Front Street Inn
The sky put on a show over Wilmington, North Carolina one cool November night.
Picture a red-brick building that exudes historical significance. It's trimmed with arched white windows, beautiful balconies, and gorgeous greenery. Outdoor seating in the gardens creates a peaceful setting that leaves you feeling refreshed and renewed. And a loose gravel lot draped with wispy trees provides a restful spot for a weary traveler's car.
I arrived at the Front Street Inn of Wilmington, North Carolina, just before sunset one cool November night. I parked my white Camaro convertible rental and planted my feet on the gravel beneath them, and something about the silence in the air and the sound my flip-flops made on those rocks washed an instant sense of calm over me.
The gentleman who checked me in and carried my suitcase inside made me feel all the more at ease. Vacation. After many hours on the road, I finally felt like I was on vacation. The sensation hit before I even reached my room. You have to be there to really know what I mean, but it's the kind of place that makes you feel so comfortable and so taken care of by the people who look after it and by the warm atmosphere they've created. As soon as I got there, I felt like I could slow down and unwind.
Once I was checked in, Chris talked me through my evening dining options and shared his favorites. He also made my night when he told me I might catch a glimpse of a kitten or several skulking through the gardens out back. And he made me laugh when he told me those sweet felines had adopted him as their own. When Chris showed me to my perfect writer-themed room, I never wanted to leave it. Not even for the sushi my stomach had decided on.
Uniqueness isn't always a feature you can count from the rooms you rent on the road. But the Front Street Inn features guestrooms with all different designs, each bringing an experience and a story all its own to every kind of traveler. And how cool is this––they were all decorated by rockstar Joe Walsh's wife. She drew inspiration from Georgia O'Keefe with a twist of lime, styling some of the spaces with a Southwest meets Key West feel. Other rooms like the Hemingway and the Kipling Room—where I spent the night—felt like the perfect places to write, which was exactly what I'd planned to do until the big white robe hanging over the closet door beckoned me to pamper myself with a night of ultimate relaxation.
The next day, after breakfast and a lovely chat that I could've continued all day with owner Richard Salinetti, I took to the town and enjoyed a little of the whole lot Wilmington has to offer. Fun activities include going to the gorgeous gardens by the sea: the Airlie Gardens, strolling Front Street, and the nearby riverwalk that runs along the famous Cape Fear River. You can spend time touring museums galore––some bizarre, others set in beautiful Victorian Italianate homes. Nearby islands, lakes, and parks are great ways to embrace the natural wonders of coastal North Carolina. And you're right in the heart of it all at the Front Street Inn.
It's the perfect place to experience what's so special about the Old North State. From the southern hospitality its owners and staff so naturally serve up to the charm you'll see and feel at every turn, the Front Street Inn of Wilmington, North Carolina, is an absolute must-stay.
