OVERNIGHT TRIP TO WILMINGTON, NC for $125!

Does anyone else get the itch to travel whenever your kids have a long weekend?? Originally, I planned to stay home and relax on the girls’ four day weekend in January. But, i’m so glad that we changed our minds and decided to go on an adventure to Wilmington, NC! Wilmington is a port city in North Carolina running along the Cape Fear River. It is about 220 miles from our home in Greensboro, NC.

So, how did we have our adventure for $125??

Let’s start at the top… We stayed at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront using my husband’s Hilton points. He travels 50% of the time and works from home for the other 50%. I always tell him that the points are the only benefit of his crazy travel schedule. This hotel is an all-suite hotel along the RiverWalk. The suites consist of a living space with a pull out couch, kitchenette, bathroom, and bedroom. Breakfast is included in the rate as well.

After arrival, we ventured out to the RiverWalk to see the sunset. It was beautiful and allowed the girls to get out some energy!

After stretching our legs, we went to Front Street Brewery for dinner. This restaurant is loud and very kid friendly. The girls shared a chicken nugget meal. Does anyone else’s kids fight you about finishing their meal? After nagging the girls to eat over and over again, they finally finished, and we headed to Kilwins for ice cream. Have you had Kilwins ice cream or chocolates? They are just the best and definitely a family favorite.

We then returned to the hotel so the girls could take advantage of the indoor pool before calling it a night. After a much needed good night sleep, we woke up for another fun-filled day! We enjoyed our free breakfast at the hotel and then checked out the Wilmington Train Museum, which was almost next door.

Railroading was Wilmington’s main industry for 125 years. In 1979, the Wilmington Train Museum was started by three women and a table of artifacts from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in order to preserve the city’s rich history. On the first and third Monday of each month, the museum offers a story time for children. It is only $5 for the entire family to enter, tour the museum, and enjoy the story time. It was a great deal, and we really enjoyed exploring the museum and learning about railroading.

Of course, no trip to the coast is complete without a beach stop so we headed towards Wrightsville Beach. On the way, we stopped at Dockside for a delicious lunch and spectacular views. We sat inside on the second floor, and the girls shared a chicken nugget meal, yet again, while I had a grilled chicken pita.

After our yummy lunch, we headed to the beach to see the water and pick up some shells. Growing up, I went to the beach every winter, and it is such a great time to visit. There is just something about the beach air anytime of the year!

The girls did not want to leave, but it was time to head home. To break up the trip, we decided to stop in Raleigh at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. With our zoo membership to the NC Zoo and their affiliation with AZA, the admission was free.

We will definitely have to come back to enjoy this museum further. But if you are in Raleigh, it is definitely a great place to visit!

We had such an amazing overnight trip, and we were able to experience so much with little expenditures. I’ve included some of our tips to keep a quick trip inexpensive below.

We hope you enjoyed reading about our overnight trip to Wilmington, NC! Thank you so much for wandering along with us!