Bald Head Lighthouse
December 27, 2011 by gary
Filed under Attractions
For nearly 200 years, North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse, Old Baldy, has marked the mouth of the historic Cape Fear River. Today, thousands of visitors make the exciting journey each year to beautiful Bald Head Island to learn about the island’s rich maritime past at the Smith Island Museum of History and experience Old Baldy up close – including the climb to the top for a breathtaking view of the surrounding area’s outstanding natural beauty!
For centuries, even before lighthouses, mariners navigated into the Cape Fear River looking for the “bald head.” They used the landmark to find the river channel.
According to Bald Head Island’s historic tour director, Susan Grantier, said the bald head has less to do with the anatomical feature and more to do with sand.
“The head of an island is your highest point – Hilton Head, Diamond Head – and in this case it was a significant sand dune right at the mouth of the river,” said Grantier.
Just as necessary then, as it is now, a marker was essential at the mouth of the cape fear to keep ocean vessels from being marooned on the shoals below.
Today, sailors use GPS and the Oak Island Light House, but in 1794 the Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and the Second U.S.Congress commissioned $4,000 for the construction of a lighthouse atop the bald head dune.
The placement proved to be a mistake, as the dune eroded quickly, and the lighthouse was torn down.
Even though the bald head dune eroded away, the name stuck.
Many of the bricks from the first Bald Head Lighthouse were re-used later for another lighthouse that kept sailors out of the dark for more than 100 years.
The lighthouse was deactivated in 1935, but still offers visitors a panoramic view of the mouth of the Cape Fear and the surrounding homes and golf course that were built in the early 1980′s.
While the area may be more modern than it was, the Village of Bald Head is one of the only places in the United states where gas powered cars aren’t allowed – only bikes, golf carts, and of course boats.
The Oak Island Lighthouse
December 27, 2011 by gary
Filed under Attractions
The Oak Island Lighthouse was completed in 1958. It was once the second brightest light in the world. The total cost of construction was $110,000.00 (it would be millions of dollars today!).
The lights are 169 feet above the water. The structure is 148 feet tall, but it stands on a slight hill.
There is no spiral staircase as are found in most older lighthouses, but instead there is a series of ships ladders with a total of 131 steps to the lantern gallery level.
The base is set upon 24 concrete-filled steel pilings 10 3/4 inches in diameter and 67 feet deep. The pilings are capped by a 30 foot wide by 3 foot deep octagonal concrete base upon which the tower structure was built.
The main tower is 128 feet tall, built of monolithic reinforced concrete. It was poured continuously into a movable form that was raised by jacks at the rate of one foot per hour.
To accomplish this task a concrete mixing plant was set up on the site to allow for the continuous 24 hour a day operation for days.
The tower has a uniform inside diameter of 16 feet 4 3/4 inches. The wall is 8 inches thick, and the three stripe color pattern is permanently cast into the concrete.
To establish a color for each section the first forty feet is the natural gray of Portland cement. The next fifty feet was poured with white Portland cement and white quartz aggregate for the white color. The top fifty two feet is gray Portland cement with black coloring.
The smaller diameter concrete section at the top was formed with stationary metal forms after the top floor was poured. Windows in the tower were constructed of stainless steel but sashes have been replace with vinyl.
The 11 foot tall aluminum lantern housing was installed by Marine Corps helicopters. Total height of the structure above the foundation slab is 153 feet.
The characteristic flashing pattern for the light is four one-second flashes every 10 seconds.
The lighting apparatus in the Oak Island Lighthouse is made up of 8 aero beacon lighting fixtures, 4 on top and 4 on the bottom.
When first activated in 1958, the lower bank used carbon-arc mercury lamps in 36-inch reflectors. These reflectors with their housings were adapted from aircraft spotlights used in World War II.
When these lamps were in use the Oak Island light was the second brightest in the world. When the upper bank of lights, comprising of 24 inch theatrical lights and 1,000 watt Quartz lamps became the primary beacon and the bottom were decommissioned, it lost that distinction!
