63rd Annual NC Azalea Festival

The 63rd Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival will be held April 7-11, 2010 in nearby Wilmington, NC (just 40 minutes from The Winds). The Festival is a celebration of Wilmington’s exceptional artwork, gardens, rich history and culture during its five days of entertainment that includes: a parade, street fair, circus, concerts, pageantry, and all that is Southern.

Since its inception in 1948, the Festival has blossomed into an extended weekend celebration that attracts more than 300,000 people.

For more than 50 years, the folks of Southeastern North Carolina have been throwing the best party in the South and you’re invited! There’s something for everyone among the area’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture.

This year’s concert headliners are the Goo Goo Dolls with Collective Soul on Thursday, April 8th, at Trask Coliseum, UNCW 8:00 PM

Since forming in 1986 the Goo Goo Dolls have evolved from a punk-inspired trio to the platinum-selling, chart-topping act behind such radio staples as “Name,” “Slide,” and “Here is Gone.”

Their song, “Iris” from the City of Angels soundtrack propelled the group to stardom as the hit stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay charts for a record-breaking 18 weeks, and was nominated for three Grammy’s that year.

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Collective Soul gained a special place in the hearts of music lovers.

They burst onto the scene in 1993 with the rock anthem “Shine” and have been making music for nearly 2 decades since then.

“Tremble for My Beloved” found them on the soundtrack to one of the hottest movies of 2008, Twilight.

A multi-platinum band with a catalog of #1 hit singles, Collective Soul will open the Thursday night concert.
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On Friday April 9th, country megastars Montgomery Gentry will also headline at Trask Coliseum, UNCW at 8:00 PM

Montgomery Gentry’s journey into the front ranks of American music has been one of the most gratifying sagas of the past decade.

Their road to gold and platinum albums, CMA and ACM awards, a Grammy nomination and highly successful tours has been paved with musical integrity and with an abiding respect for the people and the genre they represent.

15% Off Lodging Coupons!

Download free discount coupons good for 15% off the already low off season room rates! Click here to download these valuable coupons that you can print right off of your computer.

Island Escape Package!

Come enjoy our island at the best time of year.

The beach is quiet, the air and water temperatures continue to be mild and best of all the rates have dropped!

What a great time to get away!

The Winds Resort Beach Club’s Island Escape starts as low as $234.00 for two people for a 3 Day/ 2 Night Getaway!

So what’s stopping you? Start planning your escape – the dates for these rates are :

$234.00* – 3 Days/ 2 Nights – 3/5/10 – 3/25/10 (Sunday – Thursday nights)
$246.00* – 3 Days/ 2 Nights – 3/5/10 – 3/25/10 (Friday – Saturday nights)

Download free discount coupons good for an additional 15% off the already low off season room weekday rates! Click here to download these valuable coupons that you can print right off of your computer.

Package includes:

• Accommodations in an Island View Camellia Guest Room with a wet bar, microwave and refrigerator, sitting area and an islandview deck.

• Hot Southern breakfast buffet

• Champagne for a private toast

• Use of complimentary bikes to explore the island

• Add *Dinner For Two at nearby Sharky’s Waterfront Restaurant (overlooking the intra-coastal waterway) for $65.00. Dinner Includes: Two Entrees (any menu item), Bottle of House Wine, Salad, Dessert, Non-alcoholic Beverages.

*Please note that some restaurants have seasonal hours and may not be open seven days a week. Please check for restaurant availability when booking.

The air and water temps remain mild throughout this time of year. So come enjoy yourself in the sunshine on our breathtaking island beach, around our oceanfront pool, in our indoor heated pool or in one of our many whirlpool spas.

*Special Rates are for reservations booked on or after 11/1/09. Not available with any other discount or special rates. Special rates and discounts not applicable during holidays and high occupancy periods.

The Winds is a proud recipient of The Gold Star of Excellence Award from the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association for “Spotless Reputation in Cleanliness”!

