The Cape Fear Region of North Carolina is known for its beaches, but there are some other great things to do in the area.
Stop #1
Did you know that the carnivorous Venus flytrap only grows wild within a 75-100 mile radius of Wilmington?
It’s true. They cannot be found anywhere else in the world! You can go to the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington to see and learn about Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and sundews.
Sadly, a flytrap heist took place here in 2013 when over 1,000 of them valued at over $20,000 were stolen from this garden and sold on the black market.
The perp was never caught, but the incident led to a state law that makes taking of a Venus flytrap a felony. It only takes one fly in the ointment doesn’t it?
Venus flytrap
Pitcher Plants 
Sundews 
Watch out froggy!
Stop #2
Fort Fisher Historic Area can be found at Kure Beach. It was a Confederate fort that protected Wilmington, which was an important point of entry for supplies that were ultimately distributed to Confederate soldiers. British smugglers came through here to trade weapons and other supplies with the South in exchange for cotton and tobacco during the war.
The fort was made of 15 huge earthen mounds connected by an underground network that was difficult to penetrate with cannon artillery as the mounds absorbed the blast. The Confederates had also mounted cannons atop these mounds to fire at incoming ships. To defeat the Confederates at this fort, a massive assault on land and at sea was required by the Union. It wasn’t until early 1865 that the Wilmington trade route was cut off and Wilmington was occupied by the Union. This effectively cut off supplies to Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his army.
We’ve seen a lot of forts on our east coast travels, but this was one had the most unusual construction.
Near Kure Beach 
Fort Fisher 
Mounds connected underground
Stop #3
Southport North Carolina has been described as having “ambiance similar to a Nicholas Sparks novel” and I’d say this is a pretty accurate description.
Walking around town is like stepping back in time. The wharf’s colorful buildings are the perfect backdrop for its harbored boats and its pretty waterfront park has been lined with inviting benches and swings that just beg you to slow down and take in the scene. It’s so picturesque, in fact, that it has been the filming location for several movies including “Safe Haven” with Julianne Hough, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, and “Nights in Rodanthe” and TV shows such as “Dawson’s Creek” (a favorite of mine) and “Matlock”.
We didn’t see any Hollywood stars in town, but we did see Doug’s nephew (by first marriage), who owns and operates Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen. We stopped in unannounced and were lucky to get a few minutes of Andrew’s time. We also bought some coffee that was nothing short of heaven in a cup and enjoyed the house specialty – a chicken salad sandwich that to this day is still the gold standard for all other chicken salad sandwiches. Yum!
The internet says the average age of residents in Southport is 63.2 years young and there’s no doubt that this contributes to its incredibly relaxed vibe, but it’s well cared for, has some great little shops, lots of history, great weather, and with the more recent influx of some younger families like Doug’s nephew, it may just be an up-and-coming town – an as yet undiscovered gem.
