Fort Fisher Part I: State Recreation Area

Thanks to the recommendation of, and outstanding photos taken by fellow CarolinasAdventures member, Skip, we recently traveled to Fort Fisher on aptly named Pleasure Island, located just south of Wilmington, North Carolina. Wedged between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, Fort Fisher offers plenty of beach, but we quickly learned there's more to see on this sliver of land, and we're already making plans to return.

We made three stops during this visit, including one to Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. We pulled into the paved parking lot, and stopped at the Visitors Center to look around. According to NC State Park's website, the rec area has over six miles of beach, which I later learned extends south along a bay called The Basin, clearly seen on Google Maps or Google Earth at 33.952189,-77.941132.

You'll notice a line on the western edge along the Cape Fear seems to enclose The Basin (which includes Zeke's Island and an island called No Name.) From the NC Park's website, I learned this is a long, manmade jetty called "The Rocks", which was built in the late 1800's. To read about its original purpose and history, go to www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/fofi/history.php

Skip mentioned exploring The Basin by kayak. Until we do, we'll have to take the Fort Fisher-Southport ferry to get a closer look at The Basin.

But that's a future visit. On this day, anxious to get out after long months of cold weather, we crossed the boardwalk and strolled down to the beach. While far too chilly to stick our toes in the sand, we did enjoy the sun, the waves, and watching plenty of the rec area's native inhabitants enjoying the beach life:

That alone is worth a return visit. But fortunately, both the Fort Fisher Historical Area and the NC Aquarium Fort Fisher are a short distance from the beach. More on that in upcoming posts.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

Most people think of the Outer Banks as a vacation spot, so many may be surprised to learn portions of the OBX are national wildlife refuges. Currituck NWR is located at the tip of the barrier chain, and in the middle, between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe, you'll find Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. This was our destination a few weeks ago, and you may wonder why given the cold snap North Carolina has been experiencing.

Because it's a great place to see wintering waterfowl!

After donning heavy coats, hats, and gloves, we grabbed our gear and set out on the three-hour drive. One travel option would have been the ferry from Swanquarter to Ocracoke (which would have allowed us to view even more waterfowl), but that particular route comes with a fee, so we traveled east on Highway 64. When we reached Hwy 12 on the OBX, like the birds we sought, we headed south.

From a past attempt to visit the refuge, I knew the visitor's center was located on the right side of the road, just a short distance south of the bridge spanning the Oregon Inlet. It was our first stop, and proved to be our best, for inside we met the Moores, who serve as volunteers for Pea Island. When we walked through the door, they greeted us with voices as warm as the interior of the spacious lobby/gift store, and we spent the next half hour or so talking, listening, and searching for birds they pointed out in the marshy areas of North Pond, located on the sound side of the OBX, through spotting scopes.

During our conversation, I mentioned our ultimate goal for this trip—to find the snow geese that had managed to elude us. With a smile, Neal Moore made us an offer we couldn't refuse: a guided tour to South Pond, just down the road from the visitor's center. By now I'm sure you know what we found:

Snow geese! And of course, Tundra swans:

It wasn't the thousands we'd heard about, but I wasn't complaining. When my fingers could no longer stand the brisk upper-20 temps, we headed back to the visitor's center, where we attempted to walk the North Pond Wildlife Trail, one of the many Charles Kuralt trails we've encountered in eastern NC. I had my eye on an observation platform visible from the visitor's center, and we hit the boardwalk, passing under a low canopy of tangled tree branches before cold air turned us around:

I later learned there are two trails at the refuge. The North Pond Trail, and Salt Flats, on the northern tip of North Pond. Pea Island is an excellent birding area, and the refuge has accommodated visitors while providing shelter for birds who need rest during their long journey south.

Pea Island NWR has over 5,800 acres (not counting water) on a stretch of land twelve miles long. In addition to playing host to migrating waterfowl, Pea Island sees its share of nesting sea turtles in the spring and summer. Oddly, it's also home to the Oriental, a steamer that sank off the shores of the OBX in 1862. Another gentleman at the visitor's center pointed us to a brochure that tells the story of the ship that fell prey to North Carolina's Graveyard of the Atlantic, and invited us to cross the street and traverse the dune to see the boiler which is still visible in the choppy waters. We declined on this trip, but as always, we have an excuse to return.

For more information on Pea Island, go to www.fws.gov/peaisland/ And if you're heading that way, don't forget to take your camera, binoculars, and plenty of warm clothes. A thermos of hot apple cider wouldn't hurt, either.

