North Carolina: Oak Island

Have you ever heard of the phrase "snow bird?"
Winter is going to be on it's way sooner than we think, and every winter a lot of people across the USA become snow birds!

A "snow bird" is someone who lives in a primarily cold climate, and they come to a warm place during the winter months. In the US, people from northern regions like the Northeast and Midwest go to the South or West during the winter.

One place some snow birds like to go to is the southern part of North Carolina.
It's not as popular as Florida or California, but it's still very hot and humid!

One place to go is called Oak Island, along with a city named Southport.
It's the red mark on this map!

It's in the south of the US and by the ocean, so it's extremely humid here!

Oak Island is an island, and it looks like a very long strip of land. It's about 12 miles long and only 1 mile wide!

Many animals make their home here, including birds, snakes, and alligators.
The beach is always crowded during sunny days like the one above!

Many colorful houses line the beachfront. Most are rentals for vacationers and some snow birds.
They're much cheaper than houses in more popular areas like Florida!

In the nearby town of Southport, there's one shop you might not expect to see in a place like this.
It's a shop entirely dedicated to Christmas! Inside there's all sorts of unique ornaments, Santa statues, and Christmas trees.

The outside looks like it's from a picture book!

I really like the candy canes by the windows, haha.

Have you ever eaten alligator? You can here!
In this part of the US, alligator can be found in a lot of restaurants since they're such a common animal!
You can even find warning signs near bodies of water since they might be resting beneath the surface.