Carolina Shore - Ocean, Seafood, History & More!

[giradman]

Wilmington, North Carolina - Brief Introduction

On Tuesday morning, the skies cleared and the sun came out - should be a good day to tour - first two images below from our hotel room. Wilmington, NC is a port city of historic and current importance - the city is located about 30 miles up the mouth of the Cape Fear River (see map). The early history of the town is quoted below (my synopsis from the link given). Wilmington's Cape Fear Waterfront is beautiful (next two images); also from the link "Its historic downtown has a one-mile-long Riverwalk, originally developed as a tourist attraction, and in 2014 Wilmington's riverfront was named the "Best American Riverfront" by USA Today." - actually the Riverwalk (basically, a Cape Fear River boardwalk) is being extended and portions are under construction - eventual length will be about 2 miles (see the last two images, of just a portion of the walkway w/ Susan relaxing).

Our first activity on this beautiful morning was a boat tour - coming up next. Dave

Early European settlement in the Cape Fear River area of present day Wilmington came in the early 1700s; in 1739 or 1740, a town was incorporated and named in honor of Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington. Naval stores and lumber fueled the region’s economy, both before and after the American Revolution. In the 1830s, railroads became another important regional industry. During the Civil War, the port was the major and busiest base for Confederate and private blockade runners, until the fall of Ft. Fischer and then capture of Wilmington in early 1865.

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[giradman]

Cape Fear River - Boat Ride

The Cape Fear River drains a large area of the state of North Carolina, including a portion of the Piedmont Triad where we live - see first quote below. The Port of Wilmington is an important east coast destination for commercial shipping (see next two quotes). The river can be toured by boat and a number of options are available, some including a meal; we took the 1-hour boat ride offered by the Wilmington Water Tours (see first pic); boat tours can go either south (under the HW 17 bridge), which we have done before, but not that scenic offering mainly views of the commercial shipping - this time, we went north up the Cape Fear River (see next 3 pics).

We passed the Wilmington waterfront (shown in the previous post) - the USS North Carolina is moored across the river and is likely the most popular tour attraction in the city (may be a later post); a number of other vessels were docked, including two huge private yachts (one can be rented if anyone is interested?), a Coast Guard ship, and a Research vessel (Cape Hatteras), belonging to one of the local schools (had just completed a trip to the Carribean) - (see numerous pics). We completed our course viewing the entire city waterfront, and then headed up the Cape Fear River - another world was entered; a schooner (one pic) was docked (according to our guide, the owner had spent over 3 years on the sailboat traveling the world's seas). Eagle Island was to our left and other branches of the river to the right - because of dredging, salt walter has entered the waters and killed many of the trees, seen in some of the last images. This is a wildlife refuge w/ over a 100 species of birds periodically in the area; there are also alligators this far north, but we did not see much wildlife on that boat trip.

SO, if you are in Wilmington, definitely enjoy the downtown (Water & Front Streets), do the Riverwalk, and take one or more boat rides (go in both directions if a first time experience). Next post will be about historic Wilmington and our visit to the Bellamy Mansion following our boat tour. Dave

The Cape Fear River is a 202 miles (325 km) long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean about 3 miles west of Cape Fear, from which it takes its name.
It is formed at Haywood, near the county line between Lee and Chatham counties, by the confluence of the Deep and Haw rivers just below Jordan Lake. It flows southeast past Lillington, Fayetteville, and Elizabethtown, then receives the Black River approximately 10 miles northwest of Wilmington. At Wilmington, it receives the Northeast Cape Fear River and Brunswick River, turns south, widening as an estuary before entering the Atlantic Ocean. During the colonial era, the river was a principal transportation route to the interior of North Carolina. Today the river is navigable as far as Fayetteville through a series of locks and dams (Source).

Our capability can enhance your profitability. For starters, the Port of Wilmington is strategically located on the East Coast of the United States within 700 miles of more than 70% of the U.S. industrial base. Recent and ongoing improvements to regional and national highway networks make surface transportation supporting the Port of Wilmington superior to neighboring ports. And CSX Transportation provides intermodal rail service with best-in-class transit times, as well as daily service for boxcar, tanker and general cargo services (Source).

