Exciting news: Bald Head Island has brought me on to be a regular contributor to their blog, The Island Times. I’ll be writing a monthly post for their Adventure Series. For February’s adventure, I tried birding for the first time. Maureen Dewire from the Bald Head Island Conservancy took me out for the morning and showed me only a fraction of the birds Bald Head Island has to offer; I can’t wait to go back out and see the birds in their breeding plumage. The post should be up on their blog in a day or two, but here’s one of the birds we saw.

A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet paused long enough for a good look, and a picture, while I was birding on Bald Head Island,

North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse, Old Baldy at Bald Head Island, will re-open on Friday, January 22, 2010 after being closed earlier this month for routine maintenance. Brunswick County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages our readers to explore Bald Head Island and the Smith Island Museum located next to Old Baldy. You can opt for the self-guided tour or take advantage of their Historical Island Tours that include a visit to the civil war fort, stories of pirates, river pilots, and life-saving crewmen, a climb to the top of Old Baldy and much more! For more information on Old Baldy, click here and for more information on what to do while in Bald Head Island, visit their website!

While on our recent mini vacation to Bald Head Island with our friends Kath and Matt, we stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast – the Marsh Harbour Inn. (Or former bed and breakfast as it is now mostly a fractional ownership location per their website.)  Kath’s family has been visiting Bald Head Island for years and have stayed at the Marsh Harbor Inn a number of times.  Knowing how much her family loves staying there, we were looking forward to our accommodations.  As early as our arrival, we were very, very pleased with this location!

MHI is a 10,000 square foot location with rooms ranging from bedrooms with mini fridges to full kitchen suites.

The rooms boast beautiful views of the marsh and the harbor.

(The view from our room on the first floor; views from the third floor where Kath and Matt stayed were amazing!)

The rooms were spacious and well appointed with comfortable beds and sitting areas.  The photos below are of our room, a corner unit on the first floor with its own balcony.  Kath and Matt stayed in a very spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite with amazing views (as I’ve mentioned   )

(don’t mind my attempt at remaking the bed for the photo!)

While no longer a bed and breakfast, a full continental breakfast was provided each morning.  It included fresh fruit (very fresh and flavorful!), oatmeal, cereal, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, bagels, pastries, waffles, juice, milk, and coffee.

There was a large dining room…

… with great morning views of the marsh and nearby cottages.

In addition to the daily breakfast, we were permitted unlimited access to the kitchen (as long as we cleaned up after ourselves!).  The four of us made dinner two nights and lunch two days in that large, functional kitchen.

The lobby is inviting…

…and the attached living room is warm and cozy with a fireplace, board games, books, and sufficient seating.

As the Husband mentioned in the Bald Head Island post, the island is car free.  MHI is very accommodating and provides golf carts for occupants’ use on the island.  This came in very handy many times!

Something that can’t be understated is the customer service.  Everyone at Marsh Harbour Inn is incredibly friendly and personable, and we enjoyed chatting with them whenever we had a chance to.  In particular, Doug made sure at every opportunity that we were having a wonderful experience.  Thank you Doug!

While not technically a bed and breakfast anymore, our experience at Marsh Harbour Inn makes us look forward to more.  We’ve never stayed at a bed and breakfast before and if they’re half as inviting as our experience here was, we’re sure to have a great time!  If you find yourself heading out to Bald Head Island for a week or a few days, we would recommend reaching out and seeing if there’s availability here.  We don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

For New Year’s, the Wife and I met up with our friends Kath and Matt on Bald Head Island.  We had never been before, but Kath has been enjoying the gifts of the island for several years.  We weren’t disappointed.

There really is no infrastructure to bring cars to the island.  You get to the island via ferry from Southport, NC ($16/person, round trip).  Once you’re on the island, your transportation options include golf carts, which were included in the cost of the room at the Marsh Harbour Inn, bicycles, which can be rented on the island, and of course, the ankle express.  The island really isn’t that big.  It’s something like 3.5 miles wide by 5.5 miles long, but most of it is uninhabited marshland. 

With the lack of vehicular congestion and distraction, we had plenty of time to kick back, relax, and enjoy our holiday. 

The layout of the island provides a wonderful feeling of seclusion, despite the fact that it’s not very big, and it’s really not all that secluded.  Houses freely line the streets, either hidden behind a tree line, or sitting out on the marsh, or looking out over the surrounding bodies of water.  It seems like the hourly ferry is always just arriving, or just departing.  The harbor isn’t big, but it’s certainly not sleepy.  Yet you succumb to a temporary state of repose, while the island quietly thrives around you.

