In my last blog, “Last Toast on the Coast,” I wrote about a recent bachelorette stay in Wilmington, North Carolina, and I discussed the beaches and the first half of my stay. As promised, I am presenting Part Two of my stay exploring downtown Wilmington.

Waking up bright and early, we decided to explore downtown as we wanted to check out local shops and see what Wilmington had to offer.  First impression was that the downtown was historic in some areas and very walkable. (I love walkable downtowns.) Most of the roads and buildings were lined with brick all throughout the town. After taking in some of the town and parking, first thing on my mind was coffee. From my past blog you may remember that me without coffee is a recipe for disaster.

After finding Canary Yellow downtown, we decided to stop in to get our caffeine fix. Canary Yellow was, in fact, not yellow but with pinks and reds as the main color scheme. It was a pink building with pink umbrellas for customers to sit under and enjoy their coffee. Inside also followed the pink and red color scheme with wallpaper and décor. Inside was small but did it offer items to buy along with a drink. I ordered a Rethink Haute with raspberry rose and strawberry rose with cardamom rose topping. It was delicious and the perfect blend for me.

As we continued walking downtown (sipping my coffee), I noticed different historical signs describing different sites. It was a lively downtown with many ages out enjoying the day. As we continued, I was on the lookout for spots I might recognize from two of my favorite TV shows, One Tree Hill & The Summer I Turned Pretty, as they were both filmed in parts of Wilmington. I did see a few spots that I recognized from both shows, from the river court to a couple restaurants in the downtown. It was pretty neat to say that I had been to those locations where these popular TV shows had done some filming. A souvenir store we checked out also had items from the popular shows that could be purchased. I, of course, had to buy a One Tree Hill hat and was very tempted to buy a “Team Conrad” sticker.

Then we decided to get ice cream at Crispy Cones, where you can create your own or choose from a signature ice cream cone list. I chose strawberry cheesecake as someone who loves cheesecake, especially strawberry. It was perfect; they included small strawberry bites and cheesecake pieces in the ice cream itself. The bride and the other bridesmaids chose from various chocolate or cookie dough options. They all looked aesthetically pleasing with the different colors and toppings added. (Mine still looked the best!)

We finished our cones and continued exploring local shops in downtown Wilmington. I enjoyed the vibe of the town and would love to go back. It was the perfect bachelorette trip to celebrate Vanessa and enjoy what Wilmington had to offer. I highly recommend booking your next trip to Wilmington for your next getaway!

— Megan Gragg, account executive