The Port of Wilmington is one of the few Southern ports with readily available berths and storage areas for containers and cargo. Specifically, it offers terminal facilities serving container, bulk, breakbulk, and ro-ro operations. It offers a deep 42-foot navigational channel, nine berths with 6,768 feet of wharf frontage and four post-Panamax container cranes. Modern transit and warehouse facilities and the latest in cargo management technology provide a broad platform for supporting international trade to the fast-growing Southeast U.S. market (Source).

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[scifan57]

Cape Fear River - Boat Ride

The Cape Fear River drains a large area of the state of North Carolina, including a portion of the Piedmont Triad where we live - see first quote below. The Port of Wilmington is an important east coast destination for commercial shipping (see next two quotes). The river can be toured by boat and a number of options are available, some including a meal; we took the 1-hour boat ride offered by the Wilmington Water Tours (see first pic); boat tours can go either south (under the HW 17 bridge), which we have done before, but not that scenic offering mainly views of the commercial shipping - this time, we went north up the Cape Fear River (see next 3 pics).

We passed the Wilmington waterfront (shown in the previous post) - the USS North Carolina is moored across the river and is likely the most popular tour attraction in the city (may be a later post); a number of other vessels were docked, including two huge private yachts (one can be rented if anyone is interested?), a Coast Guard ship, and a Research vessel (Cape Hatteras), belonging to one of the local schools (had just completed a trip to the Carribean) - (see numerous pics). We completed our course viewing the entire city waterfront, and then headed up the Cape Fear River - another world was entered; a schooner (one pic) was docked (according to our guide, the owner had spent over 3 years on the sailboat traveling the world's seas). Eagle Island was to our left and other branches of the river to the right - because of dredging, salt walter has entered the waters and killed many of the trees, seen in some of the last images. This is a wildlife refuge w/ over a 100 species of birds periodically in the area; there are also alligators this far north, but we did not see much wildlife on that boat trip.

SO, if you are in Wilmington, definitely enjoy the downtown (Water & Front Streets), do the Riverwalk, and take one or more boat rides (go in both directions if a first time experience). Next post will be about historic Wilmington and our visit to the Bellamy Mansion following our boat tour. Dave






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I remember watching the excellent Robert Mitchum movie "Cape Fear".

 

[brixtonboy]

Strange name for such a nice looking place. Still could have been worse, cape very scary for example

 

[giradman]

I remember watching the excellent Robert Mitchum movie "Cape Fear".

Hi Scifan.. - just replaced my DVD of the original Cape Fear film (1962 - Peck & Mitchum) w/ the BD below; I've seen the Scorsese 1991 remake but prefer the earlier version.

The river is named after the Cape Fear Headland, a dangerous area for shipping and sailing, part of the historic Graveyard of the Atlantic - see quote below. Currently, there are two entrances to the Cape Fear River, the Old Inlet is now the one used, but there is also a more northerly New Inlet, which has changed since Civil War Times - first map is the current appearance, while the second map shows a much closer proximity of Ft. Fischer (one of the many forts/fortifications/batteries that protected Wilmington from the Union Navy) to a larger New Inlet. So, bottom line, the name 'Cape Fear' is derived from the treacherous waters, shoals, sandbars, etc. that made sailing these waters so risky, especially in the days of sails. Dave

Cape Fear is a prominent headland jutting into the Atlantic Ocean from Bald Head Island on the coast of North Carolina in the southeastern United States. It is largely formed of barrier beaches and the silty outwash of the Cape Fear River as it drains the southeast coast of North Carolina through an estuary south of Wilmington. Cape Fear is formed by the intersection of two sweeping arcs of shifting, low-lying beach, the result of longshore currents which also form the treacherous, shifting Frying Pan Shoals, part of the Graveyard of the Atlantic (Source).

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[giradman]

Strange name for such a nice looking place. Still could have been worse, cape very scary for example

Hi Brixton... - please see my response to Scifan.. above for an explanation of why the name Cape Fear was used for the adjacent waters and also the river - Dave

 

[giradman]

Wilmington Historic District & the Bellamy Mansion

After our Cape Fear river boat tour, we visited the Bellamy Mansion on Market Street in the Wilmington Historic District (see quote below and a listing of some of the interesting sites to see). This is a LARGE historic district - there are a number of houses 'open' for tour - we had not been to the Bellamy Mansion in a while and the tour was excellent - the slave quarters have been restored (see last four images below). Other pics of the downtown area and a number of other houses. Dave

ADDENDUM: Oops - forgot to mention the Cotton Exchange of Wilmington - description in last quote below - worth a visit!

