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| Wilmington
& Southport |
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f you want to be in the movies, this may be the town that offers your big break. Those familiar with Wilmington may recognize favorite landmarks when they watch Sleeping With the Enemy, Crimes of the Heart, and Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, among others.
With the largest film production studio east of Hollywood, more than 500 film-related projects have been produced on Cape Fear locations.
Once the largest city in North Carolina, and an early state capital, Wilmington prospered because of its thriving port. Founded in 1732 and named for the English Earl of Wilmington, the city has survived pirates, blockade runners, American Revolutionary War forces, Civil War battles, and WWII enemy submarines off the coast.
Wilmington today is one of the state’s most delightful vacation destinations.
Through diligent preservation efforts, buildings have been restored and maintained, creating one of the largest historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places, encompassing 230 blocks.
Some of these elegant old structures are now bed and breakfasts where you can enjoy these relics from the past as their builders did two centuries ago. In addition, they serve as museums and shopping facilities.
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cross the river from the waterfront, the USS North Carolina, a decorated WWII battleship, considered the high- tech marvel of its time, is permanently moored as a memorial and museum.
The North Carolina Aquarium at Ft. Fisher allows visitors to journey from freshwater rivers and swamps to reefs and the open ocean. A 235,000-gallon tank, with sharks and loggerhead turtles, offers amazing up-close adventures with sea life.
The Ft. Fisher State Historic Site is a Civil War battlefield and museum, showcasing artifacts and featuring an interactive battle map, as well as swords and sabers.
The 42,000 sq. ft. Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum features North Carolinian and American art from the 18th Century to the present - a fantastic visual experience. The new 3,600 sq. ft. art center houses an outdoor classroom, student art gallery, and ceramic kiln area.
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Landlubbers can enjoy 54 parks and gardens,
40 golf courses and many arts and cultural attractions. This is paradise for the festival lover, with more than
85 annual festivals.
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Another attraction is found at the Cape Fear Serpentarium, which features 80 species of scary and fascinating snakes and other creatures from around the world. (It may be your only chance to see a black mamba or a gaboon viper.)
More restful attractions include the beaches of Wrightsville, Kure and Carolina, with 31 miles of beautiful sandy shoreline, and only minutes from downtown Wilmington. At Topsail Island, a quiet family beach just 30 miles north, visitors are welcome at the turtle hospital where endangered loggerheads are nursed back to good health. The affluent come to stay and play at Figure Eight and Bald Head Islands. The area is a fisherman’s dream with 20 marinas, 60 fishing boat charters, deep-sea, pier, surf and bottom fishing, and 12 annual fishing tournaments.
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With the largest film production studio east of Hollywood, more than 500 film-related
projects have been produced on Cape Fear locations.
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There are 54 parks and gardens, 50 golf courses and many arts and cultural attractions to enjoy. This is a virtual paradise for the festival lover, with more than 85 annual festivals. The North Carolina Jazz Festival is held in February, Riverfest in October, and in April, the queen bee of them all – the Azalea Festival, at more than 50 years and still going strong.
For would-be beach bums, the Clean Beaches Council recently released its annual list of beaches certified as “clean and healthy.” Carolina Beach is among the nation’s 49 beaches that met criteria for the certification.
There is plenty to do in this land of beginnings – but best of all, it is a place where you can opt to do nothing and feel good about it.
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Charles Heatherly, is a former North Carolina Director of Tourism, retired N.C. Deputy State Treasurer, freelance writer, and author.
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