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Coastal Compass

Trip ideas, tips, and a few favorites from the coast.

Plan your visit with Coastal Compass — guides to Wilmington, day trip ideas, themed weekend write-ups, and family camping how-tos.

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COASTAL NC ADVENTURES

10 Wilmington-area adventures worth a day trip from camp

From Wrightsville Beach at sunrise to the Battleship at golden hour — ten trips inside a half tank of gas.

The Island Creek Team · June 10, 2026 · 7 min read
FAMILY CAMPING TIPS

First-time family camping: everything to pack (and what you don't need)

A packing list for families who've never tent-camped or RV-camped before. The essentials, the surprisingly skippable, and the must-pack-anyway-because-kids items.

The Island Creek Team · June 8, 2026 · 6 min read
CAMPING 101

Setting up your RV at Island Creek: a step-by-step guide

From the moment you pull through the gate to slide-outs deployed and beverage in hand — here's how check-in and setup will work.

The Island Creek Team · June 6, 2026 · 5 min read
COASTAL NC ADVENTURES

Halloween in Wilmington: a family weekend itinerary

Spookywalks downtown, pumpkin patches around Pender County, and the costume contest at camp. Plan the whole weekend.

The Island Creek Team · June 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Meet the writers

Doug + the Island Creek team.

Doug Grant writes the series — monthly construction updates, decisions, and lessons learned from picking up shovels and drawing site plans. The Island Creek team handles trip guides, family-camping tips, and the local-eats series.

Meet Doug →

Doug Grant

Owner & Builder

The Island Creek Team

Tips, guides, stories