The Wilmington Historic District is a national historic district located at Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 875 contributing buildings 38 contributing sites, and 3 contributing structures in the historic core and surrounding residential sections of Wilmington. The district developed after Wilmington was laid out in 1737, and includes notable examples of Queen Anne and Bungalow / American Craftsman style architecture. Located in the district are the separately listed City Hall/Thalian Hall and Alton Lennon Federal Building and Courthouse. Other notable buildings include:

• Smith-Anderson House (c. 1745)
• St. John's Masonic Lodge (1803)
• Burgwin-Wright House (1771)
• DuBois-Boatwright House
• George Cameron House (c. 1800)
• DeRosset House (c. 1845)
• Bellamy Mansion (1859)
• Edward Latimer House (1882)
• Burrus House (1880s)
• McKoy House (1887)
• Victoria Theatre (1915)
• Cape Fear Hotel (1923-1925)
• St. James Episcopal Church (begun 1839) designed by Thomas U. Walter
• St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church (1846)[2]
• First Baptist Church (1859-1870) designed by Samuel Sloan
• Temple of Israel (1875)
• New Hanover County Courthouse (1892)
• St. Mary's Catholic Church (1912). (Source)

Welcome to the Bellamy Mansion Museum, one of North Carolina's most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture. The mansion was built for physician and planter John Bellamy, his wife, Eliza Harriss, and their nine children on the eve of the Civil War. The mansion now serves as a museum of history and the design arts, offering daily tours and many dynamic educational and cultural programs throughout the year. Tour the magnificent 10,000-square-foot home, visit the meticulously-recreated gardens, and walk through the recently restored Slave Quarters, one of very few preserved urban slave quarters in the country.

The Cotton Exchange of Wilmington, North Carolina is a shopping complex consisting of over eight historical buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is so named due to the inclusion of the Old James Sprunt Cotton Exchange building; a business that claimed to be the largest exporter of cotton on the east coast until its dissolution in 1950.[1] The Cotton Exchange is located on what is now North Front Street in downtown Wilmington. It currently comprises over 20 shops and restaurants, all within the confines of restored historical structures.

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[giradman]

USS North Carolina - WW II Battleship Museum in Wilmington

The USS North Carolina was a WW II battleship commissioned in April 1941 and was 'state of the art' at that time - served admirably throughout the war (see quotes below from the link); she was decommissioned in 1960 and transferred to the state of NC the next year - and has severed as a state ship museum since 1962. I've toured the battleship at least three times but has been a while - I've 'dragged' Susan to SO many ship/submarine tours that we no longer go, but if your interest is in WW II and the large ships of those times, then a DEFINITE recommendation - video link below will likely stimulate a visit - just several pics at the bottom. Dave

USS North Carolina (BB-55) was the lead ship of North Carolina-class battleships and the fourth warship in the U.S. Navy to be named for the State of North Carolina. She was the first newly constructed American battleship to enter service during World War II, and took part in every major naval offensive in the Pacific Theater of Operations; her 15 battle stars made her the most decorated American battleship of World War II. She is now a museum ship and memorial kept at the seaport of Wilmington, North Carolina.

North Carolina was laid down on 27 October 1937 at the New York Naval Shipyard and launched on 13 June 1940, sponsored by the daughter of Clyde R. Hoey, the Governor of North Carolina. She was commissioned in New York City on 9 April 1941, with Captain Olaf M. Hustvedt in command. The first of the U.S. Navy's fast battleships to be commissioned, she carried a powerful main battery of nine 16 in (410 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 guns. The ship received so much attention during her completion and sea trials that she won the lasting nickname "Showboat".

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[scifan57]

Wilmington Historic District & the Bellamy Mansion

After our Cape Fear river boat tour, we visited the Bellamy Mansion on Market Street in the Wilmington Historic District (see quote below and a listing of some of the interesting sites to see). This is a LARGE historic district - there are a number of houses 'open' for tour - we had not been to the Bellamy Mansion in a while and the tour was excellent - the slave quarters have been restored (see last four images below). Other pics of the downtown area and a number of other houses. Dave

ADDENDUM: Oops - forgot to mention the Cotton Exchange of Wilmington - description in last quote below - worth a visit!







