Looking across the inlet to Hammocks Beach State Park

I cannot remember who told me, "If you like a place in the rain, you'll love it in the sunshine." Before we decided on the Crystal Coast, we visited it summer, fall, almost winter, early March, and several times through late spring and summer. We came when the streets were crowded and when they were empty.

We've found the dining spots of the locals, and we started reading the newspapers. It's the only way to figure out if you can be part of a community and thrive.

We're going to be spending time in a coast area which is packed with people in the summer, so it was important to us to find out what services were available in the winter. We actually rejected Ocracoke Island because of its remoteness and the fact that there is only one restaurant that stays open all year.

While some people might seek isolation and even enjoy it. We've done our stint of being in the Canadian wilderness. We enjoy the daily company of people and would greatly miss being able to pick and choose among a number of restaurants for our occasional meals outside the home.

Other things like hardware stores, doctors, dentists, and grocery stories are also important. What you're used to in an urban area might not be available in a more rural area. So far in checking the Swansboro area, the only thing we seem to be missing is a good health foods store. We'll likely find one somewhere between Beaufort and Wilmington.