Planet Forward: Smart people, smart iedas. Online and on TV.

Bridging a Gap: North Carolina’s Sunset Beach

Posted by Rainer Jenss on August 11, 2010
(13)
More »

Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. Now he’s writing a column that focuses on traveling with kids.

Sunset Beach Pontoon BridgeEvery family probably has that one special vacation spot they visit annually – a favorite place that both parents and kids really look forward to visiting each year. Chances are, summer is the time when most folks have these destinations marked on their calendars, and the Jensses are no exception.

There are actually two family traditions we commit to every year between the Memorial and Labor Day weekends:  Cape Cod, MA, and Sunset Beach, NC. The former is certainly known throughout the world and is quite popular with vacationers up and down the East Coast as well as visitors from across the country and overseas. The latter, not so much. In fact, very few people here in the Northeast have even heard of Sunset Beach, and that’s what helps make it special for us — kind of like our own little secret. So I’m going to risk it and let the cat out of the bag in hopes that it doesn’t spoil a good thing, although the city council may have already taken care of that – but more on that later.

Blue Reflection

Firstly, make no mistake, Sunset Beach is not some little unknown location that’s hard to find on a map (even though it’s under six square miles). On the contrary, even though the Outer Banks to the north get most of the recognition and Myrtle Beach to the south gets most of the traffic, in June, July, and August, almost every one of the approximate 1,200 homes on this barrier island is either rented out or occupied by its owner for a beach vacation. And for good reason – the nearly five mile stretch of beach has some of the best sand and surf on the eastern seaboard and the water temperature averages an ideal 80°F during the summer months. Although I’m definitely a fan of some of the Jersey Shore beach communities (Spring Lake, NJ being our favorite) and the aforementioned Cape Cod, the crowds are more abundant and the water temperatures can be quite chilly, especially the further north you go. And the weekly rental rates are simply much more affordable in North Carolina.

But perhaps Sunset Beach’s most distinguishing feature, besides its fishing pier and adjoining Bird Island coastal reserve, is the one-lane pontoon, or swing bridge, that you must cross to get to the island. After all, it is the last remaining one of its kind along the Intracoastal Waterway. Opening on the hour to let boats pass, the bridge does cause some rather inconvenient backups during the peak season; however, I tend to agree with the locals who claim it helps give Sunset Beach a unique laid-back feel. This is certainly not the case with other beach communities along the ‘Grand Strand,’ many which have massive bridges connecting them to the state’s major thoroughfares.

Unfortunately, after years of heated debates and emotional pleas, the NCDOT started construction to replace the swing bridge with a modern 65-foot tall arc bridge last year. The project is supposed to be completed this fall, and from what we could see during our recent visit, it looks right on schedule. Proponents of the new bridge say it will eliminate the need for a bridge keeper, and provide for a continual flow of vehicle traffic on and off the island, and water traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway. I, like many others, see this as yet another distressing sign of how ‘modernization’ is compromising, if not eradicating, some of our country’s most precious landmarks and attractions.  Even though lighthouses, for example, have long been outdated by more efficient navigational technology, they haven’t been torn down or left to erode away. Instead, they remain a hallmark of many coastal communities and increasingly popular with tourists. There’s a group that’s currently working to preserve the bridge, and have proposed relocating it to another site nearby where it can become part of a public park, but remains to be seen whether their efforts will be fruitful.

But no matter what the bridge’s fate may be, we will surely continue to go to Sunset Beach and enjoy our family traditions that have grown over the years – just as long as this post, and the new bridge, doesn’t attract the masses and damage its unique charm.

[Sunset Beach]
[The Old Sunset Beach Bridge Preservation Society]
[Residents Fight to Save the Sunset Beach Potoon Bridge]

Photos: Bridge Photo by Tyler Jenss; Pier Photo by Rainer Jenss

Keywords: , , , , , ,
(13)
More »

Related Links

Comments

  1. Gina
    August 12, 2010, 2:15 pm

    If you truly wanted to keep Sunset Beach a secret and make sure it didn’t “attract the masses”, you wouldn’t have written this post at all.
    And, frankly, I hope the new bridge does keep people with your narrow perspective away, people who seem to think that replacing a crumbling bridge that constantly breaks down – usually on holiday weekends – and backs up traffic for miles in each direction every single hour (for most of that hour) during peak season is so much better than a new bridge with 24/7 access. You clearly have never been stuck for eight hours on the mainland with melting groceries while a bust cable was repaired. Nor have you been stuck on the island during an emergency. The new bridge is a piece of “modernization” long overdue for the residents and, yes, even the tourists, of Sunset Beach. If you want quaint, I direct you to back to Cape Cod for a ride on the Chappy Ferry.