Perhaps the highlight of the island, in terms of landmarks, is Old Baldy, the island’s lighthouse.  Located at the south end of Cape Fear, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, it is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse. 

The weather was freezing when we left the island, but otherwise, the temperature was cool.  Keep in mind that we were there for New Year’s, so we were pleasantly surprised with the wholly-tolerable temperatures.  It was overcast for most of the days while we were there, but the clouds managed to break up just enough right before evening that we were able to get a couple nice shots of the sky.

We had a gorgeous, nearly-full moon one night, that rose over the marsh.  I couldn’t help but set up the tripod, and snap a shot.  The moon was bright red, which was overexposed during the six-second exposure, but I thought the image came out pretty cool despite the overexposure. 

Last night, to celebrate the end to our wonderful New Year vacation, Kath, Matt, the Husband and I headed to the Bald Head Island Club for a “fancy” dinner (The Husband had to wear pants and not shorts = fancy dinner.)  We hopped in the golf cart, as bundled up as we could be (it’s cold here!), and headed on over for our 7pm reservation.

Since the restaurant is in the country club, there was a large open space when we first entered.  A large bar/lounge was off to the right and the restaurant could be found straight back. (This is actually the view from the restaurant back into the lobby.)

The four of us perused our menus and discussed (for quite a bit) whether or not to get a bottle of wine or to go with glasses (some were not in the mood for entire glasses).

We finally decided to get a bottle and what a great decision it was! We went with the Gemtree Vineyards Tadpole Shiraz.  The entire table raved about how good this was!! I haven’t had a Shiraz in a long, long time and I’m glad that Matt and I decided on this.  One bottle worked out well, as well, based on everyone’s wine desires for the evening

To start, there was a consensus that soup would be ordered.  (We were still cold from the golf cart ride and needed to warm up!)  There was along as Cheddar & Ale Soup that was calling our names.  However, when the Husband learned that the soup of the day was Tomato Basil, as I shared my Cheddar & Ale with him, he definitely had to have the Tomato Basil.  Kath and Matt decided to share a bowl while the Husband and I each went with a cup.  Kath appropriately described ours as “fondue-like” which, as you know, is something that I liked The Husband really liked his Tomato Basil as well.  We were off to a good start!

In between the soup and entree courses, the Husband also decided to get a Wedge Salad.  Luckily this salad wasn’t drenched in blue cheese dressing (like the last time) and he could enjoy the variety of flavors.  Kath and Matt each enjoyed a small taste as well.

On to the entrees! After realizing we both were planning on the same thing, Kath and I discussed ordering different items so that we could taste each other’s entree.  Luckily the husbands did the same so there were a lot of tastings!

I went with the Rosemary-Skewered Scallops over Spinach Fettucine.  The scallops were very flavorful and cooked perfectly (in my opinion) and I found that the “skewers” were rosemary branches and very cool!  It came with a blood orange light cream sauce (if I remember correctly), which unfortunately gave little to no flavor for the pasta.  However, the spinach fettuccine itself was quite fresh.

The Husband went with the Shrimp and Grits.  It included Grit Cakes instead of the usual mound at the bottom.  It was unique and flavorful way to present the grits.  He decided to save half as leftovers for some time this weekend.  (I tried his Grit Cake but let him have all of his shrimp )

Kath ordered the Crab Stuffed Flounder with Hollandaise.  I had a bite and it was very good! Matt ordered the Breaded Catfish.  He also shared this with me (thanks guys!) and it was amazingly salty! He ended up having to take the breading off the second half of the fish as it was unbearable.

Even though we had consumed what felt like a lot of food, we discussed ordering a dessert to share amongst the four of us.  Kath and I decided on the Pumpkin Cheesecake.  It was made fresh at the club and included fresh whipped cream and crumbled ginger snaps.  This was a sweet way to end our dinner and our vacation!

We  are headed back to Charlotte now from Bald Head Island Thanks to Kath and Matt for inviting us out! It was a great mini vacation to celebrate the new year!  With the start of 2010, the Husband and I have some fun trips planned and those that are in the planning process.  Stay tuned as we recap those and ask for suggestions for things to do and places to eat in our upcoming excursions! We’ll also be catching up on the end of 2009 in the coming weeks

Happy New Year!! As many of you know, the Husband and I are currently vacationing on Bald Head Island, NC with our friends Kath and Matt.  We took off slightly early on Wednesday and mad the approximate 4 hour drive from Charlotte to arrive just in time for the 7pm ferry to get to the island and to have a late dinner.  So far, it’s been a wonderful vacation and New Year celebration!  I’ve had a chance to play with the new camera and the Husband will hopefully be getting a post up about how beautiful this place is!

