Southport by Cycle
Touring history on wheels
On a recent, warm summer morning, a group of local residents and visitors gathered at The Adventure Kayak Company on Howe Street in Southport, choosing bicycles and helmets to begin a two-hour trip around the historic district.
They weren’t disappointed. Leading the trip was Lori Sanderlin of the North Carolina Maritime Museum, which has partnered with The Adventure Kayak Company for a series of tours highlighting the riverfront city’s history.
Sanderlin is an expert in the Lower Cape Fear’s Civil War history and has extensive knowledge not only about the town’s military past but also its history of commercial fishing, tourism, and even natural disasters.
She leads the group of five bicyclists – longtime residents and Brunswick County newcomers alike – throughout the “old” part of Southport. Stops included the Old Brunswick County Jail, which served as the county jail until the 1960s and is now a historical museum, the Old Smithville Burying Grounds, and of course, the historic homes along the Cape Fear River, many of which have unique stories of their own.
The five-mile, two-hour tours are not strenuous. Sanderlin stops every so often to point out a historic location and tell a great story about the city’s history.
From the Fort Johnston Garrison House, which now serves as the Southport Visitors Center, to the old county courthouse, the current location of city hall, Southport’s history takes center stage, but architecture, commerce, and even popular culture receive their due, as well.
The group takes a trip through the Yacht Basin to the sites where movie Safe Haven filmed last year, and which is continuing to bring in tourists.
Sanderlin, a Southport resident, recalls sitting up and watching the filming of Safe Haven’s fireworks scenes in the middle of the night.
Company owner Emma Thomas says the business has been doing bike tours of Southport for the past thirteen years. Two years ago, she entered into a partnership with the Maritime Museum to lead monthly historical tours, providing more in-depth information about the town’s landmarks and fascinating former residents. The Adventure Kayak Company donates a portion of the proceeds from these tours to the museum.
“Each tour is a little different,” Thomas says. “There is so much history you get a new perspective every time you take a tour.”
Carol Deets of St. James, on the tour with her husband, says she would return for another tour.
“It’s really interesting to see the old houses and learn about the history,” she says.
Cost for the tours is $15 with your own bicycle and helmet or $20 with bike/helmet rental. Advanced registration is required. Upcoming tours are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 3, at 8 a.m. and Saturday, Sept. 7, at 8 a.m.
Tours are also available through the summer upon request on Sunday and Monday mornings and Monday-Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with four or more participants.
