One Tree Hill Returns

The popular TV show “One Tree Hill”, filmed in Wilmington, NC has been approved for another season – making 2010 its eighth year running.

According to EUE/Screen Gems vice president Bill Vassar, thirteen new episodes have been ordered.

All Wilmington had been abuzz with speculation for days about whether “One Tree Hill,” would be renewed for another season. On May 18, 2010, The CW renewed the show for an eighth season consisting of 13 episodes minimum.

It has also been confirmed that original cast members James Lafferty, Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Galeotti will all be returning.However, Lee Norris and Antwon Tanner have been removed as main characters and it is unknown if they will be recurring later or not at all.

The show has also been moved to Tuesday nights as a lead in to Life Unexpected.

The show is set in a fictional town called Tree Hill in NC and originally followed the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty). Their relationship evolved from heartless enemies to caring brothers, and the basketball drama, as well as the brothers’ on-again/off-again romances with female characters, have been significant elements within the series.

The show’s interiors are filmed at the EUE/Screen Gems studios in Wilmington, North Carolina and exteriors are filmed in and around Wilmington.

Originally planned as a feature length film with the title Ravens, after the high school basketball team, it was decided to make One Tree Hill as a television series. The title of the show and the name of the fictional town where the series takes place is derived from the song “One Tree Hill”, which is, actually, named after a landmark in New Zealand. Most of the episodes of the show are titles of songs, bands or albums.

Executive Producer Mark Schwahn named the town “Tree Hill” because while he was writing the idea for the show, he had been listening to the album The Joshua Tree by U2. At the start of the show, fans often asked Schwahn why the show was named One Tree Hill when the town was just called Tree Hill. The question is ostensibly answered when Karen tells Lucas in episode 1.22 that “There is only one Tree Hill – and it’s your home.”

According to the Wilmington Regional Film Commission about 125 professional locals are employed on the set and the show pumps about $1 million per episode into the local economy.

Descendent Buys Orton!

A direct descendent of Roger Moore, who built the original Orton Plantation home in 1725 is the new owner of the antebellum plantation house and the gardens!

Louis Moore Bacon, who now resides in London but was born in Raleigh, has purchased almost the entire 5,000-acre property – including the historic plantation house and its famous gardens – from the Laurence Sprunt family who have owned the Brunswick County landmark since 1884.

The Plantation and Gardens (located just 35 miles from Wilmington, NC)will close indefinitely on May 31st while plans for the future and other renovations are made. Hurry to see this incredible place while this years gardens are still available to you!

Current Orton manager David Sprunt, will retain that position, said the family has kept the land around the plantation’s pond.

He said he’s excited about the plans for the plantation, but it is hard for the property leave his family’s ownership after all of these years.

A press release states that Bacon is directly descended from Roger Moore, who built the original Orton residence in 1725. Bacon’s mother’s family has strong ties to nearby Wilmington.

Many are relieved to hear that Mr. Bacon has a reputation for buying historic properties such as Orton Plantation and keeping them in their natural state. Also the N.C. Coastal Land Trust holds conservation easements covering much of the Orton property. The executive director of the Land Trust states that Bacon is noted as a conservationist and a supporter of numerous environmental organizations.

Forbes magazine notes Bacon, age 53, is a native of North Carolina who manages several hedge funds and now resides in London, and the London Sunday Times notes that that he is the richest hedge fund manager in Britain having a nearly $1.7 billion fortune.

Orton Plantation, which recently opened for the 2010 season, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the gardens. Extensive renovations were made in the gardens to open up panoramic views to the Cape Fear River, remove competing vegetation, redesign and enhance the flower beds and restore and preserve the colonial rice fields.

Among the predominant species in the garden are live oaks, camellias, azaleas, flowering fruit trees, daphne, hydrangeas, crape myrtles, dogwoods, and colorful spring and summer annuals. Lawns and water gardens lend variety to the lush vegetation.

Plan to come spend a day at Orton Plantation! The gardens are in their glory right now! The historic landscape designed around the 1735 mansion and colonial rice fields overlooking the Cape Fear River and 20 acres of secluded walking trails surrounded by hundreds of acres of rice fields make Orton Plantation Gardens a wonderful place to visit.

One of the oldest plantations on the Lower Cape Fear and the only one with a manor house still standing, Orton has become a privately owned tourist attraction, celebrated for its elaborate gardens. In recent years, the plantation and its grounds have served as locations on a number of motion pictures.

The house and grounds are located at 9149 Orton Road S.E., Brunswick County just off N.C. 133, close to the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site.

Get directions click here!

Hours are 8am to 5pm March – August and 10am – 5pm September – November (except they close for Thanksgiving Day).

$00 Take A Break!

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Aquarist – Ft. Fisher Aquarium

Take a guided tour through the depths of the Aquarium or become an aquarist for the day?

The Aquarium offers behind the scenes tours on:

Thursday, April 1 at 11:30 AM and Sunday, April 4 at 11:00 and at 2:00 PM.

Accompany Aquarium staff on a guided tour of animal quarantine, life support, food preparation, and access areas with this unique opportunity. The Aquarist Apprentice program, which includes a behind the scenes tour, gives participants the chance to learn about the Aquarium’s animals and their diets, and assist staff in the preparation of food and feeding of some of the animals.

Participants will also observe the Aquarists accomplish some of their daily care and maintenance tasks. This program will be offered on Saturday, April 10 at 2:00 PM.
With the arrival of warmer temperatures, outdoor activities are an excellent option for a fun-filled day. The Aquarium offers several programs that will help you get back to nature. Salt marsh explorations will be held Sunday, April 4 at 3:30 PM.

The program involves hiking the salt marsh trail and viewing first-hand the activities of marsh-dwelling animals and the variety of plants found in this rich environment.

Popular surf fishing workshops will return starting Saturday, April 10 at 9:00 AM. The program involves a 3-hour workshop, which includes one hour of classroom discussion, then surf fishing on the beach nearby.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY MARCH 31, 2010 FOR APRIL 2 AND 3, 2010 PROGRAMS and can be made by calling 910-458-7468.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is located on US 421 approximately 15 miles south of Wilmington,NC just beyond Kure Beach, NC. From Southport, NC take the Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry. For ferry schedule, call 910-457-6942 or toll free at 1-800-BYFERRY. http://www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher

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