Camellia Cottage

We had a day off this week and spent it at Topsail Beach, only 50 minutes from the Camellia Cottage B&B in downtown Wilmington. This is our favorite beach in the area even though it’s a little further afield than Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure Beaches. Here’s why.

1) It’s probably the least crowded of all our area beaches.

2) The sand seems to be packed down here and less sloped, making for great hiking easy on our aging knees and ankles.

3) This is Sparky’s favorite beach and if he loves it, we love it. Our “senior” dog acts like a pup when he’s here. We call him Dances with Crabs.

4) Dogs are allowed on this beach year round and off leash from November through April.

5) There are still 3 fishing piers on this island. Most of the rest of them along the NC coast have been destroyed by hurricanes and never rebuilt.

6) They do a lot of commercial fishing around here and we usually stock up on the catch of the day before heading home.

7) We usually see some dolphins here as they make their way along the coast.

8) The south end of the island is in conservancy and is a wonderful spot for a hike that starts on the sound side and ends on the ocean side.

We’ve been talking about beer a lot lately and the oenophiles are starting to complain…so let’s talk wine in Wilmington!  Are you a fan of the grape instead of the grain?  There are several wine bars here to whet your whistle.

1.  Le Catalan French Wine Bar – 224 S. Water St. – www.lecatalan.com – food, wine, beer and spirits right on the Riverwalk.  Dog friendly.

3.  The Fortunate Glass – 29 S. Front St. – www.fortunateglasswinebar.com –  Very nice wine by the glass selections and great nibbles.

4.  Noni  Bacca – 420 Eastwood Rd. – www.nbwinery.com – Huge selection of wines crafted on the premises, daily tastings, juice and kits to make your own.

5.  Wilmington Wine Shop – 605 Castle St. – www.wilmingtonwineshop.com – beer and wine, tastings.  You gotta love their “wine of the day”!

So, pick your designated driver or let us call you a taxi (you taxi, you!)  and have some fun!