The Mailbox

There are, in the Carolinas, hidden gems tucked away in a forest, a glen, along the shoreline. They are places off the proverbial beaten path, but they're worth the visit. In South Carolina: Cape Romain and Bulls Island; Cypress Gardens; the Chattooga. In North Carolina: Pearson Falls; places deep in the, for me, too rugged Linville Gorge. Lake Mattamuskeet.

With such treasures, it is no wonder authors including Nicholas Sparks, Dorthea Benton Frank, Mary Alice Monroe and Patti Callihan Henry set their stories among the cypress trees, brackish marshes, or along sleepy Lowcountry shores.

The latest Carolina tale is given to us by author, MaryBeth Whalen. In The Mailbox, Ms Whalen doesn't just deliver a journey involving "loss, hope, and the beauty of second chances", she gives readers a glimpse of one of North Carolina's hidden gems, and a little known landmark: Sunset Beach and the Kindred Spirits mailbox on Bird Island.

Despite all our travels, all our attempts to explore the Carolinas, we had no idea Sunset Beach existed. Shortly after moving to eastern North Carolina, a member of my hiking group recommended Bird Island, but we thought it near Hammock Beach near Emerald Isle, in Carteret County's Crystal Coast. My perception was gratefully corrected when I learned about Ms. Whalen's novel.

Look at a map. Find Myrtle Beach in the northeast corner of South Carolina. Follow Highway 17 northward, and when you reach Calabash, just over the North Carolina border, train your eyes to the east. If you're using Google or Bing maps, zoom in to the area. Along the curve of the shore you'll see Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle, Holden Beach. A chain known as the South Brunswick Islands.

The southern island is Sunset Beach. This is the place Ms. Whalen sent her character, Lindsey Adams, home to. As we did during our recent visit, Lindsey would have driven across a bumpy one-lane wooden bridge to an island just three miles long. It is a quiet place. A place devoid of commercialism. An isolated refuge with cute, pastel beach houses tucked among wax myrtle dunes and pink oleanders, and tidy streets.

But, like us, Lindsey Adams had another goal in mind: Bird Island, a coastal reserve. Once an island itself, but now connected to Sunset Beach by a long stretch of pristine beach.

Sunset over Bird Island, seen in the distance

From our visit, I know Ms. Whalen's Lindsey would have meandered across long boardwalks that rise and fall with the dune. At the beach, she would have found families and couples laughing, swimming, building sand castles. But she would have turned right, and walked across the sand toward Bird Island, passing plovers and pelicans, and those with a strong desire for a brief moment of unhampered existence.

Sunset Beach from Bird Island Coastal Reserve

And as with us, Lindsey searched for the Kindred Spirit mailbox. Literally, a mailbox stuck in the dunes. Here, people write notes and leave them inside, where only those resilient, or determined enough to brave the trek will find them. In The Mailbox, Lindsey Adams veers off the beach and to the mailbox, where she pours her heart, her love, and her life as she tries to make sense of her world, battered like the surrounding shore.

To put this into perspective, though we walked at least a mile down the beach, bordered on one side by sand and the other, the ocean, we never found the mailbox.

I was more than intrigued, so I asked Ms. Whalen a few questions.

An Interview with MaryBeth Whalen

Why did you choose to focus your story on the Kindred Spirits mailbox. Was it based on an event in your life?

I have always been drawn to the mailbox--there is such a sense of mystery and folklore surrounding it. As one of the characters in the book says, it's a place where God hears you better.

When did you decide to write the story?

A few years ago I got the idea to wrap a love story around the mailbox. Once I had the concept I couldn't let it go. I kept writing and writing. I never thought I could finish a whole novel, but this one gripped me enough that I did.

What do you want your readers to take away from the story?

Lindsey's journey to find the love her heart longs for. As she is disappointed by love with men, she discovers that the love of God will never disappoint her and that she can trust Him. I want readers to take away the idea that God loves us, He never stops pursuing us, and He loves to throw us little surprise parties in life-- if we are willing to risk and trust Him with the results. 

The Mailbox is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Christianbooks.com.

Centered on a real landmark on the coast of North Carolina, The Mailbox blends intriguing folklore and true faith with raw contemporary issues that affect every woman. When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, North Carolina, she has no idea that twenty years later she will still be visiting the mailbox—still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize the best and worst parts of her life.

Returning to Sunset for her first vacation since her husband left her, Lindsey struggles to put her sorrow into words. Memories surface of her first love, Campbell—and the rejection that followed. When Campbell reappears in her life, Lindsey must decide whether to trust in love again or guard herself from greater pain. The Mailbox is a rich novel about loss, hope, and the beauty of second chances.

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Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or distribute without written permission.

Mailbox and book cover photo courtesy of MaryBeth Whalen

Nothing of value was exchanged for this promotion. As with all our visits, we pay for all travel expenses, and promote each destination out of affection for the Carolinas.

