Carolina Shore - Ocean, Seafood, History & More!

[suenc]

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


Relaxing boat ride with scenery we hadn’t seen before.



.
View attachment 74734 View attachment 74735 View attachment 74736 View attachment 74737 View attachment 74738 View attachment 74739 View attachment 74740 View attachment 74741 View attachment 74742 View attachment 74743 View attachment 74744 View attachment 74745

 

[suenc]

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

.
View attachment 74765 View attachment 74766 View attachment 74767 View attachment 74768

Impressive, but my geriatric knees don’t like climbing all those stairs.

 

[suenc]

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).


.
View attachment 74807 View attachment 74808 View attachment 74809 View attachment 74810 View attachment 74811 View attachment 74812 View attachment 74813 View attachment 74814 View attachment 74815

Boom! I’m definitely the Civil War buff that giradman is, but I enjoyed the walkway around the property.

 

[suenc]

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
.
View attachment 74769 View attachment 74770 View attachment 74771 View attachment 74772 View attachment 74773

Best shellfish we’ve had in a long time. Really fresh--unlike most of the seafood in central NC (us) which is hit or miss.

 

[suenc]

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

.
View attachment 74778 View attachment 74779 View attachment 74780 View attachment 74781 View attachment 74782 View attachment 74783 View attachment 74784 View attachment 74785 View attachment 74786 View attachment 74787 View attachment 74788 View attachment 74789 View attachment 74790 View attachment 74791

Well designed aquarium. The dinosaurs were a welcome surprise.

 

[giradman]

WELL - Susan seems to have enjoyed our trip! The food was excellent - we had oysters every day! The weather nice and scenery superb as expected - might go back next spring when the trees and flowers are in bloom and explore the 'historic district' more? Dave

 

[giradman]

Coffin Point Plantation and Lane of Oaks - New Photo Ordered!

David Shipper's photograph of the month is entitled Coffin Point Plantation - a few days ago, I posted his last month's choice Lovely Bones which I framed (check out the pictures thread). Just ordered the newest offering (first pic below) and plan to make another frame w/ quarter-sawn white oak since the trees are 'live oaks' w/ plenty of Spanish moss (pic of another framed print using white oak, so will look similar). But the reason for extending this thread is that the planation is on the sea island of St. Helena which is near Beaufort, South Carolina (see the aerial map).

Coffin Point Planation is described briefly below in the quote (from the link) and is famous for a half mile of oaks leading up to the house - from other searching, the property despite being on the National Registry is owned privately - no tour hours are listed. Another nearby attraction is Hunting Beach State Park - couple pics of the park w/ the ever present dead trees on the beach and a beautiful lighthouse. Susan & I have not been to Beaufort, SC in a while and have never explored the nearby barrier islands - must correct that soon!

Unfortunately, Hurricane Matthew last fall devastated the barrier islands of South Carolina, including St. Helena - second quote below a description of the early status of Hunting Beach State Park. Another story HERE about the damage on St. Helena island, location of the Coffin Plantation - both of these links have dramatic videos, if interested. Dave

Coffin Point Plantation, is a historic plantation house located in the Frogmore area of Beaufort County, South Carolina, USA, was once a prosperous Sea Island plantation. It is estimated that the home was built around 1801, and like many early 19th century homes in the area, features a tabby foundation. One of the homes more striking features is the one-half mile avenue of oaks that leads to the home. The first resident of the home, Ebenezer Coffin, was born in Boston in 1763, eventually moved to South Carolina and then settled at Coffin Point.

Devastation is everywhere. Trees were toppled. Several of them smashed through public restrooms and the park store. Storm surge obliterated dunes near the campground and destroyed toilets and showers. It will be months before the public again has full access to Hunting Island State Park, one of South Carolina’s most popular. “In the meantime, it’s heartbreaking to see,” said S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism director Duane Parrish, who toured the park Friday with the help of a red Honda all-terrain vehicle (Source).

.

 

[twerppoet]

Georgia, not SC, but the sentiment seems to fit. Besides, us west coaster can barely tell the difference.

GLOOMS of the live-oaks, beautiful-braided and woven
With intricate shades of the vines that myriad-cloven
Clamber the forks of the multiform boughs,—
--- Sidnely Laner

809. The Marshes of Glynn. Sidney Lanier. 1909-14. English Poetry III: From Tennyson to Whitman. The Harvard Classics

 

[giradman]

Georgia, not SC, but the sentiment seems to fit. Besides, us west coaster can barely tell the difference.

809. The Marshes of Glynn. Sidney Lanier. 1909-14. English Poetry III: From Tennyson to Whitman. The Harvard Classics

Hi TP - yep, you brought up Sidney Lanier in my Georgia coastal travelogue (about HERE) - we crossed the bridge named after him a number of times - gorgeous view from the middle. Dave

 

[giradman]

Wrightsville Beach - Return Trip - New Rental Place - October 2017

Susan & I are back in Wilmington, NC and again staying on Wrightsville Beach (an annual or biannual trip for us, usually in the spring or fall - just a 4-hr drive from home). Instead of staying at our usual place, i.e. the Holiday Inn, we decided on a spacious oceanfront condo called Station One - we are up on the 8th floor w/ beautiful views from our rooms and the balcony of the ocean and of the inland waterways from just outside the door entrance (pics below a combo from the web and my own, the latter ones).

Tonight we ate at a perennial favorite, the Boca Bay Restaurant - three oyster options were available, i.e. James River from Virginia and two locally from coastal North Carolina, so we split a dozen of the latter two which were simply delicious - I had the grilled swordfish special for the night and Susan the shrimp & grits (one of her favs) - they also serve sushi, SO plenty of options for those who may be visiting the area. We will be repeating some of our previous activities discussed earlier in this thread, weather permitting - will take pics and post, especially of new or different experiences. As usual, listening to the ocean as I type - Dave
.

