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Things to do in Sunset Beach
Things to do in Calabash
Little River and North Myrtle Beach
Outlet Malls
North and East of Sunset Beach
(Shallotte, Wilmington, Southport)
Art Galleries
At Sunset Beach
1. Go to the beach end of the walkway nearest you and look at the post
that has the signs on it. There may be taped notices of the walks to
Bird Island. If not, look at the Gazebo (end of the paved parking area
next to the pier). Bird Island is the last underdeveloped barrier
island in North Carolina. Knowledgeable locals escort a walking group
from the west end of Sunset and tell about the flora, fauna, and beach
accretion/erosion patterns. These walks are usually very interesting.
This is usually done
relatively early in the morning.
If that's too early or too organized, you can walk to Bird Island, and
then all the way to the South Carolina line by yourself. Bird Island is
presently connected to Sunset since Madd Inlet is now closed. On Bird
Island at the top of a dune is a mailbox labeled Kindred Spirit. Many
people will stop at the mailboxand leave their thoughts and prayers in
the notebook.
2. Local Dining: Twin Lakes Seafood Restaurant http://www.twinlakesseafood.com/,
Crabby Oddwater's, all
fresh seafood, both right of the bridge access. La Cucina Italian
Restaurant behind the Food Lion.
3. Eating in: Go to Bill's Seafood (under Crabby Oddwater's) on 179
just
right of the bridge access. Select from whatever varieties are in the
fish case at the back of the store. (There is more of everything in the
walk in cooler, so don't worry about the quantity in the case.) You can
buy a cookbook there or ask one of the workers how to fix your
selection. Bill's also has a carry-out grill next to the fish case.
Don’t forget to pick up a key lime pie and shrimp bisque from the
cooler near the cash register.
4. Ingram Planetarium http://www.ingramplanetarium.org/
- on the left just before you get to the Food Lion
on
179 (going towards Shallotte). Hours are 3:00pm to 9:00pm
Tuesday-Saturday. Summer shows hourly 2-7pm.
Admission: $8 adults, $6 kids 16 and under. 910-575-0033.
5. Sunset Trading Company. Best 'Sunset Beach' T-shirts and tchotchkes.
Also really good fudge. On the island near the motel.
6. Island Grocery. What you forgot or run out of when you don't want to
go
all the way to Food Lion or Lowe's. Also, deli meats and cheese, they
make deli sandwiches and serve ice cream.
7. Bicycle. Bring your bikes or rent them http://www.juliesrentals.com.
You can
bicycle to South Carolina and the Little River Inlet on the beach, or
almost to Ocean Isle (Tubbs Inlet). We
recommend doing so from halfway to low tide to halfway to high tide to
be sure of having enough dry hard sand to make bicycling easy.
During high season you will have competition for the strand
particularly near the pier. You can bicycle around the island
on the streets, or go over the bridge (which has bicycle/pedestrian
lanes) to bicycle in the area if you are more ambitious.
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South and West
of Sunset
Beach
Calabash
(As you leave Sunset, turn right off the bridge and follow
179. Left at the light at the where 179 turns and you'll be there in no
time. Travel time 10-15 minutes.)
1.
Callahan's gift shop, at the traffic light in Calabash. http://www.callahansgifts.com/
Best overall
selection of T-shirts, large Christmas shop and miscellaneous
souvenirs. All of the South Brunswick beaches are represented on the
tee shirts,
and are generally grouped by the beach.
2.
Restaurants: The classic Calabash style, fresh seafood and hushpuppies.
Try Ella's, Becks, and Calabash Seafood Hut. Also,
for a more modern take, try Boundary House. See our restaurants page for
additional recommendations.
3. Shopping: The Calabash Low Country Stores. The Victoria's Ragpatch
Shopping area for upscale shopping including a children's clothing
store. Both of the shopping areas are on 179 past the light.
Little
River (Continue on 179 to the light at US 17. Turn left.
Within
5 minutes you're in Little River.
1. There are some very good restaurants
in Little River, including Captain Juel's Hurricane on the waterfront
(which has its ups and downs, but the view is always great.) Turn left
to the waterfront at the light in Little River. There are signs. http://www.captjuelshurricane.com/
2. Barefoot Landing (Continue South on US 17 a good half an hour away
from
Sunset Beach). Shopping, entertainment, food, House of Blues
and sometimes boat tours. http://www.bflanding.com/
3. Live Theaters Carolina Jubilee, Medieval Times, Palace
Theater (in Myrtle Beach off 17) - Family dinner theater houses and
stages, look at all the beach adverting books to see if you'd enjoy
these shows.
4. Broadway at the Beach: somewhat upscale entertainment area, on the
right, almost to US 501. Includes the Myrtle Beach Hard Rock Café and
Planet Hollywood.
Again
look at the freebie magazines for info.
http://www.broadwayatthebeach.com/
Outlet
shopping:
Two Tanger Outlet Malls:
1. Go South on 17 to SR 9
in South Carolina, then look for SC State Road 31. Right
access. SR 22
Exit will take you King’s Highway, the outlet mall is at the end of the
King’s Highway exit. http://www.tangeroutlet.com/myrtlebeach17
2. Go
down SC State Road 31, exit to US 501 toward Conway, the outlet center
is on the right. http://www.tangeroutlet.com/myrtlebeach501
Myrtle Beach.
Go to Ocean Boulevard. Shop at the Gay Dolphin. See Ripley's Believe it
or Not Museum.
Back to home page
North
and East of Sunset Beach.
When you leave the island, go left on Business 179. (This will take you
to Seaside which is a part of Sunset Beach) The first traffic light is
at 904 and 179.
