I love Wilmington. How could you not? It has history, the beach, and great food! It’s sad to live only an hour and a half away from such a fun city and not be able to visit often. Where do weekends go? And why are my weekends booked from now through October?

I’ve really only spent two weekends in Wilmington, but both times I did completely different things and hung out in totally different areas. There are so many things to do, so here’s a sampling of one weekend for your next getaway! And if you’re interested in part 1, you can read all about it here!

And I’m going to start on a sad note – there used to be a great little Peruvian restaurant, The Golden Chicken, but I just saw that it’s closed! I’m so sad (and sorry to even bring it up) because I’ve really been wanting to go back. Sorry for the tease, but enjoy this picture of the delicious food they served.

Of course the beach is always a great option, but be prepared in the summer for difficulty finding parking for both your car and your beach blanket.

If sipping wine is more your style, you should definitely visit Noni Bacca Winery. Noni Bacca isn’t actually a vineyard; it’s in a strip mall-type location, but don’t let that dissuade you from going in. When I went there were options for a six or nine tasting (and you can also usually find Groupons for them!). They provide a sheet with all their wines listed (13 whites, 22 reds, 14 fruit wines, and 9 dessert wines), and you just check off the ones you want to try. I wanted to mark every single wine in the fruit column – seriously, how do you choose between Peachberry, Strawberry White Zinfandel, and Cranberry Chianti?

I tried the Symphony (white), Shiraz, Peach Chardonnay, Seville Orange Sangria, Chilly Bear (a Riesling ice wine), and the Black Muscat. I’m a sweet wine woman, can you tell? After the tasting I ordered a full glass of the peach because why not?

Another great place to visit is the Arboretum, which I just happened to stumble upon while driving. The Arboretum is seven acres of gardens, including a children’s garden, an herb garden, a rose garden, a Japanese garden (where I saw a HUGE spider), and a pond with lots of very excited fish.

This is one of the most unique and beautiful flowers that I’ve ever seen. Anybody know what this is?

 

The children’s garden was actually my favorite. How adorable is this cottage?

It’s really a great spot for walking and exploring, even if a storm is rolling in. A lot of people seemed to be drawn to the koi pond so they could feed the fish (that were super aggressive!).

If you ever make it to the Arboretum, be sure to stop and say hello to this little guy!

What are your favorite things to do or see in Wilmington? Any secret spots that I need to know about for my next Wilmington weekend getaway?