My Birthday Present

**Miguel** · 03-19-2007, 09:01

Originally Posted by Just Jeff

My wife doesn't hike. Just doesn't. Now and then I can get her on a car camping trip, but she doesn't hike.

So today's my birthday. I wake up, they sing, then hand me the cards. One of them is a letter...inviting me on a family campout at "Hammocks Beach State Park" on Bear Island! Which includes...drum roll...a water taxi ride to the island, then about a mile backpack to the site!

She hasn't said she'll sleep in a hammock yet, but at least she'll be hiking in to a "hammock" campsite! Baby steps...I'll get her there some day!

(And Sgt Rock is my inspiration...took him until retirement to get Dixiecritter hammocking with him!)

I took the more direct route with my wife. I just went ahead and bought her a Claytor Jungle hammock without ever asking her. I know...hope springs eternal. I was lucky....she really liked it.

Kudos to your wife for doing this for you when you know she'd probably rather be camped at the Holiday Inn. Who knows...maybe she'll like it more than she thinks.

Miguel

**AngeeO** · 03-19-2007, 18:06

Happy Birthday Jeff!

**Jazilla** · 03-20-2007, 08:22

Happy bday Jeff

**lvleph** · 03-20-2007, 08:32

Using a hammock is how I have convinced my wife to try!

**Frolicking Dino** · 03-20-2007, 09:40

Hammock Beach is one of my favorite places. I haven't been there in several years because I likely could make the walk on sand with my gear. Unless things have changed, their are no trees near the beachside campng suitable for hammocking. The campsites consisted of one small bench and a lantern pole when I was there. I used a free-standing dome tent with four grocery sacks full of sand to keep it in place. You will get a constant breeze of the ocean and the usual afternoon showers.

The last time I was there a loggerhead turtle nested not 30 ft from my tent - it was awesome to watch in the moonlight! She left tracks that looked like a large bulldozer had driven out of the sea up on a dune.

The camp requires you use red mantels on lanterns and fires are not allowed. There are literally thousands of crabs on the beach after dark. Harvesting them isn't allowed (but they are quite tasty

)

**Coffee** · 03-20-2007, 10:31

So let me get this straight. There are no hammock sites directly on Hammock Beach. Am I missing something here?

**blackbishop351** · 03-20-2007, 11:13

Originally Posted by hammock engineer

So let me get this straight. There are no hammock sites directly on Hammock Beach. Am I missing something here?

Lol...the actual name of the park is "Hammock's beach"...given the possessive, I'm assuming it's named after some random guy - who just happens to have a really cool name! I'm sure somebody can fill us in on the history, though.

**NCPatrick** · 03-20-2007, 11:25

FYI. Hammocks Beach State Park info from the website:

http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/habe/info.html - Ecological info

http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/habe/history.html - History (no mention of where the name Hammocks Beach originated though.)

**blackbishop351** · 03-20-2007, 11:28

Maybe Jeff can scout it out for us - see what the tree availability is. If it'll support a few hangers, it'd be awesome to have a Forums gathering out there! By far one of my favorite places to relax, and I've never hung there!

**slowhike** · 03-20-2007, 14:52

for the most part it's just dunes w/ some shrubs & grass.
i didn't really check out the treed part, but i'm thinking most (if not all) of that is heavy w/ under growth. and some of it could be marsh???
seems like i remember something about a guy named hammock... maybe a governor or something???
but i hope jeff & his wife won't be disappointed by the misconception on the name. it's still a beautiful place.
maybe it's time to invent a portable, fold-up, family hammock stand on wheels