Kath, Matt, the Husband and I decided to cook some meals at the Inn and enjoy some meals out during this trip, trying to make a healthy (relatively speaking!) balance while we’re here.  Wednesday night we made dinner at the Inn while Thursday we went out to lunch at Eb & Flo’s Steam Bar.  We made dinner at the Inn last night and plan to have lunch in while we go out to the Club for dinner tonight

I’d seen Eb & Flo’s Steam Bar on Kath’s blog before (her family vacations here a handful of times per year) and the Husband and I were looking forward to some fresh seafood!

We’re staying at the Marsh Harbor Inn so Eb & Flo’s is a quick, short walk away.

The weather when we first arrived had been cold and cloudy so when we headed to lunch, we were quite excited for the sun to start to appear! The restaurant had a beautiful view over the harbor.

We headed inside and looked around deciding where to sit (seat yourself place).

The bar area was full so we took a seat in the front room.  I loved the motif of the restaurant!

Going into the restaurant we had a general idea of what we were going to have.  We looked through the menu anyway just to be sure.

To start, we decided to get a pitcher of 1554 and split it four ways (more like 3 – Kath and I went with a half glass each to start!).  It was super tasty!

First on the list of must haves was the Fried Okra appetizer.  Yum-o!

On Kath and Matt’s recommendation, we decided to get a Steamer Pot to get a good sample of fresh, steamed seafood!  The four of us decided to split the Large pot.  The kitchen was awesome and divided it into two pots for us so it was easier for the couples to share!  The pot came with shrimp, crab legs, oysters, clams, crawfish, potatoes, kielbasa, and corn on the cob.

In addition to splitting the pots, Kath and I each got a side salad while the Husband got the Lobster Bisque.  I had a bite and it was good!

For dessert the Husband went with a Carolina Brewing IPA.

All in all, it was great lunch! Good food with good friends on a good vacation Looking forward to trying out a fancier meal tonight!  Hope everyone is having a great start to 2010!

(Thanks Kath for the photo!)

Nov. 7, 2009
The day after we got Barkley, I was signed up to run in a 10k on Bald Head Island. So Tom and I packed up Barkley and all of his stuff, and drove to the ferry in Southport. This was Barkley’s first real experience with walking on a leash, and once again we were impressed. There were so many people at the event, and every one of them wanted to pet Barkley. He did so well, letting everyone play with him and handle him. It was exhausting being so popular, though—he spent a lot of the morning sleeping, and was worn out for the rest of the day.

On the way home we stopped at a pet boutique in Southport and let him pick out another toy, which has since become one of his favorites—the monkey (“Monk”). We also got him a food and water dish stand, which he has almost outgrown already.

leaving the island – I got to spend the night on Bald Head! How cool is that?! Sad to say goodbye after only 24 hours. Wish I had been able to stay and enjoy the island a little longer. Maybe next time…

bald head island – got an emergency call from sara and mel of whitebox for a last minute wedding shooter. so, headed out to the island for the most awesome wedding i’ve ever seen! and such great experience shooting! i learned so much!

While Lauren and I were on Bald Head Island for the North Carolina Food and Wine Weekend I got to thinking, what is there to do on Bald Head Island in the rain? A couple of days later I got a call asking for an entry for the Bald Head Island Limited Blog. Check out my list here.

And while you’re at it, check out the picture of Old Baldy I took.

Old Baldy during a break in the storm.

My wife and I went to a wine dinner at the NC Food and Wine Weekend on Bald Head Island and I wrote about it for the Bald Head Island blog. I’ll write a little more about it later.

One of the best parades that I have ever seen was not filled with large floats or marching bands, but the July Fourth golf cart parade at Bald Head Island, NC,  held on July 4, 2009.

Here is a shortened version on YouTube. Watch for the longer version on the TV Showz Net Travel Channel.

“The July Fourth golf cart parade is a tradition at Bald Head Island, NC. We attempted to include a view
of every decorated golf cart and keeping the viewing time to a minimum we still exceeded 6 minutes.
The number of decorated carts was amazing and many of the participants went all out to impress
the crowd. A fun time was had by all in this family oriented celebration of American Independence.
May this tradition be passed on to generations to come.”

Even though I know that of you are sick of seeing Kate and the kids on vacation, this pic was just too cute to pass over.

It was taken by the nanny on Kate’s phone.

What I like is that everyone looks legitimately happy (even if there is a camera probably filming it all to the right).