  2. Jim
    August 12, 2010, 4:33 pm

    Thanks for your comments, Gina. Up I live on Sunset Beach Island full time and have missed many flights and appointments because of the bridge.
    Unfortunately, a cheap and temporary expedient built by the Island’s original developer has, on the eve of its decommissioning, suddenly become “the heart and soul of Sunset Beach,” and “the essence of life on the Island” according to a very vocal and very small group of locals. With all respect, this is maudlin nonsense. After a few months with reliable, two-lane access on and off the Island, the old bridge will be remembered in the same way as outhouses and kerosene lanterns.

  3. Steve
    August 25, 2010, 11:09 am

    Gina and Jim,
    I’ve been vacationing on Sunset Beach for eight out of the last 10 years. Part of the reason we continue to make the six hour trip is the quiet, laid back feel of the island. My appreciation of the swing bridge is NOT a new thing. I realized the first time I visited that the bridge itself forced that laid back slow lifestyle on the island, because while you were there you had no choice.
    What you do have a choice about is whether you visit there or (in particular) live there. If you didn’t want to deal with the bridge, why did you move on the island? You surely knew the bridge caused inconveniences. If you didn’t want those inconveniences, I’m sure you could have gotten a house on Ocean Isle. They have a high rise span that’s always open. Wait … perhaps you didn’t do that because you preferred Sunset Beach to Ocean Isle? I submit to you that the swing bridge kept Sunset Beach from turning into Ocean Isle!
    I completely understand the safety aspect of building the new bridge, particularly after that nasty fire on Ocean Isle a couple of years back. I see your side of the argument. It’s a shame you can’t see anyone else’s other than your own.

  4. Karen Dombrowski
    August 25, 2010, 6:06 pm

    These are my comments that will be part of a Bridge Memories book that will be presented at the Mannon C Gore Bridge Dedication on October 1.
    My infatuation with Sunset Beach began over 30 years ago. It has all been serendipity. My cousin was stationed at Ft Bragg and he brought his parents and mine to Cherry Grove for a weekend. They ventured over to Sunset Beach and that was the beginning of our family history here. The parents decided it would be a great place for a family reunion, since the 18 cousins were scattered all over the country. So the first year my grandparents Herbert and Helen Klaiber and their descendents settled into our beach houses for a week of family fun and sun. A hurricane was approaching by Thursday and the weather was cloudy and the surf was rough. My mother thought we would never want to come back because we had some miserable weather. Three decades later, Herb and Helen have passed away, the “parents generation” is in their 80′s, 18 cousins have doubled with spouses, the next generation was born and now marrying with children of their own. 5 generations have traveled over the old swing bridge to make memories, share memories and keep our family history alive.
    I have had no bad experiences at the bridge in all my 30 years of crossing. Sure, there were long, long waits, especially on Saturdays at check in time. Then when you thought you had the bridge timed so you can get to dinner, a shrimp boat approached and interrupted the best laid plans. I always took this time to roll down my windows and just watch and listen. We all need to take some time to relax everyday and I took full advantage. Many still complain about the inconvenience, time wasted, missed appointments, etc. Road rage at the swing bridge, what a pity. As they say …. life is not what happens to you, it is how you deal with it!!
    Although I realize the time has come for the new bridge, due to emergency situations and costly maintenance, when the swing bridge is decommissioned it will be a sad day for me. I will miss the sights and sounds, the close contact with the marsh and wildlife each time I go to the beach.
    It was during my work with Sunset at Sunset and planning the Mannon C Gore Bridge Dedication that it became clear there are many, many people who feel the same way about our historic workhorse of a bridge. Residents and tourists, young and old would express their desire to see this iconic bridge saved. There seemed to be no concerted effort to accomplish this mission, so the Old Sunset Beach Bridge Preservation Society was formed in July 2010. Our vision to see “The Little Bridge That Could” preserved and incorporated into a waterfront park and town meeting place was soon a news story throughout the Carolinas and featured in National Geographic Travel. Ann Bokelman, Chris Wilson and I would meet reporters or supporters through pure coincidence. Kismet has had a hand in this mission.
    Many people have lent a hand and offered assistance to help preserve the era of the swing bridge in Sunset Beach. TOSBBPS would love to see a Bridge Tender’s museum created as part an effort to keep the stories and memories alive. A video loop of the bridge opening and closing would be featured.
    At the time of this writing, her fate is undetermined. Town Council has voted to save her, but there is some dissension among some very vocal residents. I can only hope that the future of Sunset Beach will include the swing bridge that made the creation of this town possible. The town I now call home.
    Karen Dombrowski
    Co-chair
    The Old Sunset Beach Bridge Preservation Society
    719 Fairway Drive East
    Sunset Beach, NC 28468