Our thanks to the Moores, especially Neal Moore, for serving as our guide on this trip.

Topsail Beach

Topsail Beach (pronounced Tops'l by the locals) is located on North Carolina's coast at the southern tip of Topsail Island, below North Topsail and Surf City. It's a great place to visit, not only because the atmosphere is laid back and friendly, but because, located at the southern-most tip at the confluence of the sound and the Atlantic Ocean, is a long stretch of quiet, pristine shore, much of which is reserved for nesting wildlife.

I can't top that in words, so I'll show you in pictures:

THE TOWN:

Maritime forest coat lots and dunes around the island, protecting it from surges and storms:

Sand, brush, and Sun Blankets (wildflowers) occupy empty lots. I'm told past hurricanes have destroyed the buildings that once stood here.

But the vacant lots give the island an open feel. We stopped to take pictures several times, earning the attention of local law enforcement personnel. This happens more often than I care to admit. I just smile (for I'm fond of law enforcement personnel, and don't blame them for protecting their hometown) and show them the camera.

Topsail Beach is the home of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, which I covered in a post of that name:

The blue tanks are temporary homes for sea turtles recovering from injury or illness. One of these days, I hope we'll get to witness a patient's release:

Sun Blankets (aka Indian Blankets) grow on some of the dunes, stabilizing them:

THE BEACH:

Topsail has a great beach, and it stretches for what has to be a couple of miles. Below is the pier-which we've managed to overlook on all our visits:

Other beach scenes:


There should be a sign: Warning--Beaches are Patrolled at All Times!


Look closely along the horizon, you'll see the pier:

I took this shot for my blog banner:

This is the northern edge of the southern tip of Topsail Beach, where the pristine part begins:


The pier can barely be seen at this point. We're at least a mile away by now, if not further:

Kell poses for scale. Beyond him is the watery confluence:



Overall, a great place to kick back and relax.

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Carolina Beach and Carolina Beach State Park, NC

Because North Carolina is a coastal state, one expects to find beaches along its soggy border. And boy does NC have them--a lot of them. In addition to exploring the sands of the Outer Banks, we've visited three beaches near Wilmington this past year. And to our surprise, though close in proximity, each has a distinct culture and pace.

With its pristine beaches and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, Topsail Beach, which we've visited three times and have yet to write about, appears more family oriented (though I'm told they've had issues in the past with nude sunbathers. Before I recommend it as a family destination, I'll check on the status of that issue.) Wrightsville Beach has more of an upscale feel.

Carolina Beach, located on the hang-nail of a peninsula just south of Wilmington, is a throwback to the beaches of old. Think Coney Island. A boardwalk--actually a wide sidewalk--runs between two strips of clothing stores, sweets shops, and other beachy-type businesses, to a small amusement park complete with Ferris wheel. From there, you can either cross the real boardwalk to a shady pavilion to catch the breeze (my choice!) or head to the sand and waves.

Note: Included at the boardwalk are at least two prominently located bars. A dichotomy in light of the nearby kiddie rides, but we've yet to visit Carolina Beach in the evening to see if a bit of Myrtle Beach's pollen has taken root in this state. During the day, the place is great, so feel free to do your own research! And I suggest you start on a Sunday- or Thursday night.

Each Thursday, head to the beach, and when the sun packs up and heads home, finish out the day with a colorful explosion of fireworks. And on Sundays, movies are shown at nearby Carolina Beach Lake.

I see Goonies is playing on August 16th. Hmm, guess where I'll be that evening.

Also spotted at Carolina Beach: a marina with two large ships just waiting to take passengers on a day or dinner cruise, and several fishing boats resting after early morning charters. You have no idea how long I had to wait while my husband collected brochures from each of those slips.

Hikers, nature- and shade-lovers, take heart. Just northwest of the boardwalk sits Carolina in Beach State Park. In addition to hiking trails, one can find pitcher plants, among other coastal species, and several species of birds. We couldn't tackle the trails on this visit, since it happened to coincide with the hottest day of the year, but we plan to return.

Outer Banks: An Overview

I've been procrastinating.

For months now, I've put off sharing a destination we first visited in December of last year and again this past May. Part of my problem has been determining the scope of what I should discuss. Our first trip to the Outer Banks (henceforth referred to as the OBX) encompassed the outskirts of Nags Head to Salvo and the second, from Kitty Hawk to Ocracoke. That's a lot of ground to cover. A lot of dunes, concurrent views of sound and sea. A lot of natural habitats to explore, outdoor recreation to draw your attention to, and oh, well you get the picture. Though harrowingly narrow in some places, the OBX is a lot of everything.

