Isle of Palms Magazine Summer 2017

29 www.IsleOfPalmsMagazine.com | www.ILoveIOP.com | www.IOPmag.com .......................................................................................... DE NOBRIGA FAMILY MEMORIES As told by Frank de Nobriga Mom and dad were married in 1950 and had five kids – Kathie, Frank, Donna, Deborah and Phil. There are 11 grandkids and 11 great-grandkids. We lived in Kingsport, Tennessee. Dad was a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, so he and mom enjoyed going to the Naval base to the PX to shop. I do not know the exact year we started going to IOP. We camped at Sand Dollar Campground, which is where Wild Dunes is presently located. I believe Wild Dunes was built in the early ’70s, so we were going to IOP in the late ’60s. As the kids grew up and married and we had kids ourselves, mom and dad would rent a house somewhere on the island. It started out as one week and then grew into two. As family members started working, they would rent the house around the 4th of July in order to get as many of us kids and grandkids there as possible. Carroll Realty always worked with us, and we had a standing reservation. Our dad died in September 2015, but my wife and I brought my mom to IOP last year for a week. She will be 94 in August. When did you start vacationing in Isle Of Palms? Late 1960. What time of year do you visit and why? We have visited all times during the year, but the two-week rental was normally the 4th of July. What do you do while on vacation? Most days were spent at the beach, playing in the surf. We were always down near 7th or 8th Avenue, so we were away from the larger crowds up near the pier. Of course, for many, many years there were no homes directly on the [ Island Memories ] beach, and the crowds were sparse. We always went into Charleston to eat, particularly the Sunday buffet at the Mills House after attending church at St. Matthew’s Lutheran. What are some memorable moments that you have created while on the island? We were there the week in 1990 that a hurricane was off the coast. That was neat to play in the surf. We always enjoyed walking out to the sand dunes when the tide was extremely low. We also enjoyed going to Sullivan’s to eat. We would go there two or three times while at the beach. It did not take a lot to entertain us; we would go down to the point on Sullivan’s Island and watch the cargo ships enter and exit the harbor. What made you choose IOP over so many other locations to relax? The proximity to Kingsport and a nicer beach and less crowded than Myrtle Beach. What keeps you coming back? We can be there in six hours; the sun; the beach; the warm surf; and crowds that aren’t huge. Which places on the island do you find to be the most enjoyable/beautiful? Certainly rising early and walking on the beach before the crowds arrive. But even during the day, you can find space to spread out and play boccie ball and walk back to the house. Do you have any other comments or things to say about the island or your time here? My wife and I have just come down for the weekend when we need to get away, enjoy the beach and eat some shrimp.