I just got home from a week at one of North Carolina's beaches, and I went looking for a vintage image of where I was.  This is Atlantic Beach, and the photo comes from the official NC Department of Transportation Highway map for 1957.  How they thought this photo would attract anyone is puzzling, but I'm guessing the intent was to prove how popular Atlantic Beach was!

I actually stayed about 10 miles south of Atlantic Beach, at Emerald Isle.  They are on the same barrier island, which stretches from Swansboro to Morehead City, and from the air you can see that this is actually one 20 mile long beach.

The difference is startling!

Part of the difference is that the vintage photo was undoubtedly taken at the height of the season, in July or August.  What a difference a few months makes!  But even in April it was very warm, and terribly pleasant. 

What you can't see, however, is the incredible growth this area has experienced, most of it coming in the past 10 to 15 years.  When I first visited Atlantic Beach in the 1990s, there were 2 hotels and lots of cottages.  There were very few buildings at all in Emerald Isle - just the commonly seen beach cottages.  Today there is scarcely a foot of oceanfront property left undeveloped.  And many or the houses are huge - as many as 5 stories.  And that is for a single family home.  It's very disheartening, as the cottages are long gone,

Interestingly, many of these McBeachMansions have for sale signs on them.  I really think many people buy a beach home without considering the massive upkeep required.  Many times they end up being more work than the buyer bargained for.  In fact, the house we stayed in is on the market.  We are hoping it does not sale!