Today the brightest light along this part of the Atlantic coast is the Sullivan’s Island Light near Charleston, South Carolina which was erected in 1962.
Free tours are given on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM till 2 PM starting on the Wednesday before Memorial Day until the Wednesday After Labor Day. Tours are to the 2nd level ONLY.
· Weekly seasonal tours are only to the 2nd level of the tower, NOT to the observation balcony at the top!
· Children MUST be 7 years or older to enter the lighthouse due to government safety regulations.
· No more than 15 visitors will be allowed inside the tower at any time.
· Visitors are requested not to wear flip-flops, high heels, open-toed or hard leather heels/soles. Sneakers are the preferred shoes.
· Climbers are required to have both hands free for climbing due to the steepness of our steps. No exceptions will be made!
· Weather permitting (visitors are not allowed in the lighthouse if there is lightning in the area)
· There are no Restroom facilities on site
· All tours are free of charge
Sharkys Is Food & Fun!
Sharky’s Waterfront Restaurant does fried shrimps, panko crusted shrimps, Read more
Brunswickland Realty
A great way to experience Holden Beach, a true gem of North Carolina’s barrier islands, is in one of Brunswickland Realty ‘s many Holden Beach vacation rentals.
These rentals offer families a vacation experience of a lifetime at one of the nicest family beach destinations in the country. Holden Beach vacation rentals come in all different shapes and sizes, which is perfect for accommodating just about every need. You can choose from oceanfront homes, cottages, condos, and other waterway property. Brunswickland Realty offers the best Holden Beach vacation rentals for you and your family.
Brunswickland Realty offers everything from budget friendly beach cottages to magnificent beach homes for families looking for spacious living. Many Holden Beach vacation rentals come with superb amenities including easy beach access, fishing docks, pools, Jacuzzi, internet, and much more. All of the rentals are well maintained and clean, ensuring you and your family an unforgettable beach getaway. Holden Beach vacation rentals are top of the line and offer families a vacation they’ll never forget. http://www.brunswicklandrealty.com
CoastalNC.com
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Wrightsville Beach, NC
Wrightsville Beach is residential in character and is not your typical beach resort town. There is no carnival atmosphere — no Ferris wheels, no arcade, no mini golf or bumper boats, and only a few gaudy displays of beach merchandise. Instead, Wrightsville Beach is primarily an affluent residential community that has its roots in Wilmington. For more than a century, the 5-mile-long island has been a retreat from the summer heat for Wilmington residents whose families have maintained ownership of beach homes there for generations.
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Bald Head Lighthouse Print
December 22, 2011 by gary
Filed under Best Kept Secrets
Own a Commemorative Giclée Print of the Bald Head Island Lighthouse by nationally renowned local nature photographer and artist, Ken Buckner.
“I explore beauty with my camera. The photos show the journey” – Ken Buckner
All photos have titles in the white margins and Ken’s signature is printed in the image digitally.
A light gray mat is also printed around the white area.
All photos are signed and titled digitally and reproduced as high quality Giclées.
A grey mat is printed around the image. All prints fit standard frames.
Click here to buy a high quality Giclée Print at the Islands-Art.com website!
Islands Art features Giclée Prints by nationally renowned local nature photographer and 
artist, Ken Buckner, the books of Miller Pope (founder of The Winds Resort and Sea Trail Golf Resort), mystery novelist Tom Rieber and renowned local Romance Novelists Jacqueline DeGroot and Peggy Grich.
CoastalNC.com
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Insider’s Guide: NC South Coast
December 22, 2011 by gary
Filed under Best Kept Secrets
Save $6.00 off! If you want to know what the locals know, the Insider’s Guide is for you.
Written by longtime locals and true insiders who offer personal and practical perspectives that readers trust.
