Travel to Wilmington, North Carolina
Visit The Port City, Home of the Annual Azalea Festival
May 10, 2009
Visit the town nicknamed “Hollywood East,” where the WB’s Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, and countless movies have been filmed. Wilmington sits on a gorgeous stretch of coast, much of which is protected by conservation groups and so is unmarred by development. The small, easily navigated Wilmington international airport (ILM) serves travelers to and from Wilmington, and travelers to and from the Outer Banks, located 45 minutes away. Masonboro Island, a sandy nature preserve, is a short ride from the Wilmington shore. Masonboro is completely free of development, and is only accessible by private boat, which keeps it largely empty (and therefore the perfect place to spend a quiet day bird watching or exploring.)
Recommended Restaurants In Wilmington, NC
Wilmington has a population of approximately 90,000. Residents from all over the world are reflected in the city’s dining options, which range from upscale French bistro to 39-cent Buffalo wings. Wilmington has dozens of Mexican restaurants across a wide span of price and style—some stick with inexpensive rice and beans variations at a low price while others offer seven pages of elaborate, varied options for everyone from the strictest vegetarian to the most die-hard red meat lover. The areas of town running along the Cape Fear River and along the ocean lean more heavily towards seafood restaurants and oyster bars, and cater to all manner of aquatic enthusiasts. Tanned, bleached surfing bums and billionaire yacht-club presidents each hold a place in this town’s identity, and each helps define the town’s vibrant, various restaurant culture.
Creative Communities in Wilmington
Wilmington has a growing artistic community, nurtured by programs at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and by the local NPR affiliate station, WHQR, and reflected in the smattering of art galleries, lecture halls, theaters, and music venues dotting the city’s two waterlines.
Wilmington, NC Health and Fitness
There are over a dozen gyms and fitness centers in Wilmington, including a YMCA, a YWCA, several Gold’s Gyms, The Wilmington Athletic Club, The Crest Fitness Club, Lumina Fitness, and O2 Fitness—and each is well-attended. The Wilmington Family YMCA parking lot is one of the busiest concrete blocks in town, and the area’s hiking trails and bike lanes fill up early on weekends. Maybe it’s the pressure of the southern six-month beach season, or maybe inspiration from the reigning champion UNC college basketball team; whatever the reason, this town loves to stay fit.
Historic Sites in Wilmington, NC
The sign welcoming highway drivers into Wilmington mentions the annual weekend-long Azalea Festival. The festival was founded in 1948 and each spring celebrates the city’s historic homes and gardens with a yearly crowd of over 300,000 people who come to tour and explore the gorgeous antebellum homes along the Cape Fear Waterfront. Wilmington was settled in the 1720s and many of the homes featured in the Azalea Festival have been preserved for well over a hundred years—many since the civil war era.
Guide To The Port City
- Learn more about the annual Azalea festival, and order tickets to next year’s events.
- Arrive early to beat the nightly crowds at one of Wilmington’s most popular restaurants, an excellent Thai-Vietnamese Bistro on Market Street (910.251.9229.)
- For some of the best steak and seafood in town, head to Bridge Tender, a restaurant and catering company in Wilmington (910.256.4519.)
- Read more about Masonboro Island, Southeastern North Carolina’s largest preserved Barrier Island, here.
 |
