Feliz Febrero Rocky Point. Hopefully, everyone is enjoying their ability to travel freely once again without the need for extra travel time from certain parts of the States in their efforts to get back to their favorite beach😊! But, as I have seen Mary Snyder and others post on social media, this too shall pass, and it DID! I am happy to see and hear about the visitors coming back as well as the owner’s being able to come via our quicker route through Lukeville. I saw and read about so many people becoming active and meeting with both the U.S. and Mexican authorities to try and resolve the border closing ASAP. Thank you to everyone who assisted with the reopening as anyone who rents a condo, is a restauranteur, owns a bar, has boat tours…basically anyone and everyone relying on tourism is very grateful as it is so many people’s livelihood in Peñasco. It was cool to see Scott Poturalski in the news a few times as he spoke on behalf of all of us…and he was actually featured in The Rocky Point Times just a couple of months ago…maybe it was all “in the cards” for Scotty Pea!

Well, the new year is upon us, and I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season. My sister Vickie and my brother-in-law, Eduardo treated my family, parents and relatives to their beach home the week prior to Christmas in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. It was such a beautiful place, I flew back a second time a few days later and spent another week enjoying the beach, New Year’s and even more holiday parties in North Carolina. Like I have done previously on travels, I thought it would be cool to compare Rocky Point and our town and beaches with those at Wrightsville Beach.

Ease of Travel- Well, I would have said that Rocky Point would have been the clear winner, but we had a little hiccup in town from December 4th to January 4th with the border! If you are planning your trip from the U.S., if you schedule your timing right…leaving on a Thursday rather than a Friday to enter Mexico…entering the U.S. not on a Sunday or a holiday…you can usually make it in less than 4 hours from the Phoenix/Tucson areas and even the San Diego area. Wrightsville Beach was only a 4 hour flight into Wilmington and then a short 12 minute Lyft ride and you’re at the beach…not bad considering it is way easier to sleep on a plane than while driving. Once in Wrightsville, you really don’t need a car. You can walk to so many restaurants, shops, bars and of course the beach so that was a huge plus for me. Driving and dealing (cards) are not my favorites…eh, Tomas? However, by driving to Rocky Point, you then have your car and can cruise around wherever you like. You can also leave when you want to leave. And if you’re having a great time, extend your stay! Want to leave a little earlier than what you planned, go ahead…you don’t need to call an airline and deal with the headache. So, depending on what you like to do, chill at the beach and walk to restaurants and bars or drive all over town to do various things, I am going to rule this one a TIE!

Bars/Restaurants- Wrightsville Beach has some really cool bars like Shark Bar, The Palm Room, Jimmy’s and Red Dog and some wonderful restaurants like the Oceanic, The Blueberry Grill, Solstice, The Flying Machine, Bluewater Waterfront Grill, The Bridge Tender and Hipos Hellenic Cuisine. They were all well-staffed, friendly and definitely lively…especially the bars. However, they really have nowhere near the options that we have in Rocky Point for a fun night out to a restaurant, bar or whatever your dreams are for the evening. I would definitely give Rocky Point the nod here which is really awesome considering 10-15 years ago, this would not have been the case. But in 2024, our options for fun, meals and entertainment have exploded in Rocky Point! Winner…Rocky Point!

Beaches/Nature- If you are a surfer, Wrightsville Beach is for you, and it is definitely one of the premier spots for surfing in North Carolina and along the eastern seaboard of America. The steady roll of medium sized waves come into Wrightsville day after day. Rocky Point does have some decent waves at certain times of the month, but it can also resemble a lake at times too with next to no wake. Both locations do offer fabulous sunsets and colorful skies. Rocky Point definitely wins with its tidal pools, the vast variances of the tides, the array of sea life easily spotted from the beach, the large amount of seashells easily found just to name a few things about our nature and beaches. Overall, I am going to give this one a TIE as well.

Culture- Although North Carolina is very charming and has many positive things about its beaches, there really is the “surf vibe” similar to what’s found at most surf towns around the USA. Rocky Point, on the other hand, immerses you fully in the language, sights, smells and tastes of a very different culture. There is so much to learn about the Mexican culture and its traditions. And the winner is…ROCKY POINT!

Weather- Rocky Point is basically the desert meets the sea. It is truly a sand oasis with beautiful scenic mountains in the distance. It is arid most of the year until summer into early fall when it can become quite humid. Like Rocky Point, Wrightsville Beach can be quite humid in the summer. It does have more of a persistent humidity throughout the year. Despite running down the main boulevard screaming my leg has frozen off on one particular walk to a bar with my Goddaughter, Tori the weather can be quite nice even in the winter. It was awesome seeing all the families come jump in the ocean for their Polar Plunge on January 1st. Both places really do have great weather and even sometimes despite our howling winds at certain times of the year, the winner is ROCKY POINT!!!

  • HAPPY VALENTINE’S Day to all… Remember to let your love show by reaching out to someone today that is in need. They are right there before you when you stop, look and listen. I truly believe that our paths are intertwined for a reason and that those in our lives were meant to be and we have learned valuable lessons. A really cool quote which is timely for February is by Paulo Coelho… “So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

ADIOS AMIGOS
GOD BLESS

Marco