Hope Mills, Other NC Spots Land on Top 25 Vacation Destination List

Hope Mills is among three NC spots to appear on a Top 25 Vacation destination spots this year.

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Hope Mills, NC has landed itself - somewhat surprisingly - on a Top 25 Vacation Destination list, at Wealth of Geeks, an online financial magazine.

In a recent story at wealthofgeeks.com, Monica Fish laid out "25 U.S. Destinations to Plan a Vacation to in 2022," and it includes a lot of the expected big hitters.

Among the top places, Alaska, Miami, Maui and Las Vegas are mentioned, among others. And then in a section of "Small Towns to Consider Visiting," Fish actually highlights three different North Carolina areas, High Point, the "Carolina Core," and... Hope Mills!

Here's what Fish had to say about her reasons for visiting our area:

"Outside of Fayetville, in between Charlotte and Wilmington, is the friendliest place in the state of North Carolina. Dirtbag Ales, a brewery with 20 brews on tap, live music, food trucks, and Stop Button Bar, which provides classic arcade games, themed cocktails, and craft beer, won this distinction in 2020.

Hope Mills also includes the Cypress Lakes Golf Course, a championship-style course that uniquely tests every caliber player at their own level. In addition, hope Mills Lake, which is open for swimming, fishing, and kayaking, allows visitors to enjoy the scenic views and seasonally warm weather."

As mentioned, Hope Mills wasn't the only NC spot mentioned for a vacation destination, as High Point got recognition too:

"Known in the industry as “Home Furnishings Capital of the World,” High Point is one of the nation’s best-kept secrets for those looking to redo their home decor.

2022 is the perfect time to visit High Point as the city’s downtown is undergoing a $232M transformation, including Congdon Yards & High Point X Design. Shop til you drop at over 50 retail stores in High Point. For some family fun, don’t forget to visit Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum, one of the largest children museums in the nation with 75,000 square feet of exhibits to explore."

And lastly, North Carolina's "Carolina Core" landed on Fish's list too:

"The Carolina Core is a 120+ mile stretch of central North Carolina from west of Winston-Salem to Fayetteville that may not be on your vacation planning radar.

Foodies can indulge in the city’s diversity by enjoying a culinary journey with more than 500 restaurants. Or immerse yourself in the city’s vibrant arts and cultural experiences with stops at the historic Old Salem, Arts District, Innovation Quarter, and Industry Hill. For family fun, stop by the Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum opening in March 2022, one of the largest children's museums in the nation with 75,000 square feet of pure fun."

So while Hope Mills may not seem quite like the vacation destination we might think it is around here, it's clearly attracting attention elsewhere!

If you're looking for good food across Southeastern North Carolina, you've got plenty of restaurant options, and thanks to the Food Network, a lot of people know about them.

The folks over at tvfoodmaps.com have done the work of legends, putting together a complete directory of all the restaurants that have appeared on some of the network's most popular shows.

So we took a dive to look at some of the best Southeastern North Carolina restaurant choices. For the sake of this discussion, we're calling "Southeastern North Carolina" anything south of Raleigh, and east of basically Pinehurst. So you won't find any of the MANY restaurants on the list in Raleigh, for example.

What you will find is a host of North Carolina restaurants that serve up everything from barbecue to seafood, and a little of all of the in between.

You'll find restaurants on Fort Bragg, over in Wilson, and down to Wilmington. And they've been on shows like "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and "Food Paradise," as well as several others.

So let's take a look at the North Carolina restaurant list from Food Network shows, who have come down here to the wonderful Southeastern portion of the state:

Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream - Angier

8617 North Carolina 55, Angier - Seen on Food Paradise (Reopens March 1)

Smoke Bomb Grille - Fort Bragg

9th Infantry Street, Fort Bragg - Seen on Restaurant Impossible

https://bragg.armymwr.com/programs/smoke-bomb-grille

Pik N Pig - Carthage

194 Gilliam McConnell Road, Carthage - Seen on Food Paradise

(Note: the original Pik N Pig restaurant in Carthage was destroyed by a fire last May. But they are in the works of building a new location. Read more about it here.)

The Beefmastor Inn - Wilson

2656 U.S. 301, Wilson - Seen on Food Paradise

B's Barbecue - Greenville

751 State Road 1204, Greenville - Seen on Food Paradise

https://www.ourstate.com/a-day-at-bs-barbecue-greenville/

Sam Jones BBQ - Winterville

715 West Fire Tower Road, Winterville - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate and Food Paradise

The Skylight Inn - Ayden

4618 Lee Street, Ayden - Seen on Food Paradise

Terry's NC Bar-B-Que & Ribs - Southport

4688 Long Beach Road Southeast, Southport - Seen on Man vs. Food

The Copper Penny - Wilmington

109 Chestnut St., Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Pinpoint Restaurant - Wilmington

114 Market Street, Wilmington - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate

CheeseSmith - Wilmington

624 South 17th Street, Wilmington - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate

Winnie's Tavern - Wilmington

1895 Burnett Boulevard, Wilmington - Seen on Best Thing I Ever Ate

Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn - Wilmington

4002 Oleander Drive, Wilmington - Seen on Man vs. Food and Best Thing I Ever Ate

Something Fishy Seafood - Wilmington

3436 South College Road, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

The Original Salt Works - Wilmington

6301 Oleander Drive, Wilmington - Seen on Restaurant Impossible

Sweet n Savory Cafe - Wilmington

1611 Pavillion Place, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Ceviche's - Wilmington

7210 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

The Fork 'N' Cork - Wilmington

122 Market Street, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

(This is from the Carolina Beach location.)

Cast Iron Kitchen - Wilmington

8024 Market Street, Wilmington - Seen on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Joe's Oasis - Wilmington

6400 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington - Seen on Man vs. Food