Azalea Festival: An institution

Wow, 64 years is a long time for one event to have kept on, keepin' on. But the N.C. Azalea Festival has been bringing it for that long.

This year's version will take place April 6-10 in Wilmington.

A springtime tradition since 1948, the 64th Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival(April 6-10, 2011) celebrates the rich history, arts, and culture of Wilmington & North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast(Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach). During April when our region’s landscape is dominated by thousands of brilliant pink, white, and purple azaleas, we pay homage to these dazzling flowers during the annual N.C. Azalea Festival, a five-day celebration that ushers in spring with Southern hospitality and fanfare. This is why Wilmington, N.C. was recognized as an “Azalea City” by The Azalea Society of America in December 2009.

Highlights of the N.C. Azalea Festival include Azalea belles dressed in period hoop skirts, a parade, juried arts and craft shows, a traveling circus, concerts, fireworks, and a street fair with exhibits, vendors, live entertainment, and kids’ activities. Signature events include the Cape Fear Garden Club’s Azalea Garden Tour (April 8-10), one of the South’s longest-running and most popular garden tours.

Click here for even more information.

80 degrees? I need to be at the beach!

It was tough to do yard work in Raleigh today knowing that the weather was perfect -- especially when we could be at the beach.

Hopefully this warm weather will stick around. And let us know if you want to enjoy the ol' Beach Place.

Whatta sunset!

Special thanks to Renae again, or I would never have seen this. Enjoy!



Oh, and if you want to enjoy these types of sunsets, just let us know!

Pleasure Island among best beaches in the state

According to Yahoo, Carolina Beach is among the best beaches in North Carolina. (Well, duh!)

"Back on July 1, 2010, Yahoo contributor Tricia Sabol wrote an article titled 'The Best Beaches in North Carolina' and she chose the beaches of Pleasure Island as the best in the state. The three beach areas of Pleasure Island were lumped into one due to their close proximity to each other," writes Carolina Beach Today.

Ms. Sabol noted in her article that because North Carolina is filled with so many wonderful beaches that it can often be difficult for visitors to chose one for their vacations. To help them out, she came up with her list of the top three in the state and here is what she had to say about naming the beaches of Pleasure Island as her top pick:

This is my pick for the best beach area in North Carolina. I have lumped Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Fort Fisher into one entry because of their very close proximity to one another on the southeastern coast of North Carolina. This area is less commercially developed than nearby Wrightsville Beach, so there are not many great options for shopping. However, what you will find at Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Fort Fisher are fewer crowds, gorgeous beaches, and a very relaxed atmosphere.

Both Carolina Beach and Kure Beach have small fishing piers, and Carolina Beach even has a small boardwalk with an arcade. A visit to Britt's Donut Shop on the Carolina Beach boardwalk is a must!

'Welcome to Pleasure Island'

Our friend (and Realtor) Renae Perrett, has put together a lovely video on the beautiful Pleasure Island, which you can view on YouTube. Nice work, Renae!

As Renae says, if you have "six minutes to relax, sit back and enjoy." Indeed.

CB trying to resolve 'road diet' problem

"Last year the Town of Carolina Beach trimmed down it's main road from four to two lanes. The 'road diet' for Lake Park Blvd. has caused some huge headaches for people," said WWAY. The CB town council recently met to talk about possible solutions.

The road diet not only did away with lanes of traffic. It also added a dual purpose turn lane, bike lanes and diagonal parking spaces. Severe congestion problems, safety of bicyclists and small business sales suffering are just a few of the problems the diet has caused.

Book now for great summer deals

It may be freezing around these parts, but if you want to plan ahead for your summer getaways, start planning now.

For one thing, we may be willing to offer cut-rate, early-bird specials on the ol' Beach Place. Be sure to check out our VRBO.com site -- you will see that the calendar is WIDE OPEN for '11. Let us know when you'd like to go to Carolina Beach, and we'll easily work with you on a good rate.

Happy vacationing!