Family vacations on the beach are officially over, with most students from kindergarten through college back in school.

For those unencumbered by such concerns, these circumstances can only mean one thing: Time for that quiet September oceanside getaway.

Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority (ENLARGE)
Fresh oysters are one reason to visit North Carolina's southernmost islands.
Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority (ENLARGE)
Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority Walking along the beach near Sunset Beach Pier can be a great escape from stress.
Bill Cissna (ENLARGE)
The Silver Coast Winery offers tours of the winemaking facilities as well as a gift shop, art gallery and a chance to taste and discuss wines.
Bill Cissna (ENLARGE)
The Museum of Coastal Carolina has exhibits on the environmental and cultural history of the coastal region of the Carolinas.
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IF YOU GO Getting there • By car: From downtown Atlanta, take I-20 east through Augusta and Columbia, S.C., to Florence, S.C. Take I-95 north to S.C. 327, then take S.C. 327 south to U.S. 76. Go east on U.S. 76 though Nichols, S.C., and exit on S.C. 9 south. Follow S.C. 9 to the exit for U.S. 17 north. Stay on U.S. 17 north though Little River. For Ocean Isle and Sunset beaches, bear right onto N.C. 179 just past the South Carolina Welcome Center. Follow N.C. 179 through Calabash, then watch for signs to either beach. For access to Holden Beach, stay on U.S. 17 north to the Shallotte area; take Business Road 17 into town, then watch for a right-hand turn sign for Holden Beach. • By air: Flights from Atlanta serve airports in Wilmington, N.C. (about 35 miles northeast of Shallotte) and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (about 40 southwest of Shallotte). Round-trip flights with a weekend stay range from $198 to $268 to Wilmington and $118 to $254 to Myrtle Beach. Where to stay on the islands • The Islander Inn, 57 W. First St., Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-888-325-4753; Web site. Rates for high season, oceanfront, $145-$160 a night. • Ocean Isle Inn, 37 W. First St., Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-800-352-5988; Web site. Rates for high season, oceanfront, $139-$159 per night. • The Winds Oceanfront Inn & Suites, 310 E. First St., Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-800-334-3581; Web site. Rates for high season: rooms, $153-$242; suites, $226-$549. • The Sunset Inn, 9 N. Shore Drive, Sunset Beach, NC 28468, 910-575-1000 or 1-888-575-1001; Web site. Rates for high-season $150-$185. • Causeway Inn, 12 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-888-263-5683. Rates for high season: weekdays, $69; Fridays and Saturdays, $115. On the mainland • Sea Trail Golf Resort & Conference Center, 211 Clubhouse Road, Sunset Beach, NC 28468, 1-888-229-5747; Web site. Rates from $82 to $258. • Carolina Golf & Beach Resorts (the Colony at Oyster Bay and the Colony II), 818 Colony Place, Sunset Beach, NC 28468, 1-800-222-1524; Web site. Two-bedroom villas from $104 per night. • Marsh Harbour Resort, 10155 Beach Drive S.W., Calabash, NC 28467, 1-888-230-3700; www.marshharbour.org. High season two-bedroom villa rate is $160 per night. • Comfort Inn, 360 Whiteville Road, Shallotte, NC 28470, 1-800-565-1223; Web site. Rates from $60 to $70 per night. • Holiday Inn Express, 3670 Express Drive, Shallotte, NC 28470, 1-800-465-4329; Web site. Rates from $72 to $100. • Microtel Inn & Suites, 4646 East Coast Lane, Shallotte, NC 28470, 1-888-771-7171; Web site. Rates from $54 to $80 per night. Rentals • Cottage rental firms include: Sloane Realty Vacations, 6 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-800-843-6044, Web site; Cooke Vacations, 1 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-800-622-3224, Web site; and Williamson Realty, 119 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 1-800-727-9222, Web site. Where to eat • The Isles, 417 W. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 910-575-5988; Web site. The islands' high-end oceanfront restaurant, but still casual. Entrees $15-$27. • Giggling Mackerel, 65 Causeway, Ocean Isle Beach, 910-575-0902; Web site. Family-friendly, casual beach seafood. Sandwiches $6.50-$8.95, entrees $7.95-$19.95, children's $4.25-$5.95. • Sharky's, 61 Causeway, Ocean Isle Beach, 910-579-9177. Family-friendly, casual beach seafood. Entrees $7-$19. • Sugar Shack Jamaican, 1609 Hale Beach Road, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 910-579-3844. Small, noisy and friendly. Entrees $12-$19. • Roberto's Ristorante, 6737 Beach Drive S.W., Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 910-579-4999. Italian. Entrees $8-$21. • Stars Waterfront Cafe, 14 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469, 910-579-7838; Web site. Fine dining. Entrees $17-$40. • Crabby Oddwaters, 310 Sunset Blvd., Sunset Beach, NC, 28468, 910-579-6372. Seafood. Entrees $12-$20. • Paradise Cafe, 102 Jordan Blvd., Holden Beach, NC 28462, 910-842-4999. Caribbean. Entrees $4-$15. Second location on Ocean Isle Beach. • Captain Nance's Seafood, 9939 Nance St., Calabash NC 28467, 910-579-2574. What to do • Silver Coast Winery, 6680 Barbeque Road, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28649, 910-287-2800; Web site. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. • Museum of Coastal Carolina, 21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28649, 910-579-1016; Web site. Admission: $4 adults; $2 children younger than 12. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the rest of the year. • Ingram Planetarium, Village at Sunset Beach at N.C. 179 and N.C. 904, Sunset Beach, NC 28468; Web site, 910-575-0033. Admission: $5 adults; $3 children (younger than 12). Shows at 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays in June, July and August. 3, 4, 6 and 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays in September-May. • Shopping, services and cineplex: The mainland town of Shallotte, halfway between Holden Beach and Ocean Isle Beach, has the best collection of stores, fast-food restaurants and a 10-theater cineplex. Accessed by Business Road 17, N.C. 149 and N.C. 130. Information • www.ncbrunswick.com; www.sbichamber.com (click on Visiting Our Area); www.oceanislebeach.com.