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That was a most excellent post about touring Wilmington.

 

[giradman]

That was a most excellent post about touring Wilmington.

Thanks Scifan.. - despite our dozens of visits to the Wilmington area, we have not thoroughly explored that historic district, so on our return(s) will do some more walking and look into the variety of tours offered, some when the gardens are in bloom in the spring. Dave

 

[giradman]

Shuckin' Shack in Carolina Beach - Bonus Eating Post!

On our last day, we drove south to visit the NC Aquarium & Ft. Fisher (upcoming posts), and planned an early lunch in Carolina Beach at the Shuckin' Shack, just 30 minutes from our hotel and a 'first try.' We were amazed at the quality of the food - started out w/ a dozen oysters and a half dozen clams all on the half shell and SOURCED locally (literally, down the block!) - these were just delicious - then, shared a lobster roll w/ crispy well seasoned french fries - another winner! For dessert, we had another half dozen clams - A variety of beers on tap including several local ones - I had an IPA made in Wilmington.

Below just a few pics - a map of the Carolina Beach location (there is a branch in Wilmington); modest 'hole in the wall' w/ a long bar and high chairs and a row of high tables/chairs - the reviews on Yelp & TripAdvisor are 4+ averages - we will DEFINITELY return on our next trip(s) here - SO, if you are visiting the Wilmington area and like shellfish (raw or cooked), then this restaurant is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Dave
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[giradman]

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

North Carolina has three major aquariums - I discussed the one at Pine Knolls on our trip to Atlantic Beach recently - after our lunch in Carolina Beach, Ft. Fisher (next post) and the NC Aquarium - Ft. Fisher were our afternoon activities and just 10 mins or so from the Shuckin' Shack restaurant (see aerial map). Each of these aquariums have a different layout and a wide variety of exhibits - below is a description of the Ft. Fisher Aquarium. One of the most unique inhabitants is an albino alligator, which we did not see unfortunately - the exhibit was being renovated, but a pic below.

Just a couple of inside pics, i.e. the Jellyfish Tank and Susan being swallowed by an extinct shark, the Megalodon, which lived 23 to 2.6 million years ago - the tooth of C. megalodon is the state fossil of North Carolina (cool!). A great boardwalk nature trail is on the outside w/ life-size animated dinosaurs that even make noise (see Susan's iPhone video below of the T. Rex) - several more animations. The trail has a bridge over a marsh area - a number of Yellow-bellied Sliders were on a board (and a few in the water, one shown). This is an excellent aquarium for both adults and obviously kids who would love the dinosaurs. Dave

The aquarium, which was recently renovated in 2009 to make room for the new rare albino alligator inhabitants, is an extensive introduction to the local wildlife from the banks of the Cape Fear River to the hundreds of deep water species that call the Atlantic Ocean home. With such a far-reaching collection, the aquarium is smartly divided into individual "galleries" that pay homage to a certain ecosystem that is prevalent in the coastal area. This organization and dedication to representing all aspects of North Carolina's habitats has earned this aquarium several national accolades, including a spot on the Travel Channel's list of Best Aquariums in the United States, and North Carolina's own ranking of Top Ten Attractions in the state (Source).

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[giradman]

Fort Fisher - Gibraltar of the South

Fort Fisher was just one fortification that protected the two inlets to the Cape Fear River and to the port of Wilmington about 30 miles upstream (see maps for others, especially at the 'Old Inlet'). The aerial views below show the remnants of the northern earthen works of Ft. Fisher, which was much larger and 7-shaped during the Civil War, and protected both a land and sea assault to the 'New Inlet' of the river; much of the sea-side portion of the structure has disappeared because of sea erosion over the last century and a half.

The importance of Wilmington is discussed in the first quote below - blockade running was crucial to the Confederate economy and its military, especially to Robert E. Lee's army. Ft. Fisher was an earthen fort w/ mounds of dirt/sand which effectively absorbed attempts at bombardment. The Union made two attempts to capture the fort, one aborted in December 1864; and a second in January 1865 which was effective - a combined naval bombardment and land assault led to the surrender of Ft. Fisher; the fighting was fierce, particularly around Shepherd's Battery and the Wilmington Road - there were a combined 2000 casualties. Wilmington fell in February 1865 and Lee surrendered at Appomattox in mid-April (see second quote).

