Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Coastal North Carolina
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
 
Old 03-25-2017, 04:58 PM
 
133 posts, read 160,850 times
Reputation: 284

Advertisements

https://www.ourstate.com/generator-society/

Ever since I read the article above, I've been dreaming of going to Bald Head Island. It is one of the most magical places I've been to within the continental US. It is hard to find a place of such beauty so untouched yet so easily reached. For those of you who will not devote the time to reading the article above (I think it's a must-read for ANY North Carolinian or anyone considering relocating to NC), I'll provide a few cliff notes:

  1. Bald Head Island is the most northern part of the Eastern United States where palm trees grow naturally - in this case, the Sabal Palmetto, aka cabbage palm.
  2. The light house, "Old Baldy," is the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina. It turns 200 years old this year. The original Bald Head Island lighthouse was commissioned in 1794 by Thomas Jefferson himself, but the construction failed. Old Baldy is the "do-over" and still stands today.
  3. There are no roads leading to Bald Head Island. You must ferry over, or use your own mode of seafaring transportation. There are no cars on the island for residents or visitors. All transportation is by golf cart, bicycle or on foot.
Contractors are allowed to use vehicles, and honestly, I was surprised how much construction there was going on on the island. But overall, it's still fairly pristine. The homes that are there are amazing.

Five of us went together, so by the time you purchase round trip ferry tickets for 5 people, rent a 6-seater golf cart all day and pay the $10 to park all day at the ferry, you're in for about $220 + any money you spend on the island. I went on a Monday during February, and not much was open, but there were a couple gift shops and a market. Overall, it's a must-see for everyone who has a soft spot in their heart for the Carolina coast.

There is a stunning lack of good photography of the incredible scenery at BHI. I recently purchased a Sony a6000 and I've been practicing outdoor photography a bit. I figured I would share some images with you all, especially for those that have never been.

I thought long and hard about whether or not I should write this because Bald Head Island is one of those places where you don't want "the secret to get out," but it's also one of those places that touches you in such a way that you want to share it with others.


































Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-25-2017, 07:46 PM
LLN
 
Location: Upstairs closet
5,265 posts, read 10,663,060 times
Reputation: 7187
Actually, the Sabal Minor Palm, aka Dwarf Palmetto, is native to all NC coastal counties and some a bit inland. For instance, Craven County has native populations.

For those interested in palms, Gary Hollar, Gary's Palms, New Bern is world class expert.

Gary's Nursery
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-25-2017, 08:11 PM
 
3,026 posts, read 9,003,776 times
Reputation: 3238
Your photos are lovely and the island is lovely but the secret has been out.

Bald Head Island launches Southern Living-inspired development | Port City Daily

Southern Living has been promoting this island for a couple of years.
It will appeal to those who seek solitude and have deep pockets.

The Chapel on BHI is my favourite.

Home
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-26-2017, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Chapelboro
12,798 posts, read 16,208,972 times
Reputation: 11214
Nice photos. We enjoyed visiting BHI off season about 5 yrs ago, too. It's pretty swanky and I'm not sure I would feel at home there during the season, but off season it was lovely.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-27-2017, 07:53 AM
 
6,799 posts, read 7,295,494 times
Reputation: 5345
Bald Head isn't that great...it certainly isn't "magical".
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-01-2017, 09:59 AM
 
Location: Cape Fear, North Carolina
192 posts, read 254,072 times
Reputation: 142
My Google skills are poor today!

Where do you rent golf carts and is there a website with rates, etc.

We would like to visit but bikes and walking won't work due to physical limitations.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-01-2017, 10:24 AM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
32,756 posts, read 35,956,419 times
Reputation: 43465
Thanks for the lovely pictures. Don't worry, you didn't out them. Lighthouse enthusiasts have known about Bald Head for a long time.
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-01-2017, 10:30 AM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
32,756 posts, read 35,956,419 times
Reputation: 43465
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daedalus-NC View Post
My Google skills are poor today!

Where do you rent golf carts and is there a website with rates, etc.

We would like to visit but bikes and walking won't work due to physical limitations.
It's by the ferry landing.

Ocean Isle Golf Cart Rentals | Sunset Beach Golf Cart Rentals
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-01-2017, 12:43 PM
 
Location: Cape Fear, North Carolina
192 posts, read 254,072 times
Reputation: 142
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerania View Post
Thanks!!
Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-02-2017, 08:50 PM
 
133 posts, read 160,850 times
Reputation: 284
Quote:
Originally Posted by LLN View Post
Actually, the Sabal Minor Palm, aka Dwarf Palmetto, is native to all NC coastal counties and some a bit inland. For instance, Craven County has native populations.

For those interested in palms, Gary Hollar, Gary's Palms, New Bern is world class expert.

Gary's Nursery
The sabal minor trunks underground. I'm speaking strictly of fully trunking palms. Only the sabal major/cabbage palmetto is a "true" palm tree.

If you are driving down I-40 on your way into Wilmington, right around the exit for the winery there are massive swamps full of sabal minors growing along both sides of the interstate.
Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


 
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Coastal North Carolina

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top