Recently, my friend and I took a day trip to Wilmington, North Carolina (NC). I love Wilmington because it is on the coast of NC by the ocean, and the Cape Fear River runs through it. Due to moving water being on both sides of this town, it creates a nice, and constant breeze. During NC summers, it is very hot and humid, so I really appreciate when there is a breeze. The downtown area is full of history and on Front Street, a lot of the old buildings have been spruced up and turned into nice dive bars and restaurants. The town offers many different tours, so we chose to go on the Horse Drawn Carriage Ride. I was hoping to get some insight on how the area was impacted in 2018 by Hurricane Florence. Here is a photo of my friend standing beside the Carriage:
I actually found out that many places were flooded by the Hurricane in this area. In the next picture, you will see a large metal hose attached to a truck going into a building. This was a mold removing service that was attempting to remove black mold from that building.
When I first signed up for the Horse Drawn Carriage Tour, I was one of first to request a tour and did not think the tour guide would fill up the entire carriage with only one horse pulling the crowd. However, the tour guide quickly started putting more and more people on the carriage. It actually made me very concerned for the horse and regretful that I signed up for the tour. There was a total of 7 adult passengers, plus the tour guide.
The cost was $12 per person, and the tour guide took us around the neighborhoods and gave us information about historical figures who used to live in the homes. I did not take any photos of the homes because they are actual residence, and I wanted to respect the owners privacy. Here is a photo of our tour guide:
When we were strolling along, we did go on a street that overlooks the Cape Fear River. In the photo below, you can see a large Battleship to the right. This Battleship is available for the public to go in and tour the boat.
One of the greatest things about Wilmington is the beaches. It has well maintained beaches that are not commercialized such as Kure Beach, Holden Beach, Carolina Beach, and Wrightsville Beach. Since we were so close to the ocean, my friend and I decided to stop by Wrightsville Beach and take a walk barefoot in the sand. Based off of the people in this area, it seems like this beach appeared to pull in the hipster crowd, so it was a very laid back vibe. I caught a photo of our hair blowing around from the strong breezes that I mentioned on the beach:
I know that this post may not appear very positive since I actually felt guilty about my carriage ride, but I like to share my experiences (good or bad), so that those who decide to tour certain areas know the pros and cons. I would not say I am completely opposed to taking another carriage ride, but if I do, I would prefer to pick a carriage that can only carry a smaller amount of people. However, I adore Wilmington, NC and would recommend it to anyone who loves a small southern coastal town!