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.

Nice little NPS site. Good interpretative content. Grounds very well maintained. Friendly…read morerangers. Top tier junior ranger program. Probably a 90 minute stop. A place worth checking out.

(This visit was made during the times of Covidious. When things return to a look of normality -…read moreyour experience likely will vary.) We made our trek to Moores Creek during Covid which of course means that aside from the trails and the parking lot (restrooms reopened on 7/1/20 but our visit was a few days prior) everything here in terms of programming or the visitors center is closed until NC enters stage 3. From the NPS website: "The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, fought between North Carolina Patriots and Loyalist militia forces, demonstrates the bitter internal divisions that marked the American Revolution. The Loyalists, mostly Scottish Highlanders wielding broadswords, charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Nearly a thousand North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with cannons and muskets poised to fire. Expecting to find only a small Patriot force, the Loyalists advanced across the bridge. Shots rang out and when the smoke cleared, some 30 to 70 Loyalists lay dead or wounded. Among the dead was Lt. Col. Donald McLeod, who had led the charge. Stunned, outgunned, and leaderless, some of the Loyalists surrendered, while others retreated in confusion. Moores Creek is the site of the first Patriot victory in the American Revolution and the site of the last Scottish Highland broadsword charge. The victory ended British authority in the colony and stalled a full-scale British invasion of the South for nearly four years. This decisive victory spurred the creation of the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776, which instructed North Carolina's delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. North Carolina was the first American colony to take such action. Less than three months later, the United States would ratify the Declaration of Independence." Nice. Neat. Clean. This is very much a C-List NPS stop which doesn't mean that it's not interesting, but it means that within the grand scheme of the Revolutionary War what took place here was a small one time affair that played a minor role in the eventual outcome. The below map shows the three trails that the site offers. The Tarheel Trail gives via placard an overview of the area and some backstory as to why the British were interested in the region (mostly for it's timber). www.nps.gov/mocr/planyourvisit/maps.htm The History Trail should be done counterclockwise simply because the placards tell the story of the battle in that direction. It doesn't make as much sense doing it in reverse, trust me. Off of the History Trail is a small boardwalk area that takes you over the top of Moores Creek itself. Swampy and buggy as all hell. The area floods often enough that the NPS has concerns about the long term viability of being able to interpret/use the grounds as they are currently laid out. www.starnewsonline.com/news/20200703/flooding-could-make-moores-creek-battlefield-inaccessible-in-20-30-years Overall the park is well maintained and easy to navigate. It's size also makes it something that can be explored and enjoyed in an hour or two. Valley Forge this is not, but it's still worth a visit to this hidden gem. (For the record, one of the rangers who seemed like he was really bored came out to meet us on his golf cart while we were on the History Trail and gave some very good info about the park. A+)

Come see the history and beauty while walking on, around, and within the halls of the USS North…read moreCarolina. These ships have typical tight spaces and steep ladders for those who have difficulties involving such movements. Plenty to see. Nice gift shop on grounds and friendly greeters at the door to welcome you on board. All photography shown were uploaded also to Instagram: @3spade7star_photography and Facebook ThreeSpade SevenStar

I visited in the early 2000's, went back on 2026-04-11, and had a great time on the self-guided…read moretour (~2 hours). Be prepared for a lot of walking and climbing steps. Most areas are kind of confined, some more than others! The ladders can be a little challenging but just take it easier. I found it easiest to go down ladders (aka stairs) backwards, facing the steps. The signage could use improvement. Sometimes it was hard to know which way to go or how to exit. It's a little like a maze! More photos at https://postimg.cc/gallery/SqN0YdB

I stopped in for a tour last week and unfortunately they were only having self-guided tours where…read moreyou had to scan each QR code with your phone for the details. But the history of the home, the Bellamy family and enslaved workers were fascinating. The home is beautiful. I want to return around Christmas time for a guided tour.

This is worth the $15 self tour or $20 guided tour admission. The home is very well kept after…read moreseveral restorations. The slave quarters were difficult to tour, especially juxtaposed to the grand, spacious and opulent mansion. All of the stories are well-documented since there were memoirs. The history, even some of the ugly parts, are shared on the markers. We spent a good amount of time touring the place, and it was very beautifully decorated for Christmas during out visit. Picturesque.

This site had escaped my notice on numerous visits to the area, but I found a reason to stop in…read more The weather was rainy, but it actually wasn't the worst decision to visit, as rain without wind was reasonably manageable with an umbrella and the precipitation was effective in suppressing the bugs and heat that I would have otherwise experienced. There were no alligators in sight though, so what I got out of it was a historical visit. And I have to say, it's an impressive historical site. It has both a colonial and a Civil War history. One distinction I find hard to explain is that I don't hear a ton about pre-Revolution America in a lot of places I visit in DC, Maryland, or Virginia, but the Carolinas emphasize this period a lot more in their sites. This place has a museum, which includes such artifacts as a confederate flag that was apparently presented to Abraham Lincoln as a trophy of Union victory, leading to some interesting turns in history. The outdoor experiences include a walk through some excavated ruins and around the old earthen fort, as well as a nature trail. Notably, a memorial to the Africans who were brought to the area was affecting. For those visiting the area from afar, North Carolina does not charge for entrance to state park sites, unlike most other states. The location is not terribly far in absolute driving time from Wilmington, but it will transport you to another time.

