If you’d rather dine by the seaside, take a drive into Wrightsville Beach. Bluewater Grill is one of the loveliest dining experiences to be had in Wilmington. It’s Southern yet sophisticated, and the Key Lime Pie melts in your mouth. Weather permitting, you and your date can dine on the patio overlooking the waterfront. Take in the view of sailboats and bridge, and enjoy the cool breeze with your significant other. Bluewater Grill has some of the freshest seafood in town and raw oysters are the food of love, after all. Or try the Tuscan Shrimp, a pesto risotto dish of sauteed shrimp, vegetables and fresh basil topped with crispy prosciutto. Bon Appetit. Of course, the most impressive attraction in Wrightsville Beach is the beach itself. Grab your jacket and your better half and go for a stroll along the sand, or watch the waves from the Wrightsville Pier. Even the biggest Valentine’s day cynics can’t deny the romance of the moon over the open ocean. Whether you’re on date one or one hundred, Wilmington is full of possibilities for a night out on the town.

Not only are there great antiques but the Vintage Values store sells clothing and more to benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter. Wilmington Wine is there too and after a long day shopping how nice to sit and relax with a nice glass of wine. Also on the ‘strip’ is a great little place to eat called Jesters Java. It sits inside a great little cottage house and many folks stop for lunch before or after shopping. There is even a theatre called Cape Fear Playhouse and on the right day of the month you could make an entire day of just playing on Castle Street in the Antique District from eating and shopping to relaxing with a nice wine and heading to a show without ever moving your car from it’s parking spot!

Want to be your own sport legend? There are boxing clubs, fitness centers, skateboard parks, golf courses, tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds and other city amenities. You may need to reserve or rent some of these, like baseball diamonds and sporting fields of play and we all pay for a round of golf. Get your kids signed up for summer sports programs, or let them spend hours roller or ice skating (yes, we have ice here too). We even have a rowing club in Wilmington where you can rent a scull for a row or take lessons. Plenty of surfers hit Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Fort Fisher to ride the waves. Water skiers hit the Intracoastal Waterway and Cape Fear River. Swimmers, snorkelers and boogie boarders share space with the surfers and boaters here. Make sure to read all the signs posted at the beach or waterway. It is important to share the space carefully. Boats towing skiers should watch for wake signs and swimmers might avoid the surfer’s turf, and vice versa. The locals know the drill, so feel free to ask around. You might even hit an area sport store to get some equipment and good gossip on where to go for the sport you love.

Moving out a bit to Carolina Beach you have a variety along the strand from the north end that people can drive on (passes required), to more private spots along the way south until you hit the boardwalk and pier where you can lay out, get food and drink, eat one of the worlds best donuts at Britts, hit some rides, maybe watch a great live band, and once a year a fun pet contest! You never know what could happen near the boardwalk, which is why it draws some of the bigger crowds. Hit the riverside at the Carolina Beach State Park for more variety since CB is an island. If you want a slower pace… head further south (east really if you look at a map) on the strand to Kure Beach. There are family homes and condos but you will find public parking in a few spots and access to the beach. This area is great for picnics and family stuff because the crowds are not overwhelming. Plus, there is a pier there too and several places to get food and drink. Push further south/east and you make it to Fort Fisher. Lots of people camp out there for the night or weekend in designated areas. There are coves to explore on this end, plenty of surfers and fishermen too. Not to mention the Aquarium, the actual Fort that served to protect our port during the Civil War and the Southport Ferry are within a quick drive or bike ride. Those are only some of the beaches. If I started talking about Topsail, Surf City, Southport and Caswell and add the Islands like Bald Head and Oak Island and so on…this little beach blog would be a dissertation!

But if flowers and funnel cake is not your thing; we also have many other types of festivals. There is the Pleasure Island Seafood Blues and Jazz Festival (yummy food and great music), Riverfest (food, music, events and street fair), the Cucalorus Film Festival (indie films and filmmakers from around the world), The Cape Fear Blues Festival (local and regional artists), Final Cut Film Festival (make a film in a weekend), The Greek Festival (food and culture), Blue Grass Festival (great music) and more. New events crop up all the time. Most include entertainment for all ages but you may want to double check. The vast majority of music festivals make sure the bands are family friendly early in the day. Most of the festivals have food and drink vendors and some offer novelty items for sale too. Each has rules and they normally broadcast that in their advertising. Make sure to check to see which allows you to bring lawn chairs and coolers or if only chairs are allowed. Some allow pets but I would not want to walk a dog in some of those huge crowds.

Do you want fresh King Mackerel for dinner? Charter one of the boats from Wrightsville or Carolina Beaches and spend the day near or far off shore casting your line. Maybe you would like to have some Flounder for lunch. Many locals and visitors hit the far end of Carolina and Kure Beaches to fish through the night with their tents pitched nearby. Do keep an eye out for dolphins and the occasional wale sighting! If you like to get in the water it won’t hurt to watch for sharks. There are not a lot of attacks but even a sand shark can cause some damage. Keep those eyes open. Locals are often spotted fishing Greenfield Lake in town but watch out for the gators and snapping turtles! Don’t fret if you don’t bring any home because plenty of local businesses cook up the fresh catch of the day from one of our area fishermen!

Some families like to explore history and education and there is a lot to offer on that front. The Children’s Museum is very hands on and The Cape Fear Museum not only has things for the kids, the sports nut will see some cool things Michael Jordon gave for display since he played ball here. Cameron Art Museum houses a great collection of NC Artists on permanent collection and features others on an ongoing basis. During the warmer months you will find lots of free concerts. There is the Downtown Sundown Concert series, Mayfaire’s Music on the Town Concerts and Carolina Beach also does free shows at the Boardwalk. There are a host of music festivals, free Shakespeare in the park, farmers markets, ghost tours, film tours, bowling alleys, skating rinks and a plethora of activities available to the family. The kids will have a hard time saying they are bored!

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