Places to see between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington NC

I would advise going from Myrtle Beach up US 17 - this will take you by the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) in an area know as "The Rockpile" for the rock ledges that stick out under the water at high tide.  There are some places to eat along here - The Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood.  But it may be too early in the trip to eat there   and then farther along there is Barefoot Landing which has a free dock for the sailors on the ICW.  It's a big shopping mall with places to eat.   You might want to take a little detour to see the Oak Island Lighthouse  Then back track to Southport (North Carolina)  There is a North Carolina Maritime Museum there, and also an interesting place to eat called Provision Company   You can take a ferry over to Bald Head Island but that is a one way trip.  So from here take a ferry to Fort Fisher State Historic Site  There is both a very interesting museum and one of the North Carolina State Aquariums here.  You go through Kure Beach which is a nice beach town before you get to Wilmington