The Insider’s Guide to NC’s Southern Coast & Wilmington takes you to the clean, quiet, family oriented beaches of North Carolina’s Southern Coast and introduces you to the intriguing city of Wilmington, including the historic downtown riverfront.
Regular Cover Price: $15.95
On Sale:
$9.95 Buy it at http://Islands-Art.com
The Coastal Art of Miller Pope
December 22, 2011 by gary
Filed under Best Kept Secrets
Local Artist and author Miller Pope is making high quality Giclée prints of his original artwork available for sale on Islands-Art.com!
While priced as low as $8.00, all prints are titled digitally and reproduced as high quality Giclées.
A light gray mat is also printed around the white area. All prints fit standard frame sizes found everywhere. Pricing is by frame size.
To view all of Miller’s prints and/or purchase these prints click here!
The first series Miller has released are nature and beach scenes.
Other series (to be released) include prints of his illustrations from his four pirate books and a selection of his retro/vintage art from the 19950s and 1960s.
Miller was recently the subject of a feature article in the January issue of Our State Magazine.
Miller Pope was born in South Carolina but spent most of his career during the “golden age of illustration” in the New York advertising and publishing arenas, after getting his start on the Marine Corps’ legendary Leatherneck magazine.
Miller studied figure drawing at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., at the Art Students League in New York City.
His works have appeared on novel covers and in major magazines. He was elected to the Society of Illustrators in 1957.
With his wife, Helen, he moved south in the 1970s and worked to develop The Winds Resort Beach Club and Sea Trail Plantation on the Southeastern North Carolina coast.
To view all of Miller Pope’s prints and/or purchase these prints click here!
Miller Pope’s Book of Pirates
December 22, 2011 by gary
Filed under Best Kept Secrets
From Captain Kidd to Blackbeard to the pirates of the orient . . . From bloody battles to walking the plank- from blunderbusses to cutlasses, With nearly 150 original illustrations, this volume is sure to please and inform pirate fans of all ages.
Buy this book at:
• Race for Riches: a history of the origins of piracy
• Greed and Gold: a pirate’s life aboard ship and in battle
• Tools of the Trade: weapons, vessels, and pirate culture
• Rogues and Raiders: profiles of pirates through history
• Other Pirates, Other Times: the past and future of piracy
• A Roster of Infamy: a list of pirates and their vessels
“The illustrations are incredible, from the actual pirates to their ships, battles, maps, tools of the trade and treasures. For every generations’ fascination with pirates and the exotic and exciting life they supposedly led, this book will satisfy that hunger for the actual and imagined part of pirate lore.
Miller Pope is as exceptional a writer as he is an illustrator, writing with the visual in mind, always crafting his words from an illustrators’ perspective and then backing that image up with the very picture the words so masterfully created.”
- Island Living Magazine
Local Author Releases Book
December 22, 2011 by Kim
Filed under Best Kept Secrets
Local author Tom Rieber has a new book outjust in time for the holidays. If you’re looking for a great murder-mystery, suspense novel for a gift or for yourself, this is it!
The Devil’s Parody is the second book in the Nick Thomas Mystery series. The first novel in the series The Nine Irony was published in 2009 and brought to life a cast of colorful characters that take you on a ride to remember.
The Devil’s Parody asks the question How Far Would You Go For $5,000,000.00? Lured by a five million dollar prize, six consummate gamblers; three men and three women, are trapped by their own greed and find themselves playing against each other for their lives in a deadly game of chance.
The Devil’s Parody is a gripping thriller that pits Nick against recluse sociopath, Sebastian Black, in the remote woods of Vermont where he is conducting a deadly experiment into the gambler’s mind. Are there lines they wouldn’t cross?
Tom Rieber’s third novel in the Nick Thomas Series, Backfire, is a thriller, set in Sunset Beach, North Carolina is already under pen.
$14.99 Devil’s Parody – Nick Thomas Mystery by Tom Rieber
