A Wilmington day trip from North Topsail Beach: battleship, riverwalk, and a rainy day plan

Our beach is the reason to come, but a week is long and rain happens. When it does, or when the teenagers need a city, Wilmington is about an hour south on Highway 17 and worth the drive.

The Battleship North Carolina

Moored across the Cape Fear River from downtown, the USS North Carolina is a full sized World War II battleship you can walk through, from the bridge to the engine room to the bunks. Budget two hours for the self guided tour, longer with a kid who wants to see every gun turret. It is the single best rainy day activity within reach of Topsail, and the deck views of the Wilmington skyline are a bonus.

The Riverwalk and downtown

Park once and walk. The Riverwalk runs along the Cape Fear past restaurants, ice cream, and the river boats, and downtown Wilmington's historic district is a few blocks of cobblestone, porches, and shade. Lunch on the river, then a browse through the shops on Front Street, is the easy version of the day.

For the kids

The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science and the Children's Museum of Wilmington are both downtown and both good for a couple of hours. Airlie Gardens, on the way to Wrightsville Beach, is a stroll under live oaks that even teenagers grudgingly enjoy.

Timing the day

Leave the beach after breakfast, hit the battleship first while everyone is fresh, lunch downtown, one more stop, and head back north by mid afternoon so you are on the deck for sunset. Highway 17 through Holly Ridge and Hampstead is straightforward; the only slow spot is the Wilmington bridge traffic at rush hour, so avoid a 5 PM departure.

Or stay closer

If a full day feels like too much, the turtle hospital in Surf City and lunch in Sneads Ferry make a fine half day, and the beach will still be there when the sun comes back.