Reminiscence of Wilmington

Every summer my family would alternate between going to Florida or North Carolina to visit family.  Since our family in Florida moved to South Carolina, then to Georgia we started just going to North Carolina every summer for the family reunion and to the beach. Some of our favorite places to go are Raleigh, Laurinburg (which is where we usually stay for a couple of nights with family,) and the occasional visit to a Farmers Market that has the BEST shrimp burgers, and a stop and walk around Duke University's campus. (My dad's parents were married in the Duke Chapel.)  I think our favorite stops that ranks way up there is Wilmington, NC.  It's a fun and eclectic port town filled with antique shops, Port City Java (one of the must go to's while there,) little restaurants and shops, The Cotton Exchange, and of course, the Downtown Wilmington Ghost Tour, which we go on every time we're there. While we're there, we always spend a day at Wrightsville Beach where we lounge in the sand, take kayak rides through the marshes, and eat at the delicious Dockside Restaurant . The past two summers, since I've gotten a big girl job I have been unable to go with my parents to these wonderful North Carolina places.  Being the wonderful parents they are, they've brought my sister and I back small pieces of Wilmington. This year, it was two pounds (two different blends) of coffee from my favorite Port City Java.  Two years ago, my souvenir was this dress and belt from Down Island Traders on Front Street.
    It's a nice springy, breezy strapless dress that is so comfy.  And get this: It. Has. Pockets!  That's right folks.  It's a cute and functional dress.  You now have a place to store your phone(for those of you that store your phone in your bra if you don't have any pockets, like I do, this was a real winner,) a couple of tissues, and maybe a tube of lipgloss.

 {A beautiful hand stamped necklace from The Vintage Pearl that I won from a spinning wheel at the Edmond location's grand opening. It says love struck.}

 {Delicate starfish earrings to tie in the nautical town from whence the dress came.  Earrings are from Kohl's.}

{And of course, what we've all been waiting for since Starbucks stopped carrying it last: it's time again for the Pumpkin Spice Latte!}

What are some of your favorite places to travel?