I know the old Scotch Bonnet Pier came down after one of the hurricanes, but I was wondering exactly where did it used to be? Did a condo or something take it%26#39;s place?
I used to go to Surf City every summer when I was growing up. I haven%26#39;t been there in about twenty years and I%26#39;d to take a little walk down memory lane.
What was the name of the street where the Scotch Bonnet was located and where was it in relationship to what%26#39;s near that spot now?
Thanks for your help!
Sentimental Gal
The Scotch Bonnet Pier?
I forgot to say that I%26#39;m visiting Surf City in July for a week and I%26#39;d really like to know about the Scotch Bonnet. The cottage we stayed in every year was about a block or two away from the pier and I want to be sure to go by that area, even though I know it will have changed drastically.
BookishGal (I wanted to be Sentimental Gal, but it was already taken.) :)
The Scotch Bonnet Pier?
Bookish,Prepare to be shocked when you see Topsail after a twenty year absense.I love the Scotch Bonnet Pier I used to surf and fish and hang around there all day in my younger daze!I think there still might be a piling sticking out of the water is all that remains of it,I stayed right across the street from it when Hurricane Fran destroyed it and was out the next morning at daylite to get a look at it and it was a mess.Topsail Island has never been the same since Hurricane Fran came along.Barnacle Bills,Paradise Pier ,Dolphin Pier,Ocean City Pier,Sound Pier all gone but not forgotten.
A landmark that you can use is The Brass Pelican. The site where the Scotch Bonnet was is located to the left of that bar. The area has been rezoned residential and there is a huge house or two built on the land where the Scotch Bonnet used to be.
By the way, I used to work at the Scotch Bonnet before the hurricanes destroyed it and most of the others.
Hurricanes have changed the landscapes all over, and it is so sad! My daughter was married in June 2005 on Emerald Isle. The cottage we rented was destroyed by a hurricane that Sept. and when we went back the next summer a huge four story cottage was being erected in its place. Then we went to visit the caterer/bakery that catered her reception and baked her wedding cake; they were nowhere to be found. Then the place that she and her new husband had a honeymoon dinner at was also out of business and the resort where they honeymooned was gone as well. She was beginning to think that her marriage was jinxed. Luckily, the photography was still alive and well living on the island. LOL!
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I should be able to find the spot and I%26#39;ll know now what to expect. Surf City was so peaceful and quiet back then and it%26#39;s a shame that it%26#39;s not like that anymore, but I%26#39;ll still enjoy my visit, I%26#39;m sure.
I%26#39;ve returned from my vacation at Surf City and I found the spot where the Scotch Bonnet used to be. I also found the street where my aunt%26#39;s cottage used to be (Sixth Street.)
Topsaid Island has definitely changed a lot since I was there over twenty years ago. I have been going to Emerald Isle for years now, but I can tell I%26#39;ll mostly be going to Topsail Island from now on. Even though it%26#39;s more commercialized now, the beach is still way less crowded and the water is much prettier than it is at Emerald Isle.
As a matter of, my sister, my niece, her friend, and I went to Surf City today (just to spend the day.) It was a beautiful day but unfortunately we all got fried (too little sunscreen applied too late.) :)
Glad you enjoyed your return trip. The Scotch Bonnet was my family%26#39;s favorite fishing pier. I think my uncle lived on the pier(LOL).........
This Island has never been the same since the Piers were destroyed.It was a lifestlye for most of us and a home away from home for Visitors.I hate to keep reminicing about the Good Ole Days but every time I ride by my old haunts it make me a little sad to see what my Beach has turned into now.
We always visit the pier in N. Topsail. We can grab a lunch, a simple, no fuss lunch, and then for $1 you can walk out on the pier. We usually see all types of people fishing, from locals to vacationers. I like to see the different types of fish caught.
In Surf City we like to people watch at that pier. The surfers and wanna be surfers alike.
Down to Topsails pier, I have never been on it, maybe this year!!
Gonna take another sad trip down memory lane this weekend myself. I spent my summers growing up, going down to stay with my Grandmother Myrtle Neely on 9th Ave. She lived there by herself until she was almost 100 yrs old. When her son ';Red'; Neely built our original place down there on 9th Ave, it was one of the few cottages on the island there. After Hazel came through, it lost it%26#39;s roof but was one of the only ones within miles that wasn%26#39;t swept off into the sound. When they put the highway in, it was almost on top of us so they gave us a lot across the HWY and he built our new place on the corner of 9th and the new hwy. It was much nicer and up on stilts. It survived Fran (although my home here in Fuquay Varina was destoyed!), but unfortunately it did not survive my father%26#39;s divorce. Sadly the house was sold and now it%26#39;s very hard to even drive by there. Our friends, the Gradys and Wallaces still have their places down there on 9th though so maybe I%26#39;ll see them this weekend. But we%26#39;ll be staying in a tent at Surf City Family Campground instead of a house... :-(
I will surely miss my old haunts on all the piers as well.
On a more positive note though, Topsail Island is still the best place to go to the beach if you really want to enjoy the beach. It%26#39;s not a tourist trap like all the others, but still has that old family atmosphere, along with some of the best fishing. I have also never found sharks teeth like the literal thousands of them I picked up there as a child...ANYWHERE else. Topsail will always be the best in my book.
Shannon
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