Located within walking distance to both the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites, Mayfaire is a great place to shop, grab a bite to eat or catch a movie.

One restaurant in the Mayfaire area Nicholas and I recommend is Roko Italian Cuisine. This a quaint, family owned restaurant that offers a unique menu and great service. Roko gets very busy so reservations are a must.

If you are interested in going to the beach, Wrightsville Beach is approximately 2.5 miles from the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites at Mayfaire. Public parking is available. The beach will be busy, but don't let that stop you from enjoying one of the best beaches in North Carolina. Wrightsville Beach is also home to "the Loop", that serves as a a popular area for locals and visitors to bike, jog, or to have a nice walk.

There are several restaurants in the Wrightsville Beach area. The Bluewater Waterfront Grill is a nice place to have lunch or dinner. It offers both inside and outside dinning with beautiful views of the Intercoastal Waterway. Another popular restaurant is The Oceanic that is the only oceanfront restaurant on Wrightsville Beach. The Oceanic has outdoor dining and night time entertainment on the adjoining pier, making it an ideal place to have a drink while looking out at the ocean. Two other restaurants located on the Intercoastal Waterway are The Bridge Tender and the Dock Side. The Bridge Tender is a locally owned, well established restaurant known for both its seafood menu and beautiful views. The Dock Side is another great place to grab a drink (particularly a Bloody Mary) and sit on the dock and watch the boats go by on the waterway.

Historic Downtown Wilmington is a must see area of Wilmington. If you are staying at either the Hilton Garden Inn or Homewood Suites, Historic Downtown is approximately 8 miles or a 20 minute drive . In Historic Downtown Wilmington there are wonderful and unique restaurants, bars, shops and boutiques. In addition, Downtown has a beautiful Riverwalk that runs along the Cape Fear River. Also, located across the river from Historic Downtown is the WWII battleship the USS North Carolina Museum.

There are many nice restaurants Downtown, but Caprice, The Dock Street Oyster Bar, and The Basics are the ones we frequent the most. Caprice is a French restaurant with amazing food and, according to Nicholas, they make a good martini. Caprice is a very popular restaurant so reservations are a must. The Dock Street Oyster Bar is a great place to eat if you are in the mood for fresh, steamed seafood. Their soups are delicious, as well. Finally,The Basics serves delicious, authentic, southern food and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nicholas and I can honestly say we have not had a bad meal at any of these restaurants. Just FYI some other popular restaurants Downtown are Elijah's Restaurant, Aubriana's, and Circa 1922. If you have any questions about these or other restaurants in the area, please just feel free to ask us.

If you are in search of a place to get a drink Nicholas and I really worked hard over the past few years to scope out good places to grab a drink...or two. The Copper Penny is one of our favorite places to get a drink because of their wide selection of North Carolina craft beers and craft beers in general. Additionally, The Copper Penny has a good bar menu. We especially like the Handmade Spring Rolls. The Fortunate Glass has become one of our favorite places to enjoy a glass of wine. Not only does this place have an extensive wine list, but the staff is also very knowledgeable on the wines they serve. Finally, the Blue Post is a fun bar to go to if you want to play a game of pool, air hockey, skee-ball, or other arcade games. Downtown Wilmington offers many more places to get a drink that are either on the Riverwalk or on the roof tops of buildings that offer very beautiful views of the area, particularly at sunset.

Downtown also has a variety of shops and boutiques to explore. My number one place to shop is Kilwins Ice Cream Shop. If you like ice cream, you'll love Kilwins! Another place we recommend you stop is The Cotton Exchange. The Cotton Exchange is located within eight restored Pre-Civil War buildings with beautiful courtyards intertwined between the buildings. It is both an interesting place to shop and learn more about the history of Wilmington.

Tom Fazio Golf Course at Porters Neck Country Club

If you are interested in playing this course on Thursday, June 23rd you can call to make a tee time two weeks prior to that date. If you are interested in playing on Friday, June 24th or Saturday morning June 25th you can make a tee time one week prior to the these dates.