Start your journey by heading to downtown Wilmington and enjoying an authentic southern breakfast at The Basics. Here, visitors can enjoy delights like the fried chicken biscuit for just $7.

USS North Carolina © Alex Grichenko | Dreamstime
Next, travel across the Cape Fear River and find the enormous Battleship North Carolina. The self-guided tours through this World War II relic cost only $14.
For a mid-day snack, grab a scoop of homemade ice cream from Kilwin’s and stroll along the Downtown Riverwalk. Once you clean your sticky fingers, head into the nearby Black Cat Shoppe of mystic oddities and other novelties.

Wilmington Waterfront © Tony Johansson | Dreamstime
Then, travel east to the Noni Bacca Winery, and enjoy a private wine tasting with Noni herself. Sample an assortment of award-winning wines, and listen to one of Noni’s many anecdotes.
For dinner, stop by the Blue Surf Café where you can get a brisket flatbread with jalapeño, cheddar, and homemade BBQ sauce for $5. And for desert, try the coconut panna cotta for $5.50.
To end the night, relax at Riverfront Park, grab a cheap beer, and enjoy one of the free live shows of the Downtown Sundown Concert Series hosted each Friday.

Cape Fear River © Marie-claire Lander | Dreamstime
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