A weekend in Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina

With summer officially here in Carolina and temperatures topping 90 degrees, we took the opportunity to beeline to the shore for an inaugural beach weekend in Wilmington. Perhaps best known as the location of Dawson’s Creek, Wilmington is a port town on the Cape Fear Coast, about a two-hour drive from Chapel Hill.

We left yesterday morning and after lunch, settled into the sand of Wrightsville Beach. It was surprisingly uncrowded and the weather perfect. A few brave souls even ventured into the Atlantic.

With some good sun behind us, we drove to the Taylor House Inn, a small bed & breakfast in the historic district. It was a cozy little place, with lots of charm and a friendly owner who met us with glasses of sweet tea. Our room, “Serenity,” was on the second floor at the back of the house.

Showered and changed, we made our way into town for some pre-dinner drinks at Level 5, said to be the best rooftop bar in Wilmington. As the sun set, it offered sweeping views of the river and delicious Stella drafts.

We crossed the street for dinner at Circa 1922, a tapas restaurant that is all the recent rage here. The Firefly Sweet Tea cocktails were a great start; our favorite small plates included a “Trio of Tuna” (spicy tuna roll, miso seared sashimi & tuna tartare) and Curry Mussels (in a green curry and coconut milk broth, with tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, ginger & garlic).

We finished up with one of Circa’s legendary desserts: the Key Lime pie. And, after a nightcap at Front Street Brewery, we headed back to the inn and into our freshly ironed sheets.

This morning, we had a formal candlelit, sit-down breakfast with the other guests. Scott baked up some muffins and then treated us to homemade french toast, fresh fruit and sausage links. Afterward, we strolled the quiet Riverwalk, which was slowly waking from a late night.

With the temperature rising, we didn’t last long and instead drove to Carolina Beach, where we lounged away the afternoon, before hopping back in the car for the return to Chapel Hill.

What a solid start to the summer.