  5. Tiger
    August 25, 2010, 7:44 pm

    If you guys really have that many complaints about the bridge, do not visit or live on this island. A lot of us like the laid back feeling you get when you approach the bridge for the first time. You are on vacation so just relax. And, It is not a very select group of local people who want to save the bridge. 5,000 people have signed a petition to save the bridge. Anyway, there is no way the bridge can stay there. They are just trying to preserve the history of the bridge and relocate it to make a public park. This is a great idea

  6. resident
    August 26, 2010, 3:18 pm

    Jim and Gina
    If you don’t like what Sunset is (or was), go somewhere else.
    Why is it that people move to a place and then want to change it?

  7. Bill
    August 27, 2010, 9:32 am

    Make no mistake here. The already over crowded beaches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday that we have all grown accustom to will only increase with the completion of the new bridge. Even with the swing bridge this over crowding situation has been increasing significantly over the past several years. While this may be good for the local economy it has become problematic for permanent residents or those renting cottages within five streets on either side of the pier, beach goers are packed like sardines in these areas.
    Complicating this is parking. Sunset’s available parking is already stretched to the limit and with the new rules in place covering parking this will only get worse.
    Another area that will needs to be addressed is an increase in crime and juvenile delinquents coming to the island. Don’t fool yourself, with easy on and off access to the island those who would other wise have gone somewhere else because of the swing bridge will not hesitate to come now with the new bridge.
    So while the opening of the new bridge cannot be stopped I question the city ability to deal with these and other issues. In the end I pray that this can all be addressed.
    Having enjoyed Sunset for more than 30 years I (we) will not change our vacation destination regardless of these issues. We love this beach!
    As far as the swing bridge is concerned we support setting up a historic park to display it and have the t-shirts to prove it. Why not have something to show our children’s children what it was like before the new bridge was built. If the funds can be raised we fail to understand why this is even an issue.
    Already looking forward to next summer!!!

  8. GY
    August 28, 2010, 2:29 pm

    Jim, why on earth did you ever move to Sunset Beach? We started coming to Sunset over 20 years ago because of the quiet laid-back feel of the place, and the old swing bridge most definitely contributed to our decision to go there. We ended up buying a vacation home there with two other families 4 years ago. The bridge has, at worst, been a minor inconvenience-it’s not a mystery as to when it will be opened and closed (closes on the hour) so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out when to travel on and off the island. The bridge has had very occasional problems with breaking down recently mainly because repairs have been kept to a minimum because of the expected opening of the new (ugly) high-rise bridge. I, for one, will greatly miss the slower pace that the old bridge reflects, and sincerely hope it will be kept in a park setting on a permanent basis. It is not just a handful of locals that want this. It is thousands of people who have visited and loved Sunset Beach. It will be a sad day when the new bridge opens. And I am dreading the increased traffic and crowds, erratic parking, noise, and trash that will come with it. I only hope the town council will STRICTLY enforce parking and limit it to the pier area, and will never allow the island to become another Ocean Isle with its high rises and hundreds of condos. Long live Sunset Beach!

  9. GY
    August 28, 2010, 2:34 pm

    By the way, my name is Gina too, but I want my friends and family to know that I am NOT the Gina who wrote the initial comments.

  10. Philip E Moore
    August 29, 2010, 6:38 pm

    As I sit and think of all the times over the past 35 years I have visited Sunset Beach the sound and feel of “The Bridge” take over me.
    There is no better moment than driving up to the bridge knowing that Sunset Beach is just on the other side. The drive across greets us with the familiar clickety clack of boards underneath the vehicle. I am going to miss it.
    With all these positives, it is still time for a change. I know it was hard for the community to take a step toward a modern bridge, however it was the right one.

  11. Judith kreisher
    September 14, 2010, 4:26 pm

    We have been going to Sunset Beach for over 30 yrs. I will miss the old bridge, but understand the complaints. I have none. I hope it will still be the best kept secret.
    We did summers when the children were young, and now we do off season and love it there. I had hoped one day to live in Sunset, the main, but have not talked my husband in doing so. My dream.

  12. david g
    October 15, 2010, 12:53 pm

    Best time to go is April, water is still bit cool but refeshing, and then again in late September and October when water is beautiful high 70s and weather great. Stay away in summer as too hot (we like to camp at Wishing Well) and too crowded. In September and October you will have the beach to yourselfs. Go to the nat aquarium, and Calibash for seafood

  13. Preserve at Rock Creek homes
    November 11, 2010, 9:51 am

    Oh, everything sounds so beautiful and charming. I’d love to visit Sunset Beach someday.