Activities in Carolina Beach in the Winter

We frequently have callers who inquire, "What is there to do in Carolina Beach in the off season?". This time of year is great for avoiding the hustle and bustle of summer vacationers. In fact, some people prefer the slow season - no crowds, lower rates, and of course mild year-round temperatures!

For those of you who may still be skeptical about what there really is to do at the Beacon House Inn in the month of January, read the following excerpt from one guest's entry in a journal.

"Day 1 - Okay, so we are here to have fun, right? Right! Noah recommended the Deck House restaurant for our first meal. We found this to be very good advice! The Mai Tai I got was excellent. Don't remember much after that. (Just kidding!) The food was good, especially the Grouper Chowder! The music was very good as well.

We recommend the Aquarium. It was outstanding! They had quail running around inside - cool! They also had a petting area. In addition to fish, frogs and snakes on display there was additional information about Carolina Beach.

Hiking in the state park was great also. Wear some old shoes or flip flops because most of the trail is powdery sand. This is a great thing to do after a big lunch at Harbor Masters (only $6.95 for an entree & three sides!). Go to the very end of the state park past the boat docks to start the trail. We saw lots of birds and pelicans diving off shore.

For dinner, we got a bottle of wine, some cheese & crackers at the local store and came back here to relax in the Inn's living room. It was very nice and peaceful!

Day 2 -

Morning folks! I went over to the beach early to get a glimpse of the 7:15 a.m. sunrise. It was quite cool and there were clouds on the horizon so the sunrise was somewhat diffused. It was great watching the waves hit the shore, the pelicans skimming over the Atlantic and the sun peeking over the clouds and sending a stream of gold over the water to the shore. All of this, just across the street from the Inn!

We did the walking tour of Fort Fisher today. Very interesting! Those man made bunkers were amazing!

We then drove to downtown Wilmington to the place called the "Cotton Exchange". It is a restored area of downtown with shops, restaurants and places of artwork. Parking int he back on the lower level is free!

We are leaving in the morning. One final note - the breakfasts here were fantastic! Thank you sooooo much Noah & Charlotte. You two make a great team!!!"

Carolina Beach, New Hanover County Special Olympics Polar Plunge 2012

Show your winter weather bravery, and just have fun, for a good cause!

It's time for the Special Olympics New Hanover County Polar Plunge! The Special Olympics Polar Plunge supports your community's Special Olympics events - more than 500 Special Olympics athletes train year-round in 11 different sports and compete in local, regional and state-level events. Special Olympics New Hanover County partners with Wilmington Parks and Recreation for use of facilities and equipment. Our offices are located at 302 Willard Street in Downtown Wilmington.

The 8th Annual Polar Plunge will be held on Feb. 18, 2012 at The Boardwalk, Carolina Beach, NC. This is the second year for the Pooch Plunge. Bring your furry friend along for the dip! In addition to the Plunge at 3pm, we will have live entertainment, costume contest, auction, food, drawings for prizes and more starting at 11am.

For more information and to register on-line for the plunge, follow this link: http://www.plungenhc.com/, or call: 910-341-5876.


Facts About Special Olympics, New Hanover County:

In New Hanover County there are currently over 600 Special Olympic Athletes
100 % of all Polar Plunge and other donations directly support the New Hanover County Special Olympics program
New Hanover County provides training and competition in the following sports: Athletics, Basketball, Softball, Bowling, Bocce, Golf, Power Lifting, Roller Skating, Soccer, Swimming and Tennis
New Hanover County provides quality training and competition on a local, regional, state and national level
Special Olympics New Hanover County also offers opportunities for athletes, families, friends and the community to unite through socials, summer camps and quarterly dances

New Hanover County Special Olympics Highlights

The New Hanover County Special Olympic Softball team attended the National Games in Ames, Iowa in July 2006 and win a Silver Medal
Jonathan Batts, our local New Hanover County Special Olympic Coordinator was awarded the 2005 Special Olympic North Carolina Coordinator of The Year
The Summer of 2007 saw the start of Camp Shriver New Hanover County with over 100 campers in three one week camps
Kent Blue attends the World Games in China as a Bocce athlete
Mark Gradeless wins Gold at National Golf Invitational in Port St. Lucie, Florida
We conducted our 7th Polar Plunge in Carolina Beach on Feb. 19, 2011 to support Special Olympics New Hanover County
Camp Shriver 2011 will have its fifth summer of fun and games with over 130 campers attending starting June 27, 2011