https://wrightsville-beach.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/restaurants/
https://www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/restaurants/
Dining options at the Trailborn:
https://www.trailborn.com/surf-sound/eat-drink/
Please note the Conference will provide breakfast on Friday and Saturday (7:30-8:30 am).
Lunch will also be provided at the aptly named “Business Lunch” on Saturday.
Recommendations and inside information from Dr. Stillman:
Wrightsville Beach is a barrier island with the ocean to the east and a bay, called locally ‘The Sound’ or ‘Banks Channel’ to the west, with about a mile of marshland and the Intracoastal Waterway before you get to the mainland.
It is primarily a summer beach resort, and swimming should be excellent (and the ocean water warm) at the end of October, whether in the ocean or the Trailborn’s pool. The beach is nice and sandy, generally with smooth conditions in the morning and then slightly choppier conditions as the breeze picks up in the afternoon. In addition, you can rent paddleboards, kayaks (it is fun to kayak through the marsh), and sailboats and motorboats.
If you are coming with children, you can e-mail stillman@vassar.edu for suggested itineraries.
Walking on the beach is a great pastime. There are also many boat tours available during the day or the evening: I like Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours.
There is a level sidewalk jogging trail, called The Loop, 2.5 miles long, which you can pick up with a short (less than half-mile) walk up to Breeza’s (if you walk along the beach, go inland at Station One condos, tall white buildings whose construction led to new zoning laws); The Loop is not marked, but cross the bridge on the north side and stay on the sidewalk as it completes a circle.
Breeza’s is in the TOWB’s central business district, such as it is. There are two good restaurants here, Tower 7 (Mexican) and South Beach Grill. Also a much loved hot dog stand, The Trolley Stop, which is just boiled dogs and a variety of fun toppings — it is about the only place, other than Nathan’s on the New Jersey Turnpike, where I eat hog dogs.
Roberts’ Market’s deli has the best Southern fried chicken; it is not on display, you have to ask for it.
The best local (not Wilmington) restaurant is the Bridge Tender, about a five minute drive (but for me a too-long walk) from the Trailborn. I like to sit outside and watch the birds and the boating activity.
If you wish to travel a little from the beach, I recommend:
Masonboro Island, the barrier island just south of Wrightsville, which is an uninhabited nature preserve. You need to take a boat to get there (see Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours, among others).
Airlie Gardens can be spectacular, although the end of October must be the low season for a garden (the impressive grounds and trees are nonetheless worthwhile); it is an eight minute drive.
Wilmington is about a 25 minute drive away. Walking or driving around downtown and the historic district is interesting: after 1865, Wilmington became an isolated backwater until intrastate banking and I-40 re-connected it to the rest of the state, and so many older homes and buildings are still standing. Wilmington had an active film industry in this century, and earlier ‘Matlock’ was produced here. It is now bustling with UNC-Wilmington and high tech industries.
You can also take a trolley tour from Wilmington Trolley Tours (do not believe everything the guides tell you), or a boat trip from Wilmington Water Tours (which I find fascinating: it goes north where you can see the remnants — the irrigation canals — of pre-Civil War rice plantations or south where you can see where the port and shipyards were active, especially building Liberty Ships, during World War II). You can visit some fine old houses (including the Bellamy Mansion, completed in 1859-60), and the battleship USS North Carolina. There is a tourist office at the bottom of Market Street, on the river.
Searching the web produces good results: I like https://wrightsville-beachnc.com/ as well as TripAdvisor.
Arriving into Wrightsville Beach and the Trailborn
Most will fly into ILM, where you can rent a car or take a taxi (the taxi stand is just outside the Baggage Claim room, just on the left). the airport is undergoing construction, and so just follow the signs. The walk to ground transportation is less than five minutes; there is also a shuttle. In our experience, Ubers work but can be more expensive.
A taxi from the airport to the hotel costs about $40 before tip; if you share a taxi to the same destination, you can split the bill.
The whole conference and your experience can be contained in the Trailborn hotel.
You can also fly into RDU and rent a car there; it is about a 2.5 hour drive, easy driving on I-40, to Wilmington and then following the signs to Wrightsville Beach.