Oak Island

I am a native Californian. 6 generations in fact. I loved the beach here way more than any I’ve been to in CA.

My best friend and her family rented a beach house when I went to visit w/ my kids. Sooooo relaxing. Little town but so cool.

Amazing at night. Lots of stars to be seen. Feels like you are very far away from civilization. We visited Mother’s Day weekend of 2004 and it was completely “un-busy” except for locals. There are only 2 restaurants here within a decent distance though, so be warned!
I hear it gets really crowded in summer, but if you can go on the off-season, I highly recommend it.
The lighthouse is on a military base and fenced off, so it is really not worth the visit if you are expecting to get up-close to it. Also, take the ferry to Ft. Fisher for shopping and sight-seeing there as well!