Taking Teens to Wilmington, NC: A Trip That Gave Us More Than Just Beach Time

I took my 4 teenagers on a trip to Wilmington, NC. Even though schedules with teenagers get super packed—school, activities, work schedules—it’s so important to make the time to adventure together. We need to have shared experiences so we can have conversations together. Meaningful conversations.

That’s exactly what we got on our trip to Wilmington, NC.

The trip was packed full of nature, beach time, silly fun, and lots of history—leading to great conversations about our shared experiences, current events, and more.

In this article, I’ll take you through some of the great activities we enjoyed, the delicious food we ate, and our top recommendations.

Thank you to Wilmington and Beaches for providing our stay so we could bring this story to our readers. All opinions are those of the author.

Kure Beach: Our Home Base

First—we stayed in Kure Beach, and of all the Wilmington beaches, we really loved this area the most. The traffic was light, the beach was wide, and the proximity to the larger beach towns and Wilmington was great.

Our oceanfront condo from Victory Beach Vacations had easy parking and plenty of space for the 5 of us. It was super clean and well-appointed—we didn’t cook in the condo, but we totally could have as the kitchen was fully stocked with dishes, cookware, and utensils. It was the perfect place to come back to after our busy days to pop some popcorn, watch a movie (somehow we always end up watching Pirates of the Caribbean when we’re at the beach), or to take a walk on the beach. We would definitely stay here again.

Carolina Beach: Easy Fun + Great Food

Just a few minutes down the road from the condo was Carolina Beach, which is really as far as you need to go for a huge selection of restaurants, a beautiful boardwalk area, and fun things to do.

Biking Carolina Beach

We rented bikes from Tony Silvagni Surf School and pedaled around Carolina Beach Lake Park—home to a pretty lake, a gorgeous playground for kids, and one of Carolina Beach’s fun murals. Then we headed to Mike Chappell Park to pick up part of the Island Greenway and rode to the end.

It was a nice laid-back start to the trip and a fun way to see parts of the island. They gave us a printed map when we picked up the bikes and we realized… we aren’t very good at reading maps. (Even though it was actually really simple.) We just popped the park names into Google Maps and off we went.

Kayaking

We also did a guided kayak trip with Kayak Carolina to Zeke’s Island, an uninhabited island full of shore birds and wildlife. It was spectacular. So great, in fact, that we did a whole story on it: Our Kayak Trip With Kayak Carolina

Surf’s Up Mini Golf

And then there was Surf’s Up Mini Golf, which has got to be one of the most fun mini-golf courses we’ve ever played. The theming was super, everything was really clean, and all five of us had a blast—even though we are TERRIBLE at mini golf. If you go, don’t miss the hints at the beginning of each hole—they actually help.

Where We Ate in Carolina Beach, NC

We had dinner at Seaworthy Kitchen & Bar, a beautiful restaurant with classy seaside boat theming. The food was excellent—I loved the poke bowl, it tasted super fresh. The kids enjoyed salads and smokehouse mac and cheese customized with chicken and shrimp.

For breakfast, we had a couple of spots we LOVED.

Southerly Biscuit has giant, delicious biscuits. You can go simple with a biscuit and jam (like one of my kids), or all in with fried chicken, sriracha mayo, and hot sauce. The kids said the woman at the counter made you feel like she was everyone’s grandma.

Drift Coffee and Kitchen is a full-service breakfast spot with great coffee and lots of options. Most of us got breakfast sandwiches, but a few of us decided all we really wanted was a few slices of bacon with our coffee. To each his own.

For coffee, we stopped at Crush and Grind near the boardwalk. It has a super fun vibe and lots of specialty drinks. I’m boring and got a hot black coffee, but the kids each found something fun to try.

Island Bagels in Kure Beach was an easy grab-and-go spot for bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Those bagels sure tasted good after our kayak trip, but they’d be equally great as a quick stop before any adventure.

Things We missed in Carolina Beach/Kure Beach

Fort Fisher

We had planned to visit Fort Fisher on our last day in the area. Unfortunately the rain would not let up. We had driven by on our way to and from kayaking to Zeke’s Island and boy did we want to check this one out. We drove past cannons, and trails, and monuments- and my history loving oldest was really looking forward to checking it out. 