A Week on the Bogue: NC Aquarium

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the NC Aquarium has three locations along the North Carolina coast. One at Fort Fisher, one on Roanoke Island, and one in the middle of Bogue Banks, on Pine Knoll Shores. While the aquarium at Fort Fisher features life along the Cape Fear, the Pine Knolls location covers North Carolina from the mountains to the sea.

We'd purchased an annual membership during our Fort Fisher excursion, so during our recent visit to Bogue Banks, we popped in the Pine Knolls location for a quick visit. A waterfall in the mountain exhibit greeted us at the entrance.

From there, we explored the coast, the Tidal Waters, and the Ocean.

And somehow missed the Piedmont. How does anyone miss the North Carolina Piedmont!

Highlights at the Pine Knolls aquarium include playful otters and a Loggerhead turtle nursery, and, as I'd been told on numerous occasions before our visit, the shipwreck tank. It was pretty neat.

Loggerhead swimming with the fish:

And a shark:

Through our own fault, we had been expecting a larger facility, but as we quickly learned, the NC Aquarium at Pine Knolls Shores is a great stop for those visiting Bogue Banks. For more information, including price of admission, go to www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores.

A Week on the Bogue: Atlantic Beach

Along the southern edge of Croatan National Forest, south of Highway 24 and the blue waters of Bogue Sound lies Bogue Banks. Like the Outer Banks, this sliver of land is long and thin. So thin at points, stretch your arms and you feel as if you could touch water with both hands.

A slight exaggeration, but you get the point. We visited Bogue Banks in the fall of 2008 in an adventure that took us from Emerald Isle to Fort Macon. You can read about that visit in my Bogue Banks post.

Because there is so much to do on the island, we marked it for a return visit. I did that twice last week, once with my husband, and again when I had the privilege of attending a week-long writers retreat with four amazing Carolina authors. There's much to talk about, so I'll break it into separate posts.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach lies on the eastern section of Bogue Banks, near Fort Macon and across from Morehead City. After crossing the Atlantic Beach Bridge, we continued straight, and parked in a sand-gravel parking lot. From there, we meandered around the boardwalk, checking out the beach shops, restaurants and concession stands. Beach goers lay in the sand or bobbed in the chilly surf, while several men constructed a volleyball net. Given the presence of three other nets, we assumed they were either preparing for the weekend or a volleyball tournament.

But we weren't there to sunbath or play volleyball, so we continued eastward until we reached the Oceanana Fishing Pier, visible on Google Maps at 34.697362,-76.726886.

Located behind the Oceanana Family Resort Motel, the pier stretches over the beach and into the Atlantic Ocean. From the looks of it, a favorite spot for those who enjoy fishing. Because we were taking a quick stroll, the manager allowed us to walk on the pier without charge. It wasn't clear if this is the norm, so be prepared to pay a fee.

Fisherman lounging on wooden benches lined the slat railing on both sides of the pier, and a few pulled up their catches during our visit. One prize didn't seem to appreciate the disturbance, or facing the paparazzi so soon after his capture.

After swimming with sting rays on Cayman Island, I have a better appreciation for those creatures. I'm glad the man who caught this one released it shortly after I took this photo.

Note: if you're afraid of heights, the Oceanana Pier may not be the place for you. The boards are spaced enough to get a good look below, and are also weathered. Many have been replaced, and it appears a few will soon be. The railing on both sides aren't as sturdy as some I've seen, and while my husband didn't have a problem walking the planks, I did, so beware.

Several people have said they used to hang around Atlantic Beach during their teen years. From what we saw during our visit, with its beach, restaurants, piers, and close proximity to Fort Macon, the NC Aquarium, Morehead City and Beaufort, this NC attraction still holds its allure.

Next stop: the NC Aquarium on Pine Knoll Shores.

A Note from Bogue Banks

As you can see, I'm running late on postings. Last week, I was preparing for a writers retreat on Bogue Banks, which I am now attending. As I write this, the soft shush of waves is filtering in from an open window. I'm on the fifth floor of a condo, and from the living room, I have a wonderful view of the pool, beach and watery horizon. Out the front door, the maritime forest developers wisely ignored stretches to the north and south along the road.

The quiet is broken only by the cry of seagulls, and, around 2:00 AM last night, a siren blasting from the hotel across the road along with an announcement that an emergency had been reported and stay tuned for further instructions! To back up that claim, strobe lights flashed along the facade, and the blinking lights of a dozen police cars and fire trucks flooded the ground around the first floor. I'll pass along info on that as it becomes available.

I'll post info and pictures next week, along with photos of the NC Aquarium on Pine Knoll Shores, just up the road from where I'm staying. Until then, have a great week, and enjoy whatever spot the Carolina roads take you!

Kimberli