8 Beaches in 1 Day

Find out how a North Carolina couple made it happen

The Poliachiks enjoy a beverage at Holden Beach. Introduction by Elizabeth Poland Shugg. Photos courtesy of Bob and Darian Poliachik unless otherwise noted.

Bob and Darian Poliachik moved to Leland, North Carolina, a few years ago after all three of their grown children ended up living in the area. They raised their kids in Apex, where they lived for 32 years, but with grandchildren on the way, the Poliachiks said it was a “no-brainer” to move to Leland, and a “dream come true” to be near their kids and grandkids.

Leland is less than ten miles outside of Wilmington and within forty minutes from most of the Wilmington-area beaches. We reached out to Bob and Darian after we heard they managed to visit eight nearby beaches in one day. How did they do it? Well … we’ll let them tell you! Also, their journey inspired our Summer 2025 There and Back Again feature. Be sure to check it out!

Does your proximity to so many different beaches make it possible for you to visit any beach you'd like at any time?

Bob: We have to drive 30 to 40 minutes to get to the ocean. While that is not quite a hop skip and a jump, it’s certainly close enough to make visiting the beach possible any day of the week, even though I still work full-time.

Darian: One of our favorite things to do in the summer is leave right after Bob is finished working, grab a sub on the way out, and head to the beach for the evening. Parking is free by that time. We still have two to three hours of daylight left, and we usually get to see a wonderful sunset over the water at the Brunswick beaches.

The Poliachiks enjoy lunch at Oliver’s on the Southport waterfront.

What led to your decision to visit eight beaches in one day, and which beaches made the list?

Darian: Bob and I were sitting under our umbrella on Oak Island, marveling at how many beaches we have to choose from that are within fifty minutes’ drive. I said, “I wonder if we could hit all of them in one day?” Suddenly it became a challenge to conquer.

Below the paywall, upgraded subscribers will find a Google Maps image of the Poliachiks’ journey and the ONE attraction they say visitors to the Wilmington area must not skip.