Over the Fourth of July weekend we went to Wilmington, North Carolina for a family vacation. Madi and I had already been here once before we moved to NC in 2013. At that time, we basically spent the whole time finding One Tree Hill and Dawson's Creek locations (see the post here). If you're a fan of either show, you have to go. It's incredible how much you can see. And it makes it more fun when you go back and watch the shows again after you come back from your trip! This time, we got to see more of the actual city and did some pretty fun stuff! Below is what I would recommend to do if you take a trip to Wilmington!
1) Hollywood Location Walk
We did this in 2013, and although it's cheesy, you get to learn a lot about the movie making process and see just how many movies and TV shows are filmed in Wilmington (FYI it's A LOT).
Basically a bar, but their tacos are dang good. They also have the boat from Dawson's Creek hanging in the bar!
What a hidden gem. I wish we would have gone here in 2013 with cooler weather, but I still loved it. Beautiful flowers, a cute little butterfly garden, beach glass sculptures, and a gorgeous area that looks like it was abandoned which they use a lot in Dawson's Creek and a few times in One Tree Hill.
Also a surprising find. We had gone here in 2013, but I did not realize how big the campus is! We only saw the front portion that is up against College Road but it goes back so much farther than I had realized! Gorgeous campus.
This is a family owned kayaking group that has many different course options, but we did the Cape Fear River. If you haven't kayaked before, it was intense here. The boats create bumpy water and the wind the day we went was 25 knots once we got out. Yeah it was difficult paddling against that. My arms still won't forgive me. But it was beautiful. They provided a nice little dinner and snacks once we got to the island before we paddled back. If you like to kayak, go with them!
6) Wrightsville Beach
Of course, 4th of July weekend it was SUPER crowded. But it is a gorgeous beach. Especially middle of May when no one is there like when we went in 2013!
Overall Wilmington is such a gorgeous place. Downtown is adorable with lots of cute shops and places to eat. But these were my top favorite things. Have you ever been there? What were your favorite parts? We did have some fails, including a place called Flaming Amy's Bowl which didn't make anyone sick but wasn't what we had expected either. I'm not sure if the chicken was legit or not... Anyways onto our next adventure!
Thanks for keeping up with us,
- Olivia :)
Next time you are in Wilmington, give this restaurant a try. Not on the beach or waterfront. Located in North Wilmington. The front of the place doesn't look great, but once you walk in, it is like a different world, and the food is fabulous. Was my favorite of everywhere I tried.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.indochinewilmington.com/
Ah thank you for the suggestion! I am excited to try it next time :)! Miss you!
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