My husband, elderly father, and two teenage sons and I just returned from Topsail Island. What a treat. Beautiful beaches, not overcrowded. We stayed in the Topsail Dunes condo in North Topsail Beach through Treasure Realty. It was nice and clean, fit our family well. We had a balcony overlooking the ocean. Shopping is in Sneads Ferry just over the bridge or in neighboring Surf City on the island. There is also some shops in Topsail Beach which is the south end of the island. Although it does not have tons of "stuff" to do, we kept quite busy the week we were there. Did a lot of boogie boarding, shell hunting (you can also find fossilized sharks teeth), and just plain enjoying the beach and pool. We went into Wilmington (about an hour away) and toured the Battleship North Carolina. Loved it. There is mini golf, the Missile Museum (small but interesting - and free, they accept donations), and the Sea Turtle Hospital. Also in Wilmington is the NC Aquarium, we didn't get time to stop there. I know there are more activities in Wilmington. We did go down to Southport via the Southport Ferry and chartered a sail boat. Had a dolphin swimming right alongside the boat. There are restaurants both on and off the island. I highly recommend the Green Turtle Restaurant in Sneads Ferry. Casual, family friendly, great service, GREAT seafood. The she-crab soup is to die for! For those who want to relax and enjoy the warm ocean, and not deal with crowds, this is the place to go!

If you need a place to go and just enjoy doing nothing but laying on the white sand, taking long walks on the beach, golden sunrises and breathtaking sunsets Topsail Island is the place for you. I spent 7 days and 6 nights in a beach house rental (through Treasure Realty) it was everything they said it would be and more.There is no way to explain the beauty of this place... the water is so clear you can see the shells on the bottom. We went in the off season(April 28- May 5) and could walk for hours on the beach and only see a few people. We found all sorts of Shark teeth and sea shells. We seen crabs, dolphins, sea urchins, jelly fish,star fish, live conchs in their shell as well as beautiful conch shells to take home.While we were walking the pier one morning an old fisherman waved us over to help him... he caught a sand shark and needed help getting him in... it was a cool experience. We got to help reel him in and touch him take pictures and then release him. Everyone we interacted with was very friendly and made us feel like we were welcome. I can not wait to come back next year!! I found a paradise that is magical as well as affordable.

I went to Topsail Island in summer 04 and I have been dreaming about going back ever since! I stayed at the newly renovated portion of Tiffany's Motel. It was excellent, but I believe they are undergoing several new renovations right now in an attempt to convert to a condotel (so I'm not sure of the current condition). The beach was beautiful and quiet. It's the perfect place for people who want to experience a truly relaxing, quiet vacation. We had to drive about 30-45 minutes to go shopping at nearby cities, but we did not mind making that one of our day trips. I chose to go there for my senior trip because I knew it was safe, clean and quiet. If you have small children this may not be the place for you. There aren't any of the water parks and things that are at commercial beaches, but it is still amzing!!

We just returned from North Topsail Beach area and the beach was clean, the water clear, and we had our own piece of heaven as no one was running over us or our towels, no loud boom boxes or screaming children.
Here are other highlights:
Surf City:
Massage therapy using a variety of techniques in one session, go to "A Beautiful New You"--it is amazing how good you'll feel.

Island Trading Company is a very classy store that sells everything from quality clothing, cookbooks, wine glasses, cards, jewelry, and the best fudge on the island.

Long Island Pizza--the best pizza we had!

Daddy Mac's--great atmosphere, delicious food, good music--perfect!

Crabby Mike's--we have a crabby Mike so it was fun and the food was good, too!

Snead's Ferry:
New York Bagel Co has delicious bagel sandwiches and potato salad!

Shark Attack is fun--stand in the shark's mouth--it makes a great picture and is a nice gift store, too.

Topsail Beach:
Breezeway--good seafood but get there early if you want crab legs--they ran out at 6:30! The water and iced tea had a funny taste so order something else.

Quarter Moon: Books, gifts, coffee drinks, and the only public internet connection we found!

Sea Turtle Hospital--we couldn't get in as the line was half way down the block. With very limited hours and days, it's hard to schedule it.

North Wilmington/Hampstead:
Kiva Mexican Grill--fabulous food, live music, and a trendy atmosphere.

Jacksonville:
A mall and movie theaters and the best I-Hop I've ever eaten at and the waitress was excellent.