When I was a little girl, we moved around a few times, mostly due to job layoffs mom and dad experienced at various points and new job opportunities elsewhere. For a few years of my preteen life, we lived about a 40-minute drive from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
Needless to say, when summertime hit, we'd take drives to the beach, where mom would slather us in sunscreen. I'd use my beach bucket to try and make sand castles, would splash around in the water under the watchful eyes of my sisters, and come home with white blonde hair and a suntan.
Something else I took with me was the memories, which came in handy when we picked up from that part of the state and moved to my dad's home city of Charlotte, again for job opportunities, considering they were more abundant in big cities than in the small towns in which we had typically lived.
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After we made it to Charlotte and got settled in, the trips back to the beach were few and far in between until I was old enough to travel there myself, always with friends, of course, because a trip alone would not have been wise and also would have worried mom and dad too much.
Sometime in the early 2000s, the family beach trips started back up, but on these, it would just be mom, dad, and me. The destination was also different: not Wrightsville Beach but Oak Island, on the recommendation of some family friends.
Oak Island is not that far from Southport, so inevitably, when we'd visit Oak Island, we'd travel to Southport as well. The three of us fell in love with it at first sight. Though it was also touristy, it was quieter there, having shorter piers that jutted into the Intracoastal Waterway and with quaint shops, historical homes, and old-fashioned-looking B&Bs within walking distance to the water.
The last two times we went there, we stayed at the Riverside Motel, where, if I recall correctly, every room has a view of the water. Even though the wifi and cell signal service weren't so great, we liked staying there because we felt like it gave us the best of both worlds: waterfront views along with the beach smells and breezes without the hustle and bustle of staying at one of the more popular beach destinations.
The motel is a hop, skip, and a jump away from the American Fish Company, a waterside bar that people frequent for mixed drinks, good times, and live music, and which has a fascinating history:
Old American Fish was originally one of the busiest fish depots on the North Carolina coastline, and was originally known as the “Old American Fish Company” during its 1920s and 1930s heyday. Occupied by Fraizer’s Railroad, the site was used to load and carry fish from the incoming commercial vessels, and then distribute the local goods to destinations all along the East Coast. The building received a facelift in 2009, with efforts made to preserve its original look and feel, and today the site is one of only three structures in North Carolina that is located completely over the ICW. Today’s patrons can enjoy a drink on the exterior deck or the shaded interior with plenty of bar seating, and soak up the local history, the incredible on-the-water background, and the friendly laid-back hospitality that Southport is famous for.
Sadly, it was also the scene of a mass shooting Saturday night, where three people were murdered and five more were injured.
As the authorities work to learn more about the suspect and his possible motivations, I can't help but think of the victims, their families, the community that is beloved by so many here, and what they must be going through.
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I have three pieces of artwork that I bought during our trips to Southport. All of them hang on my home office wall, a bittersweet reminder of when Dad was still with us, and how he always looked forward to eating at the small hot dog establishment near the water that had a map that people would put pins in to mark from where they traveled to get there.
One of three art pieces I bought several years ago during one of our many visits to Southport. It's of the American Fish Company, which used to be called "Old American Fish." Continuing to pray for the victims, the families, and the community. 💔🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/iY96yG7NDw
— Sister Toldjah 💙 (@sistertoldjah) September 28, 2025
That hot dog shop is no longer there, having closed up in recent years. Also now missing from Southport are three beautiful souls, and the sense of peace and security, which has been shattered by a senseless act of violence, a town forever changed.
