Odell Williamson: decorated US Army Pilot, politician, developer, guy with his name on a bridge…read more.. kind of a nice bridge as far as weather resistant bridges go but nothing remarkable unless this is your regular commute in which case it's probably a functionally fine replacement for the earlier crossing but so utterly useful and un-storied so as to have no real story except that of it's namesake and the means it replaced... and yet here it stands in all it's linear concrete splendor - rising the 65 mandatory feet dictated by the intracoastal waterway commissioners - depositing resident and visitor alike in front of the Ocean Isle Beach / Pier which is exactly the point of it.

This review is a tribute to the gateway of Ocean Isle Beach, NC...the Odell Williamson Bridge. The…read moregateway because it is the ONLY access on/from the island itself, so you cannot avoid it if you come to OIB and want to get to the beach front, period. The bridge itself is fairly modern, clean, and a nice welcome to all those coming to OIB for some fun and relaxation. It arches pretty high at the peak as so vessels can navigate through using the Intercoastal Waterway of which it passes over. It's the first thing you see coming onto the island and the last thing you pass coming off there when you finish your visit and head home. It's a tried and true symbol. Why 4 stars? Well, on Saturdays when people are heading onto the island for their check-ins, it just becomes a long parking lot most of the day! So many come to OIB to enjoy their vacation that it takes some time to get everyone onto the island and set to enjoy their week. The wait can be a excruciating one, actually. So sadly, it escapes full 5 star status just on that. Bottom line: Beloved gateway landmark for Ocean Isle Beach. Except for being a long parking lot on Saturdays as people come onto the isle, it's a beautiful thing to behold.

not much to look at but I'm pretty sure the intent here is providing easy egress in case of an…read morehurricane... like four comfortably wide lanes of high-speed egress in the wee hours of pre-dawn pre-hurricane evacuation... so yeah, not much to look at here which means not much for the wind to grab ahold of as it tears everything into teeny tiny pieces strewn across the local beaches potentially leaving several thousand people vulnerable and in harm's way until the pretty bridge is rebuilt... so yeah, big fan of boring and sturdy on this because sometimes form has to fit function.

First POTUS and hero of the Revolutionary War, George Washington resolved to tour the United…read moreStates. Part to observe the political climate and park to instill unity in the new country. He passed through here in 1791 and this official marker recalls that event. It reads, "Washington's Southern Tour. President Washington, on April 27, 1791, was a guest at the home of William Gause, Jr., which stood four miles south." Online there is more information, "After spending two nights in Wilmington, Washington made his way toward the South Carolina line in Brunswick County. On April 27, he was a breakfast guest in the home of William Gause Jr., about ten miles from the state line. The Gause house was located near Gause's Landing on the west and sound side of Shallotte Inlet. Gause was a war veteran, having lost a leg in the Revolution, and had served in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1778." Four miles south of the marker along Ocean Isle Beach Blvd is to the Intracoastal Waterway and is likely where "Gause Landing Creek" gets its name. [Review 13990 overall, 1312 of 2020, number 2630 in North Carolina.]

"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass."…read more- An unsubstantiated quote attributed to Japanese Admiral Yamamoto This marker is not far from the Brunswick Town historic site, https://www.yelp.com/biz/brunswick-town-fort-anderson-state-historic-site-winnabow?hrid=-SdScFPXQAgnBgruEnXR1w and recalls an attack on the colony. It reads, "A Spanish expedition captured the town of Brunswick, 1748, during King George's War, but was soon driven away by the colonial militia." In 1748, two Spanish vessels, the 130-ton twenty-four gun sloop Fortuna and a smaller sloop of twenty guns, appeared at the mouth of the Cape Fear on September 3, along with a captured vessel from South Carolina. The Spaniards cruised up the river, capturing two additional vessels and landed at Brunswick taking the town. The next day local militia led by Captain William Dry attacked the Spaniards, who fled to the safety of one of the two Spanish ships. [Review 13985 overall, 1307 of 2020, number 2625 in North Carolina.]

Nice little bridge crossing the boat ditch in typical fashion: goes way up with a little wiggle and…read morecomes down easy like sundae morning. this is the culmination of a scheme that started with a well heeled and well connected individual pedaling influence, sharing a vision and probably about 4% off the top because that used to be how you got your name on a bridge... near side of the beach side looks like salt grass marsh with some really long piers poking out towards the channel, the mainland side looks like a nice place for lunch inside the swoop.

