Destination 1: Wilmington, North Carolina

Throughout each piece of my blog, I will encourage you all to attend these different places. All the places that I will blog about are my travel goals. First, I am interested in checking out Wilmington, North Carolina. What attracted me to this destination most was because my favorite hit series "One Tree Hill" was filmed here. I would love to visit the places/houses that the actors and actresses filmed. I also love the beach, so anywhere that has a beach, I'm so in! While researching, I found many other attractions I would love to attend when I visit. I will find the attractions that motivated me most to want to go. I hope they attract you to this area, too!

Looking for a quick weekend getaway? Let's check out Wilmington, North Carolina. There are many fun and exciting things for you to do for your stay that I can help you find. It's a southern destination that has something for everyone to do.

I plan on visiting Wilmington, NC for a short little weekend very soon! My travel ideas may consist of something different than yours do, but having options is always a great start. I will go through the places that I'd enjoy visiting, hotels, restaurants, etc.

Hotel:

I'm interested in staying at Springhill Suites by Marriott in Wilmington. This was rated 4.8/5 and has outstanding reviews. The hotel rooms are extremely nice, and it even has an outdoor pool! I found this hotel on hotels.com and it was priced at a great rate for $118 a night. It also has continental breakfast for those who have a hard time getting out of bed early enough to get ready and go to a restaurant for breakfast. ;)

Aquarium Attraction:

I absolutely love exploring marine wildlife. If you're interested in going with family and just doing things you wouldn't normally do in your hometown, I would suggest going to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. It was ranked top 20 aquariums in the U.S. by Trip Advisor. There are many different things you can do here.

If you're looking to explore more, you can go on a behind the scenes tour which is a backstage pass to the hidden spaces of the aquarium. You'll get to explore the care of the animals and see what goes on behind the scenes. If you are traveling with a little one, there is a Fins and Family Tour. It's a tour for families who have a 3-7 year old with them. The staff shares different facts about fun animals and the child can create a craft that they get to take home at the end of the tour.

If you're into more hands on learning, you can also go canoeing, salt marsh and crabbing, surf fishing, and be an aquarist apprentice. You have the option to go with a trained guide exploring Zeke's Island while canoeing. You can go on an exciting expedition learning how to catch and release blue crabs. Hit the beach and catch a fish while surf fishing, or you can even help the staff feed the fish at the aquarium itself. As you can see, there are many reasons as to why it's ranked top 20 aquariums in the US. There is so much to do!

Beach Visit:

Did you even go on a vacation if you didn't visit the beach to relax for a day? Probably not. Carolina Beach Boardwalk has tons of fun things to do for people of all ages. Mini golf, bike rentals, ice cream, shopping, scenic white sand trail, music, night life, historical sites, boardwalk, lawn chairs to relax, fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, need I say more? That has me wanting to book my trip right now!

One Tree Hill Tour:

If you are into One Tree Hill as much as I am, you will love exploring Wilmington, NC. The show was filmed in Wilmington, NC, but they called the town "Tree Hill." Even though "Tree Hill" is a fictional town, the nostalgia will bring you right back to the show. The many places I'd love to visit are as follows with their addresses that will take your right to your favorite places filmed:

Karen’s Cafe & Clothes Over Bros is located at 272 N. Front Street #101

Peyton Sawyer’s House: 1901 Chesnut St.

Tree Hill High School & the Whitey Durham Field House: 610 Front St.

Lucas Scott’s House: 1829 Wrightsville Ave.

The River Walk: Located along the foot of Market Street at the Cape Fear River

Brooke Davis’ House: 2341 Tattersalls Dr.

Keith Scott’s Auto Body Shop: 19 Covil Ave.

Food:

Looking for a bite to eat? I found a lot of good reviews on a place called Cape Fear Seafood Company. Now, if you're anything like me, you like to try new places to eat while on vacation, rather than just your typical pizza joint or McDonalds. I would love to try out this place. Their menu looks delicious and the food is decently priced. They got a 4.5 out of 5 star review on trip advisor. It says that it is highly recommended to make a reservation before coming, as it does get very busy! This restaurant is located at 5226 S College Rd Ste 5, Wilmington. They serve American food, seafood, and it's also vegetarian friendly, so everyone can have their choice of what they want to eat.

Dock's Street Oyster Bar is another restaurant I'd like to check out on my weekend getaway. It was also rated a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The location of this restaurant is 12 Dock St, Wilmington, NC. They serve American food, seafood, gluten-free options, and vegetarian options. Once again, everyone can pick and choose from a variety of different options. The crab legs are rated really well here. YUM!

Transportation:

The best way to get around this area, if you don't have a rental car, is by Uber. It is the cheapest and most convenient way. Don't know what Uber is? Download the app on your phone and create an account. It will ask you where your designated location is and where you plan to go. Someone will be there to pick you up in no time.

I don't know about you, but all of this has me wanting a vacation ASAP. I hope you feel the same way. I also hope that you can use this blog post to your benefit and go to these attractions/areas in Wilmington, NC. If you do visit them, contact me. I'd love to hear all about it!

Thank you for reading!

~Emily~

#Nachos #Chilli #Dips #Mexico #HotSauce