Carolina Beach, NC, is located just south of Wilmington and is the perfect place to bring a family for vacation! There was so much to do in Carolina Beach! If you pick a place to stay in the heart of town, you would never have to move your car. Everything is within walking distance! Kure Beach was the next beach down and offered amazing restaurants, a great beach and an aquarium. AND Wilmington was less than 30 minutes away and has an endless amount of fun! If that’s not enough, a ferry is available to take you to Southport for the day. There is so much to do so here are some things to do to make the most of your trip to Carolina Beach.
Carolina Beach Boardwalk:
One of the reason’s Carolina Beach appealed to our family was the Boardwalk and the community events. We arrived on a Thursday and that night (and every Thursday night in the summer) was fireworks night. We spent the evening at the Boardwalk. It was a great atmosphere! There are carnival rides, games, shopping, food and live music! We were able to see the fireworks from our condo parking lot, so after all of the playing we walked back and set on our tailgate to enjoy the view.
We also spent quite a while at the Carolina Beach Arcade. We found that this was a great way to spend $5! It was clean and the tickets came in abundance! 
Carolina Beach Lake Park:
Carolina Beach Lake Park is only a couple of blocks from the heart of Carolina Beach and a block back from the beach. It was a lovely park with a walking trail around the lake, a playground and paddle boats for rent. Saturday mornings in the summer it hosts the farmers market! The farmers market featured local wines, seasonal vegetables and fruit, seasonings and crafts. The park hosts family friendly movie nights on Sunday nights in the summer.
Many Beach Options:
There is easy access to the public beach at Carolina Beach. Even in July it wasn’t terribly crowded. The waves were high, but we enjoyed playing in the surf and watching the surfers! It was a fun place to learn how to boogie board! There was a surf school at the entrance to the beach that we used. The waves were a good size for beginner surfers! Fort Fisher State Recreation area is another great place to spend some time! It is located at the tip of the island, just past Kure Beach. There is a public beach and then there is a permit only beach. We paid for a permit and were able to drive a ways down the beach to find a spot farther away from the crowd. A 4- wheel drive is a must to drive on the beach, but we also learned it’s important to let some air out of your tires!
Some Things to Do on a Rainy Day:
Our first full day on vacation it rained, so we headed into Wilmington, NC. We saw a movie and then went to Glow Golf at Independence Mall. Glow Golf offered an inside option for putt-putt! It was very fun! It’s about 30 minutes from Carolina Beach and was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon! There are some other great options as well, if you have kids and a rainy day. We visited The Children’s Museum of Wilmington on our last visit to the area. It is geared to children under 10 years of age. Also, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher was located about 15 minutes away, just past Kure Beach, and we were told by several people it was a fun place to spend the day. 
What to Eat:
Eating out on vacation is a big deal for our family. Our favorite restaurant in Carolina Beach was Micheal’s. We went there twice! It isn’t within walking distance of Carolina Beach and it doesn’t have any type of view, but I highly recommend it. They had a great selection of really good seafood!
We also had dinner at Havana’s, in the heart of Carolina Beach. The atmosphere was fun. We ate on a covered patio and there was a corn hole set up in the yard for the waiting guests.
We had dinner at Gulfstream Restaurant one night as well. It was more of a diner feel with a lot of fried foods and sandwiches. I had a harder time here finding something gluten free, but I ended up with a salad topped with Mahi Mahi and it was excellent! Adam had a fried seafood platter and gave it rave reviews!
We ate breakfast at Gibby’s Dock and Dine. I had a shrimp omelet that was so huge and filling! The service was a little slow, but there was an excellent view of the water and the fishing charters! This was also walkable from many areas of Carolina Beach.
Our Favorite Sweet Treats:
Sweet treats at the beach are a must! Squigley’s was right next to our pool. They had hand dipped ice cream, but they are famous for their Squigley’s. It starts with a vanilla base and then you can add toppings and they mix it together into soft serve. They also do it with just fruit for dairy free people!
Latella Gelato on the boardwalk was a great option as well. I like to follow places on social media that are in the area I am going to travel and Latella Gelato grabbed me when they started advertising wine infused dairy-free gelato.
However, my favorite sweet treat came from The Veggie Wagon. And it had nothing to do with Veggies! We didn’t discover this place until our last night and I so wish we had found it sooner. They had coffee and a bakery, all kinds of specialty items, frozen healthy meals, snow cones made with honey, and homemade ice cream. They had handmade vanilla coconut milk ice cream that was TO DIE FOR!!! Ice cream is my favorite desert and I haven’t had it in almost 3 years. Not the good kind anyway. I get the dairy- free kind sometimes, but its always a fruit flavor and that just isn’t as fun! I would have eaten it daily, if I had only known!
Caroline Beach, NC, had so much to offer for a memorable family vacation. Have you ever been to Carolina Beach? I would LOVE to hear your favorite things to do!
