A weekend in Wilmington, NC

About our trip

This trip was the perfect combination of work & play while living out of our van. 

We spent our mornings at our campsite at Carolina Beach State Park (HIGHLY recommend, see below for notes), trail running, bike riding to the beach, cooking, and taking our shower for the day. 

Our midday was spent working from a nearby Starbucks (our go-to for work sessions for the reliable wifi, clean bathrooms, coffee with rewards & reusable cups, and consistent access to outlets), we'd eat lunch in the van, and then head into town about 1pm for film activities. 

Wilmington & Carolina Beach were welcoming, fun to explore, and it was pretty easy to navigate and get around in our van. 

If you're able to visit during the Cucalorus Film Festival, it's an amazingly organized event with beautiful venues and impactful films. 

where to stay ...

We stayed at Carolina Beach State Park, but there seemed to be a plethora of options for hotels, inns, and AirBnB's if you are booking a place. 

Carolina Beach State Park

@livininluna

We stayed at Campsite #1 and it was perfect for quick access to the campsite after the park closed. We visited in November with park hours from 7am - 7pm. We had quick access to trails for trail running (lots of hikers out!), and it was a 1 mile run/walk/bike ride to the beach via Harper Avenue (the end of the path literally takes you onto the boardwalk for beach access). The bathrooms were crazy clean and we had a private pathway walking to them from our campsite. Highly recommend staying here if you're in the area. If you're wanting to check out Wilmington, it's a 20-30 minute drive into town depending on the time of day. For us, it was worth it to stay in the state park and drive into town.

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where to eat & drink ...

Ibis Coffee and Cocktails

@livininluna

We LOVED Ibis. We went 3 or 4 times. The first was for a cocktail in the evening and the other times were during the coffee shop hours. They convert from a coffee shop to a cocktail lounge at 4pm. The coffee menu was delightful with a limited food selection (perfect for me - breakfast sandwich pastries, and had decaf espresso available). They offered a variety of lovely local wines, gifts, and whole bean coffee to purchase as well. The cocktail menu had a variety of options including stellar non-alcoholic choices. I recommend going out of your way to visit Ibis! PS - treat yourself to an experience and dress up if you're feeling up to it!:)

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Hi-Wire Brewing - Wilmington

@livininluna

Great brewery to enjoy a beer (I had the NA Italian Pilsner and it was delicious!), and a fun atmosphere. You can order pizza from the restaurant next door and they'll deliver right to your table. We attended the welcome reception for the Cucalorus Film Festival at Hi-Wire and it was an energetic and fun evening.

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Cugino Forno Wilmington

@livininluna

We ordered pizza from Cugino Forno while enjoying a beer at Hi-Wire next door. The staff was incredibly friendly and delivered our food right to our table. Pro-tip: check the sizes of the pizzas before you order ... we did not and over-ordered! Also, save room for dessert. We did not and didn't try the gelato but it looked delicious!

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Hell's Kitchen

@livininluna

We attended a social event at Hell's Kitchen during the Cucalorus Film Festival. It was crowded, but that was due to our private event, and the staff was incredibly attentive and amazing. In a sea of people, one of the bartenders helped me pick out a beer without being able to see a menu. The food was mediocre, but it was a buffet with a select number of foods. I'd recommend giving this place a try - seemed like it'd be a fun spot to go for a bar experience with bar drinks & eats.

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manna

@livininluna

Manna was a great choice for a fine dining experience. The chef made me a custom vegetarian dish and the servers made me feel like a queen. They spaced out the courses to create a beautiful and luxurious feeling, and they had decaf espresso available. I enjoyed a Negroni and it was delicious, I heard everyone else enjoyed the cocktails they ordered (including the Pepperoni Negroni! I'd say if you're into pepperoni's and negroni's, then you'll enjoy it!) This is a must-visit if you're looking for a treat-youself-date-night or group celebratory gathering spot.

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Jengo's Playhouse

@livininluna

Amazing venue to watch a film - we attended for the Cucalorus Film Festival. There was a parking lot available and off-street parking if that was full. The concession stand and on-site bar made it fun to grab snacks for the movies. Highly recommend visiting this spot for a show if you're able!

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Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts

@livininluna

The film we're a part of screened at this theatre - it was a lovely venue with a concession stand and great AV. Highly recommend checking out one of their seasonal performances. It's within walking distance to several local restaurants to grab a bite or a drink before or after your show.

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Crofton's Pretzels

@livininluna

We stopped at Crofton's Pretzels on our way out of town. We love a good pretzel spot! I got the original pretzel with salt and cheese dip, Matt got the original pretzel with salt and dusseldorf mustard. The pretzels were great but I craved a better cheese (the one served was OK, I just LOVE a good beer cheese, preferably served hot). They were very affordable and we'll visit again if we're in the area. I recommend checking it out if you're in the area!

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Carolina Beach 

Crush and Grind

@livininluna

We rode our bikes to this coffee shop from Carolina Beach State Park and really enjoyed it. We ordered Decaf Americanos and took our coffee out to the beach to watch the ocean AND dolphins (between 7:30am - 8:30am, the dolphins are moving in the dozens and are very active!) The coffee shop was a fun spot to stop and we enjoyed talking with the barista, Jodann*, while we were there. Highly recommend popping by this spot and grabbing a cup! Lots of free parking nearby and bike racks to lock your bikes if you ride in.

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Carolina Beach Boardwalk

@livininluna

This is adjacent to the Crush & Grind Coffee shop and where we accessed the beach from riding our bikes in on Harper Avenue. We brought our own chairs but if you're just out walking, there's plenty of benches and swings to sit and watch the water from the boardwalk. We visited early mornings either while on a run, or riding our bike in to sit on the beach. It was November and it was pretty empty, which we really enjoyed. Highly recommend!

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for work ... 

Blue Mind Coworking

@livininluna

We rented a podcast studio to record a podcast while we were on the road. It was $35/hour and gave us access to private bathrooms, a kitchen, coffee, tea, and water. If you're needing a spot to work for awhile or record a podcast on the road, this was a great spot!

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Starbucks

@livininluna

This was our home-work-base while we were in Wilmington. We came here for a couple hours each day to work and it was the perfect spot. Parking was tight for the van so we parked at a lot across the street and walked over.

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