Until January 2011, there was only a floating pontoon bridge to bring vehicular traffic across from…read morethe mainland to the island. http://www.okeefes.org/Barrier_Islands/Sunset_Beach/Sunset_Beach_NC_Pontoon_Bridge/Sunset_Beach_Pontoon_Bridge.htm has some great detail and photographs. Then this bridge was constructed between 2008 and 2010. The highrise bridge carries Sunset Boulevard over the Intracoastal Waterway to the southern-most island in North Carolina. It is 65 feet high, a two-pane arc bridge. It is non-draw and non-swing. Where the island side of the bridge reaches the land there is a stop sign and it meets the Sunset Beach Fishing Pier. Good luck finding legal, cheap parking! The bridge is named for Mannon C. Gore, who purchased Bald Beach from the Brooks family, who dated its ownership back to the 1700's. Gore was impressed by the beautiful sunsets and renamed the island Sunset Beach. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Gore purchased 500 acres of mainland property along the Intracoastal Waterway from International Paper Company and began making his vision a reality. The original bridge tender's building is still nearby and is open as an interpretive center, http://www.theoldbridge.org/. There is no toll to cross the bridge and no stopping allowed. It is two lane with a double-yellow line, a narrow breakdown/pedestrian lane at each side and a high barrier. [Review 13984 overall, 1306 of 2020, number 2624 in North Carolina.]

Every time we go back, the homes and grounds look less and less maintained. The rentals are dirty…read moreyet expensive! The island is definitely struggling and being a full time resident there would be nearly impossible. Having no control of the ferry and no dedicated water taxi to Wilmington is a big miss for revenue. We were going to move there but it's too transient and unpredictable for us with no real plans for the future.

Bald Head Island retains much of its uniqueness even with the inevitable growth associated with all…read morebeach areas in the state. Located on the eastern side of the mouth of the Cape Fear River, the island is reachable only by ferry from Southport or by private boat. There are few motor vehicles here, and those belong to the island's municipal department, and to the array of building and maintenance contractors working on the local residences. The small marina remains the heart of the island for most of the 200 permanent residents and the flow of tourists that seasonally visit BHI. That's were the 2 public restaurants, Delphina Cantina and MoJo's on the Harbor, are located. Both are rather good in most respects, but are on the expensive side. Dining is also available at the BHI County Club for most renters. There is some shopping opportunities there as well, but these are limited to some apparel items, renting bikes and golf carts (the primary mode of transportation for most on the island. The local lighthouse, Old Baldy is near the marina, as it the local, quaint post office. There is only one food market on BHI, the Maritime Market, located about in the middle of the island. There is a reasonable variety of meats, produce, beer & wine, canned & packaged goods, breads, eggs, dairy products, but the prices are higher than you'll be used to, in most cases. And, there is no ABC Store on BHI, so bring an adequate supply, because the only choice is to take the ferry to Southport, which entails time and money, or be content with beer & wine. The beaches are nice, though some are rather narrow at high tide, and there are some strong currents swirling around this small island, because the Cape Fear River and the Gulf Stream collide here. The surf fishing can be outstanding, but beach access is limited to certain points, and carrying your equipment, chairs, etc to the water's edge can be daunting, and tiring. Commercially available bait is limited, and many catch their own bait, mullet minnows, in the surf with a hand throw net - not always easy or always available. This is a small, laid back place, with limited activities other than water related ones, biking, walking, and very limited dining opportunities. A fair amount of the inland part of the island is composed of maritime forest, and it is nice to walk, bike or cart through it, but this can occupy only some much attention.Folks refer to being on "Turtle Time" here, and it is a great place to relax. But if you and/or your family are into a more energetic life style, some boredom may be encountered. We liked much that the island offers, but also found there were some limitations (dining, food shopping, transportation, etc) and requirements to get there (ferry rides, luggage restrictions, ques, etc which were similar in some ways to those faced when going on a cruise) that we didn't care for, and just not being able to jump in a car and move about a bigger area.

We had a stopped up sewer line we called the town and they were there in 10 minutes, and hooked up…read morethe sewer truck and cleaned it out and was finished in about 15 minutes. Great job sewer crew !

I have to saw I've been highly disappointed with the law enforcement here. There is no sign that…read moreyou have to pay for parking at the charter boating area. The only sign is purposely positioned over by the bathrooms not in plain site where it should be. Three different members of the same boat received a ticket . Nice job Commerce Department Clearly your out to make money by being clever thief's and the police enforcing it. We can find another beach to visit next year without all the silly regulations Enjoy the $50 buck it will be your last from us. To much crapola here

The kids section was very nice. It had chairs for sitting on while you're reading and had a amazing…read morecollection of books! We were visiting from out of town. You can purchase a library card for $25. It lasts for a year. Totally worth it. They have discounts for in-state folks and for houses rented through some of the big rental companies.

A high quality and professional atmosphere in which to quietly read. Excellent internet access…read more Very kind and helpful staff. The community is lucky to have this resource.