Beach Babymoon Wilmington, North Carolina!
This is also a great guide for a family trip so ignore the preggo references if you aren’t pregnant. One of my most favorite family vacations was the year we rented a beach condo near Wilmington, NC. It was a perfect beach vacation. I will forever remember this trip, as my oldest daughter and I had “the talk”. She literally went wide eyed, moaned out loud, and slid out of the chair. The kids surfed all day, played hard, and then SLEPT! That’s a win in my book.
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Wilmington is a town located along NC’s coast. It’s just east of Cape Fear, you might be too young to remember that movie, but if you are a 40+ pregnant mom, you know what I’m getting at. It was quite the thriller back in the day. Holy moly!
The many amazing beaches that are within driving distance of Wilmington make it a fantastic babymoon destination.
5 East Coast Babymoon Destinations Just For You!
Where to sleep:
Image credit: wilmingtonandbeaches.com
Courtyard by Marriott Carolina Beach
Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach
Robert Ruark Inn: In Southfork, NC.
The French House: A historic bed and breakfast tucked away in the heart of the historic district.
Image credit: wilmingtonandbeaches.com
Things to do & places to see:
Wilmington offers a wealth of activities for the outdoor fanatic. Seriously, think surfing (Dad, you will have to wait until after the baby), swimming, kayaking, Stand-up paddling, boating, and fishing. Natural trails galore and relaxing days sunbathing makes Wilmington a perfect choice for both of you. * Clear activities with your OB provider first *
Carolina Beach: Carolina beach boardwalk, Carolina Beach State Park, Freeman Park, and more.
Kure Beach: The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Oceanfront park, and more.
Carolina Beach Boardwalk: Carolina Beach Arcade, rent a surrey bike, and more.
Airlie Gardens: A pathway of gardens and walking trails.
- Did you know that over 400 film/tv shows have been filmed in Wilmington? In fact, it is a mini-Hollywood and has its own studio, EUE/Screen Gems Studios. You can plan a tour on your beach Babymoon vacation! For “Dawson’s Creek” fans, Capeside was in fact Wilmington. “One Tree Hill” was also another popular show filmed in Wilmington. (I swear “One Tree Hill” is haunting me, I need to watch it.) Other shows/films include:
- Sleepy Hollow
- Good Behavior
- Matlock
- Iron Man 3
- Safe Haven
- The Choice
- We’re the Millers
- A Walk to Remember
- Tammy
Blue moon Gift shop: You should definitely head into this shop as it has been repeatedly voted as one of the top gift shops in the area.
The Ultimate Beach Babymoon Series: Clearwater
Image credit: wilmingtonandbeaches.com
Festivals:
Eat:
Foodie time! Let’s get to the most important part of any trip. Well, at least to me and probably you, if you’re pregnant. There are so MANY to choose from so let Yelp help you out. This is what we do when we visit new places. We have a hard fast rule for vacations. We only eat at places we have never been and are local (sometimes we break this if it’s a chain we haven’t tried).
Related post: 20+ Fun Things to Do in Wilmington, NC (And Why We Think it is One of the Best Vacation Spots in NC!)
Here are a few of the places I found for you to enjoy in Wilmington:
Britt’s Donuts: Iconic Donut shop that has been open since 1939? WHAT? That’s a long time. They are only open during “tourist” season April-October.
Squigley’s Ice Cream & Treats: Homemade ice cream made from cow’s cream not powdered. You can choose what you squiggle into it.
Celtic Creamery: Yep another ice cream place. Sorry, it’s pickles and ice cream or so they say.
Big Daddy’s Seafood: Located in Kure Beach, it has been a staple for 50 years.
Charlie Graingers: gourmet hot dogs.
The Fork n Cork: Their menu looks amazing.
Maternity Photo Shoot:
This sounds like such a fun trip idea. I was traveling so much for work and horse showing while I was pregnant that we didn’t do a trip just for the sake of relaxing. Not having to go anywhere was a nice vacation.
Love this guide Trish! We ended up baby mooning in South Florida, but I love these options for North Carolina. I’m pinning this to come back to for our next family vacation!
I am working on a south Florida guide! We just moved from South Fl to Nashville, and I miss it so much!
This is a great post! You explained everything so well and I really want to go there now!
Thank you so much!!
I never did a babymoon, but the idea of it is super fun! Many of the suggestions you have could be used even after the baby gets here for a little get away from reality too. I’ll have to save this for future vacations!
I never did a babymoon either! It wasn’t really a thing when I was pregnant with my older children. I was too busy taking care of my husband when I was pregnant with my youngest son. I agree it is an awesome idea for an after baby vacation as well. What’s sweeter than snuggling a newborn on a lanai, looking out over a blue ocean?
Trish
I am currently viewing this post from snowy Minnesota, dreaming of a getaway. This looks amazing! Your suggestions are quite detailed, so I will save these ideas for later.
I can’t even begin to imagine how cold you must be. I am dying in TN after moving from FL.
I’d love to visit NC!! Awesome info.
Oh my goodness how gorgeous is this place!! And so much to do!!
The views are unforgettable.
This is so awesome! I was obsessed with Nicholas Sparks (books and movies) when I was in high school, and a lot of his stories are set in Wilmington, and I wanted to visit SO BAD. Obviously, there had to be a lot of charm there, or he wouldn’t have used it as the backdrop for the world’s most romantic stories ever told!!!! lol
Haha, YES! We rented a beach house on one trip and it was my families most memorable trip. So peaceful.
This looks like a great place to visit! We love aquariums and beaches, so it sounds perfect! Putting it on our to-go list!
Definitely. If you have more than a few days, rent a beach house. It’s so worth it.
This looks like a really beautiful place to visit.
It was one of my most favorite trips.
Nice I’ve made it to Wilmington but didn’t do all this
I bet you loved your trip. There is so much to do in such a small place!
Looks like such a great place to have a babymoon!
It’s a wonderful place to visit!