 

[scifan57]

Wrightsville Beach - Return Trip - New Rental Place - October 2017

Susan & I are back in Wilmington, NC and again staying on Wrightsville Beach (an annual or biannual trip for us, usually in the spring or fall - just a 4-hr drive from home). Instead of staying at our usual place, i.e. the Holiday Inn, we decided on a spacious oceanfront condo called Station One - we are up on the 8th floor w/ beautiful views from our rooms and the balcony of the ocean and of the inland waterways from just outside the door entrance (pics below a combo from the web and my own, the latter ones).

Tonight we ate at a perennial favorite, the Boca Bay Restaurant - three oyster options were available, i.e. James River from Virginia and two locally from coastal North Carolina, so we split a dozen of the latter two which were simply delicious - I had the grilled swordfish special for the night and Susan the shrimp & grits (one of her favs) - they also serve sushi, SO plenty of options for those who may be visiting the area. We will be repeating some of our previous activities discussed earlier in this thread, weather permitting - will take pics and post, especially of new or different experiences. As usual, listening to the ocean as I type - Dave
.
View attachment 79872 View attachment 79873 View attachment 79874 View attachment 79875 View attachment 79876 View attachment 79877 View attachment 79878 View attachment 79879 View attachment 79880 View attachment 79881 View attachment 79882 View attachment 79883

Thanks for another excellent installment. The views are great.

 

[giradman]

Morning Walk - Three Mile Loop

The condo building does not have a finesse center, so several pleasant options are a walk around the 'center' of the island or a long walk on the beach - this morning, I decided on doing the so-called 'loop' which was about 3 miles according to my pedometer - map below shows my 'path' - first heading north toward Johnnie Mercer's Pier (partly on the beach), then west crossing the HW74 bridge over Banks Channel, passing wetlands/park area/local government buildings, then east over the HW76 bridge and back to the condo. The sidewalks over the bridges have guard bars and are commonly used by walkers, runners, and stationary fishermen (one below w/ a fish).

Except for a few, the pics are all mine showing several nice houses, views of both sides of Banks Channel, the Pier, the local historic museum (small but comprehensive on the island's history), the 'wetlands' in the center (some kayakers in one image), and a small 'farmers market' in the park area. Pleasant walk w/ a variety of lovely sights, the ocean, and the inland waterways and islands. Dave
.

 

[scifan57]

Morning Walk - Three Mile Loop

The condo building does not have a finesse center, so several pleasant options are a walk around the 'center' of the island or a long walk on the beach - this morning, I decided on doing the so-called 'loop' which was about 3 miles according to my pedometer - map below shows my 'path' - first heading north toward Johnnie Mercer's Pier (partly on the beach), then west crossing the HW74 bridge over Banks Channel, passing wetlands/park area/local government buildings, then east over the HW76 bridge and back to the condo. The sidewalks over the bridges have guard bars and are commonly used by walkers, runners, and stationary fishermen (one below w/ a fish).

Except for a few, the pics are all mine showing several nice houses, views of both sides of Banks Channel, the Pier, the local historic museum (small but comprehensive on the island's history), the 'wetlands' in the center (some kayakers in one image), and a small 'farmers market' in the park area. Pleasant walk w/ a variety of lovely sights, the ocean, and the inland waterways and islands. Dave
.
View attachment 79908 View attachment 79909 View attachment 79912 View attachment 79913 View attachment 79914 View attachment 79915 View attachment 79916 View attachment 79917 View attachment 79918 View attachment 79919 View attachment 79920 View attachment 79921 View attachment 79922 View attachment 79923 View attachment 79924 View attachment 79925 View attachment 79926 View attachment 79927

An interesting walk with lots to see along the way.

 

[giradman]

An interesting walk with lots to see along the way.

Hi SciFan.. - thanks again for looking at my travelogues - the 'loop' is a popular route on Wrightsville Beach w/ plenty of people walking or running - I assume many live on the island, a popular nearby 'bedroom community' for those having jobs in Wilmington. Yesterday afternoon, we returned to Airlie Gardens, which will be the next post. Dave

 

[giradman]

Airlie Gardens - Afternoon Visit After My Walk

Airlie Gardens is just a few minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge off Wrightsville Beach, so about a 10 minute drive for us. We love to visit every other year and there are earlier posts w/ plenty of pics in this thread, but yesterday I took a bunch more w/ some new images. A little history quoted below (from link - much more there).

One of my favorite parts of the walk is seeing the magnificent live oaks - the so-called Airlie Oak is thought to be over 400 years old (probably a youngster when Jamestown was established in 1607?). The Bradley Creek Pier is another favorite w/ plenty of explanatory signs discussing the tidal creek and the flora and fauna - this time an egret was wading. There are many other sites and gardens to view - another highlight this trip is Susan's new friend on the bench below, and the yellow-bellied sliders are always a joy to see sunning on the log. Dave

The property known as Airlie was part of the 640 acre land grant from King George II to the Ogden brothers in 1736. By the 1790’s, the land had been transferred to Joshua Grainger Wright who held much of the original acreage. First developed as a garden by Mrs. Sarah Jones, wife of Mr. Pembroke Jones (a Wright relative) and later owned by the Corbett family, Airlie’s landscape has been an important local landmark for over a century. Sarah and Pembroke Jones were wealthy industrialists noted for their lavish entertaining and the genesis of the popular saying, keeping up with the Joneses. The Corbett family purchased the property in 1946. They were local business owners with strong ties to the community. The property was kept as a garden close to the way it had been developed originally. The Corbett’s would open it to the public several seasons throughout the year, the spring in particular, for the azaleas.

.