Attractions
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The best beaches… Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach and Holden Beach offers unique beach communities perfectly suited for  families. The gently sloping strand offers gentle surf generally without strong currents. The wide expanse of sugar fine sand is perfect for sandcastles and activities to build memories upon. There are no bright lights, heavy traffic or other daily concerns. A family water slide, miniature golf, museum visits, swimming and beach activities afford fun filled family days. Our water temperature is on the average 10 degrees warmer than the Outer Banks area. Mild seasonal changes offer beach enjoyment year round! Spoil yourself while on vacation, take advantage of in-home massage services from Barefoot Massage. Offering swedish, deep tissue, reflexology, prenatal, hot stone. Plan to pamper yourself...visit Barefoot Massage at www.barefootmassagegbb.com or call 910-207-0573 to reserve your upcoming treatment.
The best golf…. On the northern tip of Myrtle Beach Grand Strand, the NC Golf Coast offers 30+ of the best golf courses among the 100+ within 45 minutes. Experience the fine courses nestled along the marshes and Intercoastal Waterway or among the pine forests, meadows and bays. Varied elevations, well-manicured greens and respect for the land are evident. Dining...  The areas best restaurants offer outstanding selections of fresh seafoods. In many cases, the seafood makes it right off the boat from our native waters. You can dine on seafood from ocean front to river front settings. If you are a seafood lover, be sure to visit Calabash. Known as the Seafood Capitol of the World, Calabash has been known for years for their Calabash-style seafood preparation..lightly battered and fried.
Other local favorites includes: Cinelli's of Ocean Isle Beach, Sharkey's, The Giggling Mackerel, The Isles Restaurant, Crabby Oddwaters at Sunset Beach and Crab Catchers of Little River. You can also find a variety of restaurants specializing in ethnic food, including, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, and Jamaican. With such a variety there is no doubt that you will be satisfied with every dining experience.
Shopping... Visit the quaint boutiques of Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach and Holden Beach for your beach wear and souvenir needs. And if you need more…the outlet shops of Myrtle Beach are all within a 45-minute drive. Here you will find name brand outlets of great variety and pottery stores for baskets, pots, nick-knacks galore! Fishing... Capt. Brant's Deep Sea Fishing Charters provides fishing trips from the Gulf Stream to Inland Creeks. Based out of the Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Center. Check out the Ocean Isle Fishing Center Website for available charter dates and up-to-date reliable fishing reports. Contact Capt. Brant at 910-575-FISH. Turtle Watching... May through October offers nesting and hatching sea turtles along our Islands.  Experience the wonder of a nesting loggerhead turtle or the "boil" of a hatching nest! What an experience! During nesting lays, you may have an opportunity to name the next for a small donation to the turtle watch program. "Nest parents" (volunteers) watch nests nightly during their expected hatching times to assist the babies into the surf and to protect them from predators. The "Turtle Lady" of Ocean Isle Beach, Gloria Hillenburg, holds weekly learning lectures at the Museum of Coastal Carolina on Monday nights during the summer. This is a must do activity for kids and families of all ages. For more information e-mail the Turtle Lady at turtlelady@atmc.net or 910 754-9513.
Museum of Coastal Carolina... Conveniently located on Ocean Isle Beach and allied with the famed  Discovery Place in Charlotte, the Museum of Coastal Carolina offers coastal history of the Carolina's. A walk through The Reef Room is the next best thing to being underwater. Experience the excellent displays of aquatic life, the tide machine, waterfowl dioramas, antique fishing equipment, Carolina shells, shark teeth, and artifacts of Native American culture. Educational and entertaining programs are offered through out the year. Special children's education programs are offered daily during the summer. For program schedules and information call 910 579-1016.
Day Tripping... Many sightseeing adventures are available within a 45-minute drive of the beaches. Old Baldy:  The state's oldest remaining lighthouse is open for tours daily on Bald Head Island.
Some 100 steps and a wooden ladder lead to the top and a spectacular view of the island, Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River. You can explore this island by bike or golf cart (available for rental on the island) but no cars are allowed so you much reach the island by ferry from Southport. Admission to the lighthouse is free but there is a
charge for the ferry. For ferry information, call 800 234-1666.Brunswick Town:Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson were founded in 1726 and burned by the British in 1776. The state historic site has been excavated, revealing mush of the life in this colonial town. A museum displays artifacts gathered from the ruins. Ruins include St Philip's Church, the home of two royal governors and the earthen mounds of the Confederate Fort Anderson. Free admission. 910- 371-6613. Orton Plantation: Just a mile north of Brunswick Town this lush southern plantation includes magnolias, cypress, live oaks and thousands of azaleas. Once a working rice plantation, the rice fields are now home to alligators and many unusual species of birds. The residence is private and not open to the public. Admission fee. 910- 371-6851.  An open-air car ferry between Southport and Fort Fisher is an adventure to visit Fort Fisher. Crossing time is about 30 minutes. Reservations recommended. 919-457-6942, 1-800-BY-FERRY, or www.dot.state.nc.us/transit/ferryFort Fisher Civil War Museum: The last major stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher was the largest earthwork fortification in the south during the Civil War. It kept the port of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River open to blockade-runners. The alert visitor may catch a glimpse of the ghost of Confederate General William Whiting who was imprisoned by the Union following his unsuccessful defense of the fort. Free Admission. 919-458-5538. USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial: Just up highway 17 to Wilmington is  the immortal showboat,
the USS North Carolina. She survived every major pacific naval offensive of World War II and earned 15 battle stars. Brought to the Cape Fear River in 1961 by the citizens of NC as a memorial
to all the men and women who served in WWII. The self-guided tour includes an orientation film, crew's quarters, galley, sick bay, engine room, pilot house, guns, Kingfisher float plane and more. Admission fee. Call 910-251-5797 or www.city-info.com/ncbb55.html
Myrtle Beach, SC... This is it for all the bright lights, water parks, music theaters, shopping, amusement park rides you can stand! North Myrtle Beach is a short 30-minute drive and downtown Myrtle Beach can be reached within 45 minutes. Enjoy the lights; hurry back to the quiet of Sand, Sun and Family Fun our islands offer. Wilmington, NC... A short drive up Highway 17 offers you the historic city of Wilmington. Here resides the USS North Carolina Battleship. The historic downtown is worth a stroll to view the residences, the quaint shops and coffee houses. |
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