When meeting along the shores of North Carolina and South Carolina, planners would do well to incorporate the great outdoors into the itinerary. The region is rife with all manner of waterborne activities, from kayaking to wreck diving, as well as land-based pursuits including golfing, horseback riding and hang gliding.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Myrtle Beach
The Myrtle Beach area, home to some of the most bountiful natural beauty in the U.S., provides countless outdoor activities for groups, from lounging on the beach to cruising along the waterway, according to Danna Lilly, director of sales for the Myrtle Beach Area CVB.
"Lush forests neighbor pristine beaches while salt marshes filled with unique wildlife line the Intracoastal Waterway," she says. "Combined with a temperate climate, the diverse geography creates the ideal setting for any outdoor enthusiast."
While there are numerous waterborne activities for people visiting Myrtle Beach, a couple options are particularly suited for groups.
A trip on the Sea Screamer, a large speed boat that holds up to 100 people, brings groups on a narrated tour along the Intracoastal Waterway. They’ll pass gorgeous beaches and pause to observe dolphins playing in their natural habitat.
Thomas Outdoors Water Sports is another popular area outfitter that facilitates an endless array of fun water adventures for groups, from pontoon boat rentals and deep-sea fishing excursions to jet ski outings and dolphin tours.
For those who like to remain on land, Brookgreen Gardens, created in the early 1930s by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington on the site of four former rice plantations, is considered the finest outdoor presentation of American figurative sculpture in the world, according to Lilly. Home to hundreds of works by 300 of the greatest names in American sculpture, Brookgreen Gardens facilitates guided tours wherein groups will learn about the history of the gardens, the artists’ works and the unique plant life that is found in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Charleston and the Resort Islands
One of Charleston’s most striking features is that everywhere one looks, there is water. Recently named the "Most Romantic Port" by Porthole Cruise Magazine, the Holy City continues to enjoy its relationship with the sea, according to Liz Rennie, spokesperson for the Charleston Area CVB.
"Like a camellia floating in a Mason jar, Charleston’s Southern beauty has flourished thanks to her proximity to water," Rennie says. "Celebrating life on the water is half the fun of being in Charleston."
Near Charleston are the popular resort locales of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Isle of Palms, all of which share the area’s natural bounty and waterborne pursuits.
According to Shane Ziegler, owner of Barrier Island EcoTours, the area sets itself apart as a great outdoors destination because within a 20-minute drive of downtown Charleston groups can travel across beautiful salt marsh landscapes and visit barrier island beaches, or drive inland and explore black water rivers and cypress swamps.
"Groups can depart from a developed barrier island with local naturalist guides to explore pristine salt marshes and undeveloped islands and beaches only reachable by boat, or kayak through the salt marsh estuaries," he says.
One outing arranged by Barrier Island EcoTours has groups travel by boat from the Isle of Palms to Capers Island Heritage Preserve, one of the few remaining barrier islands along the East Coast.
"An experienced naturalist guide will lead you through salt marsh tidal creeks on the way to Capers Island, along the way pulling crab traps, checking out oyster beds for some fresh sampling and looking out for wildlife, including bottlenose dolphins," he explains, adding that once groups arrive on Capers Island they can choose from different activities such as kayaking, surf fishing, crabbing, swimming or just relaxing in the sun. "And end the day with traditional Charleston cuisine on the beach of Capers Island, including a ‘Lowcountry Boil’ [complete with shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes], an oyster roast or a fish fry."
Coastal Yacht Charters is another terrific contact for group outings, as the company manages a fabulous fleet for various group experiences.
According to spokesperson Matt Galvin, the options include the 64-foot Empyrean, a classic-style motor yacht that is perfect for small groups looking to bond in an intimate setting and enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a sunset over Charleston Harbor. The 61-foot Shark Byte is a sport fishing yacht that may accommodate smaller groups interested in bonding during an offshore team-building adventure.
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island is the first eco-planned resort development in the U.S., and it became the prototype of the modern resort community, now copied around the world, according to Jack Reed, director of sales at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton COC and VCB.
"The island maintains its natural setting while offering all the modern technologies meeting planners require today," he says.
One local outfitter, Outside Hilton Head, offers several unique adventures and team-building programs. Groups can kayak to the secluded and private Page Island, where there is a specially designed "confidence" course. There are also opportunities for dolphin watching, boating, fishing, beach combing, crabbing, shrimping and tubing during the summer season.
Another great water excursion for groups is a sunset sail aboard the Pau Hana, the island’s largest catamaran charter sailboat, which seats up to 49 passengers.
Among Hilton Head’s land-based activities that incorporate the outdoors is a visit to Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, an old plantation property that sits on 68 acres. Guided tours at the museum allow groups to discover the flora and fauna of the surrounding salt marshes and eco-system. Guided history walks are also available.
