Embassy Suites - Wilmington, North Carolina

After leaving Raleigh (actually a forgettable Hilton Garden Inn in Morrisville near RDU, we set off in a reasonably pleasant two-hour drive on I-40, often lined with trees, to arrive at the Wilmington, NC Embassy Suites located on the Cape Fear RiverWalk.

Lo and behold, our suite was ready for us at 12:15 in this newish and modern hotel - no atrium in this ES! We have lovely suite with a great view of the Cape Fear River from our seventh floor perch.

That includes the battleship North Carolina, moored across the river and open for tours.

The weather is perfect for us so we dropped our luggage and immediately headed off to walk nearly the entire two-mile length.

We’ll try out the Embassy Suites “Manager’s Reception” at 5:30 PM and make a 10-minute walk from there to the Marina Grill, well recommended, for dinner.

We’re hoping to have walked enough today to burn a few calories.