this cute little restaurant. It’s complete with some nice, low lighting to really set the mood before you chow down on some delicious food.

Martini, Martinis at Nu Asian Bistro

Perfect Date Night at Nu Asian Bistro in Jacksonville, NC

We had a great time for our first trip to Nu Asian Bistro! Yummy food, great friends, good atmosphere – it was the perfect date night. I may or may not have had one too many martinis… But hey, who I am kidding, it was totally worth it. Word on the street is they have BOGO sushi rolls Monday through Thursday, and different drink specials pretty often! We’ll definitely be returning to NU Asian Bistro for my sushi fix, but also to try some of my other Asian favorites like Mongolian Beef or a Thai Stir Fry. YUM.

If you’re new to the area or a local and haven’t tried this spot yet, Nu Asian Bistro should be on your list of places to have lunch or dinner. You can find them the next time you visit Jacksonville, NC at:

Nu Asian Bistro
2100 N Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC 28546

Loved this post? See more great finds along my Crystal Coast.

This guest post was contributed by Ragan Chambless. What are your favorite local restaurants in North Carolina? Do you have any places you love or haven’t gotten around to trying yet? I’d love to know what tickles your fancy so I can add some new places to my slew of places to visit. Help a sister out.

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