By Liz Mitchell

 

Thousands of visitors enjoy Orton Plantation Gardens each year. If you haven’t watched spring unfolding on our beautiful coast, join us in this lush setting for a perfect introduction to the season during this year of the 100th anniversary of the gardens.

Camellia, forsythia, flowering quince and winter daphne are in bloom during all of March. The red maple and okame cherry also flower early, and the spectacular display of azalea can be expected late this month. Nothing welcomes our coastal spring with more of a southern statement than the azalea. This flowering bush with thousands of varieties is sometimes called the royalty of the garden.

The plantation has been a significant site in our county since the beginning of the Carolinas. The land was part of the grant by King Charles II of England to the eight lords proprietor in 1665. One of the most famous rice plantations was developed here. Through wars and family tragedies, along with notable statesmen, authors and influential residents, various development continued on the house and grounds.

A modest garden began in the early 1900s with the live oak trees, some of which today present the historic backdrop to an ever-changing landscape. The owners planted azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, crepe myrtles, dogwoods, flowering peach, daphne and live oak trees during the 1930s and 1940s. The gardens were first opened to the public in the late 1930s to help pay a cousin’s medical bills, and they have remained open. On a high bluff overlooking the Cape Fear River, the plantation includes lawn and water gardens as well as pine forests.

Visiting hours are extended from March through August to full days beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing until 6 p.m. Adult admission is $9. Frequent special programs or guided tours are offered, and the 1915 chapel and grounds are offered for rental as a wedding or event venue.

By Liz Mitchell

 

History lovers, don’t miss the rare behind-the-scenes tour of the unrestored portions of the Battleship North Carolina on March 13.

Views of the areas that aren’t often open for the public include the bow, third deck, engine room #3, cold storage compartments and the fire control tower. The third deck includes ammunition handling, the engineer’s office and the torpedo area, and the Azalea Coast Radio Club will explain their work on the ship’s radio transmitters on this deck.

This is a look back in time on the most decorated battleship of World War II. The behind-the-scenes tour is a treat offered only a few times each year, although the ship is open daily year-round for regular tours of the restored areas. The ship is a memorial and a museum with a large collection of photographs, textiles, documents, art and memorabilia with historical interpretation of five different ships named North Carolina. Special programs are offered for Easter, Memorial Day and Halloween, and there is a special film festival with movies played on the ship’s fantail. Living history interpreters occasionally present special programs that reenact the daily duties and drills of a battleship.

The hidden battleship tour is limited to ages 12 and older. The tour will include climbing over knee-high hatches and narrow ladders, so be prepared. Wear warm, casual clothing and soft soled shoes.

The four-hour guided tours for small groups are scheduled 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Registration and pre-payment are required by March 5. No walk-up tickets will be available. The ticket price is $45. Call 910-251-5797, extension 3001, for your reservation.

 

The battleship is located on the Cape Fear River just outside Wilmington, N.C., at the northern edge of Brunswick County.

It’s almost time for the roadside stands to open and include the traditional offer of boiled peanuts. It’s a southern thing! The raw nuts are boiled in the shell in salty water for several hours, sometimes over an outdoor fire. They must be green, which means they’re raw, not the actual color green. The fresh nuts are usually available from May through November.

 

The peanut was an important source of protein during the Civil War, and legend holds that the salty boiling helped kill bacteria and preserve the food, which could be carried for days in the Confederate soldiers’ packs. Today, we wouldn’t want to carry the boiled peanuts around too long because they are tastiest when eaten fresh and warm. They can be refrigerated, frozen or canned, but they’re never as good as they are at a roadside stand along one of our rural or coastal routes.

You will love them … or maybe hate them. There’s no middle ground with a bag of boiled peanuts. Watch for the fresh crop to be ready soon and let us know what you think!

By Liz Mitchell

History buffs! Your best opportunity to turn the clock back is February 20 and 21 at Brunswick Town. The 145th anniversary of the fall of Ft. Anderson will be observed with an extravagant reenactment bringing back to life the sights and sounds of the Civil War. The clash between Union and Confederate soldiers will be replayed Saturday in “The Fight at Ft. Anderson” and again Sunday in “The Battle of Town Creek.”

The event will include lantern tours, panel discussions, artillery drills, infantry drills, campsites and vendors in period costume. An Archaeology Panel discussion is set for February 16 in Southport. The reenactment and panel discussions are free to the public.

