Fun Things to Do Nearby

Silver Coast Winery is set in the woodlands just a few minutes from Ocean Isle and Sunset Beaches. Producing 5400 cases annually, the winery offers tastings, tours, an art gallery and gift shop as well as regular wine festivals, artists’ receptions, concerts, classes and much more. 910-287-2800. www.silvercoastwinery.com.

Ingram Planetarium at Sunset Beach offers a night-sky spectacular starring Ursa Major, Big Dipper and Polaris. This state-of-the-art facility features a 40 ft. dome, seating for 92, a science and education center with mathematical and navigational displays, and a gift shop. 910-579-1016.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina at Ocean Isle Beach, houses exhibits representing coastal North and South Carolina. An extensive collection of shells, tide machine, waterfowl diorama, antique fishing equipment, live snakes and artifacts of Native American culture are a few the displays. Admission fee. 910-579-1016.

Southport Historical Society’s Southport Trail is a relaxed self-guided one mile walk through the charming town. Begin with a stop at the Southport Visitor Center on Moore Street beside the library. Walkway winds around riverfront to the Southport Marina. Free. 800-388-9635

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport houses memorabilia of southeastern North Carolina’s nautical history and offers self-guided tours. Items include sharks' teeth, commercial fishing and navigation exhibits, a 2000-year-old canoe fragment and Civil War artifacts recovered from blockade runners and other offshore wrecks. On-site research library, films and programs offered year-round. Admission fee. 910-457-0003.

The state's oldest remaining lighthouse, Old Baldy, is open for tours on Bald Head Island. Built in 1817, the 90-foot brick structure helped guide ships safely to the mouth of the Cape Fear River until 1935 when it was replaced by new light at Caswell Beach. Some 100 steps and a wooden ladder lead to the top and a spectacular view of the island, Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River. Admission free.

The open-air ferry between Southport and Fort Fisher accommodates cars, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. Crossing time is about 30 minutes. You’ll be escorted by seagulls (bring bread to feed them) and may get a look at other birds and wildlife as well as ocean-going freighters or fishing vessels. Because space is limited, you should plan to be in line at the ferry about 30 minutes prior to boarding. Fee. Southport office 919-457-6942. Fort Fisher office 919-458-3329. www.ncferry.org.

The short ferry ride from Southport to Fort Fisher gives you the best view of the remnants of Price Creek Lighthouse, the only remaining vestige of a chain of lighthouses constructed between 1845 and 1851 from Wilmington to the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Confederate troops used the lighthouse to communicate with officers at Fort Fischer.

CP&L Visitors Center at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant houses more than 30 exhibits on nuclear energy, energy conservation and electricity. Displays here include an operating model of the two power units. Films and video tapes are shown in the auditorium. The cooling towers are visible from the Southport/Fort Fisher Ferry. Free admission. 910-457-6041.

Founded in 1726, Brunswick Town on Highway 133 was burned by the British in 1776. The state historic site has been excavated, revealing much of the life in this colonial town. Guide maps of the town and nature trail are provided in the Visitors Center. The ruins include St. Philip's Church and Russellborough, the home of two royal governors as well as the earthen mounds of Confederate Fort Anderson. Demonstrations are staged each Saturday through the summer. Free admission. 910-371-6613.

The lush vegetation of Orton Plantation Gardens (a mile or so north of Brunswick Town) includes magnolias, cypress, live oaks, pines and thousands of azaleas. Spacious lawns and cypress ponds provide an impressive setting for the home, a private residence not open to the public. Admission is charged. 910-371-6851.

Day Trips

Just across the Cape Fear River by ferry from Southport is the Fort 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 and one of the Confederacy’s final battlegrounds in defense of its ports. Fort Fisher saw two major battles before falling to the Union Army in January 1865 just three weeks prior to General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. 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. Remains of the fort and a visitors’ center/museum are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 1 to 5pm. Hours shorter in winter. Free admission. 919-458-5538

Nearby is the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Habitats emphasize the region’s aquatic life including alligators, sharks, rays and much more. Touch tank. Educational programs. Admission charged. 910-458-7468.

In northern Brunswick County, just past Leland, is the permanent mooring site of the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial. The Immortal Showboat survived every major Pacific Naval offensive of World War II and earned 15 battle stars. Commissioned in 1941 when she was believed to be the world's most powerful sea weapon, she was brought to the Cape Fear River in 1961 by the citizens of North Carolina as a memorial to all the men and women who served in World War II. The self-guided tour includes an orientation film, crew's quarters, galley, sickbay, pilothouse, engine room, guns, Kingfisher floatplane and more. Open every day of the year from 8 AM to 8 PM with shorter winter hours. Admission is charged. 910-251-5797. www.battleshipnc.com.

While you're in the area, take a tour of Historic Downtown Wilmington. Listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, the district has been lovingly restored to showcase homes and businesses dating from the 1700s. The country's oldest continuously operating theater company, Thalian Hall, features local and national productions where professional actors, such as local residents Linda Lavin and Pat Hingle, perform alongside local amateurs. Start your tour by stopping in the Cape Fear Convention & Visitors Bureau located in the Historic Courthouse beside Thalian Hall. 24 North Third Street. 910-341-4030.

Movie fans will want to take advantage of Wilmington’s ties to the industry with a tour of Screen Gems Studio/EUE on 23rd Street. www.screengemsstudios.com

Also in downtown is the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science which focuses on regional history, cultures and science, and features an extensive Civil War collection. capefearmuseum.com nhcgov.com

For a close look at the Cape Fear River, find the Henrietta III or the Capt. J.N. Maffitt at Riverfront Park. They offer sightseeing cruises and taxi service, dinner dance cruises and private parties. www.cfrboats.com

To the south, is the Grand Strand - A 60-mile span of white sand beaches that stretch from Little River to Georgetown, the Grand Strand features incredible seafood, historic tours, unique shops, cruises, two ocean-side state parks, deep sea and inshore fishing, and magnificent Brookgreen Gardens where you'll see the world's largest collection of American sculpture.

The hub of the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach is where the action is. With fun family beaches, dozens of championship golf courses, tennis courts, outlet malls, specialty shops, live musical theatre, nightclubs and a wealth of family attractions, Myrtle Beach is a popular South Carolina vacation destination. You can see night club acts, nationally known entertainers or take the kids to a mega waterpark, Grand Prix Family Thrill Park or Ripley’s Aquarium.

In nearby Little River, La Belle Amie Vineyard offers wine tastings, tours and a gift shop. Part of a former tobacco plantation that has been owned by the Bellamy family since the late 1800s, the entrance road winds past a vineyard, tobacco barn and the duck pond where a very energetic black lab is often found retrieving sticks. Highway 17 south, then Highway 90 to St. Joseph Road, Little River, SC. 843-399-WINE (9463) LaBelleAmie.com