Pirate Captured In Southport!

The pirate Stede Bonnet was captured at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, right by Southport, NC. He was taken to Charleston, SC and hung along with his crew! Read more

The Venus Fly Trap – Green Swamp native

Known as a death trap for insects, the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is ready to spring! Like other plants, Venus’ Flytraps gather nutrients from gases in the air and nutrients in the soil. However, they live in poor soil and are healthier if they get nutrients from insects. Carnivorous plants live all over the world but Venus’ Flytraps live only in select boggy areas in North and South Carolina.

Because of people’s fascination with these plants, they collected many of them and they became endangered. People in the Brunswick County area are lucky, in 2004, the Boiling Spring Lakes Nature Trail was completed, allowing visitors to walk through the trail and see the delicate plants first hand, while still protecting the Flytraps natural habitat. With over six thousand acres in size, The Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve is located in Brunswick County, NC in the city of Boiling Spring Lakes just off Highway 87. The trail begins at the Community Center. Visit the Nature Conservancy online at www.nature.org or calling the Nature Conservancy’s Wilmington Office at (910) 762-6277.

The leaves of Venus’ Flytrap open wide and on them are short, stiff hairs called trigger or sensitive hairs. When anything touches these hairs enough to bend them, the two lobes of the leaves snap shut trapping whatever is inside. The trap will shut in less than a second. The trap doesn’t close all of the way at first. It is thought that it stays open for a few seconds in order to allow very small insects to escape because they wouldn’t provide enough food. If the object isn’t food, e.g., a stone, or a nut, the trap will reopen in about twelve hours and ’spit’ it out.

When the trap closes over food, the cilia. finger-like projections, keep larger insects inside. Fold your hands together lacing your fingers to see what the trap looks like. In a few minutes the trap will shut tightly and form an air-tight seal in order to keep the digestive fluids inside and bacteria out.

Dionaea muscipula (Venus Flytrap) with the carcass of a partially digested insect. The exoskeleton of the insect can not be digested by the flytrap, so it remains when the leaf reopens.
If an insect is too large it will stick out of the trap. This allows bacteria and molds on the insect to thrive. Eventually the trap turns black, rots and falls off.

The trap constricts tightly around the insect and secretes digestive juices, much like those in your stomach. It dissolves the soft, inner parts of the insect, but not the tough, outer part called the exoskeleton. At the end of the digestive process, which takes from five to twelve days, the trap reabsorbs the digestive fluid and then reopens. The leftover parts of the insect, the exoskeleton, blow away in the wind or are washed away by rain. The time it takes for the trap to reopen depends on the size of the insect, temperature, the age of the trap, and the number of times it has gone through this process.

If you feed a Venus Flytrap something that doesn’t move, e.g., a dead insect, it will not close tightly over it. You need to squeeze the trap and move the food around so it imitates the action of a live insect.

The lobe manufactures digestive juices and an antiseptic juice. This keeps the insect from decaying over the few days it is in the trap and purifies prey that it captures.
carnivorous plants – Drosophyllum-4

People still do not understand fully how the trap closes. The Venus’ Flytrap does not have a nervous system or any muscles or tendons. Scientists theorize that it moves from some type of fluid pressure activated by an actual electrical current that runs through each lobe.

Online Beach Lovers Club

TheWindsBeachClub.com is an online Beach Lovers Club. It is a great way to keep up with what’s going on at Ocean Isle Beach!

Sign up to participate in online fun – as a Beach Club member you’ll receive special offers, discounts and be able to participate in special events, special savings and fun online contests to win valuable prizes – from Winds Beach Club T-Shirts to Dinners at local restaurants to Free Vacations at everyone’s favorite beach resort – The Winds. We will never share your information with anyone else! There’s absolutely no cost – to sign up just go online to: http://thewindsbeachclub.com.

When you sign up you will automatically be registered to win a free 3 day/2 night vacation at The Winds for Two!