Wilmington, NC
Wilmington is just a short 3 1/2 hour drive from Charleston which makes for the perfect weekend getaway. We opted to stay at a bed and breakfast right downtown Wilmington and it was lovely. We stayed at The Verandas which is an old house with just two or three floors of bedrooms. They invite you to have breakfast every morning if you wish, or you can grab a coffee or tea on your way out for the day. It was a beautiful place with an amazing location to walk everywhere we needed to go. We did not make it out to the beaches this trip, as we went in November of 2024, but from what we hear they also make for a great weekend trip!
The town itself sits on the river and is most commonly known for it being the set of One Tree Hill. There is a beautiful riverwalk/boardwalk which has a lot of shops and restaurants on it. There is, of course, a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings called the Riverfront Farmers’ Market. We walked through all the historic government buildings, historic homes, and so much more. There are many historic homes that you can tour, like the Bellamy Mansion Museum.
We also explored the arts district where the famous One Tree Hill bridge is as well as other cool local spots.
Here are our suggested places to eat, drink, and explore!
For dinner:
Dram Yard: this restaurant sits inside the Arrive hotel, which would be a great option to stay at. We got multiple things to all split so we could try as much as possible. Everything was amazing and the cocktails were delicious as well.
Prost: this German style biergarten and restaurant has amazing food and of course a great selection of German beers.
Olivero
Restaurants along Chandler’s Warf: Little Drum, Elijah’s, and Pilot House. We did not get a chance to try these, but they seemed very nice from the warf we walked through!
For cocktails, beer & wine:
Banter
The Vine wine bar
Wine Knot sky bar and lounge: this is a speakeasy style bar which you have to know the secret code to access through an office building old fashion elevator right downtown Rochester. It has amazing views of the city and an incredible wine selection.
The Fortunate Glass
Ponysaurus Brewing Co.: we loved grabbing a beer and snacks here in the afternoon. They have a big beer garden out back.
Fox’s Hole in the Wall: a little “hole in the wall” that had a great local beer selection and a great martini which they called “Kirk f***ing Douglas”
Tavern Law: anywhere that has free popcorn and a hot dog roller is my kind of place
Edward Teach Brewing: bonus points if you know who Edward Teach is. Definitely have to try the Teaches Peaches while in Wilmington!
Wilmington Wine: wine shop
For coffee:
Bespoke Coffee
Hidden Grounds Coffee: when there is a line out the door, you know its good.
For breakfast:
Bagels on Pointe
Brooklyn Cafe: donuts are delicious!
Seabird: so good for a nice brunch.
For dessert:
Pie Slayer
Gelarto: nothing beats ice cream on the water!
For shopping:
Outdoor Equipped: this is the site of Karen’s Cafe from One Tree Hill
Market House: beer and wine market
Old Wilmington City Market: when we went, there was a vintage shop, some artisan shops, and other cute boutiques
Papercut books & gifts