Bald Head Island, NC is absolutely beautiful, so excuse the fact that Kate Gosselin and the Viet Cong are there. Not sure what the point of this post is, but a controlling bitch and mother of eight in a bikini. Rawr. I bet her vagina looks like manhole.

Stuff like that headline, or, oh, better yet, “This woman has 8 kids?!?!” is the kind of thing that would be here if this was Entertainment Tonight or People, or if it was the beginning of our journey to the land of make believe.

I’m sure tons of women would love to convince us Kate looks good because it lowers the bar for all of them, but she doesn’t. She looks like shit. That she had 8 kids is irrelevant. My penis is like a great white shark: it can’t be bargained with, it can’t be reasoned with, it doesn’t care about explanations or excuses.

I mean, seriously…why should Kelly Ripa have to work out and this bitch can sit around eating cheetohs? Man, I hate this lazy bitch.

PS Nice haircut loser.

I was on the phone and looking out at the River. I kept noticing a large black object surfacing. I also noticed a small outboard boat near the object. After a few seconds I realized that it was a whale. I know the difference between dolphins, porpoises and whales and this was clearly a whale. The small boat followed it for some time. By the time I got my video camera it was farther away, but I did get some video. I will put it up on YouTube in a few days.

I wish that I could have been closer but it was still a great experience.

May 21 – 25, 2009

Sunset River Studio – Calabash, North Carolina

Waterway Art Association
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The 2008 Waterway Art Association Exhibit
Click Here for Driving Directions

As a Super 8 and Waffle House devotee, I hate to admit it. But spending that money on a Bald Head Island rental is … is … so worth the money. The scenery is beautiful, the living is easy and the distractions are few. I only spent a weekend there, but by the time I left I was ready for anything the real world could dish out.

Bald Head Island is a 12-acre dollop of land off the southern coast of North Carolina. The 45-minute ferry ride from the station in Southport is transforming. You can feel the burdens of everyday life ease off your shoulders. Porters handle your bags at the landing and shuttle you to your house, then it’s up to you how you spend your time. Choose wisely:

The island's gorgeous homes make you want to just hang out there with friends and family.

a. Just hang. The island, owned and run by the real estate development company that created The Woodlands outside Houston, is divvied up into neighborhoods with homes that blend in with the surroundings. Most houses have open floor plans that encourage games of Monopoly and large family meals. A lot of homes also have great sound systems and flat screen TVs. Honestly, there were times when all I wanted to do was chill on the couch or the balcony and enjoy a home I could only dream of owning one day.

b. Explore. Still, it’s hard not to take the golf cart out to see the island’s different ecosystems. The main artery on the island runs through a maritime forest, where you can just park the cart on the side of the road and get lost in a dense canopy of trees. Red and gray foxes patrol the woods, and gators lurk out there somewhere. Our house was set on a tidal creek. In the mornings we walked out on the boardwalk to watch birds swoop down for their breakfast. And Frying Pan Shoals on the southeast corner of the island is a nesting ground for

Spectacular scenery fills your heart and clears your head.

loggerhead turtles and a gathering spot for seafaring fowl.

c. Swim. The Shoals also offer some good waves to catch, although during our visit in May few people ventured into the chilly waters. We preferred the swimming pools at the Island’s two clubs, which require a temporary membership if you’re renting. Again, it’s money well spent.

d. Sightsee. The main attraction on the island is Old Baldy, North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse, built in 1817. The lighthouse

Old Baldy is North Carolina's oldest standing lighthouse.

 keeper’s home is part gift shop, part museum and is worth a look, too. But climbing the stairs in the old lighthouse is pretty neat. Turtle Central, near Frying Pan Shoals, includes a gift shop and working lab where you can learn more about the island’s turtle population

Hello and welcome to Bald Head Island NC Wedding Planning; a site dedicated to assisting brides, grooms, parents and anyone else who is planning a wedding on Bald Head Island.  In the future this site will fill up with useful information including how and where to get married on Bald Head Island.  Until then, be sure to check out our list of recommended wedding vendors.

A little more history:

AzioMedia.com opened the doors to it’s used bookstore August 2004. Since we had been selling books on the internet for several years we decided to open a small used bookstore in the space next door. There was not a bookshop or music store for miles around and we thought it would be nice to open a small shop with the overflow of books we always have in our warehouse.

Azio Media Retail Book Shop

We buy books, vinyl records, old photographs, original movie posters, lobby cards, prints, paintings, small antiques, sculpture, letters, magazines, old fishing lures and maps and anything really interesting we may find desirable.

Azio Media is an Amazon.comBookseller

The Azio Media book & music warehouse

Located in Shallotte, N.C. we offer the biggest selection of books, records, posters, and vintage magazines in the region.

