One Of North Carolina's Most Magical Places Is A Mysterious Touristy Beach Mailbox Holding Decades Of Stories

Next to where North Carolina borders South Carolina on the coast, the Brunswick Islands are a peaceful beach destination known for their relaxed shores and charming seaside communities. Among its five islands, there's the pretty, car-less paradise of Bald Head Island and Holden Beach's web of serene bike paths. At the southernmost of these islands is Sunset Beach, with a small town and a distinctive fishing pier. About half of the island is taken up by the Bird Island Coastal Reserve, a protected area of salt marshes and creeks with flourishing wildlife. Cross along the shore of the reserve, and you'll eventually reach a curious mailbox standing in a dune-filled area devoid of any houses, known as the Kindred Spirit Mailbox.

The mailbox was first set up in the 1970s by former sweethearts Frank Nesmith and Claudia Sailor. The story goes that Sailor had a dream about a mailbox on the beach, so she made it a reality. The box was later moved to its present spot on Bird Island, which requires a small pilgrimage to get to. Inside, the mailbox has notebooks where visitors can share thoughts, dreams, or stories. For decades, Sailor herself would visit the mailbox, replace notebooks when they ran out of space, and keep the filled notebooks in her home. After Sailor died in 2013, the Kindred Spirit Mailbox has continued to be maintained by volunteers, and some notebooks are archived at the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Randall Library.

Given the Kindred Spirit Mailbox's location set apart from civilization, it takes a bit of sleuthing to find, though there are some indicators in place to help guide you. First, you can get to the Sunset Beach seashore, which is about an hour's drive from the Myrtle Beach International Airport. There's parking available by the beach for a fee, but it's free outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you're starting from the fishing pier, it's a little over two miles to reach the mailbox, and you have the option of walking or biking there. You could also start at the 40th Street beach access point, from which it's about one mile. Stick close to the shore, and eventually, you'll see mailbox sitting patiently in the dunes. There are also small benches next to it — grab a notebook, take a seat, and let your thoughts flow.

It's worth taking some time to explore around Sunset Beach's cozy oceanfront town, which is also one of America's best retirement destinations. The Bird Island Reserve is open for visitors all year, with finely granulated sand dunes, salt marshes, and a beach area that's a nesting area for sea turtles and shorebirds. Sunset Beach has multiple important stops on the North Carolina Birding Trail, so you might want to bring some binoculars. Afterward, grab some lunch at Fibber McGee's, highly rated on Tripadvisor, with an array of beers and bar food in an Irish pub setting.