Be a Tourist in Your Hometown

More than 30 local attractions were free Sunday as part of the 16th Annual Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown day.

The event, organized by the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, is held each year to encourage area residents to check out museums, parks and other facilities that are waiving admission charges. So I visited four museums yesterday.

The first was the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History a 1909 beach cottage that shows what life at the beach was like 100 years ago. You step back in time as you can walk through a 1930's kitchen and see the model of Wrightsville Beach in 1910.

Next was the Cameron Art Museum, where I saw From Heart to Hand: African-American Quilts from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

My third stop was at the Bellany Mansion Museum where I was able to visit the formal areas and kitchen in the basement of the mansion and hear the history of the original slave quarters.



The final stop was at the Cape Fear Museum of History & Science, which features exhibits on the history, science and cultures of the Lower Cape Fear. At one of the Museum's newest exhibits -B.W. Wells: Pioneer Ecologists, I found out about a Savannah Photo Hike in June where photographer Freda Wilkins will provide some tips to help capture the beauty of the savannah's wildflowers.

One of the full time exhibits is a collection of memorabilia from Michael Jordan who went to school in Wilmington.
After my adventures I went to John & Jess's house for a fish taco dinner and to admire their home improvements, a newly painted porch and shutters.


And the evening ended with us enjoying Toy Story 3.

Tonight is dinner with Dave.

Tomorrow night I am going to see the film Biutiful at Thalian Hall.

Wednesday is a full day orientation for volunteers at Airlie Gardens (after an early morning bird hike). And then it is time to start packing for my trip to NJ!