Pics below - the fourth through sixth images are my own; Shepherd's Battery is open to the public (but was closed during our visit - likely storm damage from hurricane Matthew); a couple of maps of the Confederate fortifications of the times and also the Union attack from the land. Finally, guided tours are available - the final pic is of a book I bought in the gift shop; the author was about to give a tour (wish we had signed up) - he is a PhD professor of history at the University of NC at Wilmington - kind of a neat fortuitous meeting - NOW, I need to read the book (but not that long and a LOT of pictures). Dave

During the war, Wilmington was one of the most important points of entry for supplies for the Confederacy, and traded cotton and tobacco for foreign goods, like munitions, clothing and foodstuffs. This nourished the southern states and General Robert E. Lee's forces in Virginia. Trade was based on the steamer ships of British smugglers, called "blockade runners" because they had to avoid the Union's imposed maritime barricade. Mostly, the blockade runners came indirectly from British colonies, such as Bermuda, Bahamas or Nova Scotia. After the fall of Norfolk, Virginia in May 1862, the importance of Wilmington was further increased. It became the main Confederate port on the Atlantic Ocean. Considering the Atlantic seashore, Wilmington's defenses were so sturdy that they were only surpassed by Charleston's, in South Carolina. Wilmington resisted for a long time, mainly because of Fort Fisher's presence (Source).

The Union army and navy planned several attacks on Fort Fisher and the port of Wilmington, but made no attempt until December 24, 1864. After two days of fighting with little headway, Union commanders concluded that the fort was too strong to assault and withdrew their forces. However, they returned for a second attempt on January 12, 1865. For two and one-half days, Federal ships bombarded the fort on both land and sea face. On the fifteenth, more than 3,300 Union infantry, including the 27th U.S. Colored Troops, assaulted the land face. After several hours of fierce hand-to-hand combat, Federal troops captured the fort that night. The Confederate army evacuated their remaining forts in the Cape Fear area, and within weeks Union forces overran Wilmington. Once Wilmington fell, the supply line of the Confederacy was severed, and the Civil War was soon over (Source).

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[giradman]

Fort Fisher - continued

Not much remains of Fort Fisher - the schematic diagram below shows the 7-shaped fort and the main batteries in January 1865; however, only about 10% of the fort remains (see quote), although the Atlantic beach has walkways w/ plaques, as shown in the third image. The remaining 'photos' from the web are of portions of Fort Fisher back during the end of the Civil War - must have been an impressive structure. Dave

P.S. Image #5 is a 'stereoscopic' view of the previously pic - if you can 'cross your eyes just right' then the image is in stereo - as a radiologist, I learned to do this often, especially w/ stereoscopic views of the skull (of course, no longer needed now w/ head CTs & MRIs).

Fort Fisher is located on the north shore of the Cape Fear River outlet (opposite of Southport). Today, only about 10% of the original Fort Remains. The walk is the combination of two separate loops starting from the parking lot at the Fort Fisher Visitor Center. The 1st loop is basically the guided tour (no cost) that starts from the visitor center. The 2nd loop is a short loop across the highway on a walkway along the revetment (Source).

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[suenc]

Wilmington, North Carolina - Brief Introduction

On Tuesday morning, the skies cleared and the sun came out - should be a good day to tour - first two images below from our hotel room. Wilmington, NC is a port city of historic and current importance - the city is located about 30 miles up the mouth of the Cape Fear River (see map). The early history of the town is quoted below (my synopsis from the link given). Wilmington's Cape Fear Waterfront is beautiful (next two images); also from the link "Its historic downtown has a one-mile-long Riverwalk, originally developed as a tourist attraction, and in 2014 Wilmington's riverfront was named the "Best American Riverfront" by USA Today." - actually the Riverwalk (basically, a Cape Fear River boardwalk) is being extended and portions are under construction - eventual length will be about 2 miles (see the last two images, of just a portion of the walkway w/ Susan relaxing).

Our first activity on this beautiful morning was a boat tour - coming up next. Dave


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One of my favorite places--the waterfront is an instant tranquilizer.