Brunswick was a political center and a major pre-revolutionary port on the Cape Fear River. It was razed by British troops in 1776. The importance of the river in transporting supplies and in defending the area came to the forefront again, and Fort Anderson was built at the start of the Civil War on the site of the village. The fort is called Cape Fear’s Forgotten Fortress and the Best Preserved Earthen Fort.

The site is one of North Carolina’s Historic Sites. For more information on our historic treasures such as this one located at Winnabow and for directions and complete event details please see the NC Department of Cultural Resources' Web site.

The visitor center at Brunswick and the remains of homes, businesses and an impressive church are an interesting visit with special programs scheduled throughout the year for a look at 18th and 19th century life.

By Liz Mitchell

The spring art show and competition is coming in March to Franklin Square Gallery in Southport. What a treat with some amazing paintings and pottery plus opportunities to meet many talented regional artists.

Cathy Johnson’s owl in charcoal is shown here. She is one of the many local exhibitors who will be part of this event. She will also be displaying her work at Airlie Gardens, March 13 celebrating Green Day, and will exhibit at the Cape Fear Wildlife Expo in Wilmington, March 20 and 21. She shows regularly in the Ricky Evans Gallery in Southport.

 

Cathy lives in Bolivia and uses charcoal, graphite, wood and acrylics to create her artwork. She is self-taught, although she has studied at UNC-Wilmington. Her special interest is nature with emphasis on the fascinating coastal birds of prey and wildlife.

Members of the Associated Artists of Southport, and non-members, participate in the month-long event. Cash prizes are awarded for the winning work judged by Pam Toll and Traudi Thornton, both of whom are internationally recognized professional artists.

The non-profit membership organization’s gallery is located in a beautiful 1904 building which was originally a school, then the City Hall — a community building and a library. Workshops and classes are frequently offered here. The gallery will be open for the March show, Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is free. All work exhibited in this show is for sale.

By Liz Mitchell

A Funny Thing Happened…

It’s a bit bawdy, albeit with some underlying social commentary, and it’s great entertaining dramatic fun. Brunswick Little Theatre will present the farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, February 18-21.

The show takes place around 200 BC in ancient Rome and revolves around a slave who will do almost anything to gain his freedom. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns, cases of mistaken identity with characters disguising themselves as one another and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from the line that vaudeville comedians often used to begin a story: A funny thing happened on the way to the theater...

The play’s director, Thom Clemmons, approached this play with the old traveling theater companies in mind. They were often high in talent, but low on money, and the troops had to improvise to pull off their shows. Often their sets were minimalistic, their costumes a mixed bag of some very good and some mere representations of what a character would wear, and their props a collection of whatever they could find that might work.

Cast members here today are talented and versatile playing a variety of roles, as did the old acting troops. They represent a combination of slaves, soldiers, sailors, eunuchs, Roman citizens and a Roman ladder. The set and costumes are charming combinations of the whimsical, cartoonish and elaborate representation of the farcical and satirical attitude of the time and place.

This is the Brunswick Community College resident theater company, and performances are at Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus. It’s quite convenient if you are visiting anywhere in our coastal region this winter or just passing through Brunswick County.

Won’t you join us? We’ll be laughing!

Ticket prices: $15 for adults; $10 for students 12 and over $6 for children under 12. Special offer for opening night: Groups of 10 or more for $12 each. For tickets call Odell Williamson Auditorium at 1-800-754-1050, ext 416, or visit www.bccowa.com. For more information about the play or Brunswick Little Theatre, see www.brunswicklittletheatre.com.

By Liz Mitchell

Quick food quiz: What do you get when you put chicken, pork, beef, squirrel, rabbit, tomatoes, lima beans, corn, okra and a few more vegetables to cook in a big pot for a few hours over an outdoor open fire?

Well, not all of these items are needed. It might not have any squirrel or rabbit, and maybe not all of those other ingredients either. But Brunswick stew has more unique recipes and special ingredients than can be counted. The main secrets to this famed dish are the lengthy cooking time and the thickness of the rich stew, which differentiates it from soup.

Brunswick County, V.A., and Brunswick, G.A., take some credit for its origin. We don’t claim to have originated it, but in Brunswick County, N.C., we do claim to cook it up just fine. Come out and celebrate the Brunswick Stew Cook-Off, January 30. It’s guaranteed to be a mouth-watering event from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., at Rourk Woods in Shallotte. Directions and more details are on the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce Web site. Admission to the event is free, and tasting tickets are available for purchase.

