The Outer Banks aren't the only sunny strands in North Carolina. How about the . . . Inner Banks?

Topsail Island's history is full of intrigue, including tales of pirates whose sails and masts gave away their hiding places -- hence the name of the island.

Mainly, Oak Island is a place to splash in the Atlantic, gaze at the sunset, then call it a night.

Before the invasion of beachgoers, the seven-mile-long Wrightsville Beach was almost a real battlefield.

Accessible only by passenger ferry as cars are banned, most visitors to Bald Head Island use electric carts or bikes to buzz between Harbour Village, the maritime forest and the beaches.

Ask a local which way to Pleasure Island and they'll look at you blankly. They aren't being coy.