Melissa, Sara, and Adelyn are from Kernersville, NC and are staying at Shell Island for the week! While it was raining one day, they still had tons of fun visiting Redix, a fun store on the island. During the week, the girls plan on shopping, relaxing, and playing at the beach. What a great way to spend summer!

For the next couple of weeks, Shell Island Travel Blog will be looking around Wrightsville Beach and the surrounding areas for fun places to go while on vacation.  This week, we’re taking you to the Arboretum!
     

The Arboretum is located just before the bridge to Wrightsville Beach on Oleander Drive.  With paths full of water gardens, flowers, bridges, and other beautiful aspects of nature, the Arboretum is a great place to visit while staying at Shell Island.
      

The Arboretum is not only a beautiful place to view nature, but is also a research facility that educates people on horticulture, environmental stewardship, and keeping our natural world green and clean.

At the Arboretum, you can explore the diverse plant collections, Japanese gardens, water gardens, greenhouses and native habitat gardens. 
  

Allie and I had a lot of fun walking over the many bridges that crossed over beautiful water gardens.  The Arboretum is the perfect spot to view nature in its “natural habitat”.

A wonderful place for families, the Arboretum has a children’s area with cottages complete with “fairies and tea”.
    

So whether you are looking for a fun getaway for two, a place to take the kids, or just something new to see, check out the Arboretum and stop to smell the flowers!

For more information and the hours of operation, head to www.arboretumnhc.org

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

If you’re looking for relaxation during your vacation (well, who isn’t?) of course you can head out to the beach at Shell Island. Rather, why don’t you take a trip to Head to Toe Day Spa? Located right before the bridge to Wrightsville Beach in Lumina Commons, Head to Toe is the perfect place to go on your vacation. From facials to manicures, hair salon to massages, Head to Toe has everything you need, and more! Open every day of the week, Head to Toe has the latest technology when it comes to body treatments.

Ask about their bridal packages, customizable packages, and their special package with Shell Island. And remember, if your coming to Shell Island for a relaxing getaway, make sure to make your way to Head to Toe Day Spa!

Head to Toe Day Spa
1970 Eastwood Road
Wilmington NC 28480

910 256 3370
www.headtotoedayspa.net

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Meet Ron and Louise, owners at Shell Island for twenty years! Here just for the weekend from Cary, North Carolina, Ron and Louise just want to relax at the beach and enjoy their retirement! They’ve seen Shell Island at its worst and best–from the time Shell Island was thought to fall in the ocean to now, when Shell Island just finished its ten million dollar renovation.

So it’s been raining this week at Wrightsville Beach.  While a rarity, rainfall can occur during one’s vacation at Shell Island.  When all you want is to relax on the beach but the rain keeps pouring, what are you supposed to do?

Well, the Travel Blog is here to help.  This week we have searched around Wrightsville Beach and the surrounding area to find some fun activities to pass time while waiting for the rain to stop.

First stop, Redix.  Known by some as “Bloomingdale’s by the Sea”, Redix has enough clothing, toys and knick knacks to pass the time away while it’s raining outside.  Located on the island, Redix is a great place to shop and have some fun!  
       

Next we have…Head to Toe Spa.  Head to Toe Spa is located in Lumina Commons Shopping Center (right off the island) and offers therapeutic spa services ranging from massages to hair and nail care.  If you’re looking for a great place to relax and soak in your rainy vacation, head over to Head to Toe Spa!
 

A fun place to go with your whole family is Jungle Rapids!  Jungle Rapids has laser tag, an arcade, a kid’s jungle, a water park, go carts, putt putt, and even rock climbing!  If you want to take your kids to a fun place while it’s raining, check out Jungle Rapids on Oleander Drive.
 

And last but not least, we have Mayfaire Town Center.  With great outdoor shopping, restaurants, and a sixteen cinema movie theater, Mayfaire will sure to take your mind off the rain at the beach!
     

So don’t worry! The sun will come out and you’ll be able to relax in the sand and sun. But if you ever find yourself in need of a fun time, make sure to check these places out!

 

Katie and her crew are staying at Shell Island for the UNCW High School Basketball Camp. They’ve been here for about a week while Katie’s daughter was working hard at the basketball camp. With her husband, friends, and daughter, a junior at Waynesville High School in Ohio (Go Lady Spartans!) Katie plans on relaxing by the pool and beach for the 4th of July. The Waynesville High School Basketball Team has been staying at Shell Island for years and this is Katie’s fifteenth year staying at Shell Island Resort for the camp.

Katie has seen the changes of the hotel through the years and loves all the new renovations. She especially loves the new layout of the lobby and the glass mosaic tiles around the elevators. Now that they are finished with the camp for the week, Katie and her family are ready to enjoy staying at the beach and relaxing in the sun and sand.

Like Katie said, Shell Island Resort has just finished going through a ten million dollar renovation. With changes in the lobby, rooms, front entrance, restaurant, and pool area, guests love the modern and contemporary feel to the hotel.

Here are some pictures of the renovations:

   

Pool Area                                                North End Bistro

   

Lobby                                              Elevator

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Welcome to the Wrightsville Beach History Museum! Located on the Loop at 303 West Salisbury Street in Wrightsville Beach, this museum makes history fun (yes, its possible!) The History Museum shares the story of Wrightsville Beach when air conditioning was nonexistent, cars were not allowed on the island, and bathing suits were made of wool. The museum itself was transformed from a beach cottage to the museum seen today.

The History Museum is opened Tuesday through Sunday. Admissions is free, but donations are accepted!

Make sure you check this place out!

This week Allie and I decided to take a walk to The Mailbox.  The Mailbox?  Well, it’s literally a mailbox located at the north end of Wrightsville Beach.  A local legend, the Mailbox has a notebook where people share their thoughts and feelings.  Since we had heard so many cool things about it from guests and workers; we knew we had to check it out!

The Mailbox was only a short walk from Shell Island to the northernmost part of Wrightsville Beach. It was located next to the Bird Sanctuary with “a bird’s eye view” of Shell Island Resort.

Inside the mailbox there was a notebook and some pens. A condo owner at Shell Island, Joan Kornegay, told us that her friends change the notebook and pens out regularly.

Once you opened the notebook, you were free to share your feelings. Of course there were love notes, letters to God, and even the occasional “_____ was here”.  The Shell Island Travel Blog was also able to make its mark in the notebook at The Mailbox.

Meet Joan!  Joan Kornegay is one of the lovely condo owners at Shell Island.  She’s been here through all the changes at Shell Island, including the many, recent renovations of the rooms, lobby, parking area, etc.  Joan not only spends time at the pool and beach, but she also knows about the mysterious Mailbox located at the northernmost part of Wrighstville Beach.  Joan knows her stuff!

This is an interactive map! So click away…

View Larger Map

Don’t worry; this isn’t your 9th grade geography class.  Rather, this is a map of the United States showing that people from all over the country come to Shell Island for their vacation.

Even though we’ve only met ten or so people, we can already see that guests travel from far away lands to visit beautiful Wrightsville Beach and stay at Shell Island Resort.

And this map is growing—every time we interview someone relaxing at Shell Island, we’ll add a star to the map and show you how people from all over the country and even the world find Shell Island the perfect getaway for their well needed vacation!