Cape Fear Coast

                           Wilmington            Carolina Beach          Fort Fisher

Historic Wilmington and North Carolina's Cape Fear Coast offer a rich variety of educational opportunities and activities for all grades.  Sites such as the Battleship North Carolina, Poplar Grove Plantation and Fort Fisher Historic Site provide interesting glimpses into the past.  Programs at the Aquarium and state parks will enrich understanding of our coastal geology and ecology.  We offer a one, two and a three-day itinerary that will cover the points of interest that can be covered in your allotted time.

Get on board and get ready to:

• Get your feet wet in the salt marsh program at the Aquarium
• Ride down the Cape Fear River from Historic Wilmington for a lunch or dinner cruise
• Study the loggerhead turtle life cycle and habitat on the beach taught by park rangers
• Climb the dunes at Fort Fisher Historic Site which was the last coastal Stronghold for the Confederacy
• Visit an old southern plantation and see how your ancestors lived in the 1800's
• Visit the Kure Beach Fishing Pier for additional beach activities
• Boat to an uninhabited island with Carolina Ocean Studies to beach comb, crab, clam and seine for marine specimens
• Win prizes for the best sand sculpture contest on the beach
• Learn about tides, coastal geology, erosion and effects of hurricanes on beaches
• Discover the Venus Fly Trap during the carnivorous plant hike at Carolina Beach State Park
• See Michael Jordan's retired UNC jersey and other artifacts while doing a scavenger hunt at the Cape Fear Museum
• Take a ferry boat ride on the Fort Fisher Ferry across the Cape Fear River on the way home.

                                                  Crystal Coast

  Morehead City       Atlantic Beach       Fort Macon      Pine Knoll Shores      Beaufort

History, nature, and beaches are the major attractions on the Crystal Coast.  Students can enjoy the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, home to artifacts recovered from Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge.  The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is also a major attraction showcasing the area's maritime and marine history, along with historic Fort Macon, a five-sided fort that has seen service in many conflicts, including the Civil War and World War II.

We can look for the Wild Ponies and dolphins on our way to Shackelford Banks for a marine study program.  There are numerous other beach and hands-on activities that are available here such as:

North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Carolina Ocean Studies Programs on Shackelford Banks
North Carolina Maritime Museum
Trinity Center "Sound to Sea"
Tryon Palace Historic Site
Historic Beaufort Tour
Fort Macon State Park
Diamond City Cruise
Shackelford Banks

Choose the activities that interest you and we will design an itinerary that will meet all your goals and expectations.