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When you live at the beach,
a staycation is not to be underestimated.
HIS LATE JUNE into early
July, I took 10 days off and
vacationed in my own home-town
with my grandson from
Florida, Ethan Eddins. Ethan
enjoyed daily skateboarding, poking around
the stores at Wrightsville Beach, spending
time in the water and surfing.
The cornerstone of our day began on the
beach each morning before 8 as Ethan par-ticipated
upfront
Pat Bradford with grandson Ethan Eddins, south of Crystal Pier, in lifeguard stand No. 12,
which just happens to be Ethan’s age.
Editor/Publisher
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
in the Wrightsville Beach Ocean
Rescue Junior Lifeguard Program.
I can’t say enough good things about
Jeremy Owens, Dave Baker, our ocean
rescue squad, and this twice-a-summer
incredible camp, in its third year.
Another big moment for me was
my very first surf lesson in front of the
mayor’s house. (So glad he was away at
the time.) And let me just say, Austin
from Wrightsville Beach Surf Camp is a
professional. To my delight, he had me
standing up on the board more than once
— beachgoers watching were so impressed,
they actually clapped.
We shopped local the entire staycation. As tourists in my own town, we vied for parking spaces, fed the parking meters, and used a
public bathroom. Ethan sported an extinct megalodon shark tooth on a leather piece around his neck. We ate Mellow pizza, and bacon-and-
egg bagels with Audrey at The Workshop, drank smoothies, and bought way too much in the town’s surf shops. Across the bridge,
we mini-golfed and enjoyed the water amusements at Jungle Rapids. Toward the end of our time, photographer Allison Potter took this
photo of us in the quintessential beach vacation photo location — a lifeguard stand.
This issue begins with our story on the lifeguard camp.
Cruising into hot August days and nights, it’s a good bet we’ll all attend a backyard barbecue, so we went whole hog for the story of
pig cooking on the grill. The article, in the works for months, culminated at this year’s North Carolina Blueberry Festival’s whole-hog
competition, where Scott Ramsey, one of our main subjects, took a proud second place in the judging. I have enjoyed Scott’s pork and
can attest to its goodness.
Our vacation house remodel by Bryan Humphrey is killer.
Our Millie Holloman and Vera Wren foster-care-to-adoption story will bless your heart and hopefully inspire many of us to follow
the path Millie has blazed.
We travel not too far out of the county for the stories of two quirky roadside attractions that have had my head spinning for a closer
look every time I pass. Surely everyone who has driven past Fort Apache near Supply and the giant beach girl (actually a Uniroyal Gal!)
out Highway 74 has wondered what in the world they are. Here, in living color, is the fascinating story of each.
There’s so much more, but I am out of room, so just start reading!
Pat’s hair by Frank Potter, Bangz Hair Salon. Hair and airbrushed makeup styled by Bangz’s stylist EL Morea. Pat’s rash guard from South End
Surf Shop and Ethan’s board shorts are from Sweetwater Surf Shop.
PHOTO BY ALLISON POTTER
T