Downtown Wilmington Riverfront, Photo by Peter Doran Courtesy of Cape Fear Coast CVB
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Kendall has stars in her eyes and history under her feet as she explores the neighboring port city of Wilmington, N.C.
Three and a half hours from Charleston up the Atlantic Ocean is a historic, cobbled street, oak swaddled town that oft appears on the silver screen. She is a splendid seaside port – a little bit down home and a little bit dressed up, a little bit backwater and little bit BIG water.
One of the campuses of the University of North Carolina calls her home, along with a boy who grew up to become one of the greatest ball players of all time: Michael Jordan.
Like a seasoned actress swarmed by her ever-growing fan base, she maintains her small town graciousness and laid back coastal charm, offering her guests a bounty of sea-bearing gifts, beaches, and antebellum architecture to appreciate year-round.
In her storied past, she has weathered blockade runners, race riots, hurricanes, and even submarine attacks off shore, all of which ups her intrigue and makes her attractive from many angles. At least that’s what Hollywood thought when it cast the Cape Fear region as its Southeastern backdrop. She is Wilmington, N.C., and she’s ready, once again, for her close-up.
HER PAST
Founded in 1732, Wilmington was the largest town in North Carolina by 1840, with a thriving Southern port on par with Charleston, New Orleans, and Galveston, Texas. In the mid-1800s railroads followed her booming river industry, combining with port resources to make Wilmington “the lifeline of the Confederacy” during the Civil War.
World War I and World War II birthed the local shipbuilding era, employing thousands during the 1940s. In 1945, the North Carolina Legislature approved the State Port Authority, but when the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company pulled out of town in the 1960s, the downtown area suffered near desertion until local entrepreneurs pitched in to give the city a much-needed facelift.
In 1974, the historic district became the state’s largest (now at 230 blocks) to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. About that time the crowds started coming in droves to relish her restored beauty and pristine shoreline.
HER PRESENT
In the 1980s major corporations like General Electric moved into the neighborhood and locals tapped into the power of heritage tourism, turning old brick buildings into bread and breakfast inns, cafes, museums, and unique shopping facilities.
Wilmington’s important war memorials were preserved and even parked in the harbor for generations to enjoy. In the 1990s the movie industry came east and settled on the banks of the Cape Fear River.
Today Wilmington lures repeat visitors with its city Riverwalk and park, Chandler’s Wharf and Cotton Exchange walking areas, steamboat tours, more than 50 golf courses, a packed calendar of community arts, and dozens of ongoing festivals. Excellent seafood – including endless oysters – never ceases to be served on restaurant tables.
Of course, the real lure is just the coastal landscape and charismatic culture of Wilmington herself. If you haven’t already, take a weekend to discover why this picturesque Carolina port city gets so many great reviews!
LET’S SLEEP
Front Street Inn
215 South Front St. | (910) 762-6442 | www.frontstreetinn.com
Lukas: An American art lover’s oasis!
Murchison House Bed and Breakfast
305 South Third St. | (910) 762-6626 | www.murchisonhouse.com
Lukas: Listed in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
The Verandas
202 Nun St. | (910) 251-2212 | www.verandas.com
Lukas: A very elegant, historic AAA 4-diamond award winner.
Blockade Runner Beach Resort and The Cottage
275 Waynick Blvd. | (910) 256-2251 | www.blockade-runner.com
Lukas: A classic family beach resort with contemporary flair.
Station One Condos
Wrightsville Beach | (910) 256-9989 | www.station1condos.com
Lukas: For those who prefer quality beach rentals.
LET’S EAT
Elijah’s
2 Ann St. | (910) 343-1448 | www.elijahs.com
Lukas: Great locale on the river. Try the chowder!
Circa 1922
8 North Front St. | (910) 762-1922 | www.circa1922.com
Lukas: This restaurant group knows the secret to savory tapas and swanky atmosphere.
Heck of a Peck Oyster Bar
4039 Masonboro Loop Road | (910) 793-2300
Lukas: They offer full-service shucking and communal dining at a classic oyster bar.
Bluewater Grill
4 Marina St., Wrightsville Beach | (910) 256-8500 | www.bluewaterdining.com
Lukas: For something deliciously different, try the soon-to-be-famous seafood lasagna.
LET’S GO
Step aboard the massive USS Battleship North Carolina on an all-access, awe-inspiring, self-guided tour that will entertain even those who aren’t the least bit interested in military history. This retired naval ship, which served with distinction throughout the Pacific, is now a World War II memorial docked in the river across from downtown. www.battleshipnc.com
Taken one too many carriage ride tours? The Hollywood Location Walk of Old Wilmington might freshen things up! It’s a 90-minute, name-dropping jaunt through “America’s largest living film set.” Bet you didn’t know that half the movies you love were filmed right here in the Carolinas! www.hollywoodnc.com
Lukas: Also offered here and highly recommended – The Haunted Pub Crawl.
Some city cemeteries have grounds so gorgeous, and are so legendary in terms of their “local residents,” that you must stop in and see what the buzz is all about. Oakdale Cemetery downtown is one of them. From the breath-taking symbolic funerary art to the eloquent 1800s epitaphs, it is the most intriguing glimpse into Wilmington’s past. Self-guided tours and details available at www.oakdalecemetery.org.
LET’S PLAY
Wheel Fun Rentals on Carolina Beach makes getting around “wheel fun.” You can rent surreys, scooters, mopeds, electric cars, tandem cruisers, and much more for creative land and sea travel. www.wheelfunrentals.com
Keep your cool with the kids at the Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park, located between downtown Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. It’s got it all: go-karts, laser tag, jungle golf, a climbing wall, and an entire water world minus sand and sharks. www.junglerapids.com
Cruise Cape Fear on the Henrietta III Riverboat, which offers a variety of cruises for the whole family including dancing, sunset dinners, lunch and sightseeing, murder mysteries, Black River nature, and even “Redneck Wedding Comedy Cruises” for the whole family. The food isn’t bad, the view is even better, and it’s just the quintessential port city thing to do. www.cfrboats.com
LET’S GET FESTIVE
North Carolina Jazz Festival January and February | www.capefearjazz.com
North Carolina Azalea Festival April | www.ncazaleafestival.org
Cape Fear Blues Festival July | www.capefearblues.org/festival.html
Riverfest October | www.wilmingtonriverfest.com
Cucalorus Film Festival November | www.cucalorus.org
GETTING THERE
Pull into Holden Brothers Farms off of Hwy. 17 in Shallotte, N.C., and grab a watermelon to go. It’s the South in summer – you can do things like that!
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