Wilmington!
I admit that I’d never thought of going to Wilmington, but we were looking for some place close to Greg’s parents.
But we had a lot of fun!
Highlights:
The battleship. The battleship is required. The USS North Carolina is a World War II era battleship permanently berthed in the Cape Fear River opposite Wilmington. She’s presented very well and in good condition. Just be aware there are gators in the swamp around her. We didn’t see one, but they are apparently there.
Venus flytraps. I didn’t realize they are, in the wild, endemic to…Wilmington. And its hinterland. We didn’t find wild ones, because they’re hard to see, but did get to see some specimens in a planted garden. So pretty! I almost want one, but feeding them is a bit of a pain and my landlords don’t approve of pets that eat live insects.
Crabs. Crabs. Crabs. I had no idea fiddler crabs were so smol. But they are smol. And they swarm. You never see a fiddler crab. You see an entire…apparently the specific collective noun for fiddler crabs is “ditty” although I also like “scuttle” because they are so, so fast. And adorable.
The largest spider I have ever seen in my life. I won’t inflict the picture on any arachnophobes that might be reading, but the body alone was two inches long! Golden silk spider - the ones they’re studying to make body armor.
Gators. I saw three gators at the aquarium. Two were on exhibit… Yes, there was just a wild gator hanging out in a pond right outside the aquarium. It was perfectly safe…they were all of three feet long! Not a baby, but a kid-gator. Adorable.
That sea turtle at the aquarium that was holding court through the glass and had a line of people waiting to say hi. Apparently he does this all the time. His name, of course, is Shelldon.
The food. THE FOOD. The worst restaurant we went to rated “very good.” If you do go there, though, don’t leave without eating at Savorez. Jim Cahoon should be a celebrity chef. Beware it’s small…and no reservations…but it’s the kind of place where waiting an hour for a table is worth it. Also check out Beer Barrio if you want to find out how Southern Mexican fusion works. Hint: It does. Especially those hush puppies.
Also, there was so little…let’s just say Wilmington isn’t too keen on the south rising again. There IS one bar in town called “Rebellion,” but that was the only reference we saw, and the museums were all clear on the fact that yes, the war was about slavery. Wilmington offers southern hospitality without any of that. Not a confederate flag to be seen. (Bizarrely, one house flew a blue ensign…the owner must be a yacht racer, we decided, after going down ensign rabbitholes).
So, yeah, we had fun. Now back to all the chaos of life.