Also at Fort Fisher, you can access a trail to a world war 2 bunker where the Fort Fisher hermit lived for 17 years until his death in 1972. 

It looked like a beautiful spot to enjoy the coast, take a walk and learn some history. It’s a place we will visit next time we are in the area.

Wrightsville Beach: A Fun Night Out

We also spent some time at Wrightsville Beach, which has a different feel—more upscale with lots going on, pretty restaurants, and a fun change of pace.

We drove in for dinner at South Beach Grill and it was spot on delcious. The sweet potato encrusted flounder with a light honey citrus sauce was incredible. And the fried pickle appetizer? Get it. They disappeared about 22 seconds after they hit the table.

The kids ordered everything from pork nachos to shrimp and grits and seafood pasta, which made it one of those fun, share-everything meals.

Parking is available at the restaurant, but it is tight—so plan ahead that you may need to park in public parking areas for a fee.

After dinner, we found public parking and walked a bit around the area. The Loop, a 2.5-mile walking path, is a great spot for this. Or, you can walk along the beach, because that is never a bad idea.

Other Things to Do in Wrightsville Beach

• Wrightsville Beach Museum of History – Small, charming museum with exhibits on the area’s early days (open Saturdays).
• The Loop – 2.5-mile scenic walking path with water views and marsh landscapes.
• Harbor Way Gardens – Peaceful garden oasis with plants, art, and fountains (right off The Loop)

Wilmington, NC: Our Favorite Day

Our day in Wilmington was probably our favorite day. It was jam-packed with things to do, and while we got tired (and some of us may have taken a little snooze on the river boat), it was completely worth it.

We had no idea how beautiful Wilmington is. The riverwalk area is just stunning, and the historic feel of downtown—with the brick streets and old details—made it such a fun place to explore. There are lots of shops, and my daughter kept asking to stop in all the “cute boutiques.”

Definitely, definitely make time to visit the Riverwalk.

Don’t Skip This: Battleship North Carolina

Whatever you do, do NOT skip the Battleship North Carolina.

We did the City at Sea tour, and I really can’t recommend it enough. We actually needed more time there—it was that good. Our visit led to some great conversations later that day, which is exactly why trips like this matter so much.

We have a whole story on visiting Battleship North Carolina. Check it out to see what we did and get all the details for your visit.

Cape Fear River Tours

We took a ride with Cape Fear River Tours aboard the Henrietta, which was a nice way to relax a bit. You get a little history of the area, views of the port, and a chance to just sit together for a while.

We were particularly interested to see the port area with all the big cargo ships being loaded and unloaded. Wow, do they work fast. We learned that docking there costs the ships $1500 an hour! Fun Fact: Parts of Iron Man 3 were filmed here (guess which movie we watched that night).

We thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The boat offers an open-air top deck, covered for shade, as well as a bottom deck indoors with air conditioning, a restroom, and a bar with beverages and snacks. 

Carriage ride with Springbrook Farms

We also did a historic carriage ride with Springbrook Farms. The horses are rescued Percherons, and the tour is a great way to see Wilmington without wearing out your feet. Our guide was funny and had lots ot point out about the city. It was a quick 25-minute tour, and we got to bet the horses, too!

Front Street Brewery

Front Street Brewery is where we headed for lunch after we toured the Battleship North Carolina. It was a bit late for lunch, and we were hungry. This spot did not disappoint. The chicken salad with a bit of jalapeno spice was perfect with their English ale. The kids enjoyed a soft pretzel, BBQ, burger, and a Reuben. The interior of the brewery is warm and inviting with lots of dark wood. It definitely has that English pub vibe. We loved it.

Elijah’s Oyster & Fish Camp

For dinner, we ate at Elijah’s, right on the riverwalk. We sat outside—even though it was hot—because the view was so good.

I picked a mango margherita to cool down, and it was perfect. We enjoyed a couple of appetizers of hush puppies, salads, burgers, and I got The Big Crabwich, which was a crab cake with coleslaw on top in a bun. YUM. And for dessert, banana pudding. It was stellar. We all agree that Elijah’s was a trip favorite.

But more than the food, it was the time together. We sat there for a while, talking about our day, laughing, and just enjoying being together. Its nice to take a little time to realize your kids are growing up, and you’re getting to see who they’re becoming. Pretty cool.