Need advice for long weekend to the coast
 

My husband has to travel for a 3 week training in Raleigh in March. I would like to join him there the weekend of the 23rd. <BR>We would like to drive to the coast for Friday and Saturday night. I need your advice on where to go. We don't want a long drive because of the short time. We want to be oceanside, do a little shopping, eat great seafood, and any historical sites would be great. I have looked into both Wrightsville and Beaufort. Which of these 2 places do you recommend or is there another area I am overlooking? Any recommendations on places to stay? By the way this will be our first trip to NC. Thank you very much.

Welcome to NC. <BR> <BR>The Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach area is easier to get to and in March will probably have more going on than Beaufort. Beaufort is a beautiful place, but it does have more of a "season." <BR> <BR>In Wilmington you could visit the USS North Carolina, various gardens, and the historic downtown/waterfront area. There is a movie studio (Screen Gems) that has tours on the weekend. I remember someone last summer posting a question about the tour. If you could postpone the trip one week (I think) you could be in Wilmington during the azalea festival (wilmington.com) but I doubt there is any hotel vacancy then. <BR> <BR>For Beaufort you could visit Ft. Fisher park (take the bridge over to Atlantic Beach from Morehead City), see the fishing boats from Morehead City, or go to the mariner's museum. They might have on display artifacts from the Queen's Ann Revenge (Blackbeard's boat). This is the museum that will host the collection when it goes on display. <BR> <BR>You can't go wrong in either location.

Thank you for the info. Do you have any recommendations for accomodations? We would prefer "very nice".

I'm not into upscale accomodations, but I'll try. <BR> <BR>There is a Hilton (I think, it could be a Hyatt or Sheraton) in Wilmington on Front Street next to the federal courthouse. The federal courthouse was seen in "Matlock" and the plaza area is used as a scene in "Dawson's Creek." <BR> <BR>In Wrightsville Beach there is a hotel named something like Blockade Runner (something with a pirate theme) I've heard is upscale. It is a high rise building right on the beach. <BR> <BR>I don't know anything about B&B's.

Try the Inlet Inn in Beaufort, get a second floor room with a balcony. Also try the Beaufort St. Grocery Co. for dinner...great fresh fish. Beaufort is really an under appreciated town.

We have decided on Willmington and Wrightsville Beach. Will do Beaufort on our next trip as that sounds like an area we would also enjoy. Thanks.