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Day Trips

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Many more sightseeing adventures are available within 30-minute drive of the Brunswick Islands.

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 is free. To reach bald head, take the ferry from Indigo Plantation in Southport. A fee is charged to the ferry. For ferry information, call 800-234-1666.

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Southport offers exhibits and artifacts illustrating the nautical history of the lower Cape Fear River area. 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. A small admission fee is charged. The museum is located on Howe Street near the waterfront and is open Tuesday through Saturday. 910-457-0003.

Outside Southport on NC 133, or the ruins of Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson. Founded in 1726, Brunswick Town was burned by the British and 1776. If the state historic site has been excavated, revealing much of the life in the colonial town. The museum displays artifacts gathered from the ruins and explains town life. Guide maps of the town nature trail provided in the Visitors Center the ruins include St. Philip's Church, Russell borough, the home of two Royal governors and the earthen mounds of the Confederate Fort Anderson. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1PM to 5 PM (shorter hours and Monday closing in winter). 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, featured in several movies including Firestarter. Once a working rice plantation, the rice fields are now home to alligators and many unusual species of birds. Open March through November. Admission fee. 910-371-6851.

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. The fort kept the port of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River open to blockade runners, which delivered vital support to the Confederate Army. Fort Fisher saw two major battles before falling to the Union Army in January 1865. 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 which boasts a 20,000 gallon shark aquarium, touch tank, marine life gallery and whale exhibit. Currently undergoing a multi-million dollar addition and renovation, the aquarium will reopen in the spring of 2002.

The short ferry ride from Southport to Fort Fischer 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. During the Civil War, Confederate troops used the lighthouse to communicate with officers at Fort Fischer. It was closed in 1867.

While on the ferry, you’ll also see the cooling towers of the Brunswick Nuclear station. The CP&L Visitors Center here houses more than 30 exhibits on nuclear energy, energy conservation and electricity. Displays include an operating model of the two nuclear power units. Open Tuesday through Thursday from 9am to 4pm and other times by appointment. Free admission. Located off NC 87 two miles north of Southport. 910-457-6041

The open-air ferry between Southport and Fort Fischer accommodates cars, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians, all for very reasonable fees. Crossing time is about 30 minutes. During your ride you’ll be escorted by seagulls (bring bread to feed them) and may get a look at other birds and wildlife well as an ocean-going freighter or fishing vessel. The ferry’s winter schedule is shorter than the summer. Because space is limited, reservations are recommended and you should plan to be in line at the ferry about 30 minutes prior to boarding. Southport office 919-457-6942. Fort Fisher office 919-458-3329.

1-800-BY-FERRY. www.ncferry.org.

A quick ride north on Highway 17 lead to 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, and urine, pilothouse, guns, Kingfisher floatplane and more. Open every day of the year from 8 AM to 8 PM with shorter winter hours.

Admission is 8 dollars for adults and for dollar for children 6 to 11. Call 910-251-5797.
www.battleshipnc.com.

While you're in the area, take a tour of Wilmington's downtown historic district. 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 and other sites around town. Professionals such as Linda Lavin often join local amateurs.

A day trip south to Myrtle Beach provides additional attractions in amusement parks, water parks, theme restaurants, and shopping, Alabama Theater hosts legendary performers such as George Jones, the oak Ridge boys, Lee Greenwood and of course Alabama.

The family will enjoy thrill rides, go-carts and laser tag at the Grand Prix Family Thrill Park just minutes away. Ripley's Aquarium is home to the largest displays sharks in the East Coast, hourly dive shows a marine education attractions.