Wilmington
Restored through a massive revitalisation effort, Wilmington is
a quaint, charming, and genuine Southern town. Grand antebellum
mansions sit back from shady, tree-lined lanes leading towards the
Cape Fear River and historic downtown district.
Brick streets overflow with sweet shops, fashion boutiques,
jewellers, and craft stores. Locals lounge alongside tourists at
sidewalk cafes, resting up before taking a stroll on the system of
boardwalks and promenades along the Cape Fear River.
Here, dining is an art. Genuine barbecues contain pit-cooked
pork, with sides of collard greens and hush puppies. Those who are
more discerning might indulge in exquisitely presented low country
cuisine in beautifully restored buildings.
In recent years, this small but picturesque area has earned a
major reputation in the film and television industry. It is the
headquarters of EUE Screen Gems Studios and the filming for major
films and television shows, like Dawson's Creek.
The Atlantic coastline is worth the drive across town. Across a
short bridge spanning the Intracoastal Waterway lies the beautiful
barrier island of Wrightsville Beach, a breathtakingly lovely
hideaway of pastel beach houses raised on high pilings and
weathered fishing piers.
A handful of upmarket shops, beach-gear outfitters, and
restaurants are the only distractions from the warm waves dotted
with surfers, the boats skimming along the intracoastal and endless
stretches of sandy beach bordered by dunes and sea oats.
Wrightsville's reputation as a quiet, classy, family destination
is carefully guarded. Farther down the peninsula toward the tip of
Cape Fear, there are other pretty beaches, like Kure and Carolina,
though none with quite the same charm as Wrightsville.
However, along the ocean and the myriad inlets and waterways of
the Wilmington area, visitors will discover pockets of the
quintessential coastal South. Oyster gatherers wade through
marshland mud and shrimp trawlers cruise against the sunset.