This week I wanted to talk about one of my favorite places to go during the summer months in North Carolina. I have been going to Wrightsville Beach for years now with my family, and have had lots of great memories there. The beach itself is 2.5 miles long with inlets on either side that lead to the intercostal waterway; that stretches across the entire Eastern seaboard. Wilmington is only five minutes inland, and is the largest city in the region. UNC Wilmington also uses Wrightsville beach as its main hang out spot when not in class. With such a close proximity to the city, the island of Wrightsville beach fills up with people and cars during the peak seasons. The population on the island fluctuates from 400 residents during the off-season, to over 2,500 residents during the Summer.
There is a variety of things to do while visiting the island. The “downtown” section of main street (Lumina St.) offers great food choices during the day to hungry beach goers, then offers a lively night life after sundown. The best hotdogs I’ve ever eaten come from the “Trolly Stop” Hot Dogs stand on Wrightsville Beach. There are a few restaurants and bars that have been in operation for so long they have become a part of the beach community. Most notable is Robert’s market. It was the first commercial establishment on the island in 1940. It is still owned by the same family who owns and operates it. They source all of their fresh produce and meats from local NC farmers, and even have gotten their famous chicken salad into Harris Teeter supermarkets.
The main attraction of course is the beach, it stretches for 2.5 miles and has a long fishing pier on one end, with another smaller pier with a restaurant on the other end of the island. During holiday weekends like Memorial day, Labour Day, and the 4th of July, Wrightsville beach gets so packed you can hardly find a space to lay a towel out. The beach itself is wide thanks to multiple dredging projects by the local government and the Army corps of engineers. The water has higher than average visibility compared to other NC beaches. And most of the time you can find small offshore swells generating decent sized waves (3-5ft). That being said, Wrightsville beach is a safe beach with lots of visiting families who bring their children to experience the beach. It’s one of my favorite vacation destinations that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a relatively inexpensive weekend retreat with the family.
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