Wilmington,
NC – September 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / Labor Day may be over,
but that doesn’t mean the fun stops in Wilmington
and the island beaches of Carolina
Beach,
Kure Beach and Wrightsville
Beach. Visitors who love being outdoors and whose favorite fall colors
are shades of blue and green are in luck. One of the best ways to experience
fall on the coast is to participate in a nature hike or cruise. Did you
know that alligators, bobcats, black bear, river otters, and rare birds
can be found in the wilderness in Wilmington and its island beaches? And
that common migratory bird species that nest along our beaches include
brown pelican, terns, gulls, willets, American oystercatcher, herons, and
black skimmers? Did you know that Venus flytrap grows in the wild only
within a 60-100 mile radius of Wilmington? You can see these and other
carnivorous plants in their native habitat at Carolina Beach State Park,
at the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden, and on Masonboro Island.
From the river to the sea, there are many opportunities to explore the
coast’s natural wonders, including nature hikes and birding tours at state
and municipal parks, bird sanctuaries, botanical gardens and estuarine
research reserves. Nature cruises along Wilmington’s scenic rivers and
coastal waterways reveal an abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery.
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Carolina Beach State Park
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Cape Fear Riverboats:
Black River Nature Cruise. Wilmington’s original 4-hour Black River
cruise offers narrated plant and wildlife interpretation by coastal ecologist
and author Andy Wood. Cruisers aboard the Captain J.N. Maffitt will
experience the tranquility, breathtaking scenery, and amazing wildlife
along the northwest Cape Fear River and the wilds of the Black River. Just
minutes after leaving the dock, the river appears almost as it did to early
explorers—rich, dark waters surrounded by moss-draped cypresses and other
ancient trees. Wildlife may include alligators, snakes, bobcats, river
otters, black bear, deer, fox, rare species of fish and neo-tropical songbirds.
Cruises board on September 3, 17 and 20; October 8 and 29 at 9:30 a.m.
at the Battleship
North Carolina dock. Cruises may be added; group
charters available. Pre-paid reservations required. For reservations and
information about this and other cruises, contact Cape Fear Riverboats
at 800-676-0162 or 910-343-1611 or www.cfrboats.com.
Wilmington Water Tours:
Black Water Adventure Cruise/Autumn Escape. Board the Wilmington,
a state-of-the-art catamaran, for a memorable fall nature cruise. This
is among the captain’s favorite trips! The Cape Fear River and the other
“black rivers” that converge in Wilmington, N.C. have a long, rich history.
Each Thursday, Friday and Saturday from now through October, two-hour nature
cruises will feature birds, wildlife, changing leaves, local history, and
river ecology. Cruises depart from the Wilmington Riverwalk, 212 S. Water
Street (between Orange & Ann sts.). For reservations, tour calendar,
and more information about this and other cruises, contact Wilmington Water
Tours at 910-338-3134 or www.wilmingtonwatertours.net.
Wrightsville Beach Scenic
Tours & Cruises: Eco-Tours. Join Captain Joe, the Cape Fear Naturalist,
for a cruise and guided tour of Masonboro Island, a North Carolina National
Estuarine Research Reserve. Morning and afternoon eco-tours aboard the
M/V Shamrock (a 27-foot motorized catamaran) cruise to Masonboro
Island, a pristine, undeveloped 8 ½-mile barrier island just south
of Wrightsville Beach. Captain Joe and crew will transport you to this
ecological jewel and its miles of unspoiled beaches. Special fall birding,
fishing, shelling tours also available. Departs across from the Blockade
Runner Resort (275 Waynick Blvd., Wrightsville Beach). For reservations
or details about this and other tours, contact Wrightsville Beach Scenic
Tours & Cruises at 910-200-4002 or www.wrightsvillebeachscenictours.com.
Guided nature hikes
are available at Carolina Beach State Park (weekend carnivorous
plant hikes: www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/cabe/events.php);
Halyburton
Park (bird/nature hikes: www.halyburtonpark.com);
Airlie
Gardens (2nd Wed. bird hikes: www.airliegardens.org/events-news/calendar);
Greenfield
Lake (iPod nature tours: www.capefearriverwatch.org/education/greenfield-lake);
N.C.
Aquarium at Fort Fisher (salt marsh exploration & canoe trips to
Zeke’s Island: www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher);
Fort
Fisher State Recreation Area (Basin Trail hikes: www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/fofi/activities.php);
N.C.
Coastal Federation (birding: www.nccoast.org);
and Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours (explore Masonboro Island: www.wrightsvillebeachscenictours.com).
For additional outfitters that offer individual and group tours: www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/things-to-do.
See where the water takes
you! From Wilmington’s
historic river district to the island beaches of Carolina
Beach,
Kure Beach and Wrightsville
Beach, there are plenty of outdoor adventures in store. For seasonal
events and special offers, visit www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/seasonal-page.
For free visitor information and a complete calendar of events, visit www.GoWilmingtonAndBeaches.com,
call 866-266-9690, or email visit@wilmingtonandbeaches.com.
Media
Contact:
Wilmington
and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau
Connie
Nelson
Communications/PR
Director
910-332-8751
866-266-9690
ext. 120
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The
New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches
Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization
of New Hanover County, North Carolina that stimulates economic development
through the promotion of travel and tourism.
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