On many a long-ago bright summer day, folks in Wilmington with time off from work headed for a shady, scenic spot along Bradley Creek and Wrightsville Sound. Not to Airlie Gardens, which did not exist in the early 1880s, but to the Seaside Park Hotel and its grounds. Even in the colonial days, shady groves and refreshing breezes lured visitors to enjoy the salty air and briny waters of the sounds along the eastern coast of New Hanover County.