Chetola Resort greets the holidays with its drive-through tour of the Festival of Lights. The free display includes close to 30,000 lights throughout the resort and around Chetola Lake. In an effort to keep visitors safe this year, Chetola Resort offers visits with Santa and carriage rides to resort guests only on Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28. - a change from the large public gatherings and the traditions of past years. The resort made this change to keep the community safe during Covid-19 and to abide by local health department recommendations.
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North Carolina’s small wonder is packed with big adventures. From attending special events, discovering the island’s natural beauty, competing in exciting tournaments, or simply enjoying spectacular views by the sea, Kure Beach, N.C. is perfect for your next vacation destination. Head east this winter and spring for mild temperatures, off season lodging rates, signature events and miles of beautiful beach.
Live by the Land and Sea
Each year, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher installs a new, one-of-a-kind exhibit for visitors to enjoy. For the first time ever in 2016, visitors had the chance to view animatronic, life-size dinosaurs at the aquarium! While the dinosaurs have packed their bags and headed back to their prehistoric home, you can experience a day in the life of your favorite creatures during every season – the aquarium is open year-round. Reel It In Get your tackle box ready for a fishing frenzy! The late spring through the fall is packed with annual fishing competitions like the Pleasure Island Fall Surf Fishing Challenge, King Mackerel Tournament and Fall Memories Flounder Tournament. Fishing is a popular year-round pastime at Kure Beach, where you can cast a line off the Kure Beach Fishing Pier, fish from the surf or even reserve a fishing charter for an afternoon adventure.
Outdoor Adventure
Jump start your day with the sunrise or unwind with an unforgettable view of the sunset. Get outdoors while exploring Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. Bike the trails, hike through the salt marsh, paddleboard down the coast or simply pack a picnic. Fun in the Sun Throughout 2016, visitors let loose during the Boogie in the Park Concert Series, featuring live music performances, then shopped local at the Kure Beach Open Air Market, filled with handcrafted goods. You can always count on a one-of-a-kind experience at the island’s legendary annual events such as the Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-Off and Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz Festival. Stay Active Find your zen by practicing yoga on the beach, catch a wave while surfing, or embark on a kayak adventure at Zeke’s Island Reserve.
*Assistance for copy and images for this post provided by Wilmington & Beaches CVB*
My ride to Masonboro Island began with a group on a Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours sailboat that meet at the dock in front of the Blockade Runner hotel. Now this comes with fair warning but the parking situation on the street here can be a bit of a hassle. So either carry quarters with you and just play safe or be prepared for the conundrum that ensues trying to pay by card. The meters say you can call a number and pay but you will have to create an account through your phone to be able to pay. God forbid you make a mistake along the way because then you will have to talk to customer service and they cannot help you until your account is created so back you go to calling from the start again. The service leaves from across the Blockade Runner but no you cannot park in their lot. There is a parking lot at the corner before the bridge that takes credit cards but you will have to go park there and then walk about 5-10 minutes to the pier. I know all this because I was the one that delayed my group from taking off while carrying out this very exercise. So just be smart and keep quarters on ya is all. The boat ride itself though was fun. Good company and tour guide always make any experience enjoyable. Captain Joe knew and shared a bunch about the local greenery and animal species. He knew every type of bird species around - its nice to see your tour guide excited about bird sighting every day as they did the first time, the excitement permeated! You can get off on Masonboro to do a guided nature tour and some of the guests with me did that. Masonboro is the longest undisturbed
barrier island ecosystem in southern North Carolina, accessible only by boat. Captain Joe was also happy to share about the local history and ecology of WB. On an another visit I hope to be able to do the Masonboro walking tour as well but I had to head on back to solid ground and get a few more sightseeing venues ticked off my list so off and away I went.
Began the day with a somewhat relaxed lunch at Dockside - another local fave. I was amongst the first to enter but over time I saw quite a few people head on in for brunch, on a weekday! I guess thats the beach lifestyle for ya. Anything by the water in WB offers nice views so this too was fun. I am thinking though the place is probably a hotspot at night for dinner. Their catch of the day was a grouper so I did the grouper sandwich - a hearty option. I thought I was done with coffee but could not resist their chocolate cake and had to get some to go. Right on the water's edge and with a laid-back, rustic atmosphere, this is a great option for a casual no frills eatery. While I was sitting there eating I saw folks come and go cruising in their boats, a few folks being adventurous with their stand up paddles and a couple fishing fanatics as well.
I was told the Bluewater Grill would be a fantastic dinner location so I got there while it was still daylight to be able to see the place transform - and it sure does. They had music, on a Sunday evening! Live band was great, people were dancing, they had a DJ playing tracks - it was the place to be. It was by the water and you could see other businesses and places across the water on the other side, people on their boats docking, quite the nice lifestyle I must say. Dinner was a simple affair for me, just wanted to take in the ambiance. I enjoyed a sesame ginger shrimp on crab fried rice with a nice red wine and finished up with an apple cobbler which was HUGE. I did not finish it really. I loved the energy in the space, sat outside as thats where all the action is. Good music and food always gets folks happy and this evening was no different. A pretty nice meal for my first dinner in WB. If you do visit, I strongly suggest heading out earlier to get in some music and ambience over drinks at the bar. If you have the time and inclination, you might want to check out Motts Seafood Channel - a seafood market open all year round offering fresh fish on ice and carefully curated readings and other condiments.
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