Take a look at North Carolina's southernmost islands. Without all the hype and hoopla, yet not devoid of activities and amenities, the trio of Holden, Ocean Isle and Sunset beaches provides the kind of escape that reduces stress.

Better yet, lodging rates are lower and restaurants are less crowded, perfect for those seeking peace while the temperature is still warm.

The three small barrier islands lie along U.S.17 between Wilmington, N.C., and the South Carolina border. The northernmost, Holden (about 9 miles long), consists almost entirely of cottages new and old. To the south, Sunset Beach (about 4 occupied miles) is the smallest, still accessed by a two-lane wooden bridge. It's also chiefly cottages.

In the middle, Ocean Isle Beach (7 miles long) is the most developed and offers a mix of housing options: condos, motels, cottages and the only high-rise structure, at the west end. All three islands primarily have an east-to-west orientation along the southern border of the state.

I discovered Ocean Isle on a business trip in the spring of 2003, during that warm off-season when quiet is easy to come by. I became so quickly enamored that my wife and I returned that summer and again this August, with the intention of digging a little deeper into the island and mainland offerings.

Despite some hindrance from that potential bugaboo of the late-summer vacation — two hurricanes named Bonnie and Charley — it's difficult to have a bad stay at the beach. We made the most of indoor tourist stops during the rain squalls.

We've stayed at the Islander Inn on Ocean Isle for each visit. Oceanfront and just west of the causeway road from the mainland, the Islander sits next door to its almost-identical twin, the Ocean Isle Inn. The two are operated separately, but if not for two offices and red vs. blue metal roofs, you'd never know it. Rooms are comfortable, with balconies. The refrigerator and microwave in each room are useful amenities at the beach.

From the Islander, it's a short stroll to the wide, sandy beach; to the island's pier; and to several restaurants and shops. It's also within easy access to the Museum of Coastal Carolina, where you can spend an entertaining hour or two when wet weather threatens.

This eclectic collection covers a lot of material. In the front lobby, the impression is a Civil War collectibles inventory. But that quickly gives way to an extensive display of shells of all kinds, and a set of shark jaws you're almost glad to see safely behind Plexiglas.

You'll also see models of galleons and packet ships; a wave motion machine; dioramas of river, swamp and ocean reef environments; displays of prehistory and Native American artifacts; a broad look at the waterfowl of beach and lowlands — and most entertaining to children and adults alike, a relatively new touch pool, with inhabitants such as crabs and starfish. Shell hikes are organized from here, and it's a good place to learn about the sea turtles that plant their eggs on these beaches.

The museum has a plan for what you see, though. Sighting a cougar in one diorama, a parent asks suspiciously what it has to do with the Carolinas. Volunteer docent Carol Jones tells us, "Displays are limited to items and animals that are native to the two Carolinas — and yes, cougars live in these states."

The museum is affiliated with the Ingram Planetarium, open year-round on the mainland between Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Another good indoor escape, the planetarium has displays, a gift shop and shows.

A 10-screen cineplex near the intersection of U.S. 17 and N.C. 130, to the west of the mainland town of Shallotte, gives another option to vacationers when the sun doesn't shine.

A mainland winery offers enthusiasts and novices alike a fun outing that can include a tour of the winemaking facilities as well as a gift shop, art gallery and a chance to taste and discuss wines.

Silver Coast Winery, a short distance inland from U.S. 17 near Sunset Beach, buys most of its grapes from growers elsewhere (it is growing muscadines on site, a native variety that holds up well in this climate). Somewhat oddly, one must choose between a list of five reds or a list of five whites.

"Do we really have to choose just one, or can we do both?" we ask.

Our tasting director, a charming man named Al Gomes, nods his head. "You can combine both lists, and many people do," he says. It costs $5, including a "free" glass to do one list, $9 to do both. Another woman who had just arrived, a participant of an earlier tasting who was bringing her brother to try it out, tells us we've made the right choice.

She was right. Among the wines, we find a sangiovese, touriga and merlot — all reds — that we like. But our favorite is a white, a premium (French) oak chardonnay. Try them all.

In better weather, we would most likely be draped over chairs in the sand as the sun beats down, or taking in one of the many golf courses for which this area and the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand to the south are famous. A water slide, miniature golf, numerous fishing and boating options, and even a mainland go-kart facility fill out the standard outdoor beach requirements — just not in the large numbers found elsewhere.

But even when the weather's less than perfect, being here where the ocean crashes to shore beats almost any alternative.