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

One Tree Hill bridge :) Safe & welcoming. Enjoyed reading all the signatures & notes left by fans.read more

I knew that the famous portrait of Whistler's mother is really a portrait of a real person, but I…read morenever really thought about where she might have lived or where she was born. I've seen the picture. It's in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris https://www.yelp.com/biz/musée-d-orsay-paris-3?hrid=n7kuhIp1EPKNNsk-IJFd7g. So now I know a bit more of the story. The marker reads, "Anna McNeill Whistler, the mother of James Whistler, artist, was born in a house which stood one block east." Online, "James Abbott McNeill Whistler, the son of George Washington Whistler and Anna McNeill Whistler, was a prominent nineteenth century artist who spent his adult life in Europe. Whistler's mother, Anna McNeill, was made famous in renowned painting, "Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother." The work, referred to colloquially as "Whistler's Mother," was painted in London in the early 1870s. Anna McNeill, the subject, was born in Wilmington in 1804." "Anna McNeill, born on September 27, 1804, to Martha Kingsley and Dr. Black Daniel McNeill was the fifth of six children, and was influenced heavily throughout her life by her older brother William Gibbs McNeill." "Anna Whistler moved to London in 1863 to live with her son, and in 1871 he painted her as the figure in "Whistler's Mother." The painting was first shown in 1872, extending Whistler's reputation, but it has received mixed reviews throughout much of its history. "Whistler's Mother" now hangs in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris, and has rarely been exhibited in the United States." [Review 14009 overall, 1331 of 2020, number 2649 in North Carolina.]

We visited Historical Fort Fisher Visitors Center but we didn't walk around outside because it was…read moreso cold only 52 degrees and sunny w high winds. The museum visitors center is lovely and full of Information and free to visit with bathrooms on both floors, a Souvenir shop and hands on touching for the kids along with a scavenger hunt!! The kids and even us adults thoroughly enjoyed!! Definitely recommend!!

Tucked into one of the few true corners of the United States, Fort Fisher sits at the southern tip…read moreof North Carolina where the land reaches into the Atlantic. Built by the Confederacy to protect Wilmington and support blockade runners, the fort fell in January 1865 after a fierce Union assault by land and sea. Known as the 'Gibraltar of the South,' Fort Fisher was the most strategically vital seacoast fortification in the region, guarding the mouth of the Cape Fear River and serving as the last major supply line for the Confederate army. Its massive earthen walls, bombproof shelters, and 47 guns were constructed with the labor of hundreds of African Americans and Native Americans, but despite its strength, it could not withstand the final Union offensive. Today, the Fort Fisher State Historic Site offers a quiet, windswept glimpse into that turbulent past. Only a few of the original mounds remain, softened by time and erosion. The grounds are peaceful, with views of the river and ocean that once made this site so strategically important. The story of sacrifice, resilience, and transformation continues to echo across the dunes. We did not visit the museum today. The monument at Fort Fisher State Historic Site is a solemn granite tribute honoring the Confederate defenders who fought and died during the battles of Fort Fisher in 1864 and 1865. The monument is a tall, rectangular granite shaft set on a stepped base as part of early efforts to commemorate the site, long before it became a formal state historic site. [Review 1359 of 2025 - 4478 in North Carolina - 24911 overall]

The World's Largest Frying Pan can be found in Rose Hill Town Square, in Rose Hill, NC. (next to…read morethe fire department) It is located under a gazebo to protect it from the elements. There was plenty of street parking, making this an easy stop. The frying pan is 15 feet wide and weighs two tons. It was built in 1963 by employees of the Ramsey Feed Company to pay tribute to the town's poultry industry. The handle is six feet, but it is not functional. It makes it look like a skillet, though. The frying pan, on the other hand, actually works and can hold 365 chickens at a time for the North Carolina Poultry Jubilee, held in November. It has eight pie-shaped wedges and holds 200 gallons of cooking oil. 40 propane burners heat the surface, and volunteer firefighters use pitchforks to turn the chicken. Besides the Jubilee, they sometimes use the frying pan for their fundraisers. I might need to make a return trip to see the frying pan in use and enjoy some chicken. It is a short drive from the World's Largest Adirondack Chair, if you are looking for another roadside attraction. The Duplin Winery is close by, too.

We stopped by while traveling through the area. I wasn't aware that the pan was still used…read moreoccasionally. I'm sure that is a sight to see. When not in use, it's a little underwhelming but a fun stop.

I was here thirty years ago and don't remember this. Probably the swing bridge then. Anyway, this…read moreone is tall- ships have to get through here. Tall enough that Sweetie and Kid K were not at all happy to cross it repeatedly... There's a walking path, that gets used a lot. Roundabouts at either end. A nice view from up top. Obviously a useful thing for the island.

As recently as 2018, the only road access to Surf City was via the Topsail Island Swing Bridge that…read morewas build in 1954. Construction on this replacement bridge started in 2016 and completed in 2018. It is a fixed-span high rise bridge with a vertical clearance of 65 feet. It is 50 feet wide which means there's enough room for two lanes of traffic and shoulder lanes for bicycles. The bridge carries State Road 50 over the Intracoastal Waterway and joins the communities of Hampstead with Surf City Island. There is no toll to cross the bridge and unfortunately, no stopping. So you really don't get a chance to look and see the amazing view. But... if you park elsewhere and walk across the bridge you absolutely can! [Review 18881 overall - 3366 in North Carolina - 2404 of 2022.]