You don't need a big bank account for solid saltwater action about 25 percent of all Atlantic piers stud the North Carolina coast. Whether you dream of bluefish, flounder or drum, the North Carolina coast presents a strong lure for anglers of every stripe. Each year, they line the piers (sometimes elbow to elbow) to battle with aggressive stripers or pyrotechnic tarpon in the waters below. Deep sea fishing in the Gulf Stream is an event you should not miss. Calabash and the surrounding areas have many day, half day and night deep sea fishing charters.

If you are from the South, and you do swing dance, you do the Carolina Shag. It is THE swing dance of the south. Moreover, Shag is imbibed with a certain mystique. As one old-timer describes it, "Shag is a warm night with a cold beer and a hot date." Even without the beer, Shag carries with it the nostalgia of cool wind and ocean waves on a warm summer's night, hand in hand with someone you like a lot. Originating in the late '30s on the shores of Myrtle Beach, Shag has gained such a following that it is now the Official State Dance of South Carolina. There are more Shag Clubs in 4 states in the South than there are any other one type of swing dance club in the world. The roots of shag can be found with club dancers in Myrtle Beach with the natural openness of a fun-loving and carefree group of '40s teenagers. The racially myopic mainstream radio stations of the '40s South did not play shag music so, the kids had flock to the beaches to hear it on jukeboxes.