Me and Mom love Wilmington, NC and we went about once a month in the last year. It’s only about an hour and a half from the south end of Myrtle. It’s not a bad drive at all.
I’m going to try to roll everything together in one post. I’m going to do separate posts on One Tree Hill in Wilmington and Carolina/Kure Beach/Ft. Fisher. So be sure to watch for those soon!
The biggest attraction to us is the Riverwalk. It’s a boardwalk along the Cape Fear River. It is lined with cute local shops and restaurants that have all been excellent. The Cotton Exchange and Old Wilmington City Market are great places to find some nifty local crafts and boutiques.
We’ve been all around Wilmington mostly shopping and finding cute local places. Wrightsville Beach is the closest beach to Wilmington. There is just really not much there and we are always disappointed when we go over there.
I’ll break this down into places to eat, shop, and things to do!
Restaurants:
Elijah’s – it is on the very end of the Riverwalk and has an amazing patio right on the water. They have a great menu including mostly seafood. We got the hot crab dip as an appetizer and I got the fried crab claws; they were delicious. 
Copper Penny – This restaurant is located only about a block up from the Riverwalk. It was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. It is an old bar with fancy wood interior and pictures of the community and friends lined the walls. We went for lunch and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. It’s definitely a happening place. I got a burger with onion rings – they were definitely the best part.
Anne Bonny’s Bar & Grill – This restaurant is actually a barge on the river right on the Riverwalk. You can take river boat tours from their dock. To get the best experience I recommend sitting on the edge at the bar closest to the river or there’s a couple of tables right at the entrance. It’s open air so it has a great atmosphere. I got the lobster roll (which had crushed vinegar potato chips on it) with smothered tater tots (which are my favorite) and Mom got the fried shrimp platter with tater tots. It was great! My only qualm is that I left a cash tip and the server decided to add another tip on my card. They ended up taking care of it after the fact though.
Cape Fear Seafood Company – This restaurant is located in a small shopping center. It is cutely decorated with local nautical finds. They have quite the knack of plate presentations. I got the shrimp risotto. It was tasty but had quite the lemon twang to it. But the shrimp was delicious. We would definitely try again. 
Dockside Restaurant & Bar – When we ate here there was a lot of construction going on and couldn’t really eat outside. We didn’t really have a good experience here but they had great homemade chips. 
Shopping:
Mayfaire – This shopping center is on the opposite end of town from the Riverwalk. It is similar to Market Common in MB with shops outside but all connected. They have everything there – a fantastic Marshall’s, Palmetto Moon, a great Belk, Hallmark, Dicks, Michaels, and quite a few other great shops.
Independence Mall – This mall doesn’t have a lot left in it but the anchor stores are Belk and Dillards which are great options. I always have to hit the different Belks to see their Crown & Ivy selections. The outside of the Belk is decorated with mosaic tiles making nautical scenes. It’s so pretty.
Blue Moon Gift Shops – This Place is one large destination to see local artists sell their stuff. It is very well maintained and can shop around freely and check out at one location – kinda like a peddlers mall concept but upscale. They have everything: jewelry, foods, pottery, frames, souvenirs, etc. that are locally made.
Cotton Exchange – This is about 8 buildings that were actually used for cotton trade in the 19th century. It has been several things throughout the years including a mill, a grocery store, printing company, wholesale company, and more. Everything has been restored and now is home to different shops/boutiques and restaurants. Everything is locally owned and very unique. My favorite shops are Coastal Paws and Olde Wilmington Toy and Candy Company.
Old City Market – There isn’t much in the City Market anymore but our favorite is the Carolina Country Store. They always have daily nut samples, sell Moon Pies, and have local jams and jellies. Inside the market is lined with beautifully grown poinsettias and crafts.
Riverwalk – I’ll touch on most of the shops in my OTH post but I must mention Poodle’s Island Wear. It always has cute Wilmington clothes, earrings, hats, and Christmas nautical finds. There are several other little shops up and down the Riverwalk. 
Front St – Once you walk the Riverwalk and go through City Market you can venture onto Front St. where there are more local boutiques. My favorite is Coastal Vibe – they sell nautical gifts, jewelry, home decor, Spartina, and other great finds.
Attractions:
Tregembo Animal Park – This is a locally owned zoo that has been a local attraction for years. They have lions, giraffes, zebras, and all the other sought after animals. There’s quite the controversy about this “zoo” of the small cages for the animals and their conditions. The animals seem to be well taken care of though and you get to see them pretty up close. We got caught in a downpour and had to wait it out with some peacocks. 
Carriage Tours – We usually aren’t ones to support the horse drawn carriage rides but these horses are actually retired from the Amish country and are rotated out to live on a farm. They are very well taken care of. The ride will tour you around downtown Wilmington – talk about the old houses, the Civil and Revolutionary Wars, and the area in general. It’s definitely a must to get the whole picture of the little town. (You get tour tickets in the Black Cat Shoppe).
USS North Carolina Battleship – This is definitely one of Wilmington’s main attractions. This is on the opposite side of the river from the Riverwalk and is the location of the “Rivercourt” in One Tree Hill (they crop out the battleship). I haven’t been in years but it’s always a site to see.
Things still on our list to do:
Carolina Adventures 