10 things to do

Autumn is here with crisp days perfect for enjoying an outdoor hike or garden stroll in one of the region s lush Havens. Tack up WBM s things-to-do list and soak up the best of fall.

1. Discover a scenic fall hike on Summer Rest Trail a .7-mile wooded walk  beginning at Port City Chop House and ending with a beautiful view of the Intracoastal Waterway.

2. View the work of new artists during the Bellamy Mansion s   Emerging Art Show beginning with an opening reception October 2 and continuing through November 6. The show s theme   Beauty of the Bellamy   will showcase the landmark s history and architecture.

3. Admire classic cruisers and vintage vehicles during the 16th annual Brits at the Beach Car Show October 11 in Wrightsville Beach Park.

4. Explore the University of North Carolina Wilmington s origins with The Jewel in the Crown exhibit presented by the university archives in the William Randall Library now through December 15.

5. Celebrate the region s beautifully distinctive long leaf pine trees during the Fire in the Pines Festival at Halyburton Park Saturday October 11. The free event will include music games crafts and a demonstration of a controlled burn.

6. Grab your disc and join up with the Cape Fear Ultimate Frisbee League. Pickup games are scheduled for 10 am Saturdays at Pine Valley Elementary School.

7. Observe the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act at the Cameron Art Museum with Willie Cole s art installation   School Pride the Eastern NC Story   now through November 2.

8. Take a road trip to Ocean Isle Beach October 18 and 19 for the North Carolina Oyster Festival which includes live music children s entertainment arts and crafts local cuisine and plenty of shuckin .

9. Join the North Carolina Coastal Federation for the last Touch Tank Tuesday of 2014 October 21 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center.

10. Tour Wilmington s historic Oakdale Cemetery chartered in 1852 by the NC General Assembly and stroll among unique decorative features like ornate ironwork and white marble monuments.

GARDENS

Harbor Way Gardens

Take the kids on a stroll through Harbor Way Gardens  36 400-square-foot public garden. Enjoy colorful butterfly benches an interactive water feature a variety of coastal trees plantings and an engraved brick pathway. Linger in the all-pink Breast Cancer Awareness Month flower garden. Located between the entrance to Wrightsville Beach from Harbor Island and the firehouse the gardens were built and are maintained by local volunteers. For more information visit the Harbor Island Garden Club website www.harborislandgardenclub.com

New Hanover County Arboretum

Visit this beautifully landscaped ever expanding 7-acre stretch of plants and flowers. New additions include a picnic area a Japanese tea garden and a tropical palm garden. The arboretum serves as a horticultural laboratory for the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension and is maintained by local volunteers. For more information visit www.arboretum.nhcgov.com

Airlie Gardens

Walk the trails of Airlie Gardens and see varied wildlife preserved historic structures and the famous 467-year-old Airlie Oak. Displays change seasonally with the Airlie Oak Pergola Garden and other areas blooming continuously year-round. Visitors  favorites include the Tranquility Garden which is aflutter with hundreds of butterflies and the Minnie Evans Sculpture Garden s Bottle Chapel built by volunteers in 2003. Hours special events and admission costs are listed at www.airliegardens.org

Burgwin-Wright House

Take a self-guided tour through this colonial-style garden at the historic Burgwin-Wright House that complements its finely dressed Georgian residence. Designed by two of Colonial Williamsburg s renowned landscape architects the garden houses an abundance of botanical beauties. The gardens are open to the public and free of charge (a fee applies to visit the house museum). Visit www.burgwinwrighthouse.com for more details.

Latimer House

The Latimer House Victorian era Italianate-style gardens enclosed in original stucco and lace-brick walls have been planted with flora authentic to the mid-1800s time period during which the home was built. The Latimer House also serves as the headquarters for the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society. Tours and reservations can be purchased online in advance at www.hslcf.org

Bellamy Mansion

Walk the oyster-shell paths through the Victorian garden shaded by 150-year-old magnolia trees. The mansion s original gardens were planted upon completion of the home s construction in 1861. When the mansion was restored in 1992 the gardens were recreated to replicate their original mid-1800s appearance including native plants such as camellias cheddar pinks daylilies and crape myrtles. For more information about events and programs visit www.bellamymansion.org