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.

Small museum but full of interesting and interactive displays Great place spend an afternoon with…read morethe family to learn more about the ocean and coastal environments.

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.

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.]

A huge shout out to The Breakers! This has been my go to last meal on the island for the past few…read moreyears. I love grabbing a sub or some pizza and chilling out at the arcade. The food has always been good and fresh and seems to just hit the spot. I know there are a lot of other places you could go, but this cozy staple Has a special place in my heart.

Ordered Philly cheesesteaks tonight and they were fantastic! Called in the order and they were…read moreready in 10 minutes. Ladies working were very kind, helpful and quick. Rating posted in the restaurant was 98.5.

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.]

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!

This was an afternoon filled with tons of fun!…read more We were in the area for vacation and OIB has the usually beachy entertainment options. This one was a refreshing break from mini golf and arcades and fun for both kids and adults. We had a pretty large group and some did the zip line course and some braved the adventure park (aka ropes course). We had lots and lots of fun, overcame some anxiety, and had a few sore muscles to show off our achievements. I also owe a big shout out to George, who was amazingly patient with my crew and helped coordinate the outing so that we all started/finished around the same times. I also heard from the kids that their guides were fantastic. They were especially impressed that they remembered every single person's name for an event that lasts only a few hours.

My family's experience with The Swamp Park Zipline tour was great! All of us did the Zipline and…read moretwo of us did the Free Fall add-on. For the Zipline tour, we had Jesse, Margaret, and Lacey as our guides and all of them were great! Jesse is very fun and funny, Margaret is super sweet, and Lacey had amazing knowledge on fun facts throughout the tour! The zip lines were very fun, and all three guides took every measure to ensure our safety, creating a good sense of trust. We all felt like a group of friends by the end of our tour. They also take photos at the beginning, middle, and end of the tour with specific spots for photo ops which I truly appreciate! (You do have to pay for the photos.) I will absolutely recommend The Swamp Park to friends and family! We plan to come back and try the ATV tour next!

Great park! Lots of courts for tennis and pickleball. I checked out the dog parks. One for small…read moreand large dogs. And I found a nice area to throw the ball deep for the pooch which he loved. This park well Maintained and clean. This is a beautiful park with many options.

If you've just had more than enough beach, or perhaps you live here and are looking for something…read moreelse to occupy the kids, Ocean Isle Beach Park. The park includes tennis and pickleball courts, baseball fields, an outdoor amphitheater, basketball and a huge soccer field. The playground looked like fun and I couldn't get a picture without including kids so that's not shared here. Lots of parking, lots of activities. [Review 13989 overall, 1311 of 2020, number 2629 in North Carolina.]

Very nice work, the picture looks great. Overall good frame selection. But...Definitely Expensive.read more

A Frame or Two have done many frames for us through the years. They…read more Have all came out perfectly. I would highly recommend them if you need something framed or reframed. They take their time and are very thorough.

Captain Jim made our tour very interesting and enjoyable! We did a sunset tour for Mom's 92…read morebirthday and throughly enjoyed Jim's history lesson about the HB area. Jim was a very courteous captain, taking everyone's needs and concerns into consideration!

Highlight of our trip! Captain John was a great guide and we had a blast. Highly recommendread more