History, natural features and growing restaurant and brewing industries in Wilmington help explain why this coastal city was recently voted the state’s most favorable.
Our Coast
Our Celestial Coast: February’s Visible Planets
The planet Uranus will be visible, with binoculars, for most of this month, as it appears to transit closer and closer to Mars in the night sky.
‘Port Light’ Exhibit Illuminates Coastal History
“Port Light,” a new online exhibit, reveals through interactive multimedia the rich histories of vessels once vital to the trade, transportation and day-to-day lives of coastal North Carolinians.
John Fussell: Bird Watcher, Bird Defender
John Fussell turned his childhood fascination with birds into a career, defending and protecting their habitats, and after decades in the field, he still loves his “fine feathered friends.”
What’s In A Name? Pender County Places
From Atkinson to Yamacraw, Beattys Bridge to Watha, examining the unusual place names in Pender County can help in understanding the history of the North Carolina coast.
Birding: Brave the Cold or Stock the Feeders
Wintertime is peak season for viewing waterfowl at wildlife refuges and natural areas on the coast, but birders who prefer the view from indoors can also see a variety of species, if they offer the right food.
Bird Island ‘Mayor’ Frank Nesmith Looks Back
Others now lead tours of the coastal reserve, but Frank Nesmith, 90, the man whose love for Bird Island sparked the effort to spare it from development, still enjoys connecting with kindred spirits.
Our Celestial Coast: New Year Nebula
The new year begins with a good opportunity to look for the Orion Nebula, near the eastern horizon as the skies get dark and easy to see on a clear winter’s night.
Our Coast’s Food: Holiday Cheese Ball
Cheese balls may not immediately come to mind when considering holiday food traditions, but the creamy spheres covered with nuts and served with crackers are a longtime favorite on the North Carolina coast.
Our Celestial Coast: December’s Supermoon
The supermoon in December will make it super hard to get a look at the Geminids meteor shower, but stargazers should still be able to see about 10 to 20 meteors per hour when the shower peaks at mid-month.
Coastal Sketch: Jan Harris of Sunset Beach
Jan Harris of Sunset Beach has been fighting environmental injustice for a long time, and her efforts to protect the natural beauty of her beloved beach town continue.
What’s In A Name? New Hanover Places
From Castle Hayne to Monkey Junction, Dry Pond to Zeke’s Island, New Hanover County has a number of unusual place names, with stories that are part of the history of the North Carolina coast.
Weekend Event Celebrates Decoys, Tradition
The Core Sound Waterfowl Weekend, Dec. 2-4 in Harkers Island, is an annual celebration of Down East North Carolina’s coastal culture and heritage.
Did Thanksgiving Tradition Begin Here?
Native people on Roanoke Island were gracious hosts when the English met them during the Raleigh expeditions of 1584-87, with encounters that seem much like an earlier Thanksgiving than what most Americans learn about in school.
Coastal Sketch: April Clark Strikes A Balance
April Clark of Swansboro is a business owner and environmental advocate who manages to maintain equilibrium in her efforts to protect natural resources and promote economic growth in a small coastal town.
Down East Folks Cry Foul Over Team Name
Residents of Down East communities in Carteret County aren’t happy that the new minor league baseball team in Kinston has assumed their coastal identity in its chosen name, the Down East Wood Ducks.
