The Beach Hike has its own set of gifts and challenges that are quite different from the mountain forest hike:
1. No bears along the beach, no sharks in the forest. (Well, none of either at either place 99 percent of the time.)
2. Chiggers in the woods, land-breeze-delivered gnats at the beach.
3. Wet feet at the beach usually on purpose; not so much in the woods.
4. Day Hiker pauses briefly for wildflowers in the woods; much more often and for longer times for shells on the beach, resulting in . . .
5. Hiker waits for hiker in the woods; hiker waits for Hiker on the beach.
Blockade Runner Hotel in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. south on the beach to end of spit and back x 2. About 5 miles.
How to get there: Go to the beach!