Hilton Head is also renowned for golf, and Reed adds that most of the area resorts can assist groups with planning a golf tournament.
"There are more than 30 championship golf courses with 24 open to the public in Hilton Head Island and the surrounding Lowcountry," he says.
NORTH CAROLINA
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is synonymous with outdoor recreation, according to Lee Nettles, managing director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. In fact, the 70-mile-long Cape Hatteras National Seashore is America’s first such designated recreational area, established in 1953 and home to some of the largest tracts of coastal wilderness in the country.
"The Outer Banks is elemental," Nettles says. "It’s just a different place that taps into your inner strength and will. It’s a combination of the dynamic geology, the raw weather the islands are subject to and the richness of the natural ecosystem that just captivates people, making this the perfect place to learn something new about yourself and others."
Duck Village Outfitters, located in the town of Duck, N.C., offers a multitude of group and team-building activities such as surfing and kayaking, as well as beach cottages that could help facilitate the group experience. By staying in a big multiroom house with all the amenities of home, Nettles says, attendees can cook, dine and relax together under one roof, versus several hotel rooms that may or may not be blocked together.
Kitty Hawk Kites in Kitty Hawk, N.C., specializes in outdoor adventure and is among the East Coast’s largest hang gliding schools. Activities include soaring over the giant sand dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, N.C. Kitty Hawk Kites provides group rates and guides for all its activities, including kayaking tours and kiteboarding lessons.
The seven villages of Hatteras Island also provide many land- and water-based group recreation options, including chartering a fishing yacht, taking a group seashore safari on horseback and surfing.
If the group is after soft adventure, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge attracts literally hundreds of species of birds as they make their annual migrations.
Slated for completion in spring 2011, the new state-of-the-art, sustainable, 1,000-foot-long Jennette’s Pier will feature educational and multipurpose space for conferences, large meetings, receptions and dinners. The two-story, 16,000-square-foot pier house and public bath house will also feature a tackle shop for fisherman.
Crystal Coast
The Crystal Coast, North Carolina’s southern Outer Banks, is known for its uninhabited islands, undisturbed beaches, clear blue waters and wild Spanish Mustangs, which freely roam Shackleford Banks, a nine-mile-long island, says Carol Lohr, executive director of the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority.
The Crystal Coast is also one of the two spots in North America where warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the coast, creating what divers that flock to the area call a "wreck diver’s dream" with near-perfect conditions for an unforgettable experience. There are several wreck diving outfitters, including Olympus Dive Center and Discovery Diving, that planners might call if the group would like to explore some of the more than 2,000 vessels that have made their graves along the North Carolina coast.
Groups preferring to be on top of the water can take Lookout Cruises to visit Cape Lookout National Seashore, where the 150-year-old Cape Lookout Lighthouse still stands today to warn ships of the often-treacherous coastal waters.
New Bern and Craven County
Situated at the confluence of the beautiful Neuse and Trent rivers, and home to the 157,000-acre Croatan National Forest, outdoor activities in and around New Bern include boating, fishing, kayaking, hiking, birding and Segway tours of the Ghent Historic District, according to Mary Harris, assistant director at the New Bern/Craven County Convention and Visitors Center.
"Boats of all sizes can be chartered in New Bern for conventions, meetings or social events," she says. "New Bern offers tug boat cruises, jet ski rentals and canoe and kayak rentals that can be used for team-building programs or excursions."
New Bern is also home to Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens, the home of former Governor William Tryon. The grounds are devoted to extensive gardens ranging from formal English gardens to wilderness garden areas, all available to tour, according to Harris.
Many challenging and attractive golf courses, open year-round, are available for group outings in New Bern.
Wilmington and the Cape Fear Coast
The southern coast of North Carolina offers a variety of outdoor pursuits perfect for team building, spouse tours or off-site meeting adventures, according to Mikie Wall, vice president of sales and services at the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB.
"When you sit in meetings daily and your group needs charging up and invigorating, we have a huge variety of activities to offer," Wall says. "From something as simple as enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride through the brick-paved streets of our historic downtown to a golf outing or fishing adventure, the choices are endless."
One of the most popular activities for fun and education is a boat excursion via Carolina Ocean Studies (COS) to Masonboro Island, where groups participate in crabbing, marsh exploration via a scavenger hunt, clamming and a role playing sea turtle game. COS can also take the group farther out to sea for a nature excursion that often includes sightings of flying fish, 300-pound sea turtles and dolphins.
—Carolyn Blackburn, who grew up in Connecticut, will never forget her first dive into Myrtle Beach’s slice of the Atlantic. Locals were fleeing the ocean, saying it was too cold, but to a New Englander it felt like bath water.
