Jacob's First Mandolin
How a seemingly small vacation moment can reverberate for a lifetime
W
A
T
C
H
I
watch
hIS story
about the journey
crystal
coast
what
to do
in collaboration with:
In 2011, an NPR headline asked whether string bands were the next big thing. That same year, as if on cue, a student band called the Mipso Trio took off at UNC-Chapel Hill. Having since become a quartet—graduating from campus gigs to a global touring schedule and six albums (to date)—this celebrated string band may never have come to life in the first place if not for a fateful day on the Crystal Coast years earlier, when one of Mipso’s founding members won his first ever mandolin off a fishing bet with his dad.
Only a kid at the time—but already intrigued by the punk-like origins of the region’s string bands—a 13-year-old Jacob Sharp unwittingly wagered his entire professional future on the daily catch at a family favorite spot: Emerald Isle’s Bogue Inlet Pier. Watching father and son reflect on that moment in Jacob’s First Mandolin—a short film directed by the title character’s brother—you can’t help but fall for Emerald Isle yourself. And if you fall for Mipso’s string band stylings in the process, well, no surprise.
What to do
along the way
For more adult food and drink pursuits—and live music—head to Emerald Club Beach & Tiki Bar, where you’ll find two stages, dozens of beers and all manner of fun, from music bingo to cornhole tournaments (check the calendar to see what’s going on). And though it’s not part of the Crystal Coast, Ocracoke Island is a quick road trip away that any music fan should consider in summer. About an hour’s drive up the coast from Emerald Isle, then a couple of hours more by ferry, this island is incredibly special to Jacob (and countless others) because of the summer Ocracoke Music and Storytelling Festival, where Mipso has played a few times. “There may be bigger stages and brighter lights, but there are few places we would rather share our music than here”—a point that’s hard to argue when you experience this enclave of undeveloped beaches, village-y vibes and historic monuments, not least, the trademark lighthouse.
The first place you’ll want to explore—because it just looks so tempting in all its laid-back beachy glory on film—is Bogue Inlet Pier, a longstanding tradition in the Sharp family. “We’d load up my uncle’s truck with fishing rods and coolers and munch on MoonPies for breakfast as we tried to catch that year’s bragging rights and wait for my grandma to show up around lunchtime and clean our catch,” says Jacob. If you don’t happen to have a grandma in tow to clean your catch—whether it’s a mackerel, flounder or sea mullet—there’s always the onsite Surf’s Up Grill and Bar, where the fish and seafood offerings range from fried to grilled to blackened.
Then there’s Cap’n Willis Seafood Market, where the fresh shrimp and fish got Jacob hooked, as it were, on local seafood at a young age—and Big Oak Drive-In and Bar-B-Q, whose Shrimpburger with hot sauce and hush puppies on the side remains the meal he craves whenever he starts smelling salty air.
Spanning 85 miles of largely undeveloped North Carolina shoreline, the Crystal Coast serves up “long beach days with not a worry in sight,” in Jacob’s memory of the place—formed over years of family pilgrimages there. As for how one might fill those long beach days, there’s excellent fishing (clearly), diving, stand-up paddling, kayaking, kiteboarding, pier-strolling, sunset-cruising and seafood-gorging, for starters. The region is also home to a few legendary fixtures: herds of wild horses, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the corresponding National Seashore—a whole destination unto itself.
Ready for more?
T
E
F
L
M
H
I
The Crystal Coast
Watch some North Carolina stories, then
start planning your own adventure.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
section end
This story is part of North Carolina’s Firsts That Last
film series. See more stories here.
Crystal Coast
Of course, the Crystal Coast is home to its own historic lighthouse and undeveloped beaches, as you’ll find at the iconic Cape Lookout National Seashore. By day, look for 250+ species of birds (for starters), and by night, look for millions of stars (Cape Lookout is a newly minted International Dark Sky Park). And when you’re in the mood for more adrenaline-pumping pursuits, check out Hot Wax Surf & Paddle Sports, where you can avail yourself of surf lessons, guided paddling excursions and self-guided surfing and paddling rentals. At the end of the day, go for a sunset sail with Emerald Isle Adventures (where you can also book fishing charters), then head to the Islander Hotel & Resort to rest up—only steps from the sand—for yet another "long beach day with not a worry in sight.”
about the journey
watch
his story
Crystal
coast
what
to do
This story is part of North Carolina’s Firsts That Last
film series. See more stories here.
WATCH THE FILM
Watch some North Carolina stories, then
start planning your own adventure.
Ready for more?
So Far: Journey from mountains to sea in North Carolina
Queen of Pisgah: A triumph of spirit on North Carolina's trails
So Far: Journey from mountains to sea in North Carolina
Queen of Pisgah: A triumph of spirit on North Carolina's trails
coming soon...
coming soon...