So I didn't cover anything.

But the time has come, so, after twittling with words for a couple of days, I've decided--like so many of our trips--to take off and see where we end up.

The Outer Banks

It wasn't our intent last winter to visit this North Carolina treasure. Our original goal was Edenton and Roanoke Island, but on our way to the second stop, a sign informed us Nags Head was a mere twenty miles away. How could we pass it up? So passing up the many attractions awaiting us at the site of the famous Lost Colony, we drove to the eastern edge of the United States and turned right. And to our delight, we were on the Outer Banks.

I'd heard about the OBX, but I knew little beyond what people had told me, that it's a great outdoor destination. If you look at a map of North Carolina, it's the sharp edge, the lip liner if you will, along the NC coast that juts to a point before scooping back to the mainland. Since our visit, I've learned it's more than that and I feel wholly inadequate to cover this fragile ecosystem/tourist destination. You'll understand why as you read.

The chain of islands known as the OBX begins around the Virginia/NC border, but I'm having trouble determining where it ends. Some sources say Ocracoke. Others include as far south as Bogue Banks. Personally, I include the entire archipelago from the Virginia border to Shackleford Island since I cannot see a difference between the northern section and the southern. NC may revoke my citizenship for that, but sorry, it's all breathtakingly beautiful to me.

Once on the OBX, one of the first things that struck me was the width. Though 175 miles long according to Encyclopedia.com (another source says 200 mi, see dispute listed above), it's narrow, earning it the nickname "Ribbon of Sand". Encyclopedia.com places the width at one mile or less and indeed, in some places, we saw both sound and ocean in the same glance:

See the touch of water on the upper right of the photo?

Since our first visit, I've learned more about the OBX (though not nearly enough.) First from a PBS documentary titled Ribbon of Sand, and then from various sources such as my copy of Coastal North Carolina: Its Enchanting Islands, Towns, and Communities. Enough to form a decent overview. Unfortunately, it's complicated, but I'll try to explain.

Think of long, thin islands, stretched in a line and joined together by bridges in some places, and by ferries in others.1 On the west side lay wide sounds. On the east, the Atlantic Ocean, and along some of its edges, swirling sandbars (shoals) visible on satellite photos but not to approaching ships. Traveling down Hwy 12 alongside tall dunes and under a sphere of blue sky gives you a feeling of freedom. You open the car window and take in the breeze and the view of herons walking dapperly in shallow waters.

You reach Rodanthe (ro-danth-ee, yes of Nicholas Sparks fame), see dozens of three story beach houses and you want to stay, but you travel on to Hatteras where you're delighted by the spiral banded lighthouse stretching regally into the sky and by boats drizzling through the water. You sit on the beach, hidden from civilization by an undisturbed dune and lay back in the sand, releasing a sigh of contentment. After a ferry ride to Ocracoke, Blackbeard's headquarters and the place of his infamous demise, you dine on local seafood, listening to tales of the pirate's ghost and wonder why you ever competed in the rat race.

That's one side of the OBX. Another is the dynamic, fragile environment. The ever-shifting coastline that's slowly eroding from waves, hurricanes, and development, which forced conservators to move the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse further inland.

The OBX has an extensive estuary system and such, hosts migratory birds. But it's also home to thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on tourism. Because of its compact width, man and nature must live together, and often, the needs of one clashes with the other. This past summer, authorities closed off several areas along the OBX because endangered birds were nesting, thus endangering businesses already hurting from high gas prices.

Saving one's job versus putting a near extinct bird in the air. Tough call. One I couldn't make.

There's more. Oh so much more. But I hope this gives you an adequate glimpse of the Outer Banks, its fragility, and its must-see beauty. In my next post, I'll discuss the lighthouses we saw this past year. The rest I'll have to cover in posts as we're able to return for additional visits. But I doubt I'll master all things OBX, there's too much to learn.

But I'll try.

For now, if you'd like more information on the OBX, go to http://www.outerbanks.org/

Also, check out UNC's book, Ribbon of Sand.

Post Script:

If you decide to travel to the Outer Banks, for land's sake, read my post on the Ferry schedule before you go. It may keep you from getting stuck on Ocracoke Island overnight and spending the night with a few OBX ghosts!
1. Coastal North Carolina: Its Enchanting Islands, Towns, and Communities (Pineapple Press) Pg 1