1.
Just before the traffic light turn left for the Food Lion (groceries)
and turn left at the lights for the Sunset Beach Post Office. Also at
this intersection is a CVS and Walgreen's.
2. Continue past Post Office all the way to US 17. Turn right
(North) on
US 17 to the next exit. You will see the North Carolina Welcome Center
on your right at the NC 130 exit. Stop here for maps and brochures on
the other items on this list.
3. Continue on 904 across US 17 and follow signs to Silver Coast
Winery. Tastings and events. http://www.silvercoastwinery.com/
3. Past the light at 904 and 179, on 179 on the right is Big Nell's Pit
Stop. If you like NC style barbeque, this is pretty good and folksy.
Open lunch and dinner. Big Nell is a NASCAR fan.
4. The 2nd light on 179 past 904 is the turn for Ocean Isle. You
might
want to go there just to see how other Brunswick County beaches look.
5. The Museum of the Coastal Carolinas. This facility will teach a
great
deal about Coastal life (and wildlife), without making it seem like
you're going to school. Call for information: 910-579-1016. http://www.museumofcc.org/
Next down 179 is Shallotte.
There is a Wal-Mart, Belk's (a department
store) and Home Depot on Business 17(Main Street) at the Holden Beach
Road traffic light. Also Coastal Cinemas on 130 near the Lowe's Home
Improvement Store. There is also a Lowe's Foods. Turn right at
the light at Home Depot (Smith Street), this will take you to Holden
Beach Road and you will (eventually) get to
Holden Beach.
Very different from both Sunset and Ocean Isle.
Continue on through town on Business 17 and you will get back to US 17
north of Shallotte. At Supply you will see signs saying "ferry this
way." Turn right and follow the signs to the ferry. Call 1-800-BYFERRY
for the schedule. Plan to leave the beach at least one hour before the
departure time. Take the ferry ($5.00 per car) to Southport and Fort
Fisher, http://www.ncferry.org.
Runs about every 45 minutes. Half hour
crossing.
1. CP&L Visitors Center on NC 87 2 miles north of Southport.
Admission is free. (910) 457-6041 Open year round Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday 9am to 4pm. Brunswick Nuclear Plant. Various displays
about energy generation and conservation.
2. You can also follow the signs
at supply to Southport and then follow the signs to Bald Head Island.
This is reachable only by ferry, which is $15 per person but
$8 for children. http://www.ncferry.org
for fares and
schedules. You can view the Old Baldy Lighthouse and even
climb to the top for no additional charge. Open 7am to 8pm. On the
island you can rent a golf cart for a tour. There are no cars on the
island.
3. Fort Fisher Aquarium is the first right after you get off the ferry
(North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Admission $8 for adults, $7
for seniors and $6 for children. Information 910-458-8257.
This is an aquarium with the aquatic life of
coastal Carolinas. Unlike the museum at Ocean Isle, this is real water
and real animals. http://www.ncaquariums.com/
3. As you leave the
Aquarium go North on the US Highway. You will soon come to the Fort
Fisher historic site. Go in the parking lot to the left of the road.
There is a visitor's center with a narrated movie and a museum about
the civil war. Very interesting and it's all free. After you see that,
you can go out and tour what is left of the fortifications of Fort
Fisher. They have done some restoration, so it is interesting. Expect
to spend most of the day doing the tour via the Fort Fisher Ferry. http://www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/
4. Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson. Earthworks are a confederate civil war
strong hold. 10am to 4pm. No charge for admission. http://www.nchistoricsites.org/brunswic/
5. Continue North to Wilmington,
then follow the signs to get back to US
17 and South to get back to Sunset Beach.
If instead you just go up to Wilmington on US 17, just before you get
to Wilmington proper, there are signs to direct you to the Battleship
North Carolina. This is very interesting and worth seeing. I'm not sure
how good it would be for young children and claustrophobic. $12 for
adults, $6 for children ages 6-11, daily 8am to 8pm. http://www.battleshipnc.com/
There are a number of interesting things to do in Wilmington. There are
some old (Revolutionary War) houses to tour (Historic Wilmington tour
http://www.historicwilmington.org
), plus the old Cotton Exchange which
is now a shopping area. Literature at the North Carolina Welcome Center
in Shallotte.
6. Orton Plantation, including its gardens, is presently closed to the public. Like the
Southport ferry, this is something you want to do as a day trip as it
involves a drive and then a tour of the grounds. It's best seen in the
Spring during the Azalea season, but there are other gardens, too.
Again, pick up flyers at the Welcome Center. There is a view from the
plantation gardens of the Cape Fear River, that makes wonder why anyone
would ever take up residence here. Nothing but salt marsh and myrtle.
$9 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $3 for children. Plantation house
built c. 1725 can be viewed from the outside, but is a private
residence and cannot be toured. http://www.ortonplantation.com/
7. North Carolina Maritime Museum. At Southport regarding the maritime
history of
the Cape Fear Region. $2 for adults and $1 for senior citizens,
children under 16 free. 9am to 5pm Tuesday-Saturday. http://www.ncmaritime.org/branches/southport_default.htm
Art
Galleries
1. Sunset River: Calabash on the south side of NCI 79. Wide variety of
local artists. http://www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com/
2. Blue Heron Gallery: Sunset Beach behind Food Lion. 1780-10A
Chandlers
Lane, 575-5088. 10-6
M-F, 10-5 Saturday. http://www.blueherongallery-nc.com/
3.
Butterfly Gardens: 947 Bricklanding Road SW (NC 179) 9-5 Monday-
Saturday, "some Sundays." (this information could not be confirmed in
2010)
Last updated December 22, 2010