Over time, as more people discovered the island oasis at the tip of southeastern North Carolina, the fondness for the one-lane bridge grew. As much as the ocean, it became part of the lore and lure of Sunset Beach.
Nelson visited for the first time when he was 10 years old in 1965. His grandfather had a place on the island and visited annually until he moved here permanently in 1990.
"The first time I crossed the bridge, I had an epiphany this was where I was meant to be," he said. "That's what the bridge means to me."
Bokelman had been vacationing locally since 1995 and retired here in 2007. She said every summer trip wasn’t just about reuniting with the beach but about leaving the world behind at the bridge crossing.