Spring Beach Getaway! Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

Ah, that pre-busy season trip to the beach. Where the beaches are quiet, the weather is mild, and you can walk into any restaurant without a reservation.

We just got back from a beach getaway in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, which is an easy 2.5 hour drive from where we live in central North Carolina. Seeing as I prefer not to drive more than a few hours with my two little boys if I can avoid it, this was the perfect destination for us to escape the day to day grind while maximizing our time at destination.

Where We Stayed

We snagged this picture perfect and *brand new* 4 bedroom | 3.5 bath Airbnb 1 block away from the beach. The home, cutely named “Pelican Post A” is managed by Sea Scape Properties, which is who we booked through, and unbeknownst to me, much to my benefit! Their team was phenomenal – not only did they provide ample recommendations ahead of our stay and remain entirely accessible while we were in town, they gave each guest access to a robust dashboard which included all of the “must do’s” around the Wrightsville Beach area (as well as your check out instructions for convenience).

I was shocked to see they still have a few openings this summer, so with that, here’s what we loved about the home:

• The location. Literally steps to the beach access, steps to the pier, a short .8 mile easy walk to a few surf shops, coffee shops, and restaurants, and easy walking access to “The Loop” – a 2.5 mile walking / running path around Wrightsville Beach. We were also a 10 minute drive from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and many other grocery stores, restaurants, breweries, bars, shopping, etc.
• The size. While this home was the PERFECT size for our family, if you have a bigger family and need more space, or are doing a trip with friends / extended family, you can book the adjoining townhome for double the space (Pelican Post Entire)!
• The view. With two balconies, one off the master suite and the other off the main living suite, we had ocean views from both floors.
• Beach accessories. The hosts provided beach chairs, toys, towels and a great beach wagon.
• The layout. With 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor, we were able to sleep on the same floor as the kids and they each had their own room. We had Maddox in his travel crib in one room and Asher slept in a big boy bed for the first time (bunk beds!!). The final bedroom is on the top floor next to the kitchen / living room which is where my sister stayed!
• The amenities. We had an outdoor shower which was VERY convenient for those sandy babies, an elevator which made lugging all of our stuff (omg so much stuff) up and down 3 floors so much easier, and all brand new kitchen appliances, utensils, cookware, etc. which is great because we do a lot of cooking on vacation.
• The pet-friendliness. We got to bring the dogs! It is so important to us that they come when we travel somewhere drivable, and even though the dogs aren’t allowed on the beach this time of year there are lots of local dog parks and walking paths.

What We Did

The Beach

Considering we came for the beach and stayed 1 block from the beach, it is obvious that we spent most of our time there. We had moderately warm weather and almost zero rain (except 1 day) during our stay – lucky us! North Carolina early Spring weather can be fairly unpredictable.

My toddler has ZERO FEAR or reservation when it comes to the freezing cold ocean water, and one of us has to be there to hang with him in the water as he goes farther out than he should – luckily there were three of us to take turns freezing our knees off with him.

We collected sea shells, built sand castles, walked the beach, splashed in the water, and ate lots of beach snacks. We had the best time.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

We spent our one rainy day at the Aquarium! This place came highly recommended to us by a few friends and it did not disappoint – what a unique gem of an aquarium located all the way down the coast past Kure Beach and toward Bald Head Island. While we went on a crumby weather day, we wished we had more time to go back on a sunny day because the beaches and walking paths nearby were stunning.

Note that you need to reserve tickets in advance of your arrival – I presume it gets quite busy over the summer months even though we were one of the only people there that morning.

The aquarium was perfect for our kids’ ages. Asher loved the sea otters, turtles, and massive interior aquarium of fish, sharks, sting-rays, and more.

We spent about 2 hours there, which felt like the perfect amount of time to explore and see all of the exhibits.

Shopping

As I mentioned before, there are a few little surf shops right down the road from the Airbnb, so we perused around there first. Then my sister and I ventured to the following spots for a little more shopping during the kids’ naps!

• Lumina Station – small shopping plaza with cute shops like Monkee’s of Wilmington (we have a Monkee’s here in Southern Pines so I skipped this one)
• Downtown Wilmington – a little disappointing shopping-wise, but there was a cute kids boutique in “The Cotton Exchange” called Little Locals Clothing Company.
• Mayfaire Town Center – has all of your typical ‘mall’ stores but it’s an outdoor shopping experience. Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Lululemon, etc.

Where We Ate

Walking distance

1. Tower 7: So good we got their takeout twice! I’m sure it’s even better dining in, but with the kids we find ourselves avoiding restaurants as often as possible, haha. HIGHLY recommend the Tower 7 burrito w/ mahi mahi “wet” and the queso is V good.
2. The Original Ice Cream Stand: because what’s a beach trip without a daily walk to get ice cream?
3. The Workshop: Coffee and sandwiches – their latte was phenomenal.

Short drive away

1. Wrightsville Beach Brewery: Great pizza and beer, but wouldn’t stray too far from that on the menu. Neat location, good ambiance and has an outdoor space for live music.
2. Boombalatti’s Ice Cream: We stopped here right after dinner at Wrightsville Beach Brewery and wow, it was so so so good. I got the coffee cookies and cream ice cream and still think about it every day.
3. Nikki’s Sushi Bar: In downtown Wilmington – casual, but really fresh and delicious.
4. Drift Coffee: There is one in Wrightsville Beach as well, but we went to the Wilmington location. Again – GREAT latte.

What Did I Miss?

Are you a Wilmington / Wrightsville Beach local? I have no doubt I missed lots of great stops considering we were there for 5 days with two little kids – so please share in the comments below for our fellow travelers!