I felt serene and accomplished that I could find this mailbox tucked away in a part of the…read morebeautiful Sunset beach just like it was featured in the Nicholas Sparks book 'Every Breath'. It was on my bucket list for 5 years and I finally made it :) The walk to the mailbox from the 40th street was surely not a short one, roughly 3 miles to & fro but was worth it every minute. I went on a chilly December morning, so wasn't surrounded by a lot of folks which I sort of liked as it gave me some alone time with my thoughts. The abundance of shells everywhere on the sand made me a child once again, making me happily collect a whole lot of them as souvenirs. Finally the mailbox - Reading through countless pages of beautifully penned words by people who were there before me, gave me an undescribable connect to them. So many emotions - happiness, grief, thankfulness, separation among others. When I think about that spot, I could still hear the sounds of the waves crashing and a light, cool breeze blowing. It's a memory I'll cherish for years to come. You need to visit it at least once in your lifetime. It is definitely something being there. Note: Parking is very tight so try going early. And, the notebooks are archived at UNCW Archives @ Wilmington. Call them to read years of previous entries.

A bit of a walk but so worth it! Nothing better than a walk on the beach all to The Kindred Spirit…read moreMailbox. There is no sign or directions....just a mailbox on beach. A neat experience. Inside the mailbox you will find notebooks where you can write your own personal message. A message of your own can be whatever you like. A must see and do in my book. Facing the Sunset Beach Pier walk right about a mile or so. Walking the beach on the right high up on dune you will see a small hill of sand leading to the mailbox and a couple benches. Keep walking! You will find it.

Saw the viewing platform and water nearby, so turned over. Within an hour saw Spoonbills, White…read moreIbis, Wood Storks, and more! A great place to get away and enjoy Nature!! Even saw some turtles!

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.]

Connecting the cities of North Myrtle Beach and Little River, carrying Sea Mountain Highway over…read morethe Intracoastal Waterway, the Little River Swing Bridge was built in 1935 and restored in 1980. It is a simple two-lane roadway but what's neat about this is that unlike the usual "bascule" style drawbridges that lift one or two sides like leaves, this is a swing bridge. When it opens, it twists 90 degrees to the side to allow waterway traffic to pass. Swing bridges are rare, but I managed to cross the Fort Denaud swing bridge last month in Central Florida https://www.yelp.com/biz/fort-denaud-bridge-labelle?hrid=U_pLy3N4EMHOlZebymMMLA. There are some other swing bridges in South Carolina including the Harbor River Bridge at Saint Helena Island, the Wappoo Creek Bridge and the Ben Sawyer Bridge near Charleston, the Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort and nearby, the Socastee Swing Bridge here in Myrtle Beach. The bridge is easy to drive over and there is no toll. If you're fortunate, you'll get to see this marvel open. [Review 19376 overall - 950 in South Carolina - 346 of 2023.]

We showed up at 10:30 on a Saturday during business hours and the museum doors are locked and no…read moreone is there .....

This was a cute place to spend an hour or so. There's a variety of exhibits, several of which are…read morehands-on or interactive for kids. There are taxidermy specimens and some live animals--fish tanks, a few snakes, seahorses, and a turtle. There's also a touch tank with urchins, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and hermit crabs. Some of the urchins and sea stars looked in bad shape. I've also been told before that sea stars are very sensitive and their suction cups are easily damaged, not to mention repeated stress can be deadly to them. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and I enjoyed my visit as a solo adult.

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.

This was an amazing free WWII with a 9/11 memorial!! There wasn't a lot of parking but there is an…read moreempty lot next to it with a bathroom (was locked). You can even watch planes and helicopters from the airport take off. There was a lot of history and information here! Definitely worth a stop if in the area!

What a beautiful tribute to the men & women who have served our country and a great opportunity to…read morelearn about their service in a beautiful park setting. Everyone's comments have been very accurate. We enjoyed learning and seeing the 'nose art'. The WWII section was very well done with clear photographic images of that time. Do yourself a favor and take some time to honor those who sacrifice for our freedom.

A must if you are in the area and the ticket is valid for an entire week which means if you come in…read moreand do not feel like doing the entire thing, then you can always come back on a different day. Aside from the usual blooms you can expect from a garden, Brookgreens also have some orchids and other air plants, a lot of trees, a zoo with a new wolf sanctuary, and beautiful sculptures. This was our second visit and I'm glad it was beautiful that day and we were able to take in the scenery more. The live oak alley is still my favrotire! The new conservatory was open during our visit which houses an impressive orchid wall. It is quite beautiful! The zoo area has some otters and bird sanctuary, goats, alligators, horses and many more! I love how beautiful everything is. Even when you're at the zoo, you will still find touches of the garden and a few sculptures here and there.

I've visited BrookGreen gardens in the summer which was a beautiful experience, nice escape. For…read moreyears, I've wanted to visit for night of a thousand candles and it was sold out each year. It seems after much frustration, they did something different this year and had openings so I booked over thanksgiving. I planned to leave a bit earlier but we decided to leave closer to 5 and what would normally be a 30-40 min drive was about an hour and a half. The traffic was backed up, which is no surprise but there is likely improvements that can be done here-- like checking tickets at gates rather than another option. We also had a handicap decal but no one directed where it would be, I guess we had to ask or notify sooner. Once we got through the gates, we were moving. Parking was quite a bit away which was challenging for my mom who has some hip issues. We got in, no issue and I was concerned about making it all the way through but there's plenty of time to slow down and enjoy. The had hot chocolate which was the perfect touch of a freeezing night, as well as alcoholic options. The indoor train exhibition is also a must see! Overall, I would highly recommend, it was absolutely beautiful and an experience to ring in the holidays. Get there early to enjoy and make sure to check for tickets and follow for when they go on sale!

I went to the Christmas lights festival tonight? It was beautiful for $10/person. There was a lot…read moreto do and it was decorate beautifully. You were able to tour the main house, too. They did a really great job for this! Food trucks, bar, photo ops, etc. beautiful place!

I had a nice visit at the Poplar Grove Plantation after figuring out where to park. What was…read morewritten on the ticket in great detail was not correct. They changed the parking to the next street and you aren't to enter at the flags like the ticket directions told you. I took a guided tour and learned about the Foy family that had a peanut and sweet potato farm. But the more important part of the story was about the Gullah Geechee people. I had first learned about them when I was in Beaufort SC. But there is a corridor that goes from Wilmington to St. Augustine, FL to protect the Gullah Geechee culture. Poplar Grove was built by the Gullah slaves who were very skilled. 59 lived on the property. They took care of the construction; lumber milling; brick making; tending to the livestock and crops as well as domestic chores. They need to be the focus of the tour.

Beautiful grounds, with very interesting ruins. The staff is also very friendly and helpful. We…read moreloved all of the fox squirrels!

We went here for my daughter's class field trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I absolutely love…read morehistorical sites especially from the Revolutionary time period. I don't think the kids enjoyed it as much as I did, but if you like history and enjoy visiting state parks or historical sites, I highly recommend that you stop in and see Brunswick Town at Fort Anderson.