Thursday
Arrival day☀️ Mostly sunny · 91° / 76°
9:36 AM
🛫 Wheels up from LGA
11:39 AM
🛬 Land ILM, grab the car
~12:30 PM · Lunch
🦐 Sears Landing, Surf City
Waterfront on the ICW, right at the foot of the bridge
~1:45 PM
🛒 The Big Shop — Publix, Arboretum at Surf City
2765 NC-210, five minutes back up the road from lunch. Divide and conquer. Kids can lobby for the beach.
~2:45 PM
🧳 Arrive at the house — claim beds!
Afternoon
🏖️ First swim
Kids burn off the travel
Dinner
🦞🥩 Surf & turf on the grill
Ribeyes, shrimp skewers, corn, big salad
Evening
🍹 Sunset & drinks on the porch
Friday
Beach early!⛈️ PM thunderstorms · 91° / 75° — storms come later, so does the heat
Breakfast
🥯 Bagels & lox, self-serve
Nobody cooks. Gallons of coffee.
Morning
🏖️ Beach — get it in early
~12:00 PM · Lunch
🐟 Lewis Seafood fish truck
822 Carolina Blvd — everyone back together
Afternoon · Plan A ☀️
🚀 Missiles & More Museum → putt putt → stores → ice cream
Museum shuts at 2 PM — go there first
Afternoon · Plan B ⛈️
🃏 Cards, naps & quiet time at the house
5:15 PM · Dinner
🍽️ Beach Shop & Grill — booked for 10
Leave the house by 5:00. Dining Room table, so storms are fine — bring umbrellas for the walk in. Free cancellation until Thu 5:15 PM, then $15 + tax per guest.
Evening
🃏 Kids down, cards & a nightcap
Saturday
The big day☀️ Mostly sunny · 90° / 74°
Breakfast
🍳 Guy's shakshuka
Morning
⛳ Dads: 9 holes, tee off ~10:00
Back by ~12:30
Morning
🏖️ Moms & kids: beach
~1:00 PM · Lunch
🌮 Shaka Taco, Surf City
107 N Shore Dr — ten minutes up the island
2:00 PM sharp
🐢 Turtle Sanctuary Tour
Tickets purchased! Must be there before 2.
Afternoon
🍺 Salty Turtle Beer Co. → Roland Ave shops
Dinner
🍝 Guy's vodka pasta
Salad & garlic bread alongside
~7:30 PM
⛸️ Topsail Beach Skating Rink
714 S Anderson Blvd — five minutes away
Late
🔥 Cocktails & stargazing
Last quarter moon — properly dark skies ✨
Sunday
One last swim🌤️ Partly cloudy · 89° / 72°
Breakfast
🥞 Pancakes & bacon
Morning
🏖️ Beach — a proper last morning
~1:00 PM · Lunch
🥙 Big mezze platter
No cooking, one board, clears the fridge
~2:00 PM
🧹 Rinse, pack, load, strip beds, bins out
3:00 PM
🚗 Leave Topsail
4:00 PM
🛄 At ILM (car dropped 3:45)
5:40 PM
🛫 DL 5212 to LGA
7:30 PM
🏙️ Home, sandy and happy
☀️ The weather picture
Thu
☀️
91°/76°
~20% rain
Fri
⛈️
91°/75°
~40% PM storms
Sat
☀️
90°/74°
~17% rain
Sun
🌤️
89°/72°
~24% rain
🥵 It's going to be hot — low 90s with full coastal humidity. Beach early and late, shade midday, keep the water coming.
⛈️ Friday's storms are afternoon/evening, not a washout — the morning beach plan stands.
🌊 No tropical worries. TS Dolly is far out in the Atlantic and forecast to fall apart. Nothing on the NC coast.
🌅 Sunset ~7:30 PM · 🌒 Last quarter moon Friday — Saturday stargazing will be great.
⛈️ Friday's storms are afternoon/evening, not a washout — the morning beach plan stands.
🌊 No tropical worries. TS Dolly is far out in the Atlantic and forecast to fall apart. Nothing on the NC coast.
🌅 Sunset ~7:30 PM · 🌒 Last quarter moon Friday — Saturday stargazing will be great.