Disclosure: Thank you to Wilmington and Beaches CVB for your assistance with itinerary and attractions to facilitate this review.

Leslie Heigh, Raleigh-based freelance lifetyle/travel writer/blogger at Wilmington and Beaches CVB Visitor Center’s main office~505 Nutt Street
I planned to visit Wilmington, NC for my 44th birthday this year and met up with family & friends to enjoy my birthday themed weekend: #44bytheshore. Why Wilmington? It is an easy 2 hour drive from where I live in Raleigh, NC plus I love the city and all it has to offer. From the beautiful beaches and shores, variety of attractions, restaurants and tours, Wilmington, NC has alot to explore!
My family did a daycation here last year (see travel guide here) and we had so much fun! Now that our daughter is older, we looked forward to an extended stay and having her revisit some places we went to before while also discovering new family friendly activities to do.
STAY |The Hilton Wilmington Riverside, located on the Cape Fear River in historic downtown Wilmington, was our hotel for our two night stay. We loved how convenient it was to restaurants (such as The Basics, located in The Cotton Exchange across from the hotel) as well as attractions (like the Wilmington Railroad Museum). Stay there for enjoyable river views from their renovated rooms, the pool /tiki bar and access to the 1.75 mile Riverwalk! For more of a look inside the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, click here.

Inside the Hilton Wilmington Riverside
If you are planning a visit to Wilmington and not sure if it is a good fit for your family, I’d like to share with you my Top 4 Reasons to Visit Wilmington,NC for Family Travel
- BEACHESDid you know that Wilmington, North Carolina has 31 miles of pristine shoreline with luminous sandy beaches? During our visit, we enjoyed 2 out of 3 island beaches: Carolina Beach & Kure Beach. The sun played hide and seek during our 2 nt stay but we still found time to play in the area known as, Pleasure Island .
Since we arrived on Thursday, we got to check out the Carolina Beach Boardwalk Blast concert with fireworks and also the seasonal amusement park. There’s plenty of sweet treats on the boardwalk but if you love donuts save room for Britt’s Donut Shop! Kure Beach, North Carolina is known for its Kure Beach Pier , oceanfront park and four miles of uninhabited beach. The award winning aquarium is there also so this beach is kid-friendly. To get here was an easy 20 minute drive from our downtown Wilmington hotel. Check out more photos from our visit to both of the beautiful beaches >>>> here. - FOOD See more food pics from this trip>>here. Wilmington, NC has alot of great restaurants and notable chefs making this city a foodie paradise. During our visit to Carolina Beach, we enjoyed Kate’s Pancake House for breakfast. This restaurant is popular because it serves some of the most original pancakes and waffles. It’s only open until 1pm but this is a great place to fuel up for the day on the way to the beach or Aquarium.
Looking for a quick lunch in Downtown Wilmington ? Chop’s Deli: a Boar’s Head Delicatessen would be that destination. They offer made to order salads and classic deli sandwiches, as well as soups and spectacular paninis. Their walk up window serves the hungry masses from 11pm to 3am on summer weekends. We decided to sit outside for some sunshine and people watching as we enjoyed a salad, some soup and a sandwich. Don’t forget to wash it down with their homemade lemonade. Everything was fresh and delicious! No trip to the coast would be complete without a visit to a quintessential seaside seafood restaurant. Michael’s Seafood, founded by it’s namesake, the late chef Michael Mcgowan and his wife Shelly in 1998, is that place. We had a bowl {2 bowls actually} of it’s international award winning seafood chowder. My 6 yr old basically inhaled the first bowl! This restaurant is not only family-friendly but a perfect dinner option if you are looking for amazing seafood and great service. Since we were in Wilmington to celebrate my #44bytheShore birthday, we were delighted to dine at The Basics. They serve simple dishes made with basic ingredients, however, they still manage to elevate our tastesbuds with amazing flavors. Our server took good care of the table and we never felt rushed as we lingered over great food, wine and conversation. If you are staying at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, this restaurant is conveniently located across the street in The Cotton Exchange. Take a look at this drool-worthy pic I shared on IG of the Filet Mignon w/goat cheese at The Basics : - Historic River DistrictTravel to Wilmington, the biggest city on North Carolina’s coast, to learn about its unique history, which predates the civil war. There is no better way to learn about it than to take one of their myriad of tours. This visit we took a Wilmington Trolley Tour, which for over 19 years has been providing visitors with a colorful tour of the city. This 8 mile tour highlights architecture, civil war history and also speaks honestly about the racial strife that was a part of Wilmington’s history. Our driver was excellent. He was informative and entertaining at the same time. I highly recommend this family-friendly tour!
We also went on self-guided tours and walked along Riverwalk Downtown Wilmington and Cape Fear River. We made many discoveries on foot, like the City Market, a great Saturday morning Riverfront Farmers’ Market and many more shops and stores Downtown. See more photos of where our feet led us>>>here. - Family Fun Attractions
…The Wilmington Railroad Museum , a great place to explore family-friendly activities in Wilmington’s River District.
…and the Children’s Museum of Wilmington, which served as a perfect place to play indoors on a rainy day. Visit & Follow my Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/soBEsavvy as I will continue to give you an inside look and share more details plus photos from these 3 family fun attractions.Those are just some of the great reasons to visit Wilmington, NC’s Historic River District & Island Beaches. Check out http://www.gowilmingtonandbeaches.com before you go and see the many ways to explore and to get information for your next family getaway. My family & friends enjoyed our short but sweet 48 hours here and are already making plans to return next year. Hope you are inspired to make memories there soon!
Well, I’ve just decided NC is where I want to live when I retire! Then I can experience these places whenever I want! But until then, my visits will be full of adventure just following this great blog of yours! Great photos and recommendations! Keep up the good work!
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NC is a great place to live as we have mountains, beaches, city life and rural if you want. Its been a pleasure so far!
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I love visiting Wilmington and now that I have a kid, I can just imagine how much fun it’s going to be when we can take him. I love going to the aquarium and the battleship. I didn’t know they had a kid’s museum; I can’t wait to go!
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It’s fun revisiting places and seeing it thru your kids eyes! Thanks for stopping by!
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We love Wilmington! I want to try Britt’s Donuts. The Children’s Museum is a MUST if you have kids and/or a rainy day! There are so many great things to do there!
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Tip: Britt’s Donuts, only takes cash and only makes glazed. Hope you enjoy!
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It’s funny when we go to the beach we usually drive to Georgia. Since it’s a 5 hour car ride the husband recommended our next trip be to the NC coast. What a great review of Wilmington.
xo, Lee
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Thanks Lee! I definitely think you /your family will discover that a trip to the NC coast would be enjoyable!
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We had an amazing time there during our visit. My husband and I enjoyed our visit so much we can not wait to come back. Because our trip was short, we did not get a chance to visit the beach. But because of your blog, it will be at the top of list during our next visit to Wilmington. Thanks for all great information.
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Thank you for your comment! Im glad I inspired you and your husband to return.
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This trip looks so amazing! I can’t believe I haven’t been to Wilmington yet but I definitely need to change that ASAP – I’m thinking couple’s weekend and then a family one to follow 😉
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That’s a great idea! Definitely fun to be had by all.
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I love Wilmington. My sisters used to live there a long time ago. Of course, we go down every few months to put flowers out for my sister, she is buried there.
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I can see why Wilmington holds a special place in your heart Melissa.
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I can’t wait to go for my first time! Maybe in a few weeks.
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We love Kure beach we go every year for a week I can’t wait to get there when my hubby comes home
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