TRIPS ON A TANKFUL: Paradise is a ferry ride away

The high price of gas has dashed the dreams of many wanting to take an affordable vacation this year. So why not hop in the car and take a day trip? There are great spots to visit off the beaten path without breaking the bank.

IF YOU’RE GOING

Bald Head Island, N.C.

WHERE: 140 miles east of Florence, 70 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River
HOW TO GET THERE: From Florence, take I-95 North toward Lumberton, getting off at exit 14 for U.S. 74 East, travel for 48 miles, then take N.C. 211 South another 42 miles to Southport. From Myrtle Beach, take Highway 17 north into North Carolina to the town of Supply, hang a right on N.C. 211 (Southport Supply Road) and drive 17 miles to Southport, where you catch the ferry.

COSTS:
- Two-way ferry ticket: $15 dollars
- Golf cart rental: $38.50 for two hours/$60.50 daily rental
- Bicylce rental: $5/hour, $22/day
- Sailing Excursion: $75 dollars (1-2 hours)
- Kayak rental: $30 (2 hours)

CONTACT INFO: Bald Head Island Limited, 1-800-457-3723; www.baldheadisland.com
One final note: Bald Head Island has a Beach Music Extravaganza coming up Labor Day weekend with daily events, food, and special packages.

I traveled just 60 miles north of Myrtle Beach to an historic island just off the coast of Southport, N.C. One great thing about it - when you park your car at the marina, you don't use it again until you're going back home.

Pulling up to the loading dock at the Indigo Plantation Ferry in Southport means you're leaving the everyday behind. Paradise is just a ferry ride away.

Trisha Howarth, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Director for Bald Head Island, Ltd., guides our tour for an adventure to Bald Head Island.

As our ferry pulls away from the dock, already passengers begin to shed their troubles. “Getting on this ferry ride, you’re just starting to feel a slower pace and just really getting into the environment… It’s just a really good segue into a day at Bald Head,” Howarth said. “It's not commercialized, they’re aren't any arcades or anything of that nature. People come here to disconnect and relax.”

First up, one of the most popular activities on Bald Head Island - sailing. Andrew Hodgedon is our captain. It’s a laid back summer job for this Communications/Journalism student at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington.

“I like sailing, especially compared to power boating just because you feel more one with your environment, I guess,” Hodgedon shared. “I mean, it’s kind of cheesy, but it’s true. All you hear is the waves and the wind, and you don’t hear the drone of the motor in your ear.”

As we sail along the Cape Fear River, we have the chance to see other folks doing the same, enjoying the natural setting of the open water.

Within eyesight is Battery Island, a bird sanctuary where no visitors are allowed. “I think a lot of people want to get away from the go, go, go and that's the whole reason people come to Bald Head. I mean, we drive around in golf carts,” Hodgedon chuckles.

We've only been away from the mainland a little more than an hour and already it feels like we're world's away. We head back into the marina at Bald Head, but before we see the rest of the island, we’ve worked up quite a sea lovers appetite.

Right in the heart of the marina area is Eb and Flo’s, known for its great outdoor dining and island atmosphere. Cooper is our server. "Our most popular dish is going to be the Carolina Steampot," Cooper tells us. So we order up Eb and Flo's steampot and just kick back.

If you like seafood, you can dig in to some of the freshest right here. After lunch, it’s time for the full tour. Now remember, we left our cars on the mainland. So on the island, there's only one form of transportation with four wheels - the golf cart.

Visitors to Bald Head certainly get their R & R, but they also get a little piece of history. Old Baldy is the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina. We'll check it out, and for a $3 donation, we can climb the 108 stairs of the island's most prominent landmark.

Bald Head is surrounded by treacherous waters. The Frying Pan Shoals are also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because of the many shipwrecks. And that contributed to the island's unusual name. According to Howarth, “The pilots would come out to the dunes and stand and wait for ships to try to help navigate them around the shoals and over time the top of the dune ridge became worn of vegetation so from a distance it actually looked like a bald head."

Howarth said that pirates took advantage of the situation. “All they had to do is wait for ships to wreck and they could run out and steal the loot,” Howarth said.

There's lots more history, and more to see on Bald Head Island, from art shops, boutiques and the maritime market, to the historic museum, the conservatory and spectacular homes. We saw a good bit of Bald Head Island, but our tour had to wind down, as we headed back for the mainland, and back to the real world.