Original "North BY North West" Film Poster - Starring Cary Grant

Plus vinyl LP records, 45 rpm and 78 rpm records, comic books, and other collectibles are all available Monday – Saturday 11:00am – 5:30 pm or by appointment. Stop by and see us today.

Elvis Presley - Moody Blue Vinyl LP

Independent – Wide Selection – Fast Delivery
Fine Books, Literature, Letters, Maps, Art and Antiques

www.aziomedia.com

Since 1998

We Buy Vinyl Records & more..

We buy books, old photographs, posters, prints, coins, watches, comic books, paintings, small antiques, sculpture, letters, magazines, old fishing lures, maps and anything really interesting we may find desirable.

Please Call Toll Free: 1-866-315-3322 or send us a letter or postcard to:

Azio Media
225 Smith Avenue
Shallotte, NC 28470

Email: info at aziomedia.com

Shallotte is located in just north of the border in Brunswick County, North Carolina – off Highway 17 between Wilmington, NC & Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Click Here for Driving Directions.

Here a copy of the Wilmington Post announces the Rearming of Fort Caswell on the front page.

In 1825 Congress authorized the construction of a fort on Oak Island.

The fort was an outstanding engineering accomplishment. It was a pentagonal structure with a two-story citadel and surrounded by a dry moat and a wet moat. Located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, Smith Island, (Bald Head Island), and the eastern tip of Oak Island, Fort Caswell was a strategic Civil War fortification.

During World War II the fort was re-purposed into a US Naval base. America was preparing south eastern North Carolina for war. Anti-aircraft artillery and sailors swarmed to Oak Island, while civilians worked as enemy aircraft and submarine spotters patrolling the beaches and barrier islands on the lookout for German soldiers and spies.

On January 31, 1946, Fort Caswell was designated as war surplus and assigned for disposal. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina purchased the 250 acre fort from the Government on Sept. 29, 1949 for $86,000. Fort Caswell is now the home of the North Carolina Baptist Assembly.

Azio Media attracts a fair traffic of browsers for its hardcovers, paperbacks, vintage vinyl LPs and assorted ephemera, but don’t let the book-lined showroom fool you. Its main business is in cyberspace.

Founded in 1998, the used-book dealership easily does 80 percent of its business online. It sells titles through Barnes & Noble.com, Borders.com, Amazon.com – which gives it a 5-star rating for customer satisfaction – and its own Web site, www.aziomedia.com.

continued

We’ve been out and about at two North Carolina islands over the past couple months and danged if we didn’t have wiener dog sightings at both. Very exciting! (Admittedly, not everyone shares my enthusiasm in this department.)

Maddie a brown and red dapple dachshund from Rock Hill, SC

On Bald Head Island, a car-free community I wrote about for Budget Travel (July issue) and the Boston Globe (coming up), we met 2-year-old Maddie from Rock Hill, South Carolina. She’s a red dapple dachshund, not a common blend. Wessel had never seen a dapple before, which is spotted like a Dalmatian and not to be confused with a piebald coat, which has a more blotchy beagle pattern.

Maddie with human companion Cortnee Rushlow

Maddie’s human companions are Cortnee and Chad Rushlow, who said Maddie is mad about the beach. Bald Head Island is so dog friendly that canines are allowed to hang 10. Poop-scoop bags are at every one of its more than 40 public beach access points. Really, I don’t understand why more beaches don’t allow dogs, at least one day a week or something like that. OK, I do understand the No. 1 and No. 2 reasons, but, dangit all, dogs love the beach, and so do their humans!

Jean and Chris Frey with Stumpy and Morgan

And, yes, there are some other enlightened communities, such as Oak Island, where we went over Fourth of July weekend, just for fun! Wessel first spotted Morgan, 6, a black-and-tan male, and Stumpy, 8, a red male, zipping along the shore pulling their humans while we were relaxing in our beach chairs. I bolted up, grabbing paper, pen, and camera and rushed over to introduce myself to Jean and Chris Frey of Havre de Grace, Maryland. They were vacationing in a pet-friendly house right on the beach. Lucky dogs, all of ‘em! We stayed in a house that doesn’t allow pets, so poor Roxy and Sabrina had to stay home.

Stumpy pulling his human companion on the beach

The Freys, long-time dachshund devotees, recently had adopted Morgan and Stumpy through Dachshund Rescue of North America after losing two other beloved dachshunds the year before. Like me, they subscribe to the dachshund lovers’ creed: “you can’t have just one.” The low-riding pooches looked sooooo cute trotting down the beach, with specks of sand sticking to their noses and bellies.