Prepare for some delicious flavors. Up to 10 competitors in each of five categories will cook their own version of the stew.

Live entertainment will be provided by Jaded Mayberry as well as additional food vendors; some beer to make a perfect pairing; plus local arts and crafts exhibits and activities for kids will round out a great day at this exciting event.

By Liz Mitchell

 

Visitors often think of our coastal destination for beach, fishing and golf. However, we also offer a liberal dose of performing arts for entertainment, or involvement if you are visiting for an extended time.

Playhouse 211 recently opened with a mission to build on our love of the arts. This is an intimate 83-seat theater with all of the amenities. The first production will be January 22-30, “The Sensuous Senator” by Michael Parker. Ron Lee of the Cape Fear Repertory Theatre will direct the rollicking farce. For information, contact Piet Sundman at (910) 200-7785, or Linda Sundman at (910) 200-1115.

Future shows are planned to range from comedy and drama to faith-based and controversial topics. Foreign films, musicals and dance also will be hosted in this venue. A Tribute to Louis Armstrong by Grenoldo Frazier will be presented by theCape Fear Jazz Society in Southport January 17. Tickets are $10 and are available in advance from the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center and the Southport Visitor Center.

A free program on education and entertainment through opera will be presented in Southport February 7 and 14 by the University of North Carolina Opera Outreach Program.

 

Don’t get me wrong, we do have great golf, fishing and beaches — plus plenty of shopping, dining and touring. Just don’t forget about our important arts programming welcoming guests for enjoyment and education.

By Liz Mitchell

 

It’s time to get away from the cold and check out our beautiful coastal golf courses. We have more than a dozen championship courses right here in Brunswick County, and dozens more are in the neighboring Myrtle Beach area.

Here’s a special treat for the season. Check out the current offer for a package staying at The Winds Resort Beach Club in Ocean Isle Beach. For only $61 a person you can share a suite plus a daily round of golf including greens fees, cart fee and hot southern breakfast buffet.

Here’s one suggested course: the Byrd Course at Sea Trail in nearby Sunset Beach. Sea Trail was named in 2009 Golfweek’s Best in the “Courses of Distinction,” also in "America’s Best Residential Courses of Distinction" for the fourth year. It recently was voted "Best of Brunswick County" by the readers of the Brunswick Beacon. The Willard Byrd Course is 6750 yards featuring undulating greens of Bermuda grass. The manmade lakes and ponds deliver scenic beauty at every hole. Another choice may be the Dan Maples Course, also at Sea Trail, a one-of-a-kind course with A1/A4 blended bent grass greens. This course is 6751 yards and features five holes winding along the Calabash Creek. You can often see nesting osprey and unique coastal wildlife while you make that perfect putt.

Grab a golfing buddy and contact The Winds to book this special now before the rates go up for spring. Nothing could be finer than winter golf in the Carolinas! You know you deserve it!

By Liz Mitchell

It’s officially down to the last minute for holiday shopping, and now it’s time to treat ourselves along the way. Choose from any of these great dining specials and take advantage of delicious coastal cuisine. Find the coupons online for convenient download at Christmas By The Sea.

Live Oak Café is a tiny restaurant with a big taste. How about a North Carolina rainbow trout? Maybe you would prefer sautéed lump crabcakes. The impressive wine list ranges from a $6 glass of chardonnay to an $80 bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Surfer’s Restaurant serves plenty of home-cooked favorites, and I always recommend the fried oysters.

Island Way Restaurant is oceanfront on Oak Island. The views are matched by the entrees and the ambience. A seafood platter is always a favorite, and a grouper aficionado will be delighted with the Grouper Neptune. Duffer’s Pub & Grille is a fine watering hole at the Oak Island Golf Club with views to complement big fat burgers or entrees. The dinner menu at Taylor Cuisine Café & Catering delivers neighborhood favorites such as country fried steak and southern fried chicken.

Cape Fear Coppershop Gallery & Grub combines deli cuisine with unique handmade copper items for home and landscape. Quizno’s Sub Shop in Southport also offers a discount. For the sweetest place on Oak Island, check out Crazy Cake Chicks where the morning muffins and the evening desserts will tempt your taste buds.

Enjoy these special discounts until the end of January.

My very best wishes for a fine and flavorful season on the coast!