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Enjoy a Meal at the Live Oak Café

The Live Oak Café of Southport gets its name from its unique location underneath an old live oak tree. The café is housed in a refurbished historic home with original wood floors, brightly colored walls, quaint dining rooms, pub-style tables, and more. If you prefer, you can enjoy your meal on the screened porch or sip your wine in the herb garden. American food with a Cajun kick makes up the menu at Live Oak Café, which is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. For more information, contact the Live Oak Café at (910) 454-4360.

Take a Trip To Winnabow To Tour the Natural Beauty Garden Spot

The Natural Beauty Garden Spot, located in Winnabow, is a local greenhouse that features a variety of local plant, shrub and tree species. Most of their products are grown in their greenhouse and include hanging baskets, trees, shrubs and bedding plants. If you are interested in learning more about the business, they offer greenhouse tours, though you will want to call ahead to make reservations. They are open from March to June, Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. For more information, contact Natural Beauty Garden Spot at (910) 253-5777.

Go Hunting

Because of the abundant wildlife areas in Brunswick County, many people enjoy visiting the area to go hunting each year. There are a number of areas in the region where hunters can find both large and small game, which include species of deer, black bear, wild turkey, rabbit, and dove. In Brunswick County, the Green Swamp Game Land is almost 15,000 acres and one of the most isolated areas of southeastern North Carolina. Owned by the Nature Conservancy, this area can only be traveled on foot. Other hunting lands in Pender and New Hanover Counties include the Holly Shelter Game Land, Sutton Lake Game Land and Roan Island. For more information about hunting regulations and licensing, contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at (888) 629-4535. Information and licenses can also be found at a variety of local stores, including the Wal-Mart Super Center of Southport at (910) 454-9909, the Wal-Mart Super Center of Shallotte at (910) 754-2880, the Holden Beach True Value Hardware at (910) 842-5440, or Island Tackle and Gifts at (910) 579-6116.

Learn about the Area's History at the Smith Island Museum of History

Located on Bald Head Island, the Smith Island Museum History is located in a building that was replicated after the original Bald Head Island light keeper's house. Located near the lighthouse, this museum features lighthouse artifacts available for viewing, and also has a gift shop with some souvenirs for sale. Some lectures and educational programs are offered at the museum, and tickets are sold for $3.00 per person to climb the Bald Head Island Lighthouse. For more information, contact the Smith Island Museum of History at (910) 457-7481.

Take Your Kids To Captain Charlie's Kids Fishing Tournament

Held at the City Pier in Southport's Waterfront Park, the Captain Charlie's Kids Fishing Tournament is held each year to coincide with the King Mackerel Tournament. This is a great way for children to have their own tournament while their parents are out fishing in the adult tournament. Kids ages 16 and younger are welcome to enter Captain Charlie's Tournament, which is sponsored by the Southport Recreation Department and the Southport Lions Club. Kids bring their own equipment and bait, and the first 100 to enter get a free t-shirt. Prizes are given away throughout the tournament, and everyone can enjoy free hot dogs and refreshments. All fish that are caught are put back into the water in this catch-and-release tournament. For more information, contact the Captain Charlie's Kids Fishing Tournament at (910) 457-7923.

Travel To Myrtle Beach For Some Fun at the Grand Prix Family Thrill Park

Just a short drive from Brunswick County, your family may enjoy spending an afternoon at the Myrtle Beach Grand Prix Family Thrill Park. This adventure park offers a variety of rides and go-carts. Some features of the park include junior racers, 2-seaters and bumper boats. The Myrtle Beach Grand Prix Family Thrill Park is located at 3900 Highway 17 South and can be reached at (843) 238-4783.

Visit the Oak Island Senior Citizens Craft Shop and Center

The Oak Island Senior Citizens Craft Shop & Center is a community-based shop and gallery that showcases a variety of arts and crafts made by local senior citizens. Artwork ranges from baskets to photography to paintings. Art classes are also available to seniors in areas such as painting, basket weaving, cooking, computer basics, needlework, cake decorating and more. Class fees are $25 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information, contact the Oak Island Senior Citizens Craft Shop & Center at (910) 278-5224.

Learn To Sail

If you are interested in the sport of sailing but aren't sure where to start, you can learn from Priority Sailing of Southport! Priority Sailing offers a variety of sailing instruction, ranging from individual, couple and group sailing for ages ranging from youth to adult. You can choose your instruction course in a variety of levels including Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, Coastal Navigation, Coastal Passage Making, Offshore Passage Making and Celestial Navigation. All courses use standards set by the U.S. Sailing Association. For more information about learning to sail while you are visiting Brunswick County, contact Priority Sailing at (910) 454-4479.

Learn about the Agri-Tourism Industry of Brunswick County

There are a number of local farms in Brunswick County that are available for tours. Your family may enjoy an afternoon tour of a produce farm, aquatic farm, cattle or swine farm, or a tobacco or cotton operational farm. Several of the produce farms allow you to pick your own tomatoes, strawberries, and other in-season fruits and vegetables, while the other types of farms will enable you to get a glimpse into the farm operation lifestyle. For an informational guide about the various farms in the area, contact the Brunswick County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service at (910) 253-2610.

Enjoy a Sweet Treat at Sandman's Candyland or Sandman's Ice Cream

Sandman's Candyland and Sandman's Ice Cream of Holden Beach has something for everyone's sweet tooth! Sandman's Candyland on Jordan Boulevard has a variety of over 100 different candies ranging from new to old-fashioned. The candy store is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. Sandman's Ice Cream on Ocean Boulevard West has 25 fun flavors of ice cream that will hit the spot any day of the week! The ice cream store is open daily from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m. For more information, contact Sandman's Candyland at (910) 842-6322 or Sandman's Ice Cream at (910) 842-5743.