Where the South meets the sea

Southern Living, Spring 2003 by Lingo, Karen

Just a few miles away as the gull flies, the other beaches of Brunswick County also march to a silent beat. The popularity of golf has spread over from South Carolina's Grand Strand, which lies just to the south. But sun and seafood still take top billing. For as long as anyone here can remember, the tiny village of Calabash has been known for the restaurants that serve fresh seafood fried to a golden luster.

Quieter still is St. George Island on Florida's Gulf Coast. Largely uninhabited until a causeway connected it to the mainland in 1965, the island holds a handful of restaurants and stores, realty offices for vacation rentals, and some 2,000 acres set aside as a state park. Its miles of uncrowded beaches afford visitors plenty of elbowroom.

Coastal Communities

In 1981, a totally new concept in beach communities appeared on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Seaside, a walkable coastal town with brick-paved streets and sandy pathways that lead to the beach, captured the imaginations of beach lovers everywhere. It has been the inspiration for other nearby cottage communities such as Rosemary Beach, Carillon Beach, Water-- sound Beach and WaterColor Inn.

Hundreds of gated residential neighborhoods dot the coastal landscape, some on the water and others just a short walk or drive away. Some of the older ones include Sea Trail Plantation in North Carolina, Sandestin Real Estate in Florida, and Seabrook Island Realty in South Carolina. Equipped with golf courses, marinas, and oftentimes fitness centers and restaurants, these enclaves are designed to satisfy our every little wish and need.

Aah, the joys of the beach. They just keep getting better.

KAREN LINGO

For more information contact these state tourism offices.

* Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, 1-800-252-2262 or www. touralabama.org.

* Delaware Tourism Office, 1-800-441-8846 or www.visit delaware.net.

* Visit Florida, 1-888-735-2872 or www.flausa.com.

* Georgia Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, 1-800847-4842 or www.georgia.org.

* Maryland Tourism, 1-800-5431036 or www.mdisfun.org.

* Mississippi Division Authority Development, 1-800-927-6378 or www.visitmississippi.org.

* North Carolina Division of Travel and Tourism, 1-800-8474862 or www.visitnc.com.

* South Carolina Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, 1-888-7276453 or www.travelsc.com.

* Virginia Tourism Corp